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Each year in the month of February, I write about the Wisconsin Open Enrollment program. My purpose is to provide information for families, parents, and guardians of students who are gifted and who may be looking for options regarding the education of their children. Sometimes, families, parents, and guardians overlook or are uninformed about open enrollment options and how it may meet the needs of a student who is gifted.
Open enrollment is a program that allows parents/guardians to apply to enroll their K-12 (4K in some instances) students in a public school in another school district outside of their home district. Information is available on the WI Department of Public Instruction (DPI) website about open enrollment. A very important factor for parents/guardians to keep in mind is the strict deadline for applying and notification. The open enrollment period in Wisconsin for next school year, 2023-2024, is: February 6 - April 28, 2023, at 4:00 p.m. There are several steps involved in applying for open enrollment, and parents/guardians must follow the steps closely. Parents/guardians may select up to three non-resident school districts to apply to with others available with specific criteria. Some public charter schools and virtual charter schools may also accept applications. The home school district must approve the application for open enrollment, and the non-resident school district must approve the open enrollment of each applicant. If they do not agree, then the application is denied. There is an appeal process listed on the application website. Why consider open enrollment? Many times students who are gifted need services and resources that one school district may be unable or unwilling to provide while a different school district may have the resources or services for these students. School districts differ from each other and the services, approaches to teaching and learning, and resources may differ, as well. Other reasons for considering open enrollment include the proximity of a school district to the workplace of the parent/guardian, or specific programming offered by a non-resident district. It must be noted, however, that transportation to the non-resident district is the responsibility of the parent/guardian. Open enrollment is available to all students, not just students who are gifted. In addition, applications may be made for siblings. School districts often have visitation opportunities for families considering open enrollment. It is recommended that parents/guardians and the student attend the open house, virtual meeting, or other event to meet district employees, parents, and students. If possible, visit the school campus and classrooms to see the facilities and resources. For a virtual school, do so in a virtual meeting or other format. Only you and your child can make this decision for your family. Review the following websites for more information, links, and documents about Wisconsin’s open enrollment. WI DPI Open Enrollment https://dpi.wi.gov/open-enrollment WI DPI Open Enrollment Application Information https://dpi.wi.gov/open-enrollment/applications Dr. Wanda Routier, Former WATG Board Member
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As the new year is moving onward at full speed it is often useful to try a new activity or two during the dark winter months. A few weeks ago in the Byrdseed newsletter, Ian Byrdseed shared a math activity focused on buying a gift for a friend using measurement, volume, low cost, and other attributes. Did you see this activity in the newsletter? It is called “Big Gift, Small Price.”
I would use this activity with students as if we needed to shop for a birthday gift for a friend or family member. It is relevant to students because they like to celebrate birthdays, usually do not have a lot of money to spend, and often need ideas for gifts. This activity would work with students who are gifted, regardless of the type of classroom they are in, the type of school they attend, or if they are homeschooled. The activity may be found on the following website. There are documents for the activity pages and videos explaining the activity. https://www.byrdseed.tv/big-gifts/?ck_subscriber_id=623702196 For students who are gifted, there are a myriad of ways they could expand this activity, using it as a starting point. Some students may want to compare and contrast the gift attributes, while others may want to compare and contrast the costs based on where the gift is purchased. Other gifted students may have far more complex ideas for making this activity more detailed. Gifted students are limited only by their creativity. During the winter months, especially on the days when students cannot go outside, this activity provides a fun way to practice math while solving a problem of what to get as a birthday gift for a friend or family member. It is also an activity that parents and/or teachers can present to students to complete at home or in school. Try it as a way to “warm up” for more winter activities! Dr. Wanda Routier, Former WATG Board Member wroutier@gmail.com A parent was talking with me in recent weeks about his gifted student and some of the things about which he was concerned. The student seemed to be more alone than in previous years, with few friends, and the parent was very aware of his child’s uneven skills in various developmental areas.
