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Cathy Schmit-WATG Board Advisor/Past President
Even the best among us need reminder talks of courage, endurance, commitment, resiliency, kind leadership and dedicated teamwork! Some of the best sports speeches about these topics could apply to ordinary situations for parents and school staff: the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat, the importance of teamwork, and the discipline required to reach lofty goals. In light of that, I am taking this opportunity to have a “half-time locker room talk” with each of you. Why? Because we could all use a little (or BIG!) pep talk right now. As I write this article, I am surrounded by a wonderful, vivacious group of 40 gifted middle school kids, from different backgrounds and family groups. While watching them play today, it hit me-- these kids are happy right now. Truly happy at this moment without access to technology or the pressures of homework. Concerns of the pandemic seem to have melted away for perhaps the first time for some. Forgotten for the time being (or not), these children have all experienced something over the last 2 ½ years of the pandemic that will inevitably affect the rest of their lives. If we do the math, an average 12-year-old has now given roughly 1/3 of their lives to the ways of this pandemic. This math does not include the first 4 years of life that are hardly remembered. Rather, it counts the 7 formative years following this point. To phrase this differently, one third of their young lives have been disrupted and unsettled by Covid. One third of their school years have been dismantled, play groups canceled, activities and social gatherings discontinued. Chaos is slowly inching toward a new “normal” for these children that engulfs the most memorable part of their young lives. As an adult, can you even begin to imagine a third of your lifetime being interrupted by something so unerringly profound as a pandemic? For some of us, this statistic would represent decades of discomfort made better only by the fact that we have memories built up of “different times” that kindle a dream for things to become “normal” again. As I sit here I am struck by the realization that many of these children have less than five years of memories of ‘normalcy.’ To them, this has become normal. When was the last time they were able to breathe, simply breathe without the challenges typically associated with being gifted-- when was the last time they were able to simply breathe without the pressure of a world that currently fears breathing? In my lifetime, I have seen “hands-off” parenting, “helicopter parents”, “lawn mower parents” and many other styles of parenting. But what will future generations call our parenting style through Covid? Will we be remembered for helping our children build the space and time in their lives to breathe, or will we be remembered for barely being able to keep it together ourselves despite decades of practice in resiliency? Parents and caregivers, we have to step up and be parents and caregivers. I know! We are tired, but there are jobs that need to be done… must be done for the sake of the youngest generation! There are jobs that only parents and caregivers can do and one of them is simply just showing up, we can grow from there! I can honestly say, our kids have probably never needed us more. Teachers and other school personnel. You have to step up! We are tired! But there are jobs that need to be done. Our kids are hurting and scared, buckling under the weight of everything being thrown at them. We are the adults--they need our care and concern. I know it is hard. We are battling through each day mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted. In these last few moments of summer, in this “half-time” before school begins, I challenge you to see how you can make space and time for these children to just be children. How do you need to show up for yourselves so that we can show up (even better) for them? I implore you to take time to sit with yourselves and find ways to parent and teach with energy again, help these children remember what it is like to have people show up for them simply for the joy of showing up. I know the pandemic is hard but in order to continue to move forward, we must do so as a team and to do that it takes teamwork, perseverance, resiliency, humility, and heart. Take a deep breath… This is YOUR time! Go get’m team!
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Parenting doesn’t come with a handbook. Luckily I have a really great support system with family and friends who’ve made the parenting journey easier. However, as a parent of a gifted child, I find myself hesitant to share successes and struggles I have when it comes to anything related to my child being gifted. Even with my closest family and friends there is a perception of what it means to be gifted, and I often find it to be isolating. More recently I’ve started sharing more with my loved ones, and have been seeking opportunities to connect with people outside my inner circle who are in similar parenting situations. The Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted (WATG) is one way I’ve gotten connected with other parents and found resources to make sense of my unique parenting journey.
Chances are if you have a gifted child, you or someone close to you is also gifted (identified or unidentified). This consciously or unconsciously impacts the choices you make as a parent. Research and educational supports are very different now than when we parents were in school. Navigating the current world we live in and how to best support our child(ren) can be challenging, overwhelming and frustrating. It can also be exhilarating, rewarding and gratifying. It can be all of these things in one day! For this reason, it is important to surround yourself with people who can relate with you and offer encouragement. Also, this is a reason to keep up to date with the most current information related to supporting gifted and talented children academically, socially and emotionally. Becoming a parent member of WATG has been invaluable for me because of the friendships, veteran parents, and experts who’ve offered me guidance and support. If you're ready to expand your parenting tribe, connect with WATG experts, and/or find more resources on parenting your gifted child, come join us at the first ever WATG Parent Conference on Sunday, October 2, 2022 at the Wilderness Resort in the Dells. We’re looking forward to meeting you! Registration information can be found here. Dr. Jenna Cramer WATG Board Member  I’m Marshall Vielmetti, a graduating senior at Nicolet High School. My family moved to Fox Point when I first entered 1st grade, and other than 2 years spent abroad, I spent the entirety of my K-8 education in Stormonth School’s, and subsequently Bayside’s, Gifted & Talented Program. I’m planning to go to the University of Michigan this fall to study Robotics & Computer Science.
After entering high school, I was left looking for a similar community, and I found that in Nicolet FEAR, our FIRST robotics team, and through the science fair. I’d always been interested in STEM fields and enjoyed math and science, so both of these felt like natural next steps. Like many others, I joined FEAR my freshman year with no prior experience. At first, it was somewhat overwhelming; there were so many different things to do, so many people, and a lot to learn, but I quickly felt at home within the programming subteam. I spent my freshman and sophomore years primarily working on programming, where I was able to learn a lot of Java, and build a foundation for my skills. What’s been great about FEAR, however, are the limitless opportunities for growth. As much as I enjoyed programming, I felt somewhat limited in my role on the team, and wanted to branch out in order to make more of an impact. So during the latter half of my sophomore year, I decided to branch out into manufacturing, where I was able to learn how to operate a CNC router, and use Solidworks, an industry standard Computer Aided Design tool. And on top of that, I grew into my own as a leader, spearheading multiple design groups. Now, as a senior, I was responsible for leading the design and manufacture of our robot’s entire game mechanism. Less important than the specific skills, however, was the environment that encouraged me to learn them. With FEAR, there was really no limit to the breadth or depth of skills to learn, and the environment heavily encourages pursuing them. This experience was very similar to what I felt participating in science fairs. I’ve built three programming-centric projects in the last three years (partially motivated by my experience programming in FEAR), which has given me an excuse to dive both into programming, and 3 other interesting topics. For people who love to dig deeply into a topic that they find fascinating, science fair is a great environment, and one of the best parts of every year is competing. I’ve been at the International Science and Engineering Fair for the past two years, once virtually, and was able to meet other students with similar passions and interests. Learning about the amazing projects they’re working on has been incredibly rewarding and motivating Taken together, they’re a lot of work - FEAR’s competition season and science fair presentations have a way of colliding with one another. But regardless, both have provided me with an amazing opportunity for growth, and have been two amazingly supportive communities throughout high school. Competing internationally in both was also really a great experience; having the opportunity to meet and interact with so many people with similar interests was great! Marshall Vielmetti Graduating Senior, Nicolet High School There are many sayings about grandparenting that ring true, and grandparents of gifted children often appreciate and comment on them. Some examples include, “If I knew grandchildren would be so much fun, I would have had them first.” And “If children are the rainbow of life, grandchildren are the pot of gold.”
