Latest Posts

Too Cool Not to Share

ON THE EDUCATION SYSTEM. We found one of our favorite "Calvin and Hobbes" strips recently, and it still makes us laugh. The 4-panel strip:
  1. Calvin at the front of classroom, holding up a small box: "Today for show and tell, I've brought a tiny marvel of nature: a single snowflake." 
  2. He continues: "I think we might all learn a lesson from how this utterly unique and exquisite crystal..." 
  3. Looking into the box with his (former) snowflake: "...turns into a boring molecule of water, just like every other one, when you bring it into the classroom." 
  4. Turning and walking away, tossing the box over  his shoulder: "And now, while the analogy sinks in, I'll be leaving you drips and going outside." Teacher word balloon: "CALVIN!"

From the Publishers of 2e Newsletter

THE DANA FOUNDATION, purveyors of much information of interest to readers concerned with issues of giftedness, neuroscience, and mental heath, has posted two new items:
  •  An opinion piece on what the new DSM-5 should look like, especially in terms of perceived weaknesses in the current classification scheme. The author, for example, points to problems with the "not otherwise specified" category, and suggests that "dimensional" diagnosis (as opposed to finding x number of symptoms for two weeks) might be useful. He also wants a way for the DSM to take into account the single genetic underpinnings of multiple conditions. Find the article. 
  • A report on a symposium on memory, which included some presentations on working memory and AD/HD. Find the article.
ATTENTION RESEARCH UPDATE has posted its April study review, this one on diet and AD/HD. From Rabiner's review: "...nearly two-thirds of a representative sample of young children with ADHD showed a substantial reduction in ADHD symptoms when placed on the 'few foods' diet.  In fact, the authors conclude their study by suggesting that "...dietary intervention should be considered in all children with ADHD, provided parents are willing to follow a diagnostic restricted elimination diet for a 5-week period, and provided expert supervision is available." Find the review.
WRIGHTSLAW's current edition of Special Ed Advocate offers advice to parents on participating as a member of a child's IEP team. Read more.
KIDS WITH AD/HD might use drugs and alcohol more often, according to a couple of recent studies. Find more at Time.com.
BRAINWAVE "FINGERPRINTS." A researcher recorded brainwaves during two nights for a group of children, then repeated the study two years later. A computer analysis was able to match the kids with their brainwaves. The research hopes the work will lead to biomarkers for depression and schizophrenia. Read more.
BEACON COLLEGE, bills itself as "the nation's only four-year accredited institution that offers highly specialized and proven educational programs for students diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, gifted but learning disabled, aspergers and other language-based learning disabilities." The college has received a grant to hire a life transition coach to help students enter the workplace. Find out more.
GREAT POTENTIAL PRESS, publishers of materials for the gifted, was mentioned in a Wall Street Journal advice column recently. The columnist recommended GPP's A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children as well as Living with Intensity. Find the column. Separately, Jim Webb and Janet Gore were honored in February for their continued commitment to gifted children, their families, and educators. Read more.
RESOURCES. We just discovered two troves of resources that might be of interest to those in the 2e community. One is from the Australian Gifted Support Center; it offers a database of research on gifted education; from that same page you may also choose "Useful references" and "Internet links." The second site is at the Neag Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development at the University of Connecticut; find the resources there.

AND FINALLY, THIS. It could be that even when we're awake, parts of our brains are really asleep, leading to poor performance. Read more. 

From the Publishers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

LANG SCHOOL UPDATE. The Lang School for twice-exceptional children in New York City has issued its first newsletter chronicling recent happenings. If you're a fan of the school or just curious about what goes on in a school for 2e kids, check it out.
BRIDGE FOR KIDS. Seems that the card game of bridge is enjoying a resurgence among younger players. According to The New York Times, "Chess is still the game of choice among educators, but bridge is catching on at a growing number of schools, community leagues and recreational centers across the nation, many of which see the card game as offering similar mental benefits to those of chess, but with a social component." In New York City, a school for GT kids teaches bridge to third graders. Some the resurgence evidently stems from efforts by bridge players Bill Gates and Warren Buffett to promote the game. Read more.
COMMON CORE STANDARDS. Education wonks might be interested in still another item from New York City, this one on a school that's experimenting with common core curriculum standards, which go into effect in at least 42 states in 2014. To see what teachers and students might be doing in the new curriculum, read the article.
BRAIN RESEARCH. If you think you might have a serious interest in reading articles with titles such as "Functional Connectivity of the Amygdala in Young Women with Borderline Personality Disorder," you'll be pleased to know that  a new publication debuts in May. The journal is called Brain Connectivity,  and you can preview articles from the premier issue at the publisher's website. You may subscribe to journal's online version for US$420, or get a print version thrown in for another $55 per year. Institutions: be prepared to cough up $1695. (ls 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter undercharging??)
AND FINALLY, THIS. An upcoming game mod for "Half-Life 2" is titled "School Shooter: North American Tour 2012." It's a first-person shooter game modeled on the Columbine shootings, with the player in the role of the shooters in that tragedy. An article in Education Week just alerted us to it, but evidently the upcoming release has been generating controversy for several weeks. Find out more by Googling the game.