Most parents and teachers realize it is important to acknowledge the unique characteristics of gifted students in order to meet their needs. They are often unlike other students in school, in the family, or in the community. One of the characteristics that many gifted students demonstrate is asynchronous development. Asynchrony can be in one or more developmental areas such as physical, cognitive, social, and/or emotional. For example, it can be challenging for a young gifted student to have advanced thinking skills but be unable to use scissors adequately. The student may become frustrated and focus on what they think they cannot do, rather than focusing on what they can do. These students may try to keep up with their peers in certain areas, or become depressed that they cannot keep up, even though they are far ahead in other areas such as thinking and applying information. Because of this, many gifted students may try to mask their abilities to fit in with peers; this may then lead to further social-emotional difficulties if they do not have a friend who is an intellectual peer. The Davidson Institute has an article about this on their website. The article provides insight and information about the social and emotional aspects of gifted students and mentions asynchronous development. I shared this information with the parent and he found the article helpful. Perhaps it will provide useful information for you, too. Gifted Social and Emotional Resources The Davidson Institute https://www.davidsongifted.org/prospective-families/social-emotional-resources/ When working with gifted students, knowledge is power. The more we know, the more we understand, and the more we can help our students. Dr. Wanda Routier, Former WATG Board Member Recently K-12 student test scores were released in the media showing a decline in both reading and math. Several students who are gifted in math and their parents were talking with me about the report and about their experiences learning math in school. These students find using math, including higher-level math, interesting and are challenged when using it to solve high-level real-world problems. However, they also shared that while they enjoy using math in real life, math class is generally painful. The reasons are many: They are required to show their work when they are able to do much of the math in their head (even higher-level math), they are not allowed to explain their answer or the next stage of using the math operation in a problem, and are not allowed to create a model or image of how the math is applied to solve a problem (e.g., fortifying a bridge that may be ready to collapse, or manipulating an algorithm to enhance security of their home or school network.)
The students said that timed tests, drill and practice classwork and homework is frustrating because they see no application of these activities to actually using math to solve real problems. Because they can do the skills in their head when needed, they yearn for greater challenges. Additionally, many students said they are not good at drill and practice timed tests because their thinking process is very different from answering rote questions requiring multiplication tables or addition/subtraction facts. The students said they see math patterns, relationships, and concepts in their mind and find it difficult to explain in words how they solved a problem. Showing their work on paper can be very painful. A few parents said their students have strengths in visual, spatial, and/or visual spatial learning, especially in math, and can see pictures and images in their mind that others never recognize or imagine. The students said that often they can do math that is beyond the skills of their parents and teachers, and sometimes that is problematic, too. Again, they yearn for challenges. I asked the students what recommendations they have for adults that would help them learn more math skills at their level and beyond. The most common response was to let the students solve math problems the way they need to, and to let them explore big problems in creative ways, including solving some parts in their head, and in ways the teacher may not understand. Students also desire access to accelerated math classes in upper grade levels if they have the prerequisite skills. While many students may have deficits in their math skills and may have a need for specific math intervention, they also have needs which may require advanced math opportunities beyond their assigned grade level math class. I once had a teacher who told me that math is not about the numbers, it is about how one thinks; the thinking process is important, not the worry about getting the right numbers, because once one knows how to think about the problem, one can solve any similar problem regardless of what the numbers are. The students with whom I was talking agreed with this approach, and hoped that others can understand that they need different ways of learning math. As always, differentiation is the key. Following are a few resources about the topic of mathematics and gifted students: Mathematically Gifted Students: How Can We Meet Their Needs? Davidson Institute https://www.davidsongifted.org/gifted-blog/mathematically-gifted-students-how-can-we-meet-their-needs/ The Spatially Gifted-Our Future Architects and Engineers-Are Being Overlooked Edutopia https://www.edutopia.org/article/spatially-gifted-our-future-architects-and-engineers-are-being-overlooked/ Visual Spatial Learners Hoagies Gifted https://www.hoagiesgifted.org/visual-spatial.htm Dr. Wanda Routier Former WATG Board Member Behavior. We all have behaviors. Even animals have behaviors. We all exhibit positive and negative behaviors during our lives. Perhaps in your youth you behaved in ways you are proud of or would rather forget; we all can remember times like this.