Indeed, grandparenting gifted children can bring a certain richness to the lives of grandparents and grandchildren. To begin with, many studies have confirmed the inheritability of gifted characteristics. In many families, children, parents, and grandparents exhibit characteristics of gifted individuals, and see them in each other. Grandparents may be very curious, have high energy levels, or exhibit sensitivities or intensities, just as their children and grandchildren do. They may have specialized interests or passions. They have lived with their own giftedness over decades, and they are experts at managing its joys and challenges. They may have been bullied or lonely. They may have found special friends who “get them.” They may have followed their dreams and passions for decades. They’ve spent years honing their observations and wisdom, and they are usually willing and able to share. They take the long view of things. One grandparent expressed it like this, “I was that kid, just like my grandkid is now. I was the loner, the kid who had weird interests that none of my friends had. I didn’t join the social crowd. It took me years and years to find my few friends, ones who really get me. The apple didn’t fall far from this family tree with my grandson. But I know he’ll be okay. I’ve lived it, and we talk about it often.” Additionally, grandparents bring other great gifts to the relationship. First, they are free to enjoy their grandchildren, for the most part, without being the enforcers of rules and discipline. They can love unconditionally. They also may have more time and disposable income than parents do, and delight in sharing both with their grandchildren. Many grandparents report taking their grandchildren to ball games, concerts, theater productions, museums, festivals, car shows, and other events, and report that these “treats” are so special for both of them. Many grandparents serve as family mentors for their grandchildren. They uphold family beliefs, values, and traditions, and are able to convey these non-judgmentally to their grandchildren. One grandfather explained it like this, “My granddaughter is at that age where she is breaking away from her parents. She’s still looking for guidance and support, but she certainly won’t take it from her mom. Sometimes I remind her of our family values and how we do things in our family. Sometimes I’m not even very covert about it, but somehow, I always get a pretty good response. Actually, I think she’s just perfect! And I tell her that all of the time!” When comments like these are shared, so many elders smile. So many lucky grandparents have very, very special relationships with their grandchildren, and so many lucky grandchildren blossom in the shared devotion. Dr. James Webb, author of Grandparents’ Guide to Gifted Children, and SENG (Supporting the Emotional Needs of Gifted), explained it so beautifully with these words, “Gifted children, with their intensity, may need the safe haven of grandparents more than other children. High achievement, for example, is not necessarily valued by age-peers of gifted teens, and there is much pressure to camouflage and hide one’s abilities. Grandparents can play a major role in helping gifted children appreciate the long view–how peers change, how important education is, and that one can largely determine one’s role in the world.” In today’s world, many grandparents are extremely integral parts of their grandchildren’s lives, and they may even assume parenting roles. Children live with grandparents for a wide variety of reasons – parents are in the armed forces, are incarcerated, travel, or are seriously ill, for instance. In these cases, the role of the grandparent may look more like the role of a parent, but in most cases, there are special bonds between the generations. In other families, grandparents can choose their level of involvement. Some grandparents ascribe to the “been there, done that” school of thought. They believe that they have raised their children and now deserve a break. Others become involved with grandchildren when invited, and are willing to help, but they may not be an integral part of the lives of their grandchildren. Another group relishes in active grandparenting, and they spend much time with their grandchildren. They believe that it does “take a whole village to raise a child,” and they cherish being involved. Yet another group may be physically distanced from their grandchildren, and they rely on infrequent get-togethers and virtual communication to keep in touch. And sadly, a final group may be cut off from their grandchildren for a wide variety of reasons, depriving both the grandparents and the grandchildren the special joys of this ineffable bond. Grandparents offer many wise suggestions about being successful in this role. They share these ideas:
Many grandparents hold a very special place in the hearts of their grandchildren. One young adult described it like this, “My grandpa was always there for me. He was serious and studious. In that way we were alike. When I was growing up, we had so many discussions about life. I could talk to him about anything, and I did. Then a funny thing happened. As he grew older and older, and became frail, he often asked my opinion on things. We talked about the meaning of life. We talked about God and death. We talked about really deep stuff. I really felt honored that he chose me for these conversations. I don’t really know why, but when he died, I decided that we were put on earth for each other. I still really miss him and our special talks.” So much research on the golden years of life centers on gifted adults finally growing into their gifts and finding a way to give back to the world. Grandparenting has to be one of the most perfect ways of doing this. When elders give back, everyone benefits. The grandparents are blessed, and the grandchildren are equally blessed. The circle of life is complete. Jackie Drummer, Past WATG President and Board Advisor Grandmother of Six :) (WATG would like to extend its deep appreciation to Esther Vazquez Guendulain of Appleton Bilingual School for translating this article into Spanish for our Spanish-speaking families and educators. The translation can be found below.) Crianza de abuelos y niños con talentos excepcionales Hay muchos dichos sobre el ser abuelos que suenan verdaderos, y los abuelos de niños con talentos excepcionales a menudo agradecen y comentan sobre estos. Algunos ejemplos incluyen, “si hubiera sabido que los nietos son tan divertidos, los hubiera tenido primero”. Y “si los hijos son el arcoíris de la vida, los nietos son un tesoro”. De hecho, la crianza de abuelos a niños con talentos excepcionales puede traer cierta riqueza a la vida de los abuelos y de los nietos. Para empezar, muchos estudios han confirmado que las características de talentos excepcionales se heredan. En muchas familias, hijos, padres y abuelos muestran características de individuos con talentos excepcionales y se ven en cada uno de ellos. Los abuelos pueden ser muy curiosos, tener altos niveles de energía o mostrar sensibilidad o intensidades, tal como sus hijos y nietos lo hacen. Puede que tengan intereses o pasiones especializadas. Ellos han vivido con sus excepcionalidades por décadas y son expertos en el manejo de sus gozos y desafíos. Puede que ellos hayan sufrido acoso escolar o hayan sido solitarios. Puede que ellos hayan encontrado amigos especiales que los “aceptaran”. Puede que hayan seguido sus sueños y pasiones por décadas. Ellos han pasado años perfeccionando sus observaciones y sabiduría y usualmente están dispuestos y pueden compartir. Ellos toman la visión amplia de las cosas. Un abuelo lo expresó así, “yo era ese niño, tal como mi nieto es ahora. Yo era el solitario, el niño que tenía intereses extraños que ninguno de mis amigos tenían. Yo no me uní a la multitud social. Me tomó años y años encontrar mis pocos amigos, los que realmente me aceptaran. La manzana no cayó muy lejos del árbol familiar con mi nieto. Pero sé que el estará bien. Yo lo viví y hablamos a menudo sobre eso”. Adicionalmente, los abuelos traen otros grandes regalos a la relación. Primero, son libres de disfrutar a los nietos, para la mayoría, sin tener que ser los que ponen las reglas y disciplina. Ellos pueden amar incondicionalmente. Puede que también tengan más tiempo e ingresos disponibles que lo que los padres tienen, y se complacen en compartir ambos con sus nietos. Muchos abuelos reportan que llevan a sus nietos a juegos de pelota, conciertos, producciones de teatro, museos, festivales, exposiciones de carros y otros eventos; y reportan que estos paseos son muy especiales para ambos. Muchos abuelos sirven como mentores de la familia para sus nietos. Ellos defienden las creencias, valores y tradiciones familiares y son capaces de transmitirlos sin juicios a sus nietos. Un abuelo lo explicó así: “Mi nieta está en la edad en la que está apartándose de sus padres. Ella aun busca guía y apoyo, pero ella de seguro no lo tomará de su mamá. Algunas veces yo le recuerdo nuestros valores familiares y como hacemos las cosas en nuestra familia. Algunas veces ni siquiera cubro mucho sobre esto, pero de alguna manera, siempre obtengo una muy buena respuesta. En realidad, ¡pienso que es perfecta! ¡Y se lo digo todo el tiempo!”