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.
In Anne of Green Gables, Lucy Maud Montgomery declared, “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” (Anne of Green Gables is a great read for young gifted readers, as well as for you, if you haven’t read the classic!) We look forward to collaborating with you this October and beyond!
October brings the midway point in the fall semester, but we have more offerings coming up than classes that are ending. If you have at least one other person from your school/district interested in taking a class with you, in the spirit of a Professional Learning Community (PLC), contact us at educators@belinblank.org, and we’ll give all the members of your PLC a 50% tuition scholarship (applied to graduate tuition, so $290/hour).
For those who are interested in continuing their professional learning about gifted education (whether earning the State of Iowa Talented and Gifted Endorsement or not), consider some of these options, all critical for your practice. (All credits apply to one of the strands for the endorsement.)
Workshops
For these options, the cost is tuition without any technology fees.
Programming Strand
EDTL:4153:0WKA Gifted and General Education Collaboration (1 semester hour) October 11 – 29 Instructor: Gerald Aungst What is more important than collaboration to ensure the best for our gifted students?
EDTL:4025:0WKA Differentiated Instruction for Gifted (1 s.h.) October 25 – November 12 Instructor: Debra Judge One of the foundations of gifted education, especially since all educators have a responsibility to differentiate for gifted learners (e.g., see MTSS for Advanced Learners)
EDTL:4096:0WKB Empowering Underrepresented Gifted Students (1 s.h.) November 22 – December 14 Instructor: Antonia Szymanski HOT off the press, from Dr. Joy Lawson Davis, to help empower students who have been overlooked for gifted programs.
Administrative Strand
PSQF:5194:0WKB Leadership in Gifted Education: ITAG Conference (1 or 2 s.h. ) October 21 – November 10 Instructors: Laurie Croft & Randy Lange Those interested in Iowa Talented and Gifted Conference credit, email educators@belinblank.org to override the enrollment restriction. Automatic 50% tuition scholarship (applied to graduate tuition, so $290 / hour).
PSQF:5194:0WKA Leadership in Gifted Education: NAGC Convention (1 or 2 s.h) November 17 – December 9 Instructors: Laurie Croft & Randy Lange Those interested in NAGC credit, email educators@belinblank.org to override the enrollment restriction. Automatic 50% tuition scholarship (applied to graduate tuition, so $290 / hour).
Practicum Strand
EDTL:4189:0WKA Practicum in Gifted/Talented Education (1 s.h.) November 8 – December 3 Instructor: Laurie Croft Those interested in practicum, email educators@belinblank.org to override the enrollment restriction. You can get started as soon as you enroll!
Extension Classes
The cost of these classes is tuition plus technology fees.
EDTL:4067:0EXW Conceptions of Talent Development (3 s.h.) October 18 – December 17 Instructor: Laurie Croft Psychology strand (2 sh); Programming (1 s.h) This credit applies to both the Psychology and the Programming strand, exploring issues that are important to the focus on talent development in our field.
RCE:4188:0EXW Practicum in Gifted Education (1, 2, or 3 s.h.) October 25 – December 3 Instructor: Laurie Croft Practicum strand Those full-time students or those interested in more than one hour of practicum, email educators@belinblank.org to override the enrollment restriction. You can get started as soon as you enroll!
The current schedule of courses is available at belinblank.org/courses; specifics about the State of Iowa Talented and Gifted Endorsement are available at belinblank.org/endorsement. Visit our website for instructions about registering with Distance and Online Education to take coursework as a non-degree-seeking student. Share questions with us at educators@belinblank.org or give us a call at 319-335-6148! We look forward to collaborating with you this fall to provide the best possible programming for gifted/talented children!
“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.
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.
It is that time of year to plan for summer events, including summer professional development! Make sure to save the date for the 2020 AP Teacher Training Institute (APTTI). This will take place at the University of Iowa campus on June 29 – July 2, 2020. Registration is now open!
We will be offering workshops in the following courses: AP Biology, AP Calculus AB, AP English Language & Composition, AP English Literature & Composition, AP US Government, and AP US History.
APTTI is a College Board-approved AP Summer Institute (APSI). AP Summer Institutes provide subject-specific training for teachers who are interested in teaching an AP course. Summer Institutes can also benefit current teachers already teaching AP courses to develop their skills, or gain familiarity with the course. Teachers who attended our institute in 2019 shared some of their valued experiences:
“Great instructor! Provided us with many valuable resources. This depth of knowledge was impressive, interesting, and captivating.”
