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DL Ruf 2009 February 2011

In This Issue
Dr. Ruf to Speak at Resource Fair
Global Virtual Meeting in Gifted Education
Survey About Gifted Children and Their Doctors
Teenagers and Risky Behavior
The State of Education
Scholarship Available
In Minnesota: Young Scientist Roundtable
Keeping Up With Dr. Ruf
  (Minnesota Council for Gifted and Talented) East Metro Chapter, CHAT Night, Thursday, March 3, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., location to be determined. Dr. Ruf will discuss guidelines for parenting gifted children, as well as gender issues.

MCGT (Minnesota Council for Gifted and Talented) Seventh Annual Resource Fair, Saturday, March 19, 2011, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Edina Community Center, 5701 Normandale Road, Edina, MN. Dr. Ruf will speak at 9:00 a.m. about "What is Gifted?" and at 1:00 p.m. on educating the gifted.
Greetings!

No doubt many of our readers have been or are snowbound lately, with all the crazy weather across the United States and elsewhere. So may we suggest staying safe indoors with a good book or laptop? Here are a number of things to read that we hope you enjoy. You may also wish to check out our suggestions for books about gifted issues, which we have posted on our Educational Options website.     

Sincerely,  Kathy Hara, Editor        

Dr. Ruf to Speak at Resource Fair

On Saturday, March 19, Dr. Ruf will participate in the Seventh Annual Gifted Education Resource Fair sponsored by the Minnesota Council of Gifted Children (MCGT) and the MCGT Homeschooling Chapter.  

 

We have discovered that nearly half the people who attend these events aren't sure their children are gifted. If you are in the same boat, or know someone who is, here is a chance to hear Dr. Ruf address precisely that topic. She will speak on what giftedness is at 9:00 a.m., and she will discuss educating the gifted at 1:00 p.m.

 

The Resource Fair will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Edina Community Center, 5701 Normandale Road, Edina, Minnesota. The cost for MCGT members is $5.00 for just the fair or $10 for both the fair and talks given by Dr. Ruf. For nonmembers, the cost is $10 for the fair and $15.00 for both.


Global Virtual Meeting in Gifted Education

Secondlife Avatar On Saturday, January 29, 2011, Dr. Ruf joined with Mary St. George of New Zealand as speakers for the Fourth Global Virtual Meeting in Gifted Education through Secondlife. The topic was "Underachiever."   

 

These online events have been organized by Roya Klingner of the Bavarian Centre for Gifted and Talented Children for the purpose of sharing knowledge and experience about gifted education with students, educators, teachers and parents.

The event is now available through the following links: 
All Links, Full Version, and YouTube.      

  

Survey About Gifted Children and Their Doctors

 

Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG) is sponsoring a very important research project to gather data on parents' experiences with their doctors. SENG is asking parents of gifted children to complete a brief anonymous survey, which should take about 10 to 15 minutes.The purpose of this study is to improve medical services for gifted and talented children.

 

The link to this survey is on the SENG website, and the survey is listed on the left side of the page.


Teenagers and Risky Behavior

Here's an interesting article from the New York Times: Teenagers, Friends and Bad Decisions, by Tara Parker-Pope. Parker-Pope discusses research that indicates teenagers are much more likely than adults to engage in risky behavior when their friends are watching.

 

 

The State of Education

Here's another good article that deserves being passed along. It's Your Child Left Behind, written by Amanda Ripley and appearing in the Atlantic Magazine. Ripley cites research about the top students in our education system, taking each state separately and comparing it to about 60 other countries around the world. Although we don't compare all that favorably, you probably will be interested in the approach used in Massachusetts.


 
Scholarship Available

Applications are now available for the 2011 Jack Kent Cooke (JKC) Young Scholars Scholarship Program. This is a generous opportunity that could dramatically enhance the academic future of a student. Applicants must be very high achieving (GPA above 3.5 or mostly "A" grades), in grade 7 and have unmet financial need (low-moderate
income).


The deadline for application is April 25. The application is rather long so families should begin the process as soon as possible. For more information, visit the the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation website, or download the application through the website of the Center for Talent Development at Northwestern University.
 

In Minnesota:
Young Scientist Roundtable


On Monday, March 7, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m., Dr. John Delaney will address the Young Scientist Roundtable in the Auditorium at Wayzata Central Middle School, 305 Vicksburg Lane, Plymouth. Dr. Delaney is from the University of Washington, Professor of Oceanography and Principal Investigator and Director of the Regional Scale Nodes Program., and he will discuss "Wiring an Interactive Ocean." Here is a description of his program:

The oceans make our planet livable, yet they are largely unexplored and poorly understood. Dr. Delaney is an advocate of next-generation ocean science, which is made possible through the distribution of robot-sensor networks in the oceanic environment. These networks enable real-time, interactive research on the natural phenomena operating throughout the world's oceans. Dr. Delaney will discuss his work at the University of Washington, which involves constructing an innovative, cabled network of
instruments in the northeast Pacific Ocean.


TI Logo Reflection
 


 

Home of the Ruf Estimates™ of Levels of Gifted Online Assessment. Don't leave your child's education to chance! Find out today what your child needs to succeed in school. For more information, go to www.TalentIgniter.com.


 

The TalentIgniter newsletter and archives are available by going to http://talentigniter.com/resources/talentigniter-newsletters



5 Levels of Gifted: 5 Levels cover
School Issues and
Educational Options

Dr. Ruf's book, 5 Levels of Gifted: School Issues and Educational Options (2005) (formerly published as Losing Our Minds: Gifted Children Left Behind), is available here

Deborah Ruf
Educational Options
www.EducationalOptions.com
inquiry@educationaloptions.com
763-521-4565
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