. Cuando comentarios como estos se comparten, muchos adultos mayores sonríen. Muchos abuelos afortunados tienen muy, muy buenas relaciones especiales con sus nietos y muchos afortunados nietos florecen en la devoción compartida. Dr. James Webb, autor de Grandparents’ Guide to Gifted Children, y SENG (Apoyando las necesidades emocionales de los talentosos), lo explico bellamente con estas palabras, “Niños con talentos excepcionales, con su intensidad, podrían necesitar el paraíso de los abuelos mas que otros niños. El alto desempeño, por ejemplo, no es necesariamente valorado por compañeros de la misma edad que adolescentes con talentos excepcionales y, es hay mucha presión para camuflajear y esconder las habilidades de uno. Los abuelos pueden jugar un papel importante ayudando a los niños con talentos excepcionales a apreciar la visión amplia – como los compañeros cambian, que tan importante es la educación y que uno puede ampliamente determinar el papel de uno en el mundo”. En el mundo de ahora, muchos abuelos son extremadamente parte integral de las vidas de sus nietos, y puede incluso que ellos asuman el papel de padres. Los niños viven con los abuelos por una variedad de razones – los padres están en las fuerzas armadas, están en la cárcel, viajan o están gravemente enfermos, por ejemplo. En estos casos, el papel del abuelo puede parecer más como el papel del padre, pero en la mayoría de los casos, hay lazos especiales entre las generaciones. En otras familias, los abuelos pueden escoger el nivel de envolvimiento. Algunos abuelos se adhieren a la escuela de pensamiento “he estado ahí, hice eso”. Ellos piensan que ya educaron a sus hijos y ahora merecen un descanso. Otros, se involucran con los nietos cuando los invitan, y están dispuestos a ayudar, pero puede que no sean una parte integral de las vidas de sus nietos. Otro grupo disfruta la crianza activa y están mucho tiempo con sus nietos. Ellos piensan “que se necesita toda una villa para criar a un niño” y ellos aprecian estar involucrados. Sin embargo, otro grupo podría estar físicamente distanciado de sus nietos, y ellos dependen de reuniones no muy frecuentes y comunicación virtual para mantenerse en contacto. Y tristemente, el último grupo el cual podría no tener relación con los nietos por una variedad de razones, privando a ambos, los abuelos y nietos, del gozo especial de este lazo inefable. Los abuelos ofrecen sabias sugerencias sobre como tener éxito en este papel. Ellos comparten estas ideas:
Muchos abuelos tienen un lugar especial en los corazones de sus nietos. Un joven adulto lo describió así: “Mi abuelo estuvo siempre ahí para mí. El era serio y estudioso. En eso nos parecíamos. Cuando estaba creciendo, tuvimos muchas pláticas sobre la vida. Yo podía hablar con el de todo y los hice. Entonces algo chistoso paso. Conforme fue haciéndose más viejo y se hizo más frágil, el continuamente me pedía mi opinión sobre ciertas cosas. Hablamos sobre el significado de la vida. Hablamos sobre Dios y la muerte. Hablamos de cosas profundas. Me sentí realmente honrado de que me escogió a mí para estas conversaciones. No sé realmente porque, pero cuando murió, yo decidí que nos pusieron en esta tierra para cada uno. Aun extraño mucho a él y a nuestras platicas especiales” Mucha investigación sobre los años dorados de la vida, se centra en adultos con talentos excepcionales haciendo crecer finalmente sus talentos y encontrando la manera de dar de regreso al mundo. La crianza de los abuelos debe ser una de las maneras perfectas de hacer esto. Cuando un anciano da de regreso, todos se benefician. Los abuelos son bendecidos y los nietos son igualmente bendecidos. El circulo de la vida está completo. Jackie Drummer, Presidente anterior del WATG y Consejero de la Junta de Gobierno Grandmother of Six :) (WATG extiende su agradecimiento a Esther Vazquez Guendulain de la Escuela Bilingüe de Appleton por la traducción de este articulo al español para nuestras familias y educadores hispano-hablantes. La traducción la puede encontrar también en los bloques de nuestra página web.) I coach a lot of youth sports teams, and the one thing we keep asking is how to challenge highly skilled athletes. We move kids from one division to another, put kids in a higher age group, or balance teams out, all in the name of a challenge.
So often when we do those things, “Johnny’s” parents think that he’s going to be the next Michael Jordan, and “Jenny’s” parents have aspirations of her becoming the next Abby Wambach. Those dreams are fine, but the reason we use challenging strategies is to teach lessons. Now let’s transition to the classroom. If a student is breezing through fourth grade math at breakneck speed, knocking every assignment out of the park and acing every test, what does that student have left to prove? Do we let him/her sit and wait for a challenge? From my time spent as a teacher, I’ve learned that the worst thing for a kid is boredom. Boredom leads to inattentiveness and behavior issues that oftentimes spill over and affect other students. This, in turn, makes the teacher’s job that much more difficult. I believe that the antidote is offering challenges, and they can come in many forms. It doesn’t just mean moving students up a grade level in certain subjects. It means both recognizing where students’ strengths lie and feeding into those strengths, and offering challenges to foster growth. Think of it this way: If Michael Jordan only worked on free throws, he would not be a complete basketball player, and definitely not the best all-time basketball player. Similarly, a student that is gifted at math cannot solely focus on multiplication, division, or fractions, things that come easily to him or her. Instead, educators must recognize what the gifted student needs – and then provide him or her with mini-challenges which narrow the focus on that particular skill or skills. For example, if a student has a hard time with proofs, challenge the student with timed “test-like” questions which force the student to learn through mistakes. (You’ll actually get a “two-for” – teaching a skill, and strengthening a disposition for persistence.) Similarly, when I roll out a new drill for my youth teams, I give them a heads up at the beginning. I suggest that they will not be able to do this very well or at all right now, at least not yet. There is a lot of power in the words not yet; not yet builds both hope and persistence. Then, after a few weeks, we not only complete the drill, but do it very well and look like a well-oiled machine in the process — oftentimes surprising the opponent we are about to play. So the goal isn’t just to challenge students; it’s also about massaging failure. Kids have to learn to understand what failure is and know that it’s a vehicle that is used to learn and grow. When not yet becomes finally!, kids reap the benefits of hope and persistence. Challenges have been accepted in the sports world for a long time. It’s about time that challenges are widely accepted in the classroom as well. Cory Jennerjohn WATG Board Member (WATG would like to extend its deep appreciation to Esther Vazquez Guendulain of Appleton Bilingual School for translating this article into Spanish for our Spanish-speaking families and educators. The translation can be found below.) Entrenar, Aprender y Desafíos Yo entreno a muchos equipos juveniles de deportes y la cosa que seguimos preguntando es, como desafiar a los atletas altamente talentosos. Cambiamos a niños de una división a otra, ponemos a los niños en un grupo de más edad o balanceamos los equipos, todo en nombre de que haya un desafío. Seguidamente cuando hacemos esas cosas, los padres de “Johny” piensas que él será el próximo Michael Jordan, y los padres de “Jenny” tienen aspiraciones de que ella sea la próxima Abby Wambach. Está bien tener esos sueños, pero la razón por la que utilizamos estrategias de desafío, es enseñar lecciones. Ahora, permita que nos traslademos al salón de clases. Si un estudiante está avanzando en matemáticas