“I learned so much! Great presenter with excellent ideas and information. I’m feeling much more equipped to teach AP [course] now!”
Funding
The Iowa Online AP Academy (IOAPA) offers the AP Institution Grant, a grant to support Iowateachers in attending APTTI (participation in IOAPA not required.) This grant will cover $450 of the $600 registration fee. Click Financial Aid to learn more and to access the grant application. This application is due June 1st, 2020.
Professional Development Credit
We offer two credit options (3 semester hours total) for those who attend APTTI. Participants who enroll receive an automatic 50% tuition scholarship applied to the cost of graduate credit ($560).
EDTL:5080:0WKA (2 semester hours): These credits are earned through participation in APTTI, plus any additional follow-up assignments from the College Board consultants.
EDTL:4976:0WKA (1 semester hour): To extend the learning experience at APTTI, participants can earn credit by enrolling in this course, Differentiation at the Secondary Level. This course is completed online once you have completed APTTI.
State of Iowa Talented and Gifted Endorsement
The Belin-Blank Center offers classes across the required strands that allow for a TAGendorsement to be earned in one summer! Attending APTTI contributes to up to 3 of the 12 required credits (see above). For more information, click here to view all 12 credit options.
For someone with the desire to earn the State of Iowa Talented and Gifted Endorsement, the Belin-Blank Center provides choices of classes across the required strands so that earning the endorsement in one summer is possible (belinblank.org/endorsement)!
Here, we’ve compiled a list of the available options to earn all 12 hours of credit for the endorsement through the Belin-Blank Center this summer.
Online Classes (various semester hours)
Summer classes begin in June with fully online options:
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 – 1 semester hour), June 8 – 26 (Dr. Haley Wikoff)
Current Readings and Research (EDTL:4085:0WKA – 1 semester hour), June 15 – July 6 (Dr. Laurie Croft)
Cognitive and Affective Needs of the Gifted (PSQF:4125:0WKA – 1 semester hour), June 29 – July 17 (Dr. Megan Foley Nicpon).
Online classes continue in July:
Differentiation at the Secondary Level (EDTL:4976:0WKA – 1 semester hour), July 8 – 28 (Dr. Kristine Milburn)
Special Topics: Giftedness 101 (EDTL:4076:0WKA – 1 semester hour), July 15 – August 4 (Anna Payne)
Additional opportunities in July include face-to-face time on the University of Iowa campus:
Advanced Placement Teacher Training
EDTL:5080:0WKA (2 semester hours) plus EDTL:4976:0WKA (1 semester hour)
The AP Summer Institute sponsored by the Belin-Blank Center will take place from June 29 – July 2. The credit option will officially begin for those who attend the Institute on July 6 – 14 (Dr. Laurie Croft), giving participants time to get enrolled. Those who choose to enroll in this two-semester-hour credit receive an automatic 50% tuition scholarship applied to the cost of graduate credit. The credit is earned through participation in the Institute, as well as any follow-up assignments from the College Board Consultants. Those APTTI participants who choose to extend their learning experience by enrolling in Differentiation at the Secondary Level (am additional 1 semester hour; see above) receive a 50% scholarship for that class, as well.
Neuroscientific Implications for the Gifted
(PSQF:4128:0WKA – 1 semester hour)
The Summit on the Neuroscience of Twice-Exceptionality, co-hosted by the Belin-Blank Center and the Iowa Neuroscience Institute will take place on July 20 – 21 on the University of Iowa campus. The Summit will bring educators an opportunity to interact with researchers, clinicians, and parents to address the state of research on twice-exceptionality, as well as best practices for supporting 2E students. The credit option will officially begin for those who attend the Summit on July 27 – August 14 (Dr. Laurie Croft), giving participants time to enroll. The credit is earned through reflecting on the Summit, selecting relevant readings, and designing an action plan for advocacy or instruction, meeting personal needs. Summit participants receive an automatic 50% tuition scholarship, applied to the cost of graduate credit.
Belin-Blank Chautauqua
(up to 6 semester hours)
The Belin-Blank Chautauqua mirrors the adult-education movement that was so popular in the late 1800s – early 1900s! Classes bring teachers together for an accelerated learning experience, as well as time to interact with one another. Chautauqua features six separate workshops meeting for two-days each on campus, with additional online components. You can 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 attend all three workshops in one week 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 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).
