| by Amy Gilgenbach, WATG Board Member I recently was a parent chaperone for my son’s middle school robotics team as they traveled to California for a large, international robotics competition. Riding a wave of middle school ambition and high hopes, not to mention anticipation about visiting Disney, the students were excited and ready for the trip. They had worked hard the last year preparing: designing and building the robot, competing in local matches, troubleshooting problems, strategizing and practicing. Our team was focused on doing the work themselves and, for the most part, eschewed adult help. The designing, building and even programming of the robot was done by the kids. This is a group of extremely smart kids, some of whom are officially identified as gifted and others who probably should be identified. They knew they were capable of building a good robot and they made sure we knew it, too. In the end, they did indeed build a good robot. They also took a risk and made some changes before this last competition, changes that would enhance the robot if they worked but caused extra nail biting as the deadline drew nearer. After spending a day settling in, getting the robot inspected and, possibly most importantly, visiting Disney, the team was ready for action. The first day consisted of a practice match in the morning then two qualifying matches in the afternoon. After an uncertain practice match, they won their qualification matches and ended the day on a high note. The two next days brought more challenges – a problem with the robot, erratic judging, and watching a rival team succeed when they began to falter. Our students watched as adults from the rival team worked on their team’s robot, coached students at the matches and strategized with other teams, did everything except, of course, drive the robot. It wasn’t fair, one of our kids said, because it was almost like they were competing against adults. But it is common occurrence in robotics, which relies on skills middle schools students may not have, like programming. It is a modern-day soap box derby dilemma and for the kids with a heightened sense of justice, it was hard to watch. But mostly they were good sports about it and focused on what they were doing and not on what others were doing. | The competition was a pressure-cooker for the kids and each one handled it differently. Most of the time, a short walk and a snack helped. Stepping away from the pit (work area), walking with a friend to get ice cream and wandering the convention center that was packed with students from all over the world or stepping out into the sunny California day brought much needed relief. We knew going into this that our job as chaperones was to make sure no one got hurt or lost. What we learned, though, was that we also needed to make sure the kids were weathering the intensity of the competition and, dare we hope, enjoying the experience. Watching the team on the last day, I realized we had succeeded. They had tied or lost (most by only one or two points) all their recent matches but as they lined up at the field for their second-to-last match, they were joking with each other and the other competitors and dancing to the loud music. All was good. Things were even better for the last match: our team had found a way to add music to their robot, using a newly-unveiled part and installing and programming it the night before. If they couldn’t win the competition, they were at least going to have fun with it. They used the new part in that last match, playing Mission Impossible. Oh, the ironic sense of humor of gifted kids. Since the trip, I recently had the opportunity to speak to a coach of a successful academic decathlon team. She mentioned that most of the students all thought of something they could have done better. It’s that perfectionism, she said. But balancing the pressure of the competition and enjoying the experience was something she hoped to instill in the students on their trip. “Sometimes they get so caught up in the competition that they forget to enjoy it. We want them to be able to look back and say, ‘That was fun!’” she said. I agree. There were so many successes from our trip, successes not reflected in the rankings: 1. One of the students solved a problem that had been plaguing the robot off and on since the fall; 2. Another member conquered their fear of flying to go on this trip; 3. The students got to talk and interact with students of other schools and nations; 4. They all learned so much, not only about robotics, but also about others and themselves; 5. And, most importantly, they all had fun. |
Add Comment The Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted invites students in grades K - 12 to submit designs for the WATG 2012 Annual Conference logo. The logo will appear on materials related to the conference, including brochures and program booklets. The design should provoke thought or intimate feeling and should relate to this year's theme- Gifted Lives: Engaged, Enlightened, Empowered. It will also need to be easily reproducible (bold black and white recommended) with the design original being submitted in black and white and no larger that 5 X 7. This year's contest winner will be presented with an award and gift at the WATG 2012 Annual Conference Awards Dinner, which will be held at the conference on October 11th at the Blue Harbor Resort in Sheboygan (not Wisconsin Dells). The Logo Contest entry form can be found at the WATG