de cuarto grado a una máxima velocidad, terminando rápidamente cada tarea y con excelencia en cada prueba, ¿que más tiene este estudiante que probar? ¿Dejamos que se quede sentado esperando por un desafío? Del tiempo que he estado como maestro, he aprendido que lo peor para un niño es el aburrimiento. El aburrimiento conlleva a la falta de atención y problemas de conducta, que muchas veces salpican y afectan a otros estudiantes. Esto a su vez, hace que el trabajo del maestro sea mucho más difícil. Yo creo que el antídoto es ofrecer desafíos, y estos pueden ser de muchas maneras. No significa nada más cambiar a un estudiante a un grado más arriba en ciertas materias. Significa ambos, el reconocer donde están los puntos fuertes del estudiante como el cómo alimentar esas fortalezas, y ofrecer desafíos que fomenten el crecimiento. Piense de esta manera: Si Michael Jordan hubiera trabajado únicamente en tiros libres, he no hubiera sido un jugador de baloncesto completo, y definitivamente, no el mejor jugador de baloncesto de todos los tiempos. Similarmente un estudiante con talentos excepcionales en matemáticas no puede enfocarse solamente en multiplicación, división o fracciones; las cosas que le parecen muy fácil a él o ella. En lugar de esto, los educadores deben reconocer las necesidades del estudiante con talentos excepcionales – y entonces proporcionarle mini-desafios que oriente el enfoque en esa habilidad o habilidades en particular. Por ejemplo, si un estudiante tiene dificultades con prueba, desafie al estudiante con “preguntas como si fueran de prueba” con conometro, lo que forzara al estudiante a aprender de los errores. (Usted actualmente obtendrá “al dos por” uno en la habilidad de enseñanza y de fortalecer la disposición por la persistencia) Similarmente, cuando hago un nuevo ejercicio con mis equipos juveniles, les aviso al principio, les sugiero que no podrán hacerlo muy bien o no lo podrán hacer por ahora, al menos aún no. Hay mucho poder en las palabras aun no; aun no construye ambas, esperanza y persistencia. Entonces, después de pocas semanas, no únicamente hacemos la práctica, sino que lo hacemos muy bien y se ve como una buena maquina aceitada en proceso – muchas veces sorprendiendo al oponente que estamos por enfrentar. Por lo que, el objetivo no es solamente desafiar a los estudiantes, es también masajear el fracaso. Los niños necesitan aprender a entender lo que es el fracaso y saber que es el vehículo utilizado para aprender y crecer. ¡Cuando el aun no se convierte en finalmente!, los niños cosechan los beneficios de la esperanza y la persistencia. Los desafíos han sido aceptados en el mundo de los deportes por mucho tiempo. Es tiempo de que los desafíos sean ampliamente aceptados en los alones de clase también. Cory Jennerjohn Miembro de la Junta Administrativa de WATG (WATG extiende su agradecimiento a Esther Vazquez Guendulain de la Escuela Bilingüe de Appleton por la traducción de este articulo al español para nuestras familias y educadores hispano-hablantes. La traducción la puede encontrar también en los bloques de nuestra página web.) As a gifted and talented teacher, I am able to work with students who vary in many ways. Some are highly intelligent in all subject areas, some really excel in specific areas, such as math or reading,while others are gifted in areas such as creativity, art, or leadership. I am often in awe of the wide range of gifts and talents that these students possess. However, some of them struggle when they find something that is difficult for them, or they think they are simply not good at a certain task. They often struggle to cope with the idea of not being perfect at something.
It is not uncommon for students to come into my office and ask to talk because they are so disappointed in a test score, particularly in an area that is difficult for them. I will sit down with them, talk it over, and often try to give them some advice to put them in a better headspace. This weekend I was talking with a friend who happens to be a psychologist and a parent of two gifted students, and she gave me some wonderful advice to give my students. She said, “Everyone is different and good at different things.” Sometimes students who are classified as gifted and talented feel that they need to be perfect in everything they do and every subject they take in school. They need help and support from their educators, family, and friends to help them realize that being average, or even failing in a specific area, is okay. I will repeat that, being average, or even failing in a specific area, is okay! If you are a support person for gifted learners, know that they need someone who will acknowledge their feelings. After you have acknowledged what they are feeling, you can do a few different things for them and with them. Here are some ideas:
Gifted learners are often natural born perfectionists who need to have their feelings acknowledged. Once they trust that you understand, they will often let you in to help them tackle their struggles. Good luck on your journey with them! Trisha Dahl WATG Board Member We at WATG, like many of you, often receive testimonials from parents, students, and educators about how gifted and talented programming has enriched lives, provided challenges, and opened doors to further learning. We’d like to share this letter from a parent of a gifted young lady. If you have a story to share with us, please contact us at watg@watg.org, and put the words Gifted Education Works! Into the subject line. We are blessed to have the opportunity to raise a gifted daughter, Elena. She has been a voracious reader since she could talk, and she quickly developed an advanced vocabulary. We were excited for her to start school, and she took to it instantly. The biggest hurdle she faced with her education was to be consistently challenged, as she quickly mastered her lessons. She had wonderful teachers who were gracious in providing her extra work to help push her development and keep her engaged. But they could only offer limited resources without a formal program in place. Being chosen to join the Gifted and Talented program at Glen Hills Middle School has been a tremendous benefit to her growth as a scholar. Her time in the program has been a huge boost to Elena's confidence. She was initially shy about participating in class, too timid to answer questions even though she typically knew the answers. She was shy about showing her skill set in the classroom, preferring to stay quietly anonymous. The Gifted and Talented program pushed her to participate in discussions. As her comfort and confidence grew, she began to develop leadership skills that manifested beyond simple class participation. She now sees herself as a mentor to other students and takes pride in lifting the performance of others. She is cognizant of her potential and confident in her abilities because of the accelerated learning opportunities that she received. Through Gifted and Talented she developed new interest in extracurricular activities. Her love of reading and writing have grown exponentially thanks to having opportunities beyond the classroom. She has been exposed to classic and modern literature through the Battle of the Books and online programs for gifted writers, and now has future dreams to be a writer. Her skills as a writer have grown through her extracurriculars, as she receives feedback and coaching that are not possible to provide in her standard classes. This past month she became a chess champion, winning a regional tournament. She learned the game less than two years ago. But she was driven to succeed and put in the work necessary to develop her skills. Now her goal is to coach others who are new to the game. I have no doubt that her work ethic grew considerably due to the lessons she learned in the Gifted and Talented program. Where Elena was once bored at school, now she carefully organizes her time to meet her extracurricular activities. As parents we are incredibly grateful that Elena has been exposed to these accelerated learning programs. She is developing habits and a drive for success that will stay with her throughout her life as a scholar, which would not be possible without the Gifted and Talented program. We are incredibly grateful that her school district offers this opportunity to be regularly challenged and introduced to new learning experiences.  Sincerely,