It’s easy to earn the endorsement over two summers through Chautauqua, receiving scholarships both summers. Classes are always different from year to year; the one-semester-hour classes this summer include:
Week 1: Special Topics: Personal Learning Plans for Gifted (EDTL:4096:0WKB), July 6-7 on campus – July 24 (Lora Danker)
Science for High-Ability Learners (EDTL:4021:0WKA), July 8-9 on campus – July 28 (Dr. Hallie Edgerly) July 10-11 – July 30:
Programming/Curriculum for High Ability: Real-World Problem Solving (EDTL:4073:0WKA), July 12 – 13 on campus – July 30(Dr. Kristine Milburn)
Week 2: Social Studies for High-Ability: Explorer Mindset (EDTL:4065:0WKA), July 13-14 on campus – July 31 (Stacey Snyder)
Advanced Seminar: Solution-Focused Skills for Working with Common Concerns of Gifted Students (RCE:5238:0WKA), July 15-16 on campus – Aug 4 (Dr. Susannah Wood)
Staff Development for Gifted Programs (EPLS:4133:0WKA), July 17-18 on campus – Aug 6 (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.
For those who already have the endorsement, the focused one-semester-hour workshop-style classes are ideal for updating skills.
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.
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.
Michelangelo is credited with saying, “the greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.”
Fall 2019 is the right time to expand our toolkits to learn
new ways to support the needs of gifted and talented learners. Of course, teachers earning their
endorsements in gifted education have registered as distance learners and
enrolled for credits this fall (courses with no instructor listed are
facilitated by Dr. Laurie
Croft):
Psychology
of Giftedness (PSQF:4120:0EXW), offered over Fall semester. (Dr.
Toni Szymanski)
The Introduction
to Educating Gifted Students (RCE/EDTL:4137:0EXW and 0EXU) has two sections
for the first time. Offered in an
accelerated format over the first eight weeks of the semester, the class has
more students than ever before. (Drs. Laurie
Croft and Kim
Chandler)
Conceptions
of Talent Development (EDTL:4067:0EXW), offered in the second eight weeks
of the semester.
Beginning at the ITAG Conference, October 14-15,
Des Moines, two semester hours of credit can be completed by teachers new to
gifted education (RCE:5237:0EXW Seminar in Gifted Education – TAG:
You’re It). This section helps guide
participants through basics that they will need to consider throughout their
first years in gifted education.
Several one-semester-hour classes, offered in the workshop format, are available this fall. These classes have no additional technology fees and focus over three weeks on one topic:
EDTL:4096:0WKA Topics: Effective Curriculum for Underserved Gifted Students tackles one of the field’s greatest challenges through a study of the book by the same name (September 10 – 30, 2019). (Dr. Chandler)
One or two semester hours can be earned by attending the ITAG Conference, October 14-15, Des Moines (PSQF:5194:0WKA Continuing Education Individual Study: Leadership in Gifted Education ITAG 2019), and completing projects of benefit to the gifted program.
Another semester hour (PSQF:5194:0WKC Continuing Education Individual Study: Identifying and Serving Young Gifted Children) begins at the ITAG Pre-Conference facilitated by Dr. Sally Beisser, Distinguished Professor of Education at Drake University, and continues online with Dr. Croft.
One more semester-hour this fall, EDTL:4096:0WKB Topics: Competitions for Elementary and Secondary Gifted and Talented Students, helps teachers understand the advantages and disadvantages of involving gifted learners in competitions. (Dr. Jenelle Miller)
The practicum experience required for the Talented and
Gifted Endorsement is available every semester.
Aim high as this new year begins. Develop your understanding of the nature and
needs of high-ability learners, as well as ways to begin to meet those needs.
Learn more about the professional
learning opportunities available through the Belin-Blank Center, in partnership
with the University of Iowa College of Education, by visiting belinblank.org/educators/courses. Questions?
Email educators@belinblank.org.
The Belin-Blank Center is home to one of the oldest gifted education professional development programs in the country. The last week in June, 2019, the Center will have educators living on campus and immersing themselves in the field of gifted education and talent development during Belin-Blank Fellowship XXXIX! For almost 40 years, the Center has been committed to offering the coursework that educators need to earn the required Talented and Gifted Endorsement, but even more, to providing the understandings that make teachers feel much better informed about the nature and needs of gifted/talented learners as the new academic year races toward them. (Where DOES the summer go?)