website- http://www.watg.org/. The deadline date for submission of entries in May 31, 2012. At the annual Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC) Representative Assembly, held Saturday, April 21 in the Wisconsin Dells, the 796 registered delegates to the RA unanimously voted to approve the new Gifted and Talented resolution, brought forward by WEAC’s Exceptional Education Committee. Resolutions reflect the core beliefs of the organization. As an Exceptional Ed committee member, I was able to work on the creation and revision of this one, along with other educators and committee members. It reads as follows: The WEAC supports gifted and talented programming in all areas and levels and recommends that education employees participate in the development and implementation of such programs. Programming for gifted and talented students in regular education programs must include necessary modifications, including appropriate materials and curriculum. An adequate level of services and staff, along with ongoing professional development, are necessary for effective implementation of best practices for gifted and talented education. The WEAC believes that all students identified as gifted and talented shall have an educational plan that aligns with current standards, with appropriate accommodations and/or modifications for each student. The Council further believes that funding for gifted and talented education must be provided at levels sufficient to ensure effective local implementation. Thomas Zigan Past-President, WATG Challenging Advanced Learners Academy ~ Registration Now Open! Don't miss this opportunity.05/05/2012 DOWNLOAD BROCHURE Registration is open for the first annual Challenging Advanced Learners Academy! This event will be held from June 18th – 20th on the UW-Whitewater campus. Several speakers from around Wisconsin as well as around the country will present and lead workshops on topics related to Common Core Standards, Response to Intervention, Assessment, and 21st Century Skills – all how they relate to gifted education. The best part is that this Academy is being offered at COST thanks to a grant from the UW-Whitewater Education Outreach Program. This means the cost of attendance is only a fraction of what this kind of content would normally cost. See the official brochure at the website below for more information regarding schedule, presenters, and registration. Enrollment will be limited in order to make for the best possible learning environment so sign up soon! Confirmed speakers include Dr. Ann Robinson, former President of NAGC and Professor at University of Arkansas – Little Rock, Dr. Marcia Gentry, Director of the Gifted Education Resource Institute and Professor at Purdue University, and Dr. Jaime Castellano, current NAGC Board Member and school administrator among many others! http://www.uww.edu/conteduc/camps/otherevents/advancedlearners.php In addition to credit opportunities related to the Academy, three different gifted-related graduate courses will be offered this summer. EDFOUND 781 (3cr) – Foundations of Gifted and Talented Education (UWW); EDUC 795 (3cr) – Practicum in Teaching Gifted and Talented Learners (UWSP); AND EDFOUND 490 / 690 (3cr) – Coordinating Gifted and Talented Education Make sure you sign up for the WISGIF list serve in order to receive all academy-related updates: http://www.watg.org/wisgift-list-serve--join-today.html The NACO is a contest in which middle and high-school students solve linguistic puzzles, requiring strong logic skills and a sense for decoding languages. While many students who have competed in this event have spoken three or even four languages, no prior knowledge of linguistics is necessary. The competition has had multiple benefits for students while helping them prepare for post-secondary pursuits. Helping students explore unique career paths, the UW-Milwaukee site included linguistic and math presentations and allowed students to set foot on a college campus. Furthermore, the competition helped challenge the RtI tier three students who can sometimes be hard to challenge, while allowing students to meet other like-minded peers in Wisconsin in a gifted-friendly environment. This year UW-Madison did not have enough pupil participation to continue the event, while UW-Milwaukee was overbooked, overbooked enough to have two sites. If you have students who are interested in a career of math, computer programming, or linguistics, or in the intelligence field, encourage them to consider this free morning competition. UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee both have graciously been sites for NACO, but you may also enter your own high school as a site if you are willing to be the proctor for a morning in February. According to 2010-2011 State of the Nations report of the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC): ~Of the 36 reporting states, 10 provided $0 in state funds to support gifted education in 2010-11; another 4 states spent less than $1 million. ~Since the last State of the States report, 14 states have reduced state funding for gifted education. ~In Wisconsin last year, total state funding for GT was $263,500, almost $10,000 less than the year before. The 2011-12 amount is now $237,200. There is no federal funding. ~In Wisconsin this loss combined with the reduction in state aid overall has meant a decrease in staffing and/or staff time devoted to GT. Some districts have responded by stating that students’ needs for acceleration