Allison Bruning's Blog, page 15

LTW: #Skype in the #Gifted #Classroom

Skype in the Gifted ClassroomEducators of gifted students have struggled to find instructional methodologies that will fully engage their students with academic content. Technology and the Internet have allowed educators to use educational tools that work well with gifted students. Ian Warwick, senior director of London Gifted and Talented, found gifted students have a higher capability to learn on their own whenever they are given the resources where they have access to multiple bodies of knowledge (Jenkin, 2013). Social media sites, such as Skype, allow for students to proactively seek new knowledge through making connections with experts in a specific field of study that they are interested in.The Perfect Learning EnvironmentGifted students often learn information at a faster pace than their peers and have a wide variety of interests. These attributes often lead to behavioral problems at school because they either bored, scattered brained or both. Davis, Edmunds and Bateman (2008) found there is a decrease between the times someone learns something, is able to apply it to their lives and it becomes outdated information (pg.1). Gifted students’ ability to process information quickly and apply it to their lives is a benefit for their population while living in the 21st century. Divergent gifted thinkers also thrive in this world, as they are able to bring together two unrelated concepts, ideas or events to create a new pattern.Using Skype to Prepare the Next GenerationGifted students have always been independent thinkers. Their independent thinking and quick processing of information is not widely understood by educators, parents and their peers. Gifted students are drawn towards interacting with older students, adults and experts in any given field they have interest in. Skype allows for a gifted student to make connections and interact with experts. McCrae (2012) found students are exposed to environments and career paths they would never have had access to without Skype (pg. 18). Students are prepared for the world beyond graduation by exposing them to new ideas and places. The gifted student doesn’t have to worry about having too many interests. They are free to explore any area and talk to anyone around the world about their ideas.Skype also prepares the gifted student for the future by granting them access to people they would have never have had the chance to meet. The student is able to create a network or friends, family and experts in who will connect them with other people they know. As the gifted student’s network increases their world grows smaller so they are exposed to new and exciting opportunities (Laureate Education).Gifted students have the opportunity to explore their interests within the real world and still go to school. Robin (2009) found academic institutions around the world have traded classes with each other in order to provide academic content that is not available within their school (pg. 2). Some schools have operated virtually when weather does not permit students to attend classes in their building. An unhealthy child can still attend his or her classes via Skype. Some gifted students do better with virtual education than in a classroom. Utilizing Skype as an educational resource helps the gifted student to achieve academic success no matter the situation they are in.Connecting With Their WorldThe world in which a gifted student lives is very different from normal society. Each gifted student is unique in his or her thought processes but they all tend to gravitate towards their intellectual peers. Technology has made it possible for anyone to connect with a gifted student. Siemens (2005) stated our brains are in a period of evolutionary change as it shapes the way we process information we receive and our thought process (pg.2). We are in a period of redefining how someone learns and process new information.Gifted students are bombarded with so much information that they need to develop the skill of discerning what is important and what is trivial. New information is always be acquired. Gifted students using Skype are able to develop the necessary skills to discern which information is more important and apply.ReferencesDavis, C., Edmunds, E., & Kelly-Bateman, V. (2008). Connectivism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved fromhttp://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=ConnectivismJenkin, M. (2013). Gifted and talented education: using technology to engage students. The Guardian.Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-ne... Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012). Social learning. Baltimore, MD: Author.McCrae, B. (2012). Skype Takes Students Where No School Bus Can Go. T H E Journal, 39 (5), 18Robin, I. (2009). Schools Look to Skype for Sharing. Electronic Education Report, 16(6), 1-2

LTW: #SocialMedia and #GiftedEducation

Social Media and Gifted Education
Social networks are wonderful tools that educators of gifted students can and should employ within the classroom.