The summer
opportunities listed below are offered as workshops (with no additional
technology or other fees added to the basic tuition); all of these classes that
are still available allow educators to focus on specific topics that are
beneficial to their gifted and talented learners. These are described in more detail at belinblank.org/courses:
EDTL:5080:0WKA Teacher Training for Advanced Placement Courses, July 1 – 22, is available for those who attend the Advanced Placement Teacher Training Institute the last week in June; the Center provides a 50% tuition scholarship off the cost of graduate tuition since participants are also paying to attend the College Board-approved summer institute (since teachers spend an average of $500 of their own money on classroom supplies, we try to provide financial assistance whenever we can!)
EDTL:4074:0WKA Differentiation at the Secondary Level, July 8 – 26, emphasizing the importance of differentiation rooted in content areas, including specific strategies to strengthen secondary courses; those who attend APTTI receive the same automatic tuition scholarship for this class;
EDTL:4096:0WKF Topics:Common Core State Standards for Gifted/Talented: Mathematics, July 17 – August 6, utilizing a NAGC publication about strengthening standards developed for general education to provide differentiated learning for meaningful experiences in math for advanced learners (participants do NOT need a background in mathematics to understand the needs of their mathematically gifted youth);
EDTL:4085:0WKA Current Readings & Research in Gifted Education, July 29 – August 16, allowing educators to focus on the topics the most need to master for their students, schools, and districts (the credit may be applied, depending on readings, to the Psychology, Programming, or Administrative strand for endorsement);
RCE:4119:0WKA Family Issues in Giftedness, August 7 – 27, the last of the summer classes, designed to allow teachers to be ready to work with parents in the new school year, better understanding their concerns and planning effective ways to communicate with parents as the school year begins.
The Belin-Blank Chautauqua will begin on July 8, and will provide six classes in a hybrid format that includes two days on campus with online opportunities for reflection, reading, and final projects submitted online. The Belin-Blank Chautauqua includes three classes in Week I:
Those who
enroll at the graduate level for all three workshops in either week—or both—receive
an automatic tuition scholarship from the Belin-Blank Center for one of three
classes (i.e., three workshops for the cost of two; six for the cost of four). Chautauqua includes a lunch on Friday of each
week, provided by the Belin-Blank Center, when participants can enjoy talking
with nationally recognized leaders in gifted education.
We
look forward to working with you this summer; we appreciate your commitment to
the needs of gifted and talented learners!
Chautauqua
(Shuh-taw-kwuh) was a popular movement
during the late 19th and early 20th centuries; President
Teddy Roosevelt called Chautauqua “the
most American thing in America.”
Because it focused on adult education through summer classes, it seemed
the perfect name for an opportunity for educators of the gifted to get together
to complete some of their coursework for the State of
Iowa Talented and Gifted Endorsement.
Chautauqua I and II
feature an energizing array of one-semester-hour classes and an opportunity to
meet face-to-face with colleagues. Just
as we know it’s important for gifted students to have some time to spend with
true peers, Chautauqua provides gifted teachers time to spend with their
true peers! You can read more about this
opportunity at belinblank.org/chautauqua.
Classes are offered in a “hybrid” format, meeting for two days on
campus in Iowa City, and providing additional time online for readings,
reflection, and submission of final projects.
Those who
enroll at the graduate level for all three workshops in either week—or both—receive
an automatic tuition scholarship
from the Belin-Blank Center for one of three classes (e.g., three workshops for
the cost of two; six for the cost of four).
Chautauqua I
(July 8 – 13)
EDTL:4096:0WKC Topics:
Design Innovation: Talent Development in the 21st Century, inspiring
your awareness of design principles at the heart of the way we live and work so
you can ready your gifted learners for the unknowns that their futures will
bring;
EDTL:4096:0WKD Topics:
Writing for High-Ability Learners,
featuring ways to develop creative writing skills among gifted students,
enhancing both interpersonal and intrapersonal skills critical for their
success in any professional field;
EDTL:4072:0WKA Thinking
Skills: Skills for Lifelong Learning, sharpening your awareness of the
factors involved in teaching thinking skills;
Chautauqua II (July
15 – 20)
RCE:4129:0WKA Creativity:
Issues and Applications in Gifted Education, including an overview of
definitions of and activities that serve as catalysts for student creativity;
EDTL:4096:0WKE Topics:
Bibliotherapy for the Gifted,
readying participants to select appropriate
materials for students to help them deal with the challenges of growing up
gifted (videotherapy is also considered);
EPLS:4113:0WKA Staff
Development for Gifted Programs, preparing educators to lead
professional development/learning in their own schools and/or districts in
order to provide the best programming possible.
