Education Learning Issues

RESOURCES FROM DAVIDSON INSTITUTE. Here's what the Davidson Institute for Talent Development says about a new resource: The brand new Davidson Gifted Database is up and running! Formerly known as GT-CyberSource, the entire website has been updated and can be found at www.DavidsonGifted.org/DB. The renovated site features improved, easier search capabilities for articles, resources and state policy pages that will help students, parents and educators pinpoint a wealth of gifted information. To access the database, click on the word “Database” in the top menu.

ONE IN A MILLION. That's how USA Today described an Ohio six-year-old boy whose IQ was recently assessed at 176. The young man's father has a Ph.D., his mother two master's degrees. Read more about the young man and his interests.

SMART KIDS LIVE LONGER? Science Daily reports on research showing a link between cognitive ability and the risk of death. Among one million men studied, higher IQs were associated with healthier behaviors and a lower risk of death. Read the article.

ECONOMIC STIMULUS AND 2e EDUCATION was the subject of a poll question in the March briefing from 2e Newsletter. The question: How do you think the US economic stimulus will affect the education for 2e children? So far, respondents don't seem wildly optimistic. Find the poll.

SMART KIDS, OBFUSCATION, AND DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME. Caulfield in the comic strip Frazz had a good time recently with the advent of daylight savings time in conjunction with doing his homework. Read it.

SOME AD/HD KIDS HAVE TO MOVE. A study whose results were released on March 9th indicates that children with ADHD need to move more to maintain the required level of alertness while performing tasks that challenge their working memory. While the AD/HD students in the study were able to sit relatively still during some tasks, they became more active when asked to perform tasks that challenged working memory. Read about the study.

INTUITION CONFIRMED. Most people would agree that mental effort can lead to physical fatigue. That's why some bright kids who have learning difficulties are so exhausted by trying to read or write. In a British study reported in The New York Times, subjects performing mental exercise (as opposed to watching a movie) became tired more quickly when asked to do physical exercise after the mental exercise. Read it.

CONTENT ON THE 2e NEWSLETTER WEBSITE. The public area at www.2eNewsletter.com now carries the first of a series of articles on the mythology of learning authored by the professionals at Bridges Academy, a California school for the twice exceptional. Find the first one. In addition, we've posted a list of schools and programs for 2e students; find it.

ANOTHER SCHOOL CHOICE FOR 2e STUDENTS. The Lexis Preparatory School is scheduled to open in the fall of 2009 in Scottsdale, Arizona, according to the American Education Group. The school is to serve K-8 students of average to gifted cognitive abilities who have learning differences. The school will be a replication of the Tampa Day School in Tampa, Florida. On its site, Lexis Prep lists a number of learning challenges it says it's equipped to meet, ranging from LDs to AD/HD to anxiety. Check out the school's site. Find out more about American Education Group.

THE MARCH/APRIL ISSUE of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter went to subscribers on Saturday, March 6th. This issue's focus: research in the area of twice-exceptionalities, including reportage of an in-progress research project to ascertain whether some gifted/LD patterns may have a single cause. Not a subscriber to the newsletter? Find out more at www.2eNewsletter.com, and sign up for a complimentary monthly email briefing based on items in this blog.

MORE ITEMS as the week progresses.