Advanced Placement (AP) coursework is one of the most recognized forms of acceleration. There are many benefits to taking an AP course, including providing the appropriate level of challenge for talented students.
Advanced Placement classes help develop college-level academic skills. The classes are made up of students and educators with a strong commitment to excellence in learning and problem-solving. These are all qualities necessary in college. Many students who enter college are shocked at the amount of work and study time involved. Taking AP classes in high school will better prepare them for challenging college classes.
The Belin-Blank Center is proud to be an approved site to provide AP summer training for teachers. To accommodate as many teachers as possible, we are offering an online session (August 1-5, 2022). The seven AP trainings offered online are Computer Science & Principles, English Language & Composition, English Literature & Composition, Physics I, Psychology, Spanish Language & Culture, and Statistics.
We would love to work with you this summer! Learn more and sign up here.
The Belin-Blank Center is pleased to announce our new graduate certificate in talent development! It addresses talent development from a broad perspective and considers multiple fields. This certificate will be open to current, degree-seeking students at the University of Iowa and non-degree students (e.g., full/part-time personnel in teaching and/or a wide range of professions). The Graduate Certificate in Talent Development will provide a synthesis of theory and multiple perspectives across various areas of study and provide opportunities for registrants across fields to engage and interact with the common goal of how to best match individuals with appropriately enriching experiences (within and outside of school).
The purpose of the Graduate Certificate in Talent Development is to increase understanding of talented individuals, the process of talent development and the creative process, and to prepare advocates for talented individuals. The Graduate Certificate in Talent Development will provide a research-based foundation for cultivating talent and encouraging best practices, especially in K-12 schools. The emphasis on talent development is moving away from simplistic “pull-out” programming within schools and exploring more sophisticated conceptions of the development of expertise in specific fields and domains. The proposed certificate intends to train professionals across fields to develop talent among artists, athletes, business leaders, musicians, and STEM, to name a few.
The Graduate Certificate in Talent Development will be available in Fall 2022. It consists of 14 semester hours and can be earned completely online. Its three-fold learning approach is composed of:
1) required coursework (6 semester hours),
2) interest-based elective coursework (6 semester hours – can reside in any UI department), and
3) a culminating independent Capstone Exploration Project (steered completely by student interest).
John Cotton Dana, an American library and museum director, brilliantly asserted that “who dares to teach must never cease to learn.” That is certainly true of teachers who support the needs of gifted and talented learners.
Teachers from across the country who are new to the field of gifted education and talent development look for coursework to help them earn the Talented and Gifted Endorsement. Teachers who already work in gifted programs continue to develop their understanding of gifted children and how to best develop their talents.
Chautauqua
The Belin-Blank Center sponsors Chautauqua in the summer, and many teachers take advantage of one or more of the six one-semester-hour classes that begin over two weeks in July. Each of these classes meets, either in person on the University of Iowa campus or via Zoom, for the first two days of the class; look for more information at belinblank.org/Chautauqua.
Online Programming
Others might prefer the flexible format of fully online and asynchronous opportunities throughout the summer. All classes are one semester hour unless otherwise indicated.
May 17 – Jun 6
EDTL:4096:0WKA (Topics)
Assessing Achievement for Talent Development (Programming strand)
Anna Payne
Jun 6 – 24
EDTL:4024:0WKA
Differentiating Projects with Technology (Programming strand; updated content)
Dr. Antonia Szymanski
Jun 6 – Jul 29
PSQF:4123:0EXW (3 semester hours [s.h.])
Academic Acceleration (1 s.h. each in the Psychology, Programming, and 1 Administrative strands)
Dr. Ann Lupkowski-Shoplik
Jun 13 – Aug 4
EDTL/RCE:4137:0EXW (3 semester hours)
Introduction to Educating Gifted Students (Psychology strand)
Dr. Kimberley Chandler
Jun 20 – Jul 11
EDTL:4085:0WKA
Current Readings & Research in Gifted Education (strand based on readings)
Anna Payne
Jun 27 – Jul 18
PSQF:4126:0WKA
Cognitive/Affective Needs of Gifted Students (Psychology strand)
Dr. Katie Schabilion
Jul 1 – 22
EDTL:5080:0WKA
Teacher Training in Advanced Placement Courses** (Programming strand)
Dr. Randy Lange
Jul 6 – June 24
EDTL:4029:0WKA
Leadership Skills for G/T Students, K – 12 (Programming strand)
Dr. Beth Maloney
Jul 11 – 29
EDTL:4074:0WKA
Differentiation at the Secondary Level (Programming strand)
Dr. Kristine Milburn
**option for participants in the University of Iowa Advanced Placement Summer Institute (belinblank.org/apsi)
Registration
To take part in classes, participants must register one time each year with Distance and Online Education as a non-degree seeking student. Those earning the Endorsement in Talented and Gifted Education may register as either graduate or undergraduate students, regardless of professional status (undergraduates pay less tuition per course but may lose district benefits). Once participants have their “HawkID” and password, they can follow the directions to register for courses that match their interests and needs. Follow the steps at belinblank.org/educators/reg.