When children and youth exhibit positive behaviors, we should acknowledge them. When they exhibit troublesome behaviors, our job is to try to determine the cause of the behavior and help them change their behavior, so they exhibit appropriate behaviors across settings and over time. For students who are gifted, behavior can often be misunderstood. Students who are gifted often display a wide spectrum of behaviors, from appropriate to inappropriate depending upon the situation and their frame of mind at the time. Some students who are gifted may deliberately manipulate their behavior so the adult response is what the student wants to see, often either a positive or negative response. They are masters at reading clues and weighing the consequences. Other times, students who are gifted become so frustrated with barriers to their intense desire for learning that they act out in inappropriate or challenging ways. A few parents were talking about their students’ behavior and how challenging it is to interpret. Sometimes their students fall in line with common expectations of school or societal behavior, and sometimes they challenge the rules. In school, sometimes their students may choose to be apart from others and not seek out friends, while other students refuse to do anything without their friends. Still other students who are gifted challenge their teachers about a fact or viewpoint. Are these typical student behaviors? To some degree, yes, but often the intensity of the behavior is what is different. The parents were trying to understand the broad range of behaviors their gifted students exhibited, and trying to choose a response. One of the parents said that while their gifted child exhibited challenging behaviors some of the time, the parent simply tried to model appropriate behaviors, including how to point out errors and how to disagree with someone while not attacking the other person. The parent also said that he just tries to love his child unconditionally, even on the hard days. All the parents agreed that they would try harder to do that. They agreed to stay in contact to support each other in parenting their gifted child. Students and parents need a place to be loved unconditionally, a place where they can truly be themselves, especially with all the stress that school and the world can create. Hopefully, that safe place is home. As a Navy wife, we always said, “home is where we are” because we moved so much. For gifted students and their families, home is where they are with people who care about them - their behaviors, their goals and dreams, and joys and challenges. My challenge to you is to continue to make your home a haven for you and your children. Behaviour, Emotions, Social Development: Gifted and Talented Children Dr. Wanda Routier Former WATG Board Member A new school year often brings anticipation and perhaps uneasiness because of all the unknowns. For students, questions such as who will be my friends, what will my teachers be like, or will math class be hard this year, may cause them to wonder (and sometimes worry) about the new school year. For teachers, questions such as will my students be willing to learn in class, will I be able to work with parents, or will I have support to help me with all the different student needs in my class, cause them to wonder (and sometimes worry) about the new school year. For parents, questions such as will my child be safe at school, will my child’s needs be met this year, or will teachers work with me so my child will learn, cause them to wonder (and sometimes worry) about the new school year.
Regardless of which questions we consider, they are all things students and adults wonder (and sometimes worry) about at this time of year. One way to reduce the wondering (and worrying) is to open the lines of communication with each other. Teachers who reach out to parents can make a big difference in supporting parents and students. Parents who reach out to teachers can help them get to know their child. Students who talk with teachers can share their interests and other information about themselves; this helps their teachers understand the student both in and out of school. When individuals talk, share, and support each other, relationships form and we get to know each other as people. These positive relationships are helpful when celebrating successes and when problems arise. Keeping the lines of communication open to listen and collaborate with each other can help the school year get off to a good start. Here are a few articles about communicating for teachers, parents, and students:. Teacher-Parent Communication Strategies to Start the Year Off Right https://www.edutopia.org/article/teacher-parent-communication-strategies-start-year-right The Power of Positive Communication in a School Setting https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/parent-involvement/the-power-of-positive-communication-in-a-school-setting Parents’ Top Tips for Partnering with Your Child’s Teacher https://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/partnering-with-your-childs-teacher/ How to Talk to Teachers: 10 Tips for Student Success https://studentfutures.org/misc/how-to-talk-to-teachers-tips-for-student-success/ I wish all of you a wonderful start to this school year. Keep the lines of communication open! Dr. Wanda Routier Former WATG Board Member August is here, and with it often comes plans to squeeze in the last enjoyments of summer, and laments about starting school again, perhaps too quickly, amidst hopes for more summertime.
