The CTD Backpack Podcast

This is the third episode of our new series, Accelerated Thinking, examining the opportunities and challenges faced by high ability learners. As someone who is invested in the growth and development of a student, you may have a gut feeling that their needs aren’t being met, but when that happens, what do you do? Accelerated Thinking Podcast notes, links and resources: Researchers at CTD conducted 2 studies of the past 100 years of acceleration research and found substantial evidence to support acceleration practices. Their findings were reported in the prestigious Review of Education Research journal in an article entitled “What One Hundred Years of Research Says About the Effects of Ability Grouping and Acceleration on K–12 Students’ Academic Achievement: Findings of Two Second-Order Meta-Analyses”. (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3102/0034654316675417) This article can be an excellent resource to provide teachers and administrators with evidence-based support for acceleration. The Washington Post published a good introductory article to the Jack Kent Cook Foundation’s report “Equal Talents, Unequal Opportunities” which includes a direct link to the original report. (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/local/wp/2015/03/31/gifted-students-especially-those-who-are-low-income-need-more-attention-report-argues/?utm_term=.55d368860349) Another article published in Education Week provides additional perspective on the implications of the study and may also be a good resource to share with collaborators. (https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/05/20/poorest-students-often-miss-out-on-gifted.html) Briefly referred to in this podcast, there is a report to come from the Belin Blank Institute entitled A Nation Empowered: Evidence Trumps the Excuses Holding Back America’s Brightest Students which provides extensive examples of the success of acceleration practices in meeting students’ needs. (http://www.accelerationinstitute.org/nation_empowered/) In 2015, The Washington Post posted a good summative article introducing the report and providing some anecdotal talking points. (https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/why-do-schools-slow-down-so-many-bright-children/2015/06/21/39992086-14a4-11e5-9518-f9e0a8959f32_story.html?utm_term=.d17182597f61) The Illinois Association for Gifted Children (IAGC) has a page with an overview that will help clarify the implications and impact of the act going forward. (https://www.iagcgifted.org/IL-Acceleration-Act) Missoula County Public Schools is one district which has adopted the use of the Iowa Acceleration Scale and there is brief news story from the Missoulian published in 2017 about how they established their acceleration policy using the IAS. (https://missoulian.com/news/local/acceleration-procedures-established-in-missoula-schools/article_eb594e58-29ea-53aa-981f-d867be8570e1.html) The assessment is particularly helpful when considering whole-grade skipping and the Davidson Institute has a review of the scale which provides salient details that may be helpful to teachers and administrators considering their assessment options. (http://www.davidsongifted.org/Search-Database/entry/A10053) As we mentioned in the podcast, NAGC has a 2 page Classroom Advocacy Guide that can help get you started. (http://www.nagc.org/sites/default/files/Parent%20CK/NAGC-Classroom%20Advocacy-Tip%20Sheet-FINAL_0.pdf) Additionally, they have a webpage dedicated to guiding advocacy efforts with additional advice, links and resources. (https://www.nagc.org/get-involved/advocate-high-ability-learners/advocating-gifted-programs-your-local-schools) If you have questions about any of these resources or need any additional assistance, please feel free to e-mail us directly. Thank you for listening, Andrew Bauer [email protected] & Erik Parsons [email protected]

This episode features Daniel Underwood's interview with Dr. Shane Larson, a member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, the group of scientists who discovered gravitational waves. For more information about Backpack, go to www.ctd.northwestern.edu/ctd-backpack.