SAVE THE DATES! The Belin-Blank Center will host several professional learning opportunities for educators in Summer 2022.
The Belin-Blank Fellowship Program is a unique opportunity for a cadre of educators to learn more about the area of gifted education, through a five-day summer workshop. Its purpose is to help teachers learn better methods for working with gifted children in their classrooms. The program is designed to help educators provide an appropriate program for gifted students, develop in students a heightened sense of social responsibility in the use of their talents, and provide leadership in gifted education. For Summer 2022, priority will be given to those in instructional coaching roles. The dates for Summer 2022 are June 20-24. Applications will be available on our website in mid-February.
Want to prepare for teaching an AP class? The Belin-Blank Center will be hosting BOTH on-campus and online Advanced Placement Summer Institutes (APSI). The on-campus APSI will be held at the University of Iowa in Iowa City from June 28 – July 1. The online APSI will take place from August 1-5.
The planned ON-CAMPUS classes are:
Biology, Calculus AB, English Language & Composition, English Literature & Composition, Government & Politics, Human Geography, Psychology, US History, and World History
The planned ONLINE classes are:
Computer Science Principles, English Language & Composition, English Literature & Composition, Physics I, Psychology, Spanish Language & Culture, and Statistics.
Stay tuned for more professional learning opportunities in spring and summer 2022. We hope you will plan to join us!
“The Chautauqua movement pioneered the idea of extending learning opportunities to adults and nontraditional students.”
Scott Howell and Alma McGinn
The Belin-Blank Chautauqua offers a choice of six classes in a fast-paced (accelerated) format.
The first two days of each Chautauqua class include time for participants to interact with each other and the instructor on Zoom. Each class continues online for three weeks of asynchronous opportunities designed by each instructor to maximize the value of each class.
During the Belin-Blank Chautauqua (virtual in 2021), we are offering two new classes about meeting the needs of a broader range of gifted learners:
Talent Development: Arts, Academics, and Athletics (EDTL:4096:0WKB) focuses on the preparation required for gifted performers in the fields where these students stand out.
Serving Visual/Spatial Learners discusses ways to provide programming for students identified for advanced abilities beyond mathematical and English/Language Arts abilities. More than one educator has acknowledged the importance of identifying traditionally underserved students, but they are not sure what to DO for these students, since traditional programming will not match their strengths.
Chautauqua Week 1 includes:
Family Issues and Giftedness (RCE:4119) Jul 5, 6 – 23 (Psychology strand) Dr. Haley Wikoff and Dr. Erin Lane, Team Teachers
Programming: Facilitating Student Research Projects (EDTL:4073:0WKA) Jul 14, 15 – Aug 3 (Programming) Lora Danker, Instructor
Evaluation of Gifted Programs (EPLS:4111) Jul 16, 17 – Aug 5 (Administrative)” Dr. Kim Chandler, Instructor
Automatic Scholarships
Scholarships for the cost of one class are available to those who enroll in three classes in either week. Those who take all six classes over the two weeks receive a full scholarship for the cost of one class each week.
Registration
To take part in our classes, you must register one time each year with Distance and Online Education as a non-degree seeking student.
For the State of Iowa Endorsement in Talented and Gifted Education, you may register as either a graduate or undergraduate student, regardless of your professional status. If you won’t benefit in other ways from the graduate credit, you can save tuition dollars. Once you have your HawkID and password, you can follow the directions to register for the courses that interest or benefit you. Follow belinblank.org/educators/reg.
All our classes fulfill strands required for endorsement.
On June 22, we are offering a three-week book study about Excellence Gaps in Education (Plucker & Peters, 2016). This online class (asynchronous) focuses on strategies we can use to eliminate the achievement gaps that exist even among the students who perform at the highest levels (EDTL:4096:0WKD).
This is a new class, and if you haven’t read Excellence Gaps, this is the time! Excellence Gaps won the 2017 Book of the Year award from NAGC, and our need to understand excellence gaps—going beyond achievement gaps—is more important than ever. The Harvard Education Press posted:
In Excellence Gaps in Education, Jonathan A. Plucker and Scott J. Peters shine a spotlight on “excellence gaps”—the achievement gaps among subgroups of students performing at the highest levels of achievement. Much of the focus of recent education reform has been on closing gaps in achievement between students from different racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic backgrounds by bringing all students up to minimum levels of proficiency. Yet issues related to excellence gaps have been largely absent from discussions about how to improve our schools and communities. Plucker and Peters argue that these significant gaps reflect the existence of a persistent talent underclass in the United States among African American, Hispanic, Native American, and poor students, resulting in an incalculable loss of potential among our fastest growing populations.
This is one of the Belin-Blank Center classes this summer intended to help educators ensure that their districts are doing everything possible to ensure that they are identifying and serving ALL their gifted learners—including those that have been traditionally underrepresented. The other two classes include
Talent Development: Arts, Academics, and Athletics (EDTL:4096:0WKB), focus in on the preparation required for gifted performers, and
Serving Visual/Spatial Learners, discussing ways to provide programming for students identified for advanced abilities beyond mathematical and English/Language Arts abilities.