Gifted students of all ages often struggle in a traditional learning environment because they do not meet their unique needs. Gifted students need to be pushed academically in order to keep their academic progress. Bingham and Conner (2010) define community as a place where students are free to learn the information they seek (pg. 38). Gifted students often struggle with forming and maintaining friendships because they want a relationship with someone who understands their thinking patterns. This is the reason a gifted elementary student will often times seek out a friendship with their teacher or a high school student. Cross (2013) found gifted students become more engaged with material in online educational settings with the opportunity to comment such as blogs and  discussion boards because they not only allow the student to explore their specialized interest but they can interact with someone who intellectually is their equal (pg. 114)

Cross (2013) found gifted students who actively participate in online social networks benefit not only by exploring their interests in and outside the classroom but by learning social skills through interacting with their intellectual peers. Gifted students are motivated to learn through competency, autonomy and relatedness (pg. 114). These three skills are hard for the student to learn in the traditional classroom because the gifted student often times does not feel they belong. Gifted students, when interacting in an online discussion or conversation about a topic of their choosing, do not have to worry about if they belong to that group or not. They are empowered to be who they truly are online. Cross (2013) found introverted gifted children interact more when they are online than they do in the classroom and the number of gifted children connecting with others online has greatly increased (pg. 115).

While all of this sounds great for an educator to utilize social media in the classroom with their gifted students the educator should use some caution.


Educators would be wise to remember that while the gifted student may intellectually be advanced they could have some social/emotional delays. Educators and parents should know where the gifted student is online and what they are saying to someone online.

Another area to think about is the use of the internet in academics. It is very tempting for any educator to allow their gifted students free reign on the internet in order to complete a project. Gifted students can teach themselves but they should not depend upon the computer to teach them everything. The computer and internet is just one of many tools an educator has to teach a gifted students.  It is not a replacement for the teacher.

Bingham, T., & Conner, M. (2010). The new social learning: A guide to transforming organizations through social media. Alexandria, VA: American Society for Training and Development.
Cross, Tracy L. (2013). Unchartered Territory: Growing Up Gifted amid a Culture of Social Media. Gifted Child Today, 36 (2), 144-145 doi 10.1177/10762175113475450

WhatsUpWithAllison: Being #gifted. Changing the #Educational World

Happy New Year! 
This week has been a busy and insightful week for me. On December 26th I left Indianapolis for my first residency for my PhD in Education program. I arrived in Washington DC in the afternoon and along with over 150 other students attended residency at the Gaylord Hotel in National Harbor, Maryland. I was excited and nervous because this was the first time I had met my best friend in person. We had met at Full Sail University while working on MFA in Creative Writing, had spoken almost on a daily basis via phone and internet but had never met in real life. 
Krystol had entered into her PhD program in Psychology a few months before I did. Walden University requires all of their students to attend their first residency within 90 days of their start date. Even though Krystol was accepted into her program before I was we both started our classes in the same quarter. We decided to attend our first residency at the same location and share all of the expenses. We had a GREAT TIME together. Here is a picture of Krystol and I together at the hotel. 

My first residency was a blessing for me. I made new friends who work in different educational fields including international and online education. I was the only one out of our group that works at a private school. It was very interesting to share our experiences with each other. I'm quite certain the friendships we started won't end after graduation. 

My experience at residency 1 also inspired me to stay on the path I am heading down. I have a passion to help educators, parents and the community to understand the educational needs of gifted children.  As a gifted young woman who has struggled in this world I feel encouraged that there is interest in the educational community to learn more about how the needs of the gifted community can be met and empowered to help make those changes. Not all gifted children and adults are the same. It's hard to put the gifted community into a box because we are so different. It's time for the educational community to stop labelling us with LD, ADHD, ED and other disorders and focus the educational needs of the gifted on a path where we can be successful. 

#Merry #Christmas

#ExpressYourself: A Very Merry Lord of the Thrones #Christmas

This week I was asked to highlight ONE fo my favorite characters in the Lord of the Rings franchise. I loved the movies and can't wait to see the new one. My favorite race in the Lord of the Rings has always been the elves. I have always been attracted to elves and fairies.


