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Keeping Up with Dr. Ruf . . .
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Greetings!
Travel, as they say, is broadening. We take that to mean a broadening of
one's perspectives and not of one's physical  dimensions - although tasting
regional and ethnic cuisines is also valuable. We hope that you have been able
to use the summer to expose your families to new and broadening experiences, be
it in your own city or half way around the world.
Dr. Ruf has been able to travel quite a bit this summer, from her high
school reunion in her hometown in Ohio,
to being a guest of friends in Hawaii,
to fishing for walleye in Flin Flon, Manitoba (see photo),
and with trips in between to visit family on an island in Lake Erie
and in California.
It is refreshing to step away from the daily responsibilities to engage in
different activities, with the hope that we are now ready to move forward into
the fall with renewed vigor.
Best
wishes, Kathy Hara, Editor
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New Book Cover  When naming
Dr. Ruf's book back in 2005, the title Losing
Our Minds: Gifted Children Left Behind seemed very topical. And yet it was
not very descriptive of its contents, which describe the behaviors and
abilities of gifted children in the spectrum between bright to profoundly
gifted and the educational needs for each level. Therefore the publisher and
author decided to reissue this book with a new name and a new cover. The new
title is 5 Levels of Gifted: School Issues and Educational Options.
The newly
reformatted books will be available around the middle of September, and we will
have new links to 5 Levels of Gifted in the September issue of this newsletter.
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Encyclopedia
of Gifted
The Encyclopedia of Giftedness, Creativity, and Talent
has just been published, in which Dr. Ruf has contributed an entry on Levels of
Giftedness. This two-volume set presents
 state-of-the-art research and ready-to-use facts from the fields of education,
psychology, sociology, and the arts. More than 400 entries sort out research
findings on giftedness and creativity and their applications in education,
training, science and the arts, athletics, and everyday life. From A-to-Z,
entries cover the major facets of this field, from ability grouping, to
achievement and aptitude testing, emotional intelligence, gender differences,
genius, intelligence testing, learning styles, minority gifted education,
multiple intelligences, musical ability, Olympic athletes, prodigies, Science
Olympics, self actualization, thinking skills, and more.
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Need Better
Writing Skills?
Even some
of the brightest students have room for great improvement in their writing,
says Gary
Gilson, an Emmy-Award winning television journalist and long-time college
teacher.
Mr. Gilson's
professional career spans work at the Minneapolis Star Tribune and at
commercial and public television stations in New York, Los Angeles and the Twin
Cities, and he has taught at Columbia, Yale, Minnesota, Macalester, St. Thomas
and Colorado College. And now he is coaching young people to improve their
writing, a crucial factor in the shaping of their academic and professional
futures.
Go to
Educational Option's website for more information about working with Mr. Gilson. He is presently building a
website at www.garygilsoncommunications.com,
which will soon be completed. At the time of this writing, Mr. Gilson has
posted a blog entry entitled "The Real Walter Cronkite."
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Education
for the Video Game Generation:
If you can't
beat them, join them. If you struggle with your children in getting them to
turn off the computer games and do their math homework, perhaps you could all
benefit by looking at DimensionM,
a product of the educational gaming company Tabula Digita.
According to
their website, DimensionM™ is an immersive video game world that engages
students in the instruction and learning of mathematics. Pre-algebra and
algebra objectives are covered through a series of missions that bring math
into a world that today's students understand. Students become so captivated in
solving problems that they forget they're learning but they don't forget what
they've learned. Using the latest 3-D, first-person video game technology,
students complete missions by entering reality-based environments where they
challenge themselves in single-player format or they can challenge others in a
fast-paced multi-player format.
News videos
about student DimensionM challenge bowls are posted on Tabula Digita's website.
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In Minnesota: Time to Play Chess
Chess leagues in Minnesota, and probably across the country,
are preparing for fall and winter tournaments now.
The Chess Club of Minnesota is open to chess
players of all ages and all skill levels. League play begins in October, but
some other tournaments are scheduled for September. In addition, the club,
along with the Eden Prairie Chapter of the Minnesota Council of Gifted and
Talented, sponsors Tuesday night chess at the Barnes and Noble store at Eden
Prairie Center,
from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Go to The Chess Club's website for more
information and to register for their events.
Minnesota State Chess Association (www.minnesotachess.org)
also begins league play in September, so take a look at that website and sign
up. You will also find more information regarding several championship events
that are on the schedule in late August and early September.
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Losing Our Minds
Dr. Ruf's book, Losing Our Minds: Gifted
Children Left Behind, is available through Great PotentialPress or Barnes & Noble.
Click here to learn more.
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Deborah Ruf
Educational Options
www.EducationalOptions.com
[email protected]
763-521-4565
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