and enrichment will be met in the regular classroom through differentiated instruction. While differentiated instruction is a valuable tool in addressing the academic needs of gifted students, it is only effective when teachers are well trained and given time to write differentiated curriculum. As every teacher knows, differentiating your entire curriculum is a huge, huge job requiring extensive time and effort. Many districts have eliminated or significantly reduced funds for professional development and for staff time outside of the classroom to revise curriculum. Remaining funds are frequently reserved for addressing the needs of under-performing students. Also, the recent collective bargaining legislation assures there are few incentives for teachers to pursue continuing education at their own expense. Since state law says the school must address the needs of gifted students, parents have a right to know the school's specific plan for providing an appropriate challenge for their child. Parents can ask for that plan in writing and request periodic updates on how the plan is proceeding, as well as assessments that indicate academic growth of their child. A teacher who uses differentiated instruction will be able to tell parents how concepts, activities, and products have been structured to meet the needs of children of varying abilities, not just for learning styles or interests. Additionally, the highest ability students need services beyond the regular differentiated classroom. Schools must identify those students and assure that there is a consistent and systematic plan for appropriately challenging education. And, it should be noted that while intellectual and academic gifts are most often addressed by differentiated instruction, students with three other areas of giftedness (creativity, leadership, and artistic) must also be identified and provided with appropriate programming by each school district. But GT coordinators and teachers are struggling to keep existing programs in place and it's impossible to expand when funds are scarcer and scarcer. Through the WATG survey, almost 300 of you have shared what’s happening in your district. And as we read your stories, it's the frustration of educators and parents alike that have driven us to respond. Ever the optimist, I still believe that new life and fresh ideas can sprout from the direst of circumstances! WATG is dedicated to making that happen. The 2012 WATG Conference theme is “Gifted Lives: Engaged, Enlightened, Empowered”. Please encourage artistic and creative students to submit a drawing which will illustrate the cover of the WATG 2012 Conference Program. Entries should fit the space of a four, five or six inch square in to fit well on the cover. Artwork must also be black ink on white only, with clear graphics for the best result in duplication. Design must incorporate and illustrate the Conference Theme. The artist whose work is selected will also be recognized for their contribution and talent at the Conference. Submissions are due June 1, 2012. - WATG Logo Selection Committee The WATG Award Nomination Form is found under the ‘Blogs’ tab on the website. The turbulence of the past twelve months makes it all the more important to recognize individuals who support education and our gifted population in particular. Each year, WATG seeks to honor those who have made an impact in Wisconsin to further the quality education of gifted children. These awards are presented at the Fall Conference held annually in October. Examples of the work those honored have done might include: ~Making a valuable contribution to the enhancement of gifted and talented efforts in Wisconsin ~Making a significant difference in a school or district ~Having a dramatic effect on students ~Providing extraordinary service to parents ~Exemplary work in curriculum development or faculty / staff development Thank you, -WATG Awards Committee The popular full-day seminars Gifted 101 and Gifted 201 presented by WATG Past-Presidents Tom Zigan and Sarah Kasprowicz will be offered Saturday, April 28, 2012 on the University of Wisconsin –La Crosse Campus. Online registration will be available very soon. This is a great opportunity to earn graduate credit from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse for the amazing cost of $90 payable separately to the University. There will also be a fee payable to WATG to cover refreshments and expenses. Watch for an email announcement coming soon! Apply Now for the Joe Lubar Scholarship to University School Milwaukee ~ Deadline is January 31st!01/07/2012 University School Milwaukee (USM) and the Madeleine and David Lubar Family announce the Joe Lubar Scholarship in memory of Joe Lubar, USM Class of 2008. USM will award an annual full-tuition scholarship to a new incoming ninth-grade applicant. The Joe Lubar Scholar will have demonstrated outstanding achievement in academics, character, and extracurriculars that will broaden and enrich the USM community. This Scholarship is intended to provide an opportunity for gifted students who otherwise might not consider attending USM. Applicants must participate in the regular admissions process. An admissions testing date is scheduled for January 14, 2012 for all scholarship applicants. The deadline to apply is January 31, 2012. For more information and application materials, click here. Link to full announcement: http://www.usmk12.org/scholarship?rc=0 | 
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