What have your gifted students done over the summer months? Have they participated in a camp of some sort, or been involved in activities at home or in the community, gone on a vacation with the family, or done something else of interest to them? Whatever your students did over the summer, these last few weeks of summer vacation provide time for them and the family to do a few final activities, or just to spend time relaxing and enjoying some free time before the busy fall school schedule begins. A few gifted students shared some of the activities they like to do in late summer before they transition back to school. They said that their parents often do not have the time to plan a trip or formal activities toward the end of summer, so these are activities the students themselves planned. They acknowledged that some of the activities require parental help, such as driving to a state park, but the students said their parents were open to the activities since the students planned the events themselves and the parents didn’t have to take the time to plan. Here are ten ideas that these gifted students recommended. Try some of them and have fun these last days of summer vacation! 1) Visit a state park or community park near you. 2) Have a splash party in your backyard; set up a lawn sprinkler, run through it, and play games such as keep-away. 3) Pack a lunch and take a local road trip to visit a place in your community or nearby that you have not visited before, or a place you have wanted to return to after a previous visit. 4) Spend a morning or afternoon in your local library exploring activities and non-book resources that are available to use in the library (games, maps and charts, kits, etc.). 5) Take a bike ride around your neighborhood or community, going a little further than you have before. 6) Watch and catalog things near your home – birds, insects, trees, etc. – and learn about them. 7) Hold a frisbee or other yard game tournament; encourage students to make the rules and run the tournament. 8) Have a backyard picnic. 9) Organize a block picnic. 10) Camp overnight in your backyard. Besides enjoying these activities, just think of all of the things students can learn while planning them! Dr. Wanda Routier Former WATG Board Member Last month I wrote about gifted children and STEM activities which covered science, technology, engineering, math. This month I’d like to talk about STEAM - science, technology, engineering, arts, math. Why include the arts with the other disciplines? According to the Rhode Island School of Design, “The goal is to foster the true innovation that comes with combining the mind of a scientist or technologist with that of an artist or designer.” One of the early leaders in the STEAM approach is Dr. John Maeda, a former President of the Rhode Island School of Design and former professor (and student) at MIT, who “has emphasized the idea that design thinking and creativity are essential ingredients for innovation”.https://onlinedegrees.sandiego.edu/steam-education-in-schools/#A The four skills central to STEAM are critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity. These are skills that are used in the arts and are also essential in STEM pursuits. The arts in STEAM include music, visual arts, dancing/movement, drama, among others. Following are some activities and concepts you may want to consider.  Many gifted children and youth are innovative; they blend academics and arts when playing, and integrate many concepts together to create something new. Investigate the resources about STEM in last month’s blog post, and further explore turning STEM into STEAM with this month’s resources. Encourage your student to search for more resources in their areas of interest. Allow your gifted student to take the lead on activities, exploration, and study of STEAM, so that they fully experience the breadth and depth of STEAM connections.
As Leonardo da Vinci said: “To develop a complete mind, study the science of art, and study the art of science. Learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else.” STEAM Resources STEAM Article Stem to STEAM: Art in K-12 is Key to Building a Strong Economy By Dr. John Maeda https://www.edutopia.org/blog/stem-to-steam-strengthens-economy-john-maeda STEAM Websites Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM https://artsintegration.com STEAM Careers for the 21st Century https://artsintegration.com/2018/09/01/steam-careers-for-the-21st-century/ Connections: Math & Music The Kennedy Center https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/resources-for-educators/classroom-resources/media-and-interactives/media/music/connections/connections/math--music/ Colorin’ Colorado! A bilingual site for educators and families of English language learners Art, Music and Dance: Books for Young Children https://www.colorincolorado.org/booklist/art-music-and-dance-books-children Diverse Picture Books for Art and Music Teachers https://melissanikohl.com/diverse-picture-books-for-art-and-music-teachers/ Dr. Wanda Routier, Former Board Member WI Association for Talented and Gifted |
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