To take part in our classes, you must register one time each year with Distance and Online Education as a non-degree seeking student. For the State of Iowa Endorsement in Talented and Gifted Education, you may register as either a graduate or undergraduate student, regardless of your professional status. If you won’t benefit in other ways from the graduate credit, you can save tuition dollars. Once you have your HawkID and password, you can follow the directions to register for the courses that interest or benefit you. Follow belinblank.org/educators/reg. All our classes fulfill strands required for endorsement, and the study of Excellence Gaps can apply to the Administrative strand.
by Dr. Susan Assouline, Belin-Blank Center Director
“Even when the sky is filled with clouds, the sun still shines above.”
Janet Donaghy
This sentiment strikes me as an apt description of our personal and professional lives during the past year.
We experienced literal clouds with the August 2020 derecho. We saw the figurative dark clouds of social injustice through systemic racism and health and economic disparities. Yet, our university’s campus leadership steered our students, faculty, and staff through the clouds of the past year.
Through it all, they never lost sight of the notion that the sun still shone above.
We discovered not only blue sky beyond the clouds of lockdown but many silver linings.
We stayed connected through Zoom meetings. We stepped up with creativity and resiliency to convert our on-site services and programming to online opportunities. We collaborated to create new, innovative programs and services.
Last April, it seemed daunting to sustain our mission without one of our most visible services: summer student programs. Yet, our team of creative and dedicated professionals committed to providing students the specialized programming for which the Belin-Blank Center is known.
The student programming team re-imagined opportunities for K-12 students, which have been available throughout this past year. To do our part to help end the COVID-19 pandemic, we have moved our signature high-school residential programs online this summer. While a bit different from our traditional on-campus experiences, our team has worked hard to create impactful programming that students will remember for a lifetime.
As soon as they were able, with appropriate safety protocols in place, they resumed in-person assessments and have been conducting these for nearly a year. We have even added new services and hired two new licensed psychologists, Dr. Amanda Berns and Dr. Katie Schabilion.
By being online, the Summit will share crucial research with many more people throughout the world. Because we will record each presentation, a broader group of people will have access to the knowledge for a longer time.
During this year of unprecedented challenges, UI President Bruce Harreld and his leadership team demonstrated excellent governance. The College of Education (our academic home) also offered significant leadership during the pandemic.
President Harreld’s service to the campus and the state gained admiration because he fostered transparency and shared governance. People appreciated his service as a staunch supporter of public universities, recognizing their importance at both a state and national level. President Harreld has served our campus for five years. When he announced last fall that he planned to retire, new clouds of uncertainty about the future appeared on the horizon.
Now those clouds have dissipated.
The University of Iowa expects to announce its 22nd President later today (update). We are looking forward to working with new leadership to move into the future. We also wish President Harreld and his wife, Mary, the best as they embark on this next phase of their lives.
Today, the sky is blue.
Opportunities for students, educators, and families seem unlimited. We know there will be clouds again, but we will find new opportunities to be supportive and collaborative when they appear.
We will remember that there are silver linings and blue sky beyond.
Summer means sun, fun, and summer programs at the Belin-Blank Center! Check out our many classes and events for educators, students, families, and gifted education researchers.
This summer, the 41st Belin-Blank Fellowship Program in Gifted Education will be a virtual event. Launched in 1981, the Fellowship is one of the oldest professional leadership programs in the United States, and the Belin-Blank Center welcomes teachers, school counselors, school psychologists, and administrators to apply. Because the Fellowship is virtual, educators who would find travel to Iowa difficult can dedicate the time for this program from their home computers.
More than ever, all educators need to know more about the unique needs of gifted and talented students—and about how to meet those needs—because of today’s ever greater challenges. This professional learning opportunity facilitates professional understanding about best practices in serving advanced learners, including those who traditionally have been overlooked for gifted programs. Participants will interact virtually with others who have a commitment to understanding more about research-based strategies that promote authentic talent development among your school’s most capable students.
Participants will need to be fully present throughout the week because the presentations, activities, and extended discussions will inspire your thoughtful engagement with new ideas and approaches. For an overview of the program, please download a brochure (safe to open). Educators should review the program at belinblank.org/fellowship and apply online. Selection of the 12 Belin-Blank Fellows will be based on a review of applications, as well as a review of the statements of support from administrators (also completed online).
This unique Fellowship was originally designed for the general education teacher—the individual who spends the greatest amount of classroom time with gifted and talented learners. In recent years, we also have welcomed teacher leaders, school counselors, school psychologists, and administrators, knowing they work closely with teachers to ensure best practices for all students.
An endowment covers the cost of opportunities to interact with nationally recognized experts in gifted education; it will also cover other costs associated with the program, including access to the online University library and a 50% tuition scholarship for two semester hours of credit (if credit hours would be useful for you). This year, when the program is a virtual one, we are waiving the request that the district support its participant(s) through a payment of a $250 resource fee. You will leave the program with extensive resources that will enrich you and your district.