In this episode of the Backpack podcast, Danielle Underwood sits down Dr. Dick Co. Dr. Co is the former Managing Director and Co-Founder of the Solar Fuels Institute, the former Director of Operations an Outreach at the Northwestern Solar Energy Research Center, and former professor of chemistry at Northwestern University. Currently, Dr. Co serves as the president and co-founder of the Evanston Development Cooperative, which engages the Evanston community in intergenerational social progress by building high-performing, sensible housing, and as co-founder of PC Technologies, which provides affordable DIY solar kits. CTD Backpack, through Center for Talent Development (CTD), is a worldwide online community for gifted students and their families. Members of CTD Backpack for parents can engage with their peers and experts in the field of gifted education, weekly access to content tailored to the needs of parents of talented students, and learn about latest opportunities provided by CTD. Our Backpack students enjoy the opportunity to collaborate with our worldwide network of fellow gifted students, work on their online learning pathways, and earn digital badges through our informal learning activities. Students can also access weekly discussions and resources on STEAM topics. With one yearly membership, your entire family will receive access to CTD Backpack for both parents and students. Note: Complimentary access to Backpack is provided to families registered for a Center for Talent Development program. For those not participating in a program, CTD Backpack is available through a paid membership, which includes access to CTD Backpack for parents and all students within your immediate family. Links Related to the Content of this Episode: Dr. Co's Accelerated Weekend Course: Renewable Energy: Designing Tomorrow’s Batteries & Solar Cells (Gr. 5 – 6, Evanston, IL)https://www.ctd.northwestern.edu/courses?sort=alpha&fulltext=evanston#7893 Opportunities for the Future (Where Dr. Co will be leading two workshops for students): https://www.ctd.northwestern.edu/program/opportunities-future Evanston Cooperative Development: https://evanston.coop/index.html PC Technologies (Solar Kits for Families): http://pc-technologies-llc.mybigcommerce.com/ CTD Backpack: www.ctd.northwestern.edu/program/ctd-backpack

In this episode of the Backpack podcast, we sit down with Heather Aranyi to talk about the importance of students establishing a personal brand to create a personal and cohesive message that set themselves apart. Heather is the Creative Entrepreneur in Residence at Northwestern Universities Farley Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, a staff at the Lyric Opera, and CEO and President of Aryani Music Corporation. CTD Backpack, through Center for Talent Development (CTD), is a worldwide online community for gifted students and their families. Members of CTD Backpack for parents are able to engage with their peers and experts in the field of gifted education, access weekly content tailored to the needs of parents of gifted students, and learn about latest opportunities provided by CTD. Our Backpack students enjoy the opportunity to collaborate with our worldwide network of fellow gifted students, work on their online learning pathways, and earn digital badges through our informal learning activities. Students can also access weekly discussions and resources on STEAM topics. With one yearly membership, your entire family will receive access to CTD Backpack for both parents and students. Note: Complimentary access to Backpack is provided to families registered for a Center for Talent Development program. For those not participating in a program, CTD Backpack is available through a paid membership, which includes access to CTD Backpack for parents and all students within your immediate family. Find out more about: CTD Backpack: www.ctd.northwestern.edu/program/ctd-backpack

This is the second episode of our new series, Accelerated Thinking, examining the opportunities and challenges faced by high ability learners. In this episode is about educational policy, why families often do not have access to acceleration in their schools, and how changes to educational policy can help school systems better identify and serve high ability students. We would love to hear your thoughts, suggestions, and questions related to this podcast. You can email those to Andrew Bauer directly at [email protected]. A thank you to our guests on this episode Eric Calvert, and Carolyn Welch, as well as to Michael Beach for the music to this episode. This podcast is brought to you by the Center for Talent Development at Northwestern. For more information about all the programs, CTD has to offer, visit their website at CTD.Northwestern.edu. Resources from the episode: Mind the Other Gap: The Growing Excellence Gap in K-12 Education http://bit.ly/2L0QB6R Jack Kent Cooke Report: Equal Talent, Unequal Opportunities (2017) http://bit.ly/2MR2tKu Jack Kent Cooke Report: Equal Talent, Unequal Opportunities (2015) http://bit.ly/2OHQlfm

This is the first episode of our new series, Accelerated Thinking, examining the opportunities and challenges faced by high ability learners. With help from an accelerated student and their parent, an expert in the field of gifted education, and an educational advocacy attorney, we examine acceleration as an instructional strategy, to try and understand why it is underutilized at such an alarming rate. We would love to hear your thoughts, suggestions, and questions related to this podcast. You can email those to Andrew Bauer directly at [email protected]. A thank you to our guests on this episode, Liam, Michelle, Eric Calvert, and Carolyn Welch, as well as to Michael Beach for the music to this episode. This podcast is brought to you by the Center for Talent Development at Northwestern. For more information about all the programs, CTD has to offer, visit their website at CTD.Northwestern.edu.

