I said this was for Christmas, but these ideas work all year long. Well, maybe not number 3. But feel free to give me an ornament anytime. I included that because this year as I decorated my tree I was moved to tears by the ornaments given to me by my
Brian Housand and I have a thing about presentation design. We like it to be like meat from a disreputable source: well done. At the TAGT conference last week, we presented together on this idea, and our slide deck is available, along with the handout from the presentation. I’ve embedded
Is it just me, or is time short{er}? “I’ve got way too much instructional time,” said no teacher ever. It seems like every year teachers notice they have less and less “seat time” with their students and more and more to do with that little bit. That means that teachers
I had an absolutely terrific time visiting with Aaron Maurer as part of his podcast series. We were sharing ideas on how not to be a terrible presenter. Lots of tips, along with some ideas about teaching. I think you’ll like it. My dad does, and he’s a tough cookie
Archimedes. Omar Khayyám. Leonardo da Vinci. Maria Agnesi. Thomas Jefferson. Goethe. Steve Jobs. All of these people have something in common: they have been described as “polymaths” – people who are experts in multiple fields. Nearly synonymous with the term “Renaissance Man,” a polymath is unconstrained by narrow fields of
The last level of attaining expert status in any field is to contribute to that field. Although this is less straightforward than the previous two steps because it looks very different in different fields and for different people, the basic premise remains the same: you must further the field. You
Part 2: The Master’s Degree. Once you’ve made yourself familiar with the fundamentals of your own field of interest, as well as other complementary topics, you are ready for StepTwo. To continue the university metaphor, this is the mirror of a master’s degree – the step where you master what
Why would anyone want to become an expert, you ask? Because it’s fun. It’s invigorating to really know something deeply or be able to do something well, and it has nothing to do with recognition from other people. Someone recently asked me how I became an expert in the field
Every parent can use these essential tools, and I can practically guarantee that if your child is gifted, you will face at least five of the issues the tools below help fix. In fact, I’ll give you your money back if you don’t. I have no magic ball, so how do
Trying to figure out how to help young people develop internal motivation is a complex thing. What lights the fire (and what dampens it) in any one individual can seem like a mystery inside an enigma. While I don’t pretend to have all the answers, the Prezi below accompanies a
I’ve been speaking about perfectionism (the occupational hazard of being gifted) for years, and I thought I’d share my presentation on it. If you have a gifted child or are gifted yourself, you have likely dealt with the issue and struggle that is perfectionism for quite a while on different
Some of my best friends are teachers. No, really. I was one. Now my six word biography is, “She teaches even without a classroom.” If you’re not familiar with six word biographies, they’re really cool. Here’s a video about them: As a former teacher and the friend of lots of