Please share this information about the Fellowship with those in your building. Encourage general education teachers, school counselors and psychologists, and administrators to apply online. Each applicant is responsible for completing the application process by April 15; must ask for a brief statement of support from you, the Superintendent, or another district administrator, also submitted online by April 15.
All of us at the Belin-Blank Center are confident this summer will continue a tradition that prompted one participant to relate:
“This is a game changer for me. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”
If you have any questions about the Fellowship or the application process, please contact Dr. Laurie Croft, Associate Director for Professional Development at educators@belinblank.org or 319-335-6148. We look forward to having an educator you know join us this summer!
Although it may be cold outside, we are already gearing up for spring and summer at the Belin-Blank Center! We are offering many exciting online opportunities for educators, students, families, and gifted education researchers. Mark your calendars with these upcoming dates.
This is information that was reported to the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children (WCGTC) newsletter as part of the current report from the United States. Dr. Laurie Croft is one of the three U.S. delegates to the WCGTC.
NAGC hosted the 67th annual convention as a “reimagined” and virtual event—and a very successful professional development and networking opportunity with almost 4,300 participating. Attendees came from 48 U.S. states and the District of Columbia (D.C.), as well as 13 additional countries, and benefited from almost 300 presentations. The first fully virtual convention featured many familiar elements, including educational pre-conference workshops, keynote presentations, choices of invited and concurrent sessions, posters, and NAGC Network and Special Interest Group (SIG) meetings; the reimagined convention included new ways of participating in events, as well as new opportunities: an expanded timeline, from four to six days for the convention; virtual lounges to drop in and visit with others; Table Talks, sponsored by Networks; and access to all of the concurrent sessions and posters, available on demand—through the end of May 2021.
Having access to presentations for six months is an extraordinary benefit to busy teachers, counselors, administrators, families, and university faculty who advocate for gifted and talented learners. For keynote and special sessions, participants could type in questions during the session that presenters addressed, and they could discuss content with each other, using a chat feature provided by the platform. Presenters for concurrent sessions took advantage of a platform provided by NAGC to capture their sessions, complete with PowerPoints, comments, and often, handouts. Even Poster sessions had recordings to amplify their content. While participants must choose among an array of interesting sessions when attending an in-person convention, participants now have access to all the sessions!
The concurrent sessions this year are identified as “On Demand,” and the majority of these feature topics selected through a blind review process conducted by volunteers for each Network. These sessions provide a wide variety of topics, from encouraging artistic expression and critical and creative thinking to “speed geeking” and virtual reality; from cultivating psychosocial skills among advanced learners to building better educator capacity to recognize and develop talents; from tips for parents to successful advocacy at local, state, and national levels. All categories of presentations featured sessions that highlighted the critical importance of equity in gifted programming and the need to identify and serve underrepresented populations of gifted children in the United States as well as enhance best practices for talent development for all children.
This summer, the University of Iowa’s Belin-Blank Center will be hosting an online Advanced Placement® Summer Institute (APSI). (formerly known as the AP Teacher Training Institute or APTTI). APSI is designed for teachers who want to learn to teach AP® courses, current AP® teachers, and educators who wish to strengthen their school’s core curriculum. The event will take place June 28 – July 2, 2021, and all courses will be offered fully online. Check out our website for more information and registration details.
The College Board offers the following two scholarships that support teachers in attending an APSI. Both applications are open now and are due February 17, 2021:
AP® Fellows Program: For teachers at schools serving majority underrepresented minority and/or low-income students
Scholarship Amount: $1,000 – for cost of tuition and lab fees (when applicable)
Scholarship Amount: $1,500 – for cost of tuition and lab fees (when applicable)
Another funding opportunity is the AP® Summer Institution Grant, offered by the Belin-Blank Center’s Iowa Online AP® Academy. More information and a link to the application can be found here, under the heading “Financial Aid”. The deadline to complete this grant application is June 1, 2021.
As the year comes to a close, we are looking forward to the many exciting online opportunities for educators, students, families, and gifted education researchers that are happening at the Belin-Blank Center in 2021! Mark your calendars with these upcoming dates.
Please join us at the Let’s Talk 2e virtual conference for Educators launching January 25, 2021 and then remaining EVERGREEN allowing you forever-access. To register click here.
The conference brings together expert speakers addressing topics for teachers to utilize in their virtual, hybrid and in-person classrooms within four strands:
Understanding 2e
Classroom Strategies
Cultural Diversity
Clinical Considerations
Our own Drs. Megan Foley-Nicpon, Alissa Doobay, and Katie Schabilion will be among the presenters!
If you’re a parent – this conference is an excellent teacher gift!