In this episode of the Backpack podcast, Denise Mytko, Director of STEM Initiatives at Mass Robotics, is on to provide recommendations for supporting your student in their STEM pathway. CTD Backpack, through Center for Talent Development (CTD), is a worldwide online community for gifted students and their families. Members of CTD Backpack for parents are able to engage with their peers and experts in the field of gifted education, access weekly content tailored to the needs of parents of gifted students, and learn about latest opportunities provided by CTD. Our Backpack students enjoy the opportunity to collaborate with our worldwide network of fellow gifted students, work on their online learning pathways, and earn digital badges through our informal learning activities. Students can also access weekly discussions and resources on STEAM topics. With one yearly membership, your entire family will receive access to CTD Backpack for both parents and students. Note: Complimentary access to Backpack is provided to families registered for a Center for Talent Development program. For those not participating in a program, CTD Backpack is available through a paid membership, which includes access to CTD Backpack for parents and all students within your immediate family. Find out more about: CTD Backpack: www.ctd.northwestern.edu/program/ctd-backpack Mass Robotics: https://www.massrobotics.org/

As one of the most widely used terms in education today, differentiation seems to be at the peak of its popularity. But is it truly an appropriate instructional strategy in meeting the needs of gifted students? We have our guest, Dr. Todd Kettler, assistant professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of North Texas and author of Modern Curriulum for Gifted an Advanced Academic Students, on the podcast to guide the conversation. CTD Backpack, through Center for Talent Development (CTD), is a worldwide online community for gifted students and their families. Members of CTD Backpack for parents can engage with their peers and experts in the field of gifted education, access weekly content tailored to the needs of parents of gifted students, and learn about latest opportunities provided by CTD. Our Backpack students enjoy the chance to collaborate with our worldwide network of fellow gifted students, work on their online learning pathways, and earn digital badges through our informal learning activities. Students can also access weekly discussions and resources on STEAM topics. With one yearly membership, your entire family will receive access to CTD Backpack for both parents and students. Note: Complimentary access to Backpack is provided to families registered for a Center for Talent Development program. For those not participating in a program, CTD Backpack is available through a paid membership, which includes access to CTD Backpack for parents and all students within your immediate family. Find out more at www.ctd.northwestern.edu/program/ctd-backpack

The typical path to parent advocacy starts with a single student. And while this process typically starts off very personal, parents are continually finding opportunities to amplify their advocacy and impact the greater community. Learn how one mother turned her families personal bookmarking website into one of the most widely recognized gifted resources on the web. Carolyn K., Director of Hoagies Gifted Education Page, is our guest on this episode of the CTD Backpack podcast. CTD Backpack, through Center for Talent Development (CTD), is a worldwide online community for gifted students and their families. Members of CTD Backpack for parents can engage with their peers and experts in the field of gifted education, access weekly content tailored to the needs of parents of gifted students, and learn about latest opportunities provided by CTD. Our Backpack students enjoy the chance to collaborate with our worldwide network of fellow gifted students, work on their online learning pathways, and earn digital badges through our informal learning activities. Students can also access weekly discussions and resources on STEAM topics. With one yearly membership, your entire family will receive access to CTD Backpack for both parents and students. Note: Complimentary access to Backpack is provided to families registered for a Center for Talent Development program. For those not participating in a program, CTD Backpack is available through a paid membership, which includes access to CTD Backpack for parents and all students within your immediate family. Find out more at: www.ctd.northwestern.edu/program/ctd-backpack