Education Commons^™

The Relationship Between Thinking Style Differences And Career Choices For High-Achieving Students, Mihyeon Kim

Mihyeon Kim

The intent of this study was to present information about high-achieving students' career decision making associated with thinking styles. We gathered data from two International Baccalaureate (IB) programs and a Governor's School Program with a sample of 209 high-school students. The findings of this study demonstrated that the effect of program on the different thinking styles was statistically significant. The findings showed that external thinking style was a good predictor for choosing social science areas as future careers. However, students with higher external thinking styles chose computer and math areas 73% less often than students with lower external thinking styles. …

Focusing On The Future: Experience From A Career-Related Program For High-Ability Students And Their Parents, Mihyeon Kim

Mihyeon Kim

Career development serves as a lifelong process requiring constant personal development of skills and knowledge. This article introduces a career development program, Focusing on the Future, designed for high-ability middle and high school students and their parents, and examines responses to open-ended questions related to the perceived benefits and effects of the program. Focusing on the Future is an annual career-related conference held by the Center for Gifted Education at the College of William and Mary. The program was designed to help gifted students and their parents engage in career planning and develop specific career plans. This study found different …

A Comparison Of Perceptions Of Barriers To Academic Success Among High-Ability Students From High- And Low-Income Groups: Exposing Poverty Of A Different Kind, Jennifer Riedl Cross, Andrea Dawn Frazier, Mihyeon Kim, Tracy L. Cross

Mihyeon Kim

In 14 focus group interviews, sixth- to eighth-grade high-ability students from high- (n = 36) and low-income (n = 45) families were asked to describe the barriers they perceived to their academic success. Three themes were identified through the qualitative analysis: Constraining Environments, Integration versus Isolation, and Resource Plenty versus Resource Poor. Students in both groups experienced environments not conducive to learning, inhibiting peers, and teachers as a barrier. Students in the low-income group described mayhem in their schools, which interfered significantly with learning. These students were highly integrated in their school community, whereas the …

The Challenge Of Adolescent Crowd Research: Defining The Crowd, Jennifer Riedl Cross, Kathryn L. Fletcher

Jennifer Cross

As research on adolescent crowds has increased over the past several decades, researchers appear to be confident in their claims of the consequences of crowd membership, even suggesting targeted interventions. This review of the various methods used to identify adolescents’ crowd membership suggests that this confidence may be misplaced. There are diverse methodologies used in this research area that examine different samples of adolescents belonging to each crowd. Social-type rating methods, self-identification methods, grouping by adolescent behaviors or characteristics, and ethnographic or other qualitative methods should be accompanied by greater specificity in terminology to alert researchers to the various phenomena …

Maximizing Student Potential Versus Building Community: An Exploration Of Right-Wing Authoritarianism, Social Dominance Orientation, And Preferred Practice Among Supporters Of Gifted Education, Jennifer Riedl Cross, Tracy L. Cross, Holmes Finch

Jennifer Cross

Social dominance orientation (SDO), right-wing authoritarianism (RWA), and socially desirable responding were examined among a sample of self-identified supporters of gifted education (N = 341), 70% of whom had an official role in gifted education as researchers, teachers, or gifted-talented (G/T) trainers. The sample was primarily female, White, well-educated, and upper middle class. The relationship of SDO, RWA, socially desirable responding, and support for various gifted education practices such as testing for identification, curricular differentiation in a heterogeneous classroom, and cooperative learning was explored through latent class analysis and logistic regression. Two distinct groups, communitarians and individualists, were found …

Helping The Gifted Escape Metaphorical Entrapment, Jennifer Riedl Cross, D. Ambrose, Tracy L. Cross

Jennifer Cross

No abstract provided.

Psychological Heterogeneity Among Honors College Students, Tracy L. Cross, Jennifer Riedl Cross, Sakhavat Mammadov, Thomas J. Ward, Kristie Speirs Neumeister, Lori Anderson

Jennifer Cross

Greater knowledge of the psychology of honors college students will help to inform program administrators, counselors, residence life assistants, and faculty about how they may provide support to those with the greatest need. Via an online survey, personality, perfectionism, and suicidal ideation data were collected from honors college students (N = 410, 73% female). Using latent profile analysis, students were classified by their responses to the Big Five Inventory personality measure into five profiles. Risk factors of high perfectionism and suicidal ideation scores were found in two of the profiles, suggesting students with these personality characteristics may need enhanced …

Associations Of Parental And Peer Characteristics With Adolescents’ Social Dominance Orientation, Jennifer Riedl Cross, Kathryn L. Fletcher

Jennifer Cross

Studies with adults of social dominance orientation (SDO), a preference for inequality among social groups, have found correlations with various prejudices and support for discriminatory practices. This study explores the construct among adolescents at an age when they are beginning to recognize the social groups in their environment, particularly adolescent crowds. The relationship of SDO and perceptions of parents’ responsiveness and demandingness were also investigated. Subjects were in grades 9–12 (N = 516, 53% female, 96% White). Mother’s and father’s responsiveness significantly predicted adolescent’s SDO scores, with greater perceived responsiveness associated with lower SDO. To analyze the multiple crowd …