Limited housing will be available at Currier Hall, near Blank Honors Center, for those enrolling in all
three workshops during either Chautauqua (or both). Contact Rachelle Blackwell by email or
at 800-336-6463 for registration information. Single rooms are available for $312 for Sunday
– Friday night (additional charge of $52/night for those staying Saturday and
Sunday between the two weeks). Reservations, including payment, are due by
Thursday, June 6th, 2019.
Free music performances are available in downtown Iowa City every Friday
evening. Other extracurricular
opportunities will be available for Chautauqua participants.
The Belin-Blank Center
also offers the Advanced
Placement Summer Institute in Iowa (June 25 – 28), providing teachers the
comprehensive preparation required to develop and teach an AP course. An optional two-semester-hour class,
EDTL:5080:0WKA, Teacher Training for Advanced Placement Courses, is available
for participants; participants receive an automatic
50% tuition scholarship (based on the cost of graduate tuition); participants
can choose to register for two Iowa Licensure Renewal Units as part of their
participation.
In addition to
Chautauqua, the Center is offering online only professional learning opportunities
throughout the summer, from May through August.
PSQF:4123:0EXW Academic Acceleration is a three-semester-hour class,
focused on the most effective but most underused intervention for many gifted
learners. Eight additional
one-semester-hour classes are available, each lasting three weeks and focusing
on topics significant to your gifted learners.
Details are available at belinblank.org/educators/courses.
We look forward to
working with you this summer; we appreciate your commitment to the needs of
gifted and talented learners!
We have classes available for those working on their endorsement, addressing the required strands—or for those who just want to add to their “professional toolkits.” For the summer schedule, we offer an array of opportunities to ensure that anyone new to gifted education can begin their position in the fall with confidence, and to allow the most experienced teacher of the gifted to choose from the wide variety of choices that we offer, strengthening gifted programs in the school and/or the district.
This summer, Dr. Ann Lupkowski Shoplik will offer the newly revised PSQF:4123:0EXW Academic Acceleration, from June 10 – August 1. This three-semester-hour class ensures that educators of the gifted understand the powerful research underpinning acceleration as one of the most important strategies for high-ability learners, are aware of the multiple types of acceleration available, reflect on the reasons why many teachers hold negative attitudes, and have confidence in implementing acceleration in their schools.
The summer opportunities below are one-semester-hour workshops; these classes allow educators to focus on specific topics that are beneficial to their gifted and talented learners. These are described in more detail at belinblank.org/courses:
EDTL:4096:0WKA
Topics:Teaching Outside the Lines, exploring the book by the same name
to enhance creativity in the classroom;
EDTL:4096:0WKB Topics:
Common Core State Standards for Gifted/Talented: English Language Art, utilizing a NAGC
publication about strengthening
standards developed for general education to provide differentiated learning
for meaningful experiences in ELA for advanced learners;
EDTL:4029:0WKA Leadership Skills for G/T Students, K – 12,
focusing on developing leadership skills (one of the categories referenced in
the definition of “gifted” in Iowa and many other states);
RCE:4125:0WKA Counseling and Psychological Needs of the
Gifted, essential for understanding unique student concerns about
socio-emotional development, career development, and attitudes toward
achievement;
EDTL:4074:0WKA Differentiation at the Secondary Level,
emphasizing the importance of differentiation rooted in content areas,
including specific strategies to strengthen secondary courses;
EDTL:4096:0WKF Topics:Common Core State Standards for Gifted/Talented: Mathematics,utilizing a NAGC
publication about strengthening standards developed for general education
to provide differentiated learning for meaningful experiences in math for
advanced learners (participants do NOT need a background in mathematics to
understand the needs of their mathematically gifted youth);
EDTL:4085:0WKA Current Readings & Research in Gifted
Education, allowing educators to focus on the topics the most need to
master for their students, schools, and districts (the credit may be applied,
depending on readings, to the Psychology,
Programming, or Administrative strand for endorsement);
RCE:4119:0WKA Family Issues in Giftedness, the last
of the summer classes, designed to allow teachers to be ready to work with
parents in the new school year, better understanding their concerns and
planning effective ways to communicate with parents as the school year begins.
The Belin-Blank Center also
offers six classes in a hybrid format that includes two days on campus with
online opportunities for reflection, reading, and final projects submitted
online. You’ll find more about these at
our page about the Belin-Blank Chautauqua (belinblank.org/chautauqua)
in July.
We look forward to
working with you this summer; we appreciate your commitment to the needs of
gifted and talented learners!
Belin-Blank Center 