Craig Johansen Father of Elena Johansen (WATG would like to extend its deep appreciation to Esther Vazquez Guendulain of Appleton Bilingual School for translating this article into Spanish for our Spanish-speaking families and educators. The translation can be found on our website blog.) ¡La Educación para niños con Talentos Excepcionales Funciona! Nosotros en WATG, como muchos de ustedes, recibimos frecuentemente testimonios de padres, estudiantes y educadores sobre cómo los programas para niños con talentos excepcionales han enriquecido vidas; proporcionando retos y abriendo puertas a un amplio aprendizaje. Nos gustaría compartir esta cara, la del padre de una jovencita con talentos excepcionales. Si Usted tiene una historia que compartir con nosotros, por favor contáctenos en watg@watg.org, y utilice las palabras Gifted Education Works! en el espacio del tema del mensaje. La experiencia de criar a un niño con talentos excepcionales – La perspectiva de un padre Tenemos la bendición de tener la oportunidad de criar a una hija con talentos excepcionales, Elena. Ella ha sido una voraz lectora desde que pudo hablar y rápidamente desarrolló un vocabulario avanzado. Estábamos muy emocionados de que iniciara la escuela y ella lo tomó al instante. El mayor obstáculo al que se enfrentó en su educación, era que la desafiaban constantemente ya que dominaba sus lecciones rápidamente. Tuvo maravillosos maestros, los cuales tuvieron la atención de proporcionar trabajo extra para ayudar a empujar su desarrollo y mantenerla interesada. Pero al no haber un programa formalmente establecido, ellos únicamente podían ofrecer material imitado. El ser escogida para el programa de Talentos Excepcionales en Glen Hills Middle School, ha sido un tremendo beneficio en su crecimiento escolar. El tiempo que ha estado en el programa ha sido un gran aliciente en la confianza de Elena. Inicialmente era tímida al participar en clase, demasiado tímida para contestar preguntas, aun cuando típicamente se sabía las respuestas. Era tímida al mostrar sus habilidades en el salón de clase, prefiriendo estar en el anonimato callada. El programa para Talentos Excepcionales la impulsó a participar en discusiones. Conforme su confianza y comodidad aumentaron, ella empezó a desarrollar habilidades de liderazgo que se manifestaron más allá de la simple participación en clase. Ella se ve ahora como un mentor para otros estudiantes y le da orgullo ser parte del crecimiento de los otros. Está consciente de su potencial y confía en sus habilidades debido a las oportunidades de aprendizaje que ha recibido. A través del programa para Talentos Excepcionales, ella desarrolló un nuevo interés en actividades extra curriculares. Su amor a la lectura y escritura han crecido exponencialmente gracias a que tiene oportunidades más allá de las que existen en el salón de clase. Ha sido expuesta a literatura clásica y moderna a través de la Guerra de los libros y programas en-línea para escritores con habilidades excepcionales, y ahora tiene el sueño de ser escritora en el futuro. Sus habilidades como escritora han aumentado a través de los extra-curriculares, mientras recibe retroalimentación y entrenamiento, lo cual no es posible que lo reciba en sus clases regulares. Este pasado mes, fue campeona de ajedrez, ganando un torneo regional. Aprendió el juego hace menos de dos años. Pero estaba muy motivada a tener éxito y a hacer el trabajo necesario para desarrollar sus habilidades. Su meta ahora es enseñar a otros que sean nuevos en el juego. No tengo duda de que su ética de trabajo ha aumentado considerablemente debido a las lecciones que ha aprendido en el programa para Talentos Excepcionales. Lo que a veces se aburría Elena en la escuela, ahora organiza cuidadosamente su tiempo para lograr hacer sus actividades extracurriculares. Como padres, estamos increíblemente agradecidos de que Elena ha sido expuesta a estos programas de aceleramiento en el aprendizaje. Ha desarrollado hábitos y una motivación por el éxito que permanecerá en ella a través de su vida escolar, lo cual no hubiera sido posible sin el programa para Talentos Excepcionales. Estamos increíblemente agradecidos de que su distrito escolar ofrece esta oportunidad de que sea desafiada regularmente y que la introduzcan a nuevas experiencias de aprendizaje. Sinceramente, Craig Johansen Padre de Elena Johansen (WATG desea extender su profundo agradecimiento a Esther Vazquez Guendulain de Appleton Bilingual School por traducir este artículo al español para nuestras familias y educadores hispanohablantes . La traducción puede encontrarse también en el blog de nuestra página web.) In a recent workshop with school counselors at the Wisconsin School Counselor Association Conference in Wisconsin Dells, we shared ideas about how to help gifted students understand themselves, their emotions, and other people’s reactions to them. So often there are many ways to approach guidance and counseling, (and parenting), and one of the ways that can work well with gifted students is to use bibliotherapy and/or videotherapy. Bibliotherapy, as the name suggests, uses books to help students solve problems. Videotherapy, on the other hand, uses films, videos, or plays to achieve the same goals. Students can examine characters in books, respond to situations, consider appropriate/inappropriate emotional responses, bond emotionally with characters, and see problem-solving in action.
Some benefits of both bibliotherapy and videotherapy include providing information and insight, stimulating discussion, examining values and attitudes, creating an awareness that others share similar problems (“you are not alone…”), and providing realistic solutions to problems. One book that is extremely helpful for bibliotherapy purposes is Judith Wynn Halsted’s Some of My Best Friends Are Books: Guiding Gifted Readers from Preschool to High School In this book, technically an anthology, Halsted groups books by both topic and age group. Topics include many of the things that gifted kids name as concerns…stress, friendship, perfectionism, feeling alone or different, etc. Halsted gives a brief description of the book and ties it to the theme. This anthology is highly recommended for school counselors, psychologists, and parents/caregivers of gifted children. It will soon become a favorite go-to resource. Videotherapy is also another tool that can be used to help gifted students examine life through the eyes of others. Over the years, I have kept a list of some films that could be used with gifted students, watched together at home with families, or viewed by adults alone to help understand their child’s giftedness. Though this list is certainly not complete, there are many titles that educators and families have suggested. These are not leveled by age, so it is recommended that adults view the movie first to determine what is appropriate for their intended audience. Here are their suggestions, organized loosely by topic: Behavioral Problems: The Breakfast Club Stand and Deliver Lean on Me The Principal Disabilities: Children of a Lesser God The Man Without a Face Dance With Me Mask Bridge to Silence Forrest Gump Ice Castles My Left Foot Annie’s Coming Out The Elephant Man African Americans: Conrack Roots Amistad Social and Emotional Issues: Dead Poets’ Society Little Man Tate The Outsiders Parenthood Real Genius Stand by Me This Boy’s Life Rookie of the Year With Honors Star Trek With Honors Babylon 5 Voyageur Star Wars The Night Train to Katmandu Good Will Hunting Toy Story Gifted Females: Desert Bloom Say Anything An Angel at My Table My Brilliant Career Matilda The Secret of Roan Inish The Night Train to Katmandu Contact Ever After Mulan Performing Arts: Fame Madame Sousatzka Process of Talent Development: Searching for Bobby Fischer Shine Contact October Sky Sometimes when topics are difficult to discuss, the safety of a book or film provides the on-ramp to meaningful discussion. I hope this list provides some inspiration for you and your gifted learners. If you have other suggestions for the video list, please share! Jackie Drummer, Past President and Board Advisor WI Association for Talented and Gifted Annette was a 6th grader. She was skinny, shy around other kids, blondish, with too-much-makeup around-her-eyes, and fighting acne when I first met her as she entered my art classroom.The first thing I noticed about her was her speed of talking. It seemed that she couldn’t get the words out fast enough to convey what she wanted me to know (or anyone else for that matter). The second thing I noticed was that when she was doing artwork the talking stopped… entirely...because she was concentrating so hard. The third thing was that she could often paint and draw better than I, her art teacher, could. And the fourth thing was that Annette often put unusual twists or ideas into her artwork. Though she met the assignment’s criteria, she always did it her way.