Student And Teacher Attitudes Toward Giftedness In A Two Laboratory School Environment: A Case For Conducting A Needs Assessment, Jennifer Riedl Cross, Tracy Cross, Andrea D. Frazier

Jennifer Cross

Providing effective professional development in laboratory schools around topics that can be divisive, such as preparing a school environment for expansion of gifted education services, can be quite difficult. However, doing so based on data collected through a needs assessment can be invaluable to the planning process. As part of a needs assessment in preparation to enroll 100 new gifted students, students and teachers (N=171) from a unique setting in which a residential school for gifted high school students is housed within a laboratory school were surveyed using F. Gagné and L. Nadeau’s (1991) Opinions about the Gifted …

Motivated Dogmatism And The High Ability Student, Jennifer Riedl Cross

Jennifer Cross

This title looks at the dogmatism that limits the perspectives of professionals, policymakers, and other stakeholders in gifted education. In a field where concepts and definitions surrounding high ability have been contested for many years, there is increasing interest in clarifying these notions today. This book offers such clarity, searching outside of the predominant conceptual frameworks that dominate thinking about giftedness and talent, and examining ways in which this conceptual fog stunts and warps the development of gifted minds and limits the effectiveness of curriculum development and instruction. The book directly addresses the connection between dogmatism and high ability, exploring …

Identification Of Low-Income Gifted Learners: A Review Of Recent Research, Jennifer Riedl Cross, Darlene Wiggins Dockery

Jennifer Cross

No abstract provided.

Gifted Children And Peer Relationships, Jennifer Riedl Cross

Jennifer Cross

The Social and Emotional Development of Gifted Children remains the only book that provides a comprehensive summary of the empirical research on the social and emotional development of gifted children by leading authorities in the field. It includes several features that make it the leading text on what we know about the social and emotional development of gifted children. For example, it summarizes the most significant findings from the empirical research on the topic. It also includes noteworthy variations that have been observed across cultural groups or global contexts. Each chapter also provides a short description of the practical applications …

Social Coping And Self-Concept Among Young Gifted Students In Ireland And The United States: A Cross-Cultural Study, Jennifer Riedl Cross, Colm O'Reilly, Mihyeon Kim, Sakhavat Mammadov, Tracy L. Cross

Jennifer Cross

Social coping and self-concept were explored among Irish (n = 115) and American (n = 134) grades 3–8 students. Denying one’s giftedness or the impact it has on peer relationships were associated with poor self-concept in both samples. Among Irish students, denying giftedness was associated with more positive self-concept when paired with a high activity level. Engaging in many activities in the US sample and helping one’s peers in the Irish sample were positive predictors of academic self-concept. Findings suggest young gifted students may benefit from learning more about their exceptional abilities and their impact on peers. They should also …

Peer Relationships, Jennifer Riedl Cross

Jennifer Cross

The Handbook of School Counseling for Students With Gifts and Talents: Critical Issues for Programs and Services provides the definitive overview of research on the general knowledge that has been amassed regarding the psychology of gifted students, introducing the reader to the varied conceptions of giftedness, issues specific to gifted children, and various intervention methods. Additionally, this handbook describes programs designed to fulfill the need these children have for challenge. With chapters authored by leading experts in the field, The Handbook of School Counseling for Students With Gifts and Talents offers a place for professionals to turn for answers to …

Indiana Social-Emotional Learning Competencies, Brandie M. Oliver, Lori Desautels

Brandie M. Oliver

No abstract provided.

Girly Girls, Tomboys, Athletes And Nerds: A Phenomenological Study Of Social Context In The Specialised School Environment, Katrina Eddles-Hirsch

Katrina Eddles-Hirsch

This study uses a phenomenological framework to discover from elementary aged gifted girls and boys themselves whether they experienced the social context of their specialized school differently. The gender identities of the three schools in this study were found to play an important role in the creation of a positive or negative social context, which ultimately impacted the talent development process. A review of the research literature found that while there has been research carried out in this area at the secondary school level, not much is known about the impact of social context in the specialised school environment at …

A Single Case Study Of The Impact Of Policy Changes On Identification For Gifted Programs, Russell Warne

Russell T Warne

Above-Level Test Item Functioning Across Examinee Age Groups, Russell Warne, Kristine Doty, Anne Marie Malbica, Victor Angeles, Scott Innes, Jared Hall, Kelli Masterson-Nixon

Russell T Warne

Five Reasons To Put The G Back Into Giftedness: An Argument For Applying The Cattell–Horn–Carroll Theory Of Intelligence To Gifted Education Research And Practice, Russell Warne