My favorite character in the Lord of the Rings has always been Galadriel. I love her wisdom, strength and compassion. She's an excellent leader who loves her people. Here's a great page to visit for her bio.

#ExpressYourself: Allison's #Christmas Favorites

Welcome back to my blog. This week I am catching up on my Express Yourself submissions so there will be two different postings. I will cover the first and second weeks of December on this posting The next one will have this week's posting. Be sure to come back and see what I have written. You just never know what you might find out about me. 
So the first week of December I was asked to identify my favorite Holiday themed show/movie/book that I most looking forward to. Hmm, that's a hard question. I use to have time to watch movies but not anymore. As a kid I loved to watch Rudolph and Frosty the Snow Man. You just can't go wrong with those classics. 

The second week of December I was asked what do I like to drink? Coffee? Tea? Hot Chocolate? 
I absolutely LOVE hot chocolate and tea. I hate coffee. I know that's a strong word but I just can't stand the stuff. 

#Ohio #Native #Americans: The First People

Ohio Native Americans
In the Beginning
The Shawnee nation are perhaps the most famous of all Ohio tribes but they weren't the only Native American tribal group in the area. The Great Lakes region were home to many small and large tribal groups with their own dialects and cultures. Each of the tribes had their own creation stories of how their ancestors had arrived in the region in which they lived. Oral stories were passed down from generation to generation. Cultural groups have come and gone in Ohio but they left behind archeaological and cultural evidence of their existence. In order to understand the Native American cultural heritage of Ohio we must go back in time and visit upon the tribes who once dwelt within the Buckeye State. We begin our journey during the Paleoindian Period.

The Paleoindian Period lasted from 13,000 -7,000 B.C, which was towards the end of the Late Pleistocene Period. Paleoindian life revolved around the hunting of the great animals and was greatly affected by the Ice Age. The glaciers killed the plant life which meant the herbivores had to migrate elsewhere. Thus humans and the carnivores had to move with the herds into previously unknown territories. Paleoindian groups were highly mobile. Any given band could consist of anywhere between 20-60 members, all of whom were extended family. Hunting and gathering were done during the spring and summer months when smaller hunting parties left the group. These hunting parties would return during the fall and stay throughout the winter. Their diets varied depending on how successful the hunt was. Their clothes and the covers for their shelters were made of animal skins.

The earliest known Native American group to inhabit Ohio was the Clovis Culture. The Clovis Culture appeared around 11,500 B.C. but didn't inhabit Ohio until between 9500 - 8000 B.C.  The northern glaciers retracted, exposing new land for exploration and settlement between 17,500 to 14,500 years ago. The animals and Clovis culture took advantage of the new Ohio lands. During the late 20th century, the predominant theory of human colonization of the Americas had been Clovis First, meaning the Clovis Culture were the first group to inhabit the Americas. But scientists and historians are beginning to question the Clovis First theory.

In 2011, archaeologists at the Buttermilk Creek Complex close to Salado, Texas unearthed an occupation that was proven to be older than Clovis. The Buttermilk Creek Complex isn't the only archaeological site that predates the Clovis Culture.   The following are a list of sites that predate the Clovis Culture.

Pedra Furada, Piauí, Brazil (55,000 yr BP ABOX)Topper, (at least 22,900 yr BP; possibly 50,000 yr BP but this is disputed) South Carolina, USMeadowcroft, Pennsylvania, US (16,000 yr BP)Cactus Hill, Virginia, US (15,070 14C yr BP)Monte Verde, Chile (14,800 14C yr BP)Saltville, Virginia, US (14,510 14C yr BP)Taima-Taima, Venezuela (14,000 yr BP)Connley Caves, Oregon, US (13,000 yr BP)Page-Ladson prehistory site, Florida, US (12,425 ± 32 14C yr BP [15,405–14,146 cal yr BP])Lapa do Boquete, Brazil (12,070 ±170 14C yr BP)Paisley Caves, Oregon, US (14,300 cal yr BP)Tanana Valley, Alaska, US (13,000–14,000 cal yr BP)Nenana valley, Alaska, US (12,000 yr BP)Tibitó, Colombia (11,740 ±110 14C yr BP)Tagua-Tagua, Chile (11,380 ±380 14C yr BP)


New archeological discoveries and research is starting to shed light on an earlier group of people to inhabit North American known as the Solutreans. The Solutreans were Caucasians tribes that inhabited the Americas. Ohio does not have evidence of this group because at the time of their existence Ohio was under sheets of ice. 