Along with 25 presentations attendees will enjoy:
Free Gifts from every speaker
A Companion Conference Planner
A Full Exhibitor Hall (with opportunities for prizes)
Community Building and Live Events in our Facebook “Teachers’ Lounge”
The Opportunity to earn Credit and Contact Hours from various states, schools and associations
“I’ve been a big fan of attending conferences as a great way to learn, network, socialize and enjoy a new environment. It’s always refreshing to get out and see a whole new world.” So said author Mark Skousen, and I completely agree!
The excitement is building for the 2020 NAGC convention! NAGC20 has been Reimagined in a way that will re-ignite the passion that we all have for the future of gifted and talented education. NAGC’s “67th Annual Convention Reimagined!” will be held November 12-17, 2020, bringing together thousands of professionals from around the world who are dedicated to supporting the needs of high-ability children. I hope you’ll join us at NAGC’s first virtual national convention.
The NAGC20 convention experience will be like no other…. it’s accessible anytime and anywhere you are in the world. “Reimagined!” offers attendees access to 200+ live and on-demand sessions, table talks, Q&A sessions, and opportunities for networking. Participants can attend sessions live or at their own pace throughout the convention. And if you can’t participate in a session during the convention time, not to worry. Attendees have a 6-month all-access pass to all 200+ sessions.
Also new in 2020, schools/districts may purchase a site license for $5,995 so that an unlimited number of professionals can attend. This can be your chance to show your colleagues the meaningful presentations for the ages they teach or the content they share. NAGC20 offers hundreds of hours of professional learning at your fingertips. These can be used for faculty retreats, all-staff professional learning days, group and/or division training, and weekly staff meetings. You can build an ongoing professional learning curriculum for the entire team and the entire school year using the school site license option. Contact Adriane Wiles (awiles@nagc.org) to register.
The Belin-Blank Center is pleased to offer either one or two semester hours of credit for those who participate in the NAGC convention. “Continuing Education Individual Study: Leadership in Gifted Education” (PSQF:5194:0WKA) can apply to the “Administrative Strand,” and because you are having to pay to register for the convention itself, we provide an automatic 50% tuition scholarship for those enrolled at the graduate level (a smaller scholarship for those enrolled at the undergraduate level). Although teachers earning the State of Iowa Talented and Gifted Endorsement need semester hours from an accredited university, some of you might benefit from the CEU’s that NAGC has arranged (see bit.ly/NAGC20ceu).
Those working on the endorsement through the Belin-Blank Center should contact educators@belinblank.org for information about student registration costs (50% of the above), student membership costs (only $59 for the upcoming year), and for information about getting registered for the academic credit!
To register, go to http://bit.ly/Reimagined20CM (or contact awiles@nagc.org). Registration fees are $345 for members or $495 for non-members. Membership includes 1-year access to bonus content, including free issues of Gifted Child Quarterly, Teaching for High Potential, and Parenting for High Potential.
Belin-Blank Center staff members are making plans to host a summer program to prepare teachers to teach Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Those of you who have been following the Belin-Blank Center for some time will remember the professional development program was known as the AP Teacher Training Institute (APTTI). This year, we have a new name! The program is now called the University of Iowa AP Summer Institute, or APSI for short.
The Belin-Blank Center will host our APSI from June 28– July 2, 2021 (Monday through Friday). Classes will meet during the day. All courses will be taught online. Courses will include:
Calculus AB
Computer Science Principles
English Language and Composition
English Literature and Composition
Human Geography
Physics 1
Psychology
Spanish Language
Statistics
US Government & Politics
US History
World History
We are excited to offer APSI online for summer 2021. We look forward to including people from all over the nation in our courses, which will be taught by content experts endorsed by the College Board.
More information can be found here. The new information for 2021 will be updated on the website in the coming weeks.
Do you remember when Frodo said, “I wish it need not have happened in my time,” and Gandalf responded, “So do I, and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
J.R.R. Tolkien
Those of us at the Belin-Blank Center believe that this time of physical distancing has to be a time for learning. We’re all having to learn how to reach out to others virtually, supporting each other from a “safe distance.” Professional learning opportunities are going to continue this summer, providing educators with more opportunities to understand the unique needs of gifted learners. Educators will have more confidence in their abilities to support gifted learners’ social-emotional needs, as well as to challenge them academically.
An Iowa TAG Endorsement in One Summer
For someone with the desire to earn the State of Iowa Talented and Gifted, the Center provides choices of classes across the required strands so that earning the endorsement in one summer is possible (belinblank.org/endorsement). For those who already have the endorsement, the focused, one-semester-hour, workshop-style classes are ideal for updating skills. Summer classes begin in June with fully online options (classes are one-semester-hour unless otherwise noted):
Introduction to Educating Gifted Students (RCE:4137:0EXW – 3 semester hours), June 8 – July 27 (Dr. Susannah Wood)
Special Topics: Understanding and Addressing the Unique Needs of Gifted LGBTQ Students (EDTL:4096:0WKA), June 8 – 26 (Dr. Haley Wikoff)
Current Readings and Research (EDTL:4085:0WKA), June 15 – July 6 (Dr. Laurie Croft)
Math Programming for High Ability Learners (EDTL:4022), June 22 – July 13 (Dr. Ann Shoplik)
Cognitive and Affective Needs of the Gifted (PSQF:4126:0WKA), June 29 – July 17 (Dr. Megan Foley Nicpon).