Russell T Warne

Advocating For Mother Earth In The Undergraduate Classroom: Uniting Twenty-First Century Technologies, Local Resources, Art, And Activism To Explore Our Place In Nature, Christina Triezenberg, Ilse Schweitzer Vandonkelaar

Christina Triezenberg

Despite the growing evidence of humanity’s impact on the natural world and the urgent need to shape citizens who understand the impact that their choices and actions have on their local and global environments, colleges and universities throughout the United States have been slow to add environmental education as a core component of their undergraduate curricula. Harnessing our shared interest in environment issues and the humanities, we designed and taught an experimental course in environmental literature for the honors program at Western Michigan University that we hope will become a template of what is possible in postsecondary environmental education. Using …

The Impact Of Participation In The Advanced Placement Program On Students’ College Admissions Test Scores, Russell Warne, Ross Larsen, Braydon Anderson, Alyce Odasso

Russell T Warne

The Value Of Creating An Innovation Talent Pipeline, Britta Mckenna

Britta McKenna

Investing in the innovation pipeline today translates to Illinois business tomorrow. Somewhere between the rise of “STEM” and “staying globally competitive” in a time after Millennials is Generation Z. Gen Z digital natives are now making their way to and through primary and secondary education and we need to be ready to nurture the emerging talents of these and other future innovators. This is particularly important in Illinois where developing – and retaining – top talent will be a key driver of the state’s knowledge-based economy. There is hard work ahead reimagining what education should look like to support this …

Suburban Leaders Who Have Made A Difference: Jose Torres, José M. Torres

José M. Torres

This week we are featuring Dr. Jose Torres, the president of Aurora-based Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. Torres was superintendent of Elgin Area School District U-46 from 2008 to 2014 and has served in various leadership roles, including regional superintendent/area instruction officer in Chicago Public Schools, and as the only superintendent on the Federal Equity and Excellence Commission of the United States Department of Education. Torres was one of three educators nationwide to receive the 2014 Dr. Effie H. Jones Humanitarian Award from the AASA, the school superintendents association.

The Advanced Placement Program's Impact On Academic Achievement, Russell T. Warne, Braydon Anderson

Russell T Warne

Technology Education For High-Ability Students, Carl Heine, James Gerry, Laurie S. Sutherland

Carl Heine

Technologically adept teens not only consume technology voraciously; they create it. Gifted and talented students are attracted to technology for its capacity to transform learners from “receptacles of knowledge to active producers who direct their own learning” (Siegle, n.d.). Beyond the capacity to produce or innovate with technology is the opportunity to conceive and produce innovative technologies, a distinct type of tech giftedness (Siegle, n.d.) and the focus of the present chapter. Technologically skilled teens have been doing this for some time, typically unassisted. It’s not hard to locate the connections between Facebook, Google, and YouTube and their gifted creators. …

Review Of The Cognitive Abilities Test, Form 7, Russell Warne

Russell T Warne

No abstract provided.

Measuring The Outliers: An Introduction To Out-Of-Level Testing With High-Achieving Students, Karen Rambo-Hernandez, Russell Warne

Russell T Warne

Out-of-level testing is an underused strategy for addressing the needs of students who score in the extremes, and when used wisely, it could provide educators with a much more accurate picture of what students know. Out-of-level testing has been shown to be an effective assessment strategy with high-achieving students; however, out-of-level testing has not been shown to work well with low-achieving students. This article provides a brief history of out-of-level testing, along with guidelines for using it.

Geometry: Drawing From The Islamic Tradition, Carol Bier

Carol Bier

Getting students involved in careful observation and analysis and encouraging their exploration of cultural forms of expression is an excellent means of introducing mathematical ideas. Geometric patterns abound in Islamic art and architecture. Exhibiting great ingenuity over the centuries, Muslim artists and craftsmen created beautiful patterns to adorn architectural monuments and exquisite objects. The Alhambra in Spain and the Taj Mahal in India offer the most famous examples of extraordinary patterns using brick and glazed tile, or carved and inlaid marble. Other examples of patterns are made using metal, wood, and fiber. Students may gain conceptual and theoretical understanding of …

An Exploration Of The Factors That Motivate Black And Latino Students To Engage In Stem (Science, Technology, Engineering And Mathematics), Adrienne Coleman

Adrienne Coleman

No abstract provided.

A New Model Of Creativity In Mathematical Problem Solving., Scott Chamberlin, Eric Mann

Eric L Mann

Myriad definitions of creativity in mathematics have been promulgated (Mann, 2005). The construct of creativity being comprised of fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration (Haylock, 1997; Imai, 2000; Kim, Cho, & Ahn, 2003) is generally agreed upon in the field of mathematics education. The purpose of this paper is to propose an additional component to the construct of creativity in mathematics. The fifth component of creativity is iconoclasm. Iconoclasm entails the penchant of mathematically creative individuals to dissent from commonly accepted principles and solutions. Iconoclasts are known to be nonconformist and may thus be open to uncommon or non-traditional solution paths.