Stan was an average, rather unexceptional academic student. He was a short boy with dark hair and blue eyes. Looking at him, talking with him, seeing his academic work you would never know there was anything unusual about him until you asked him to draw something for you. His work was mostly done in pencil, and was cartoon styled. He didn’t focus on superheroes, but he could draw ideas! For example, if you simply told him that you wanted a drawing of skiers coming down a mountain side, he would draw that from ideas in his head - “his mind’s eye.” He did not need pictures. Instead, he envisioned the entire scene, adding in the trees, to scale, in the background, plus the little town down in the valley that the skiers were heading toward, plus the clouds misting the mountains, plus… and on and on. I saw many samples of the work that he did in his free time, all drawn at about a college art level. And he was a second grader! Why am I regaling you with their stories? These stories are two of many examples of exceptional, artistically talented students I had the fortune to meet and work with in my 32 years of teaching art in Milwaukee Public Schools. Some students attended non-specialty schools, some attended Lincoln Center of the Arts, a Milwaukee Public Schools specialty art school. But all of them possessed exceptional talent in the visual arts, one of the five talent areas recognized in Wisconsin. Children like these need recognition and support, just as those with academic talents need recognition and support. Americans for the Arts, a national nonprofit that works “to build recognition and support for the extraordinary and dynamic value of the arts,” polled American adults about what they say/believe about the arts (September 2018 report). It found that there was overwhelming support for the arts: 94% of Americans believe that students should receive arts education in elementary school; 94% said that students should receive arts education in middle school; and 93% said students should receive arts education in high school. Also, 74% agreed that the arts help students perform better academically. So I pose this question: Why do the majority of publications about gifted students give rationale for academic support for the gifted, but not artistic support for gifted students? Gifted students could also use support for creativity. Another question: Are people who do studies of the gifted aware of the importance of artistic creativity in the invention process? All manufactured/produced objects in our culture have been designed or will be designed by one or more creative artists in order to get them to a consumer market? Cars, chairs, houses, jewelry, clothing, tv programs -- all have artists that conceptualize and create them. Where do these artists come from? Why is there a shortage of them? Why aren’t we (as students, parents, teachers, and administrators) encouraging more recognition and support for our artistically and creatively gifted students? Americans for the Arts recommends that students in school get a minimum of one hour of art per week and ideally one hour per day, and this is with a certified art teacher! Can you imagine a child receiving just one hour of math or reading per week? Children receive math and reading instruction every day; they do this because studies have shown this is how students learn best. What if children received one hour of art instruction every day? How would this affect artistic talent development and the development of creativity? Art is not an “add on” to school learning. It is part and parcel of learning and life, and for some gifted students it IS life! Dal Drummer, WATG Board Advisor (WATG would like to extend its deep appreciation to Esther Vazquez Guendulain of Appleton Bilingual School for translating this article into Spanish for our Spanish-speaking families and educators. The translation can be found below.) Una Perspectiva del Arte Annette estaba en 6to. grado. Era delgada, tímida al estar con otros niños, rubia, con mucho maquillaje alrededor de sus ojos y luchando contra el acné, cuando yo la conocí al momento que ella entraba a mi aula de arte. Lo primero que noté sobre ella fue su rapidez al hablar. Era como si las palabras no pudieran salir lo suficientemente rápido para transmitir lo que ella quería que yo supiera (o de hecho cualquier otra persona). Lo segundo que me di cuenta fue que cuando ella estaba haciendo trabajo de arte, paraba de hablar... totalmente… porque se concentraba profundamente. Lo tercero, fue que ella frecuentemente podría pintar y dibujar mejor que lo que yo, su maestro de arte podría. Y la cuarta cosa que noté fue que Annette a menudo ponía giros e ideas inusuales en su obra de arte. Aunque siempre cumplía con el criterio de la asignación, siempre lo hacía a su manera. Stan era un estudiante promedio, poco excepcional académicamente. Era un niño bajito con cabello oscuro y ojos azules. Al verlo, al hablar con él, al ver su trabajo académico, nunca sabrías que hubiera algo inusual en él hasta que le pidieras dibujar algo para tí. Su trabajo era mayormente hecho a lápiz y en estilo caricatura. ¡Él no se enfocaba en superhéroes, pero él podía dibujar ideas! Por ejemplo, si simplemente le decías que querías un dibujo de esquiadores bajando de una montaña, él dibujaría eso de las ideas en su cabeza - "el ojo de su mente". El no necesitaba fotos. En lugar de eso, él tenía una visión completa de la escena, agregando árboles a escala en el fondo, más el pequeño pueblo bajo el valle a donde los esquiadores se dirigían, más las nubes que empañaban las montañas, más... esto y aquello. Ví muchos ejemplos del trabajo que hizo en su tiempo libre, todo el dibujo hecho al nivel de arte en universidad. ¡Y él estaba en segundo grado! ¿Por qué les estoy leyendo sus historias? Estas historias son dos de muchos ejemplos de estudiantes excepcionales, artísticamente talentosos, a los que tuve la fortuna de conocer y trabajar con ellos en mis 32 años de enseñanza de arte, en las escuelas públicas de Milwaukee. Algunos estudiantes asistían a escuelas que no tenían especialidades, algunos asistían a Lincoln Center of the Art, una escuela pública de Milwaukee que se especializaba en arte. Pero todos ellos tenían un talento excepcional en artes visuales; una de las cinco áreas de talentos reconocidas en Wisconsin. Niños como ellos necesitan reconocimiento y apoyo, tanto como aquellos que con talentos académicos necesitan reconocimiento y apoyo. Americans for the Arts, una organización nacional sin fines de lucro que trabaja para "generar reconocimiento y apoyo por el extraordinario y dinámico valor de las artes", encuestó adultos americanos sobre lo que creen/dicen de las artes (reporte de septiembre del 2018). Encontró que había un apoyo abrumador por las artes: 94% de los Americanos creen que los estudiantes deben recibir educación de artes en primaria, 94% dijo que los estudiantes deben recibir educación de artes en secundaria y 93% dijo que los estudiantes deben recibir educación de artes en preparatoria. También, el 74% estuvo de acuerdo que el arte ayuda a que los estudiantes se desempeñen mejor académicamente. Entonces planteo esta pregunta: ¿Porqué la mayoría de las publicaciones sobre estudiantes con talentos excepcionales justifican el apoyo académico para los estudiantes con talentos excepcionales, pero no el apoyo artístico para estudiantes con ese talento? Estudiantes con ese talento podrían también utilizar apoyo para la creatividad. Otra pregunta: Las personas que realizan los estudios sobre personas con talentos, ¿están conscientes de la importancia de la creatividad artística en el proceso de invención? Todos los objetos manufacturados/producidos en nuestra cultura, han sido diseñados o serán diseñados por uno o más artistas creativos, y así llevarlos al mercado de consumo. Carros, sillas, casas, joyería, ropa, programas de televisión -todos deben tener artistas que los conceptualicen y creen. ¿De dónde vienen estos artistas? ¿Por qué hay escasez de ellos? ¿Por qué nosotros (como estudiantes, padres, maestros y administradores) no alentamos más reconocimiento y apoyo para nuestros estudiantes artística y creativamente talentosos? Americans for the Arts recomienda que los estudiantes en la escuela tengan al menos un mínimo de una hora de arte a la semana e idealmente una hora por día, ¡y esto con un maestro de arte certificado! ¿Se imagina a un niño recibiendo solo una hora de matemáticas o lectura a la semana? Los niños reciben instrucción en matemáticas y lectura todos los días; hacen esto porque los estudios han demostrado que esta es la manera que los estudiantes aprenden mejor. ¿Que tal si los estudiantes recibieran una hora de instrucción de arte todos los días? ¿Cómo afectaría esto el desarrollo del talento artístico y el desarrollo de la creatividad? Arte no es un "extra" en el aprendizaje escolar. Es parte integral del aprendizaje y la vida; ¡y para algunos estudiantes con talentos arte ES vida! Dal Drummer, Consejero de la Junta de Gobierno de WATG Board (WATG desea extender su profundo agradecimiento a Esther Vazquez Guendulain de Appleton Bilingual School por traducir este artículo al español para nuestras familias y educadores hispanohablantes . La traducción puede encontrarse también en el blog de nuestra página web.) Many wonderful things are happening in the world of gifted education, and many of them are happening right here and now in Wisconsin.