Online classes continue in July and August:
Differentiation at the Secondary Level (EDTL:4074:0WKA), July 8 – 28 (Dr. Kristine Milburn)
Special Topics: Giftedness 101 (EDTL:4076:0WKA), July 15 – August 4 (Anna Payne)
Special Topics: The Gifted Brain: Neurodiversity and Gifted/Talented Learners (EDTL:4097:0WKE), July 22 – August 11 (Dr. Antonia [Toni] Szymanski & Dr. Laurie Croft, team teacher)
Special Topics: Personal Learning Plans (EDTL:4096:0WKB), August 3 – 21 (Lora Danker)
Although we had looked forward to seeing you for Chautauqua in July, Chautauqua classes will also be online; each will include virtual class times via Zoom on the dates the class would have met at Blank Honors Center, that is, the first two days of each class. Scholarships for Chautauqua participants will remain the same. Details on the changes to Chautauqua are outlined in a separate blog post.
Chautauqua classes include:
Special Topics: Foundations of Giftedness: An Overview (EDTL:4096:0WKD) July 6 – 24, with Zoom time scheduled on July 6 and 7 (Dr. Susan Assouline & Dr. Laurie Croft, team teachers)
Science for High-Ability Learners (EDTL:4021:0WKA) July 8 – 28, with Zoom time scheduled on July 8 and 9 (Dr. Hallie Edgerly)
Programming/Curriculum for High Ability: Real-World Problem Solving (EDTL:4073:0WKA) July 10 – 30, with Zoom time scheduled on July 10 and 11(Dr. Kristine Milburn)
Social Studies for High-Ability: Explorer Mindset (EDTL:4065:0WKA) July 13 – 31, with Zoom time scheduled on July 13 and 14 (Stacey Snyder)
Advanced Seminar: Solution-Focused Skills for Working with Common Concerns of Gifted Students (RCE:5238:0WKA) July 15 – August 4, with Zoom time scheduled on July 15 and 16 (Dr. Susannah Wood)
Staff Development for Gifted Programs (EPLS:4113:0WKA) July 17 – August 6, with Zoom time scheduled on July 17 – 18 (Dr. Laurie Croft)
Get Registered
To participate in our classes, you must register one time each year with Distance and Online Education as a non-degree seeking student; for the State of Iowa Endorsement in Talented and Gifted Education, you may register as either a graduate or undergraduate student, regardless of your professional status; if you won’t benefit in other ways from the graduate credit, you can save tuition dollars. Once you have your HawkID and password, you can follow the directions to register for the courses that interest you the most at belinblank.org/educators/reg. All of our classes fulfill strands required for the endorsement.
For several years, the Belin-Blank Chautauqua has mirrored the eponymous adult-education movement that was so popular in the late 1800s – early 1900s. Classes have brought teachers together for an accelerated learning experience, as well as time to interact with one another. Chautauqua has featured six separate workshops that met for two days each on campus, with additional online components.
Summer 2020 will continue Chautauqua in a way those from the late 19th century could never have imagined. Participants can still choose one class, or the three classes in one week, or all six classes over the two weeks, from July 6 – August 6. Those who enroll in all three workshops in one week still receive an automatic scholarship for the cost of graduate tuition for one class (you pay for two, the Center provides a full scholarship for one); those who attend all classes over both weeks still receive an automatic scholarship for the cost of graduate tuition for one class each week (you pay for four, the Center provides a full scholarship for two).
Instructors will schedule blocks of time each morning and afternoon to meet via Zoom on the two days the classes would have met on campus.
It’s easy to earn the Iowa TAG endorsement over two summers through Chautauqua, receiving scholarships both summers. Chautauqua classes can be combined with online classes and practicum to complete the endorsement in one summer. Classes are always different from year to year; the one-semester-hour classes this summer include:
Week 1:
Special Topics: Foundations of Giftedness: An Overview (EDTL:4096:0WKD) July 6 – 24, with Zoom time scheduled on July 6 and 7 (Dr. Susan Assouline & Dr. Laurie Croft, team teachers)
Science for High-Ability Learners (EDTL:4021:0WKA) July 8 – 28, with Zoom time scheduled on July 8 and 9 (Dr. Hallie Edgerly)
Programming/Curriculum for High Ability: Real-World Problem Solving (EDTL:4073:0WKA) July 10 – 30, with Zoom time scheduled on July 10 and 11 (Dr. Kristine Milburn)
Week 2:
Social Studies for High-Ability: Explorer Mindset (EDTL:4065:0WKA) July 13 – 31, with Zoom time scheduled on July 13 and 14 (Stacey Snyder)
Advanced Seminar: Solution-Focused Skills for Working with Common Concerns of Gifted Students (RCE:5238:0WKA) July 15 – August 4, with Zoom time scheduled on July 15 and 16 (Dr. Susannah Wood)
Staff Development for Gifted Programs (EPLS:4113:0WKA) July 17 – August 6, with Zoom time scheduled on July 17 – 18 (Dr. Laurie Croft)
The one-semester-hour classes included in the list above are offered in the three-week workshop (i.e., 0WKA) format. These classes have no additional technology fees and focus for three weeks on one topic.