#Gifted #Children: You don't get me and that's NOT ok

You don't get me and that's NOT okToday's topic is near and dear to my heart because it's something I have and always will face. I grew up and live in a world in which I don't fit in. I have always known that this world doesn't operate the way my mind does and it's very frustrating. But I'm not alone in my feelings. Gifted children face the same heartaches and struggles I do even in elementary school. By the time they are in 2nd, 3rd or 4th grade they have already know they don't fit into society, no matter how hard they try. Their trust has been broken by so many of their peers using them for their brain instead of wanting to be their friend. The school system gives them more work instead of tailoring their education to their needs. The following video gives you the common characteristics of a gifted child. These characteristics can cause problems in society. 

Many gifted children have academic problems on paper because they simply become too bored with the material to even care. For example, I grew up in a wonderful school district in Mt.Vernon, Ohio who recognized my intelligence. I thrived there because I was on a college track that would have placed me full time in college with dual credits my junior year. My mind was challenged. I took high school biology in 5th grade. My mother and I moved to Texas in the summer between my 10th and 11th grades. When we came to the school district in Texas they refused to recognize my subjects because they were college level and they didn't offer what I had taken. So I had to take High School Biology again. First of all the whole idea of having to redo my subjects frustrated me. I wanted to drop out of school right then and there or move back to Ohio. In fact, I pleaded with my mother to do just that. So I took the biology course and failed it. Why? Because they were using the exact same book I had in 5th grade and I had already read it. Now you would think I should have gotten an A because I had already taken the course and had done just that. But I failed it because I was frustrated and just didn't care. My mind wasn't challenged. The only great thing about that class was that we had a student whose family just arrived from Nicaragua. I had just moved to Texas after being a foreign exchange student to Costa Rica. I ended up translating everything for her. When it came time for lab I oftentimes ended up doing all of the work for my lab group because I was the brain. I did the work, They got the grade. 
So how do you teach a gifted child?
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What'sUpWithAllison: Christmas is Here

What's Up With Allison? Christmas is Here!



Hello! These past few weeks have been insane. Our students were released two weeks ago for their winter break and I've been using my inservice time to write this year's social studies curriculum. It's been a blast. So please forgive me if I haven't been on much lately. 
This week is Christmas. Can you believe the year has blown by so fast? This Christmas my husband and I will be staying at home. I'm still in school this week and I fly out to Washington D.C. on December 26th to attend the first of four residencies for my Ph.D in Education program. I am so excited for the trip. Not only because it's a step towards achieving on of my long time goals but because I get to meet my best friend for the first time. Krystol and I meet online at Full Sail University. We went through the MFA in Creative Writing program together. 


Krystol encouraged me to pursue my Ph.D. in Education. It was something I have always wanted to do but I was in a time in my life where I was about to give up on all my dreams. Thankfully, Krystol convinced me to never stop dreaming and never stop trying. I'm so grateful she was there. 
This week my blog is back up and running except that I have decided to remove the Louisiana series and replace it with my Shawnee series. I have four WIP's novels. I was working on the Louisiana one but I really feel like I need to finish Lies and Deceit. Lies and Deceit is the new first book in the Children of the Shawnee series. Here's the cover for it. 

Everything else will remain the same on my blog. Enjoy!

ThanksgivingBlessings

Happy Thanksgiving. I am so blessed by all my readers,  fans,  family and friends around the world. Thank you for everything you do. I truly appreciate you!
                                       - Allison Bruning -