As many of you may know, Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) has been the recipient of a number of grants at the state and national level. In addition to earlier DPI grants, MPS has won two Javits Grants, one entitled SEE US! and another entitled SURGE. Javits grants are highly coveted, and are designed to further action research in the field of gifted education. Milwaukee Public Schools’ efforts during the last eight years are celebrated in this article in the July 2021 MDPI (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute) Journal, Milwaukee Makes a Difference: Recognizing Gifted Students from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Families. Highlighted are the work of Dr. Mary Ruth Coleman, and Susan O’Brien, Dorothy L. Shuller, Martha López, and German Díaz of Milwaukee Public Schools, with many, many educators playing important supporting roles in the delivery of services. MPS’ journey began in 2013 with a small WI Department of Public Instruction grant, which helped them focus on finding young gifted and talented students. Beginning with two schools, Allen-Field Bilingual and Victory School, MPS utilized the U-STARS PLUS model, (Using Science, Talents, and Abilities to Recognize Students - Promoting Learning for Underrepresented Students), developed by Dr. Mary Ruth Coleman. In Coleman’s words, “It is no secret that there is a huge disproportionality in the number of children from diverse ethnic, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds in gifted educational programming. This challenge of disproportionality is exacerbated because children of color and poverty often attend schools with the fewest resources, and these schools may embody the pedagogy of poverty—for example, a deficit approach to learning with didactic teacher direction; limited student choice, enrichment, or exploration; and a focus on remediation (Coleman, 2016).” Instead, the U-STARS PLUS model focuses on prospecting for talent and reimagining students as “at potential” instead of “at risk.” The five components of this U-STARS approach are “creating high-end learning environments within the general classroom, systematically observing students to recognize their strengths, using hands-on science activities as a platform for observations, engaging families in meaningful partnerships to support students’ success, and developing the infrastructure needed for successful implementation by expanding the capacity of building and district leadership, attending to fidelity of implementation, and using data to review accomplishments.” Early on, implementers in MPS saw the U-STARS approach as a way to increase the representation of students from Black, Hispanic, Native, and low-income families in gifted and advanced-learner programs. However, they had broader aspirations -- to change the culture of their schools. In 2015, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction was awarded a $1.1 million, three-year Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education grant from the U.S. Department of Education, entitled “Expanding Excellence.” The purpose of the grant was to find and nurture diverse students with high potential in grades 1–3 using a strength-based approach, and MPS, Kenosha Unified, and Racine Unified participated in this grant. At this juncture, MPS expanded their work to ten schools, creating opportunities for even more students and staff. Some features of this expansion included demonstration teaching, using the RtI framework to deliver services, forming a leadership cadre, and offering discounted enrollment in gifted and talented licensure for teachers and coordinators at the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. The grant again utilized U-STARS PLUS, and added TOPS (Teacher Observation of Potential in Students). In 2017, district leadership committed to writing their own Javits grant application, and submitted and won the Scaling-up and Expanding Excellence for Underrepresented Students (SEE US!) grant. This allowed them to take their work to a new level, with demonstration classrooms, more served students, and more empowered teachers. They added 30 more participating classroom teachers (grades 1–3), serving approximately 900 students, raising the number to more than 100 teachers and administrators and more than 1,300 students participating. Building on their success, MPS applied for, and won another Javits Grant Award in 2019. This grant, for $2,929,319, was titled, “Serving the Underrepresented by Grouping Equitably” (SURGE). SURGE allowed MPS to expand their original projects even further, with eight new schools recruited. Susan O’Brien, MPS Javits Grant Coordinator, described the implementation of the grant like this: “The grant implementation and professional development were carefully planned and strategically implemented for success. Nothing was “one and done”. Following the professional development experiences, the team provided hands-on support while empowering teachers as professionals. I recall many conversations with teachers who told me how grateful they were for the professional development and how they welcomed the joyful rigor of the SEE US! grant practices. As more teachers and administrators came on board, their success strengthened the foundation for lasting systemic change. The SURGE grant was built on this strong foundation and is positioned to extend the work even further.” Indeed, the work has been extended, has been extremely successful, and is ongoing. Engaging students in camps and parents in workshops has strengthened the success of the grants. Even during COVID, with the necessity of pivoting, MPS continues to build on the great work of so many dedicated people. For a more in-depth read of these inspiring people and the grants, click on the link at the beginning of this article. The Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted commends MPS for their commitment to discovering and nurturing gifts and talents in diverse students, dedication to enriching the skill sets of educators, and embracing families and the community in their continued work. KUDOS to MPS! You are an inspiration to all of us. WATG is always looking for exemplary work in our state. Please share your stories with us at www.watg.org. Jackie Drummer, Past President WI Association for Talented and Gifted WATG extends a huge thank you to Dr. German Diaz of Milwaukee Public Schools for translating this article into Spanish for our families and educators who speak Spanish. The translation can be found below. ¡Felicitaciones a las Escuelas Públicas de Milwaukee! Están sucediendo muchas cosas maravillosas en el mundo de la educación para estudiantes con habilidades unicas, y muchas de ellas están sucediendo aquí y ahora en Wisconsin. Como muchos de ustedes saben, las Escuelas Públicas de Milwaukee (MPS) han recibido varias becas Javits a nivel estatal y nacional. Además de las becas de DPI anteriores, MPS ha ganado dos becas Javits, una titulada ¡SEE US! y otra llamada SURGE. Las becas Javits son muy codiciadas y están diseñadas para promover la investigación de acción en el campo de la educación de estudiantes con habilidades unicas o avanzadas. Los esfuerzos de las Escuelas Públicas de Milwaukee durante los