Get Registered
To participate in our classes, you must register one time each year with Distance and Online Education as a non-degree seeking student; for the State of Iowa Endorsement in Talented and Gifted Education, you may register as either a graduate or undergraduate student, regardless of your professional status; if you won’t benefit in other ways from the graduate credit, you can save tuition dollars. Once you have your HawkID and password, you can follow the directions to register for the courses that interest you the most at belinblank.org/educators/reg. All of our classes fulfill strands required for the endorsement.
In the spring—and it’s looking like spring in Eastern Iowa–a teacher’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of … professional learning opportunities in the summer. Alfred, Lord Tennyson, originated the wording for a different audience, but it’s true that teachers are always looking for better ways to help their students achieve. The Belin-Blank Center offers professional learning opportunities throughout the spring and the summer to provide educators with more opportunities to understand the unique needs of gifted learners, supporting their social emotional needs and challenging them academically.
To participate in our classes, you must register with Distance and Online Education as a non-degree seeking student; for the State of Iowa Endorsement in Talented and Gifted Education, you may register as either a graduate or undergraduate student, regardless of your professional status; if you won’t benefit in other ways from the graduate credit, you can save tuition dollars by registering for undergraduate credit. Once you have your HawkID and password, you can follow the directions to register for the courses that interest you the most; follow belinblank.org/educators/reg. All of our classes fulfill strands required for endorsement.
This is a list of classes still available this spring:
Gender Issues and Giftedness (RCE:4123:0WKA – 1 semester hour), March 23 – April 11. (Dr. Jolene Teske)
Curriculum Concepts in Gifted Education (EDTL:4066:0EXW – 3 semester hours), offered in an accelerated format from March 23 – May 15 (Dr. Laurie Croft)
Differentiated Instruction for the Gifted (EDTL:4025:0WKA – 1 semester hour), April 13 – May 1. (Debra “Debbie” Judge)
The one-semester-hour classes included in the list above are offered in the three-week workshop (0WKA) format. These classes have no additional technology fees and focus for three weeks on one topic.
Oprah Winfrey is one of the many notables that have contributed thoughts for the new year, saying, “Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.”
At the Belin-Blank Center, we have been getting professional development right for four decades! We invite you to join us through the gifted-teachers listserv (belinblank.org/listserv), through our Facebook (facebook.com/BelinBlank), and Twitter (@belinblank) accounts, through our blog (belinblank.wordpress.com), and through our professional development opportunities coming up (belinblank.org/educators/courses). We know that you are committed to understanding the varied needs of gifted/talented children, and learning about ways that parents, teachers, and friends can meet those needs.
To participate in our classes, you must register with Distance and Online Education as a non-degree seeking student; for the State of Iowa Endorsement in Talented and Gifted Education, you may register as either a graduate or undergraduate student, regardless of your professional status; if you won’t benefit in other ways from the graduate credit, you can save tuition dollars. Once you have your HawkID and password, you can follow the directions to register for the courses that interest you the most; follow belinblank.org/educators/reg. All of our classes fulfill strands required for endorsement.
Here is a list of what’s coming up, organized in chronological order. All of these are online and asynchronous. Courses with no instructor listed are facilitated by Dr. Laurie Croft):
Current Readings & Research in Gifted Education (EDTL:4085:0WKA – 1 semester hour), winter session class shaped to your needs, December 30, 2019 – January 17, 2020.
Practicum in Gifted Education (various start dates for different populations—EDTL:4188:0001 is for full-time students in the College of Education and spans the entire semester; EDTL:4188:0EXW is for educators who want to earn more than one hour of practicum, March 24 – May 9; and EDTL:4188:0WKA is for educators who want to earn the one required hour of practicum, April 14 – May 4. One ICON site that opens in January.).
Program Models in Gifted Education (EDTL:4199:0EXA – 3 semester hours), first spring class offered in an accelerated format from January 21 – March 14.
Identification of Students for Gifted Programs (PSQF:4121:0EXW – 3 semester hours), offered in an accelerated format from January 28 – March 27. (Dr. Susan Assouline)
Administration and Policy in Gifted Education (EPLS:4110:0EXW – 2 semester hours), offered from February 4 – May 1. (Dr. Randy Lange)
Math Programming for High Ability Students (EDTL:4067:0EXW – 1 semester hour), February 26 – March 24. (Dr. Ann Lupkowski-Shoplik)
Gender Issues and Giftedness (RCE:4123:0WKA – 1 semester hour), March 23 – April 11. (Dr. Jolene Teske)
Curriculum Concepts in Gifted Education (EDTL:4066:0EXW – 3 semester hours), offered in an accelerated format from March 23 – May 15.
Differentiated Instruction for the Gifted (EDTL:4025:0WKA – 1 semester hour), April 13 – May 1. (Debra “Debbie” Judge)
The one-semester-hour classes included in the list above are offered in the three-week workshop (0WKA) format. These classes have no additional technology fees and focus for three weeks on one topic.
The Belin-Blank Center has asked Gerald Aungst, Curiosity Engineer (@GeraldAungst, www.geraldaungst.com), to teach pre-service and practicing teachers about Gifted & General Education Collaboration (course number EDTL:4153:0WKA), from October 8 through October 28.
Referring to the class, he noted, “gifted learners aren’t gifted only when they are in their gifted education classes; it is critical for gifted teachers and general education teachers to work together. This collaboration can be challenging due to conflicting goals, competing schedules, or incompatible philosophies. Learn strategies for making it work despite the complications.”
Online classes have research support for benefits including “time for deeper reflection and the elimination of traditional professional development’s social and physical boundaries” (Edinger, 2017, p. 301). Edinger cites Little and Housand (2011), who found that educators wanting to better serve gifted learners can benefit from online teacher professional development (oTPD) “since these small groups of teachers are separated from one another by distance, but can make professional connections to each other in an online environment” (p. 301).
This one-semester-hour asynchronous class is offered through
Distance and Online Education at the University of Iowa; participants must register
as Distance Education Nondegree-Seeking students (no cost for
registration). Classes offered in this
focused workshop format have the same tuition for in- and out-of-state students,
and they have no extra fees. Tuition is
currently $560 for graduate students per hour and $337 for undergraduate
students per hour. Anyone may register
as an undergraduate through Distance and Online Education; undergraduate credit
is accepted by the State of Iowa for the endorsement (you should always check
with your own district if you want to apply the credit for other
opportunities).
More information about professional learning through the
Belin-Blank Center is available at belinblank.org/educators. Upcoming courses can be reviewed by following
the links to the four strands at belinblank.org/educators/courses.
Reference
Edinger, M.J. (2017). Online teacher professional
development for gifted education: Examining the impact of a new pedagogical
model. Gifted Child Quarterly, 6(4),
300-312.
The Spring semester is upon us at the University of Iowa, and the Belin-Blank Center offers classes that start in January, as well as throughout the semester.
Two of the Center’s three-semester-hour online and asynchronous classes very soon; these are scheduled over eight weeks, so you want to get enrolled ASAP:
Development and refinement of preservice and inservice educators’ understanding of academic programs; needs of gifted and talented students, including diverse and often underrepresented groups of students; rationale for and implementation of a comprehensive program model for gifted students. (3 sh)
Interpretation of standardized tests and other measurement instruments used to identify academic talent and program effectively for grades K-12; ability, aptitude, achievement tests; current issues in the uses of various instruments. (3 sh)
Doctoral students should enroll in PSQF:5226:0EXW Assessment of Giftedness.
Dates & Time: January 22, 2019 – March 15, 2019 (you’ll need to contact us to give you special permission to enroll in this class—just email laurie-croft@uiowa.edu).
The Center also has a two-semester-hour class that fulfills the requirement for an Administrative strand class, as well as providing a much better understanding of policy, administrative, and evaluations issues in gifted education:
Policy, administrative, evaluation issues in developing and maintaining gifted programs in a school setting; participants develop gifted program and policies for a school; for school executives and coordinators of gifted programs. (2 sh)
The Center is offering an exceptionally useful selection of one-semester-hour workshops this semester. The FIRST of these fast-paced and focused workshops:
The Integrated Curriculum Model (ICM) allows participants to learn more about the development of exemplary curriculum units through the study of this model, developed at the Center for Gifted Education (William & Mary). The model is designed specifically for gifted learners and emphasizes three dimensions: advanced content, higher level processes and product development, and interdisciplinary concepts, issues, and themes. Especially useful when paired with EDTL:4096:0WKC, Developing Gifted Curriculum for Gifted Learners, (March 12 – April 1). (1 s.h.)
Dr. Chandler worked closely with Dr. Joyce VanTassel-Baska in the development of the Integrated Curriculum Model (ICM), as well as the development of specific units that use the ICM (which has a strong research base pointing to its effectiveness with gifted learners).
You can find the list of all current semester coursework by visiting belinblank.org/educators (follow the link to Schedule). The Belin-Blank Center is dedicated to supporting your professional learning interests!
The Belin-Blank Center, in partnership with departments in the University of Iowa College of Education, offers a variety of online classes this summer. While we would love to have you join us on campus for our Chautauqua course series, we know that many of those advocating for gifted/talented students benefit from the flexible online format. Each of the online classes is offered for one semester hour of credit and are three weeks in length. You can learn how to develop creativity in every learner, facilitate research projects, enhance your understanding of differentiation at the secondary level, and more!
If you will be joining us on campus for the Advanced Placement Teacher Training Institute, we offer your choice of two hours of academic credit; the Center provides a 50% tuition scholarship for those who take advantage of the graduate credit.
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