últimos ocho años se celebran en este artículo publicado en la Revista MDPI (Instituto Multidisciplinario de Publicaciones Digitales) del mes de julio del 2021. Milwaukee Makes a Difference: Recognizing Gifted Students from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Families. En esta publicacion se exalta le trabajo de la Dra. Mary Ruth Coleman, Susan O’Brien, Dorothy L. Schuller, la Dra. Martha López y Dr. German Díaz de las Escuelas Públicas de Milwaukee, con muchos, muchos educadores desempeñando importantes funciones de apoyo en la prestación de servicios. La historia de MPS comenzó en 2013 con una pequeña beca del Departamento de Instrucción Pública de WI (DPI), la cual les permitio concentrarse en encontrar estudiantes jóvenes con potencial. Comenzando con dos escuelas, Allen-Field Bilingual y Victory School, MPS utilizó el modelo U-STARS PLUS (Uso de la ciencia, los talentos y las habilidades para reconocer a los estudiantes: promover el aprendizaje para los estudiantes de minorias, los cuales no estan representados equitativamente en los programas para estudiantes con talentos especiales), desarrollado por la Dra. Mary Ruth Coleman. En palabras de Coleman, “No es ningún secreto que existe una enorme desproporcionalidad en el número de estudiantes de diversos orígenes étnicos, lingüísticos y socioeconómicos en programas especiales para estudiantes con habilidades excpecionales. Este desafío de la desproporcionalidad se ve exacerbado porque los niños de color y los estudiantes pobres a menudo asisten a las escuelas con la menor cantidad de recursos, y estas escuelas pueden ejercer la pedagogía de la pobreza. Esto quiere decir que muchos maestros se enfocan en las deficiencias de los estudiantes en vez de las destrezas y potentical que poseen los estudiantes de comunidades minoritarias lo cual resulta en una pegadofgia de remediacion (Coleman, 2016) ". En cambio, el modelo U-STARS PLUS se centra en el desarrollo de talentos y en ver a los estudiantes como llenos de "potencial" en lugar de verles como estudiante que estan en "en riesgo". Los cinco componentes de este enfoque U-STARS son “crear entornos de aprendizaje de alto nivel dentro del aula escolar, observar sistemáticamente a los estudiantes para reconocer sus fortalezas, usar actividades científicas prácticas como plataforma para las observaciones, involucrar a las familias como colaboradores para apoyar a los estudiantes "éxito y desarrollo de la infraestructura necesaria para una implementación exitosa mediante la expansión de la capacidad de liderazgo del distrito atendiendo a la fidelidad de la implementación y utilizar informacion para evaluar los logros". Al principio, los implementadores de MPS vieron el enfoque U-STARS como una forma de aumentar la representación de estudiantes de familias afroamericanas, hispanas, nativo americanas y de bajos ingresos en programas para estudiantes con habilidades avanzadas. Sin embargo, tenían aspiraciones más amplias: cambiar la cultura de sus escuelas. En 2015, el Departamento de Instrucción Pública de Wisconsin recibió ayudas financieras para estudiantes con talentos especiales (Javits). El propósito de estas becas era encontrar y desarrollar los talentos de estudiantes de minorias con alto potencial en los grados 1 a 3 utilizando un enfoque basado en las destrezas de los estudiantes. MPS, Kenosha Unified y Racine Unified participaron en esta iniciativa. En esta oportunidad, MPS expandió su trabajo a diez escuelas, creando oportunidades para aún más estudiantes, maestros y personal administrativo. Algunas características de esta expansión incluyeron la enseñanza de demostración, el uso del marco de RtI para brindar servicios, la formación de un grupo de liderazgo y la oferta de inscripción con descuento en licencias para estudiantes con talentoso especiales para maestros y coordinadores en la Universidad de Wisconsin - Whitewater. Estos dineros estatales nuevamente utilizó U-STARS PLUS y agregó TOPS (Observación del potencial del maestro en los estudiantes). En 2017, el liderazgo del distrito se comprometió a escribir su propia solicitud de ayuda financiera Javits y ganó esta beca de Escalado y Expansión de la Excelencia para Estudiantes Insuficientemente Representados (¡SEE US!). Esto les permitió llevar su trabajo a un nuevo nivel, con aulas de demostración, más estudiantes atendidos y maestros más capacitados. Agregaron 30 maestros de salón de clases más participantes (grados 1 a 3), que atienden a aproximadamente 900 estudiantes, elevando el número a más de 100 maestros y administradores y más de 1,300 estudiantes participantes. Sobre la base de su éxito, MPS solicitó y ganó otra berca Javits en el 2019. Esta beca, por $2,929,319, se tituló “Sirviendo a estudiantes que no estan representados en program de enriquesimiento mediante la agrupación de una manera equitativa” (SURGE). SURGE permitió a MPS expandir sus proyectos originales aún más, con ocho nuevas escuelas reclutadas. Susan O’Brien, coordinadora de las becas Javits, describió la implementación de la siguiente manera: “La implementación de estas becas y el desarrollo profesional se planificaron cuidadosamente y se implementaron estratégicamente para lograr el éxito. Nada fue "uno y hecho". Después de las experiencias de desarrollo profesional, el equipo brindó apoyo práctico al tiempo que capacitaba a los maestros como profesionales. Recuerdo muchas conversaciones con maestros que me dijeron lo agradecidos que estaban por el desarrollo profesional y cómo acogieron el gozoso rigor de la iniciativa ¡VÉANOS! A medida que se incorporaron más maestros y administradores, su éxito fortaleció las bases para un cambio sistémico y duradero. La iniciativa o el projecto SURGE se construyó sobre esta base sólida y está posicionada para extender el trabajo aún más ”. De hecho, el trabajo se ha ampliado, ha tenido un gran éxito y está en curso. Involucrar a los estudiantes en los campamentos y a los padres en los talleres ha fortalecido el éxito de la implementacion de estas becas Javits. Incluso durante COVID, con la necesidad de pivotar, MPS continúa construyendo sobre el gran trabajo de tantas personas dedicadas. Para una lectura más profunda de estas personas inspiradoras e informacion acerca de estas nuevas iniciativas oprima el enlace al comienzo de este artículo. La Asociación de Wisconsin para Talentosos y Dotados elogia a MPS por su compromiso de descubrir y fomentar los dones y talentos en estudiantes que provienen de comunidades minoritarias, su dedicación a enriquecer las habilidades de los educadores y por acoger a las familias y la comunidad en su trabajo continuo. ¡KUDOS a MPS! Eres una inspiración para todos nosotros. WATG siempre busca resaltar las historias que hacen la diferencia en nuestro estado. Les invitamos para que compartan su historia con nosotros visitando nuestra pagina web en www.watg.org. Jackie Drummer, Antigua Presidente WATG WATG extdiende su sagradecimiento al Dr. German Diaz de las escuelas publicas de Wisconsin por traducir este articulo al español para nuestras familias y educadores de habal hispana. |
Student and Parent VoicesHear from and about gifted and talented students and parents across the state Wisconsin. 
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