Giftedkids.ie Pilot Series of Webinars

Giftedkids launched our pilot webinar series on January 28th this year with "Characteristics of the Exceptionally Able – Faster, Earlier, Differently”, presented by Margaret Keane and Anna Giblin. The feedback from both parent and teacher participants, has been overwhelmingly positive and the recorded webinar can be viewed, by clicking here. The accompanying presentation handout, suggested reading list and the online resources list can also be downloaded. Please feel free to forward these links to colleagues or interested parents. In the meantiime you can view a shortened version of the presentation below.

Our next webinar, "How to be Your Child's Best Advocate", is scheduled for Thursday, March 25th at 7.00pm. If you wish to participate in this webinar or would like more information please send your email address to webinars@giftedkids.ie and we will forward you an invitation. Spaces are limited so early booking is advisable. Participants will need a broadband connection and a set of speakers or a headset.

There are 6 free webinars in this series aimed at both parents and teachers. The running time for each webinar is approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes and will provide participants with a bite sized introduction to each of the following topics with a Q&A session:

• Characteristics of the Exceptionally Able
  
• How to be your Child’s Best Advocate – Supporting your Child at home and at School
• Educational Assessment
  
• Dual Exceptionality – Aspergers, Adhd, Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, Behavioural Issues
  
• Classroom Strategies – Curriculum Differentiation, Enrichment, Acceleration, Online ICT Resources for Teachers
• Social & Emotional Sensitivities

This series of webinars is free to all participants and is funded by Social Entrepreneurs Ireland. The National Centre for Technology in Education (NCTE) is also kindly supporting this series. Giftedkids.ie has liaised with Fred Boss (CPD Project Officer) and Anne White (National Coordinator) to put in place a small team of teachers to evaluate the webinar content, presentation style and technology.

Giftedkids would also like to thank Steve Hardagon of Learn Central, the new Elluminate sponsored social learning network for education, who is allowing us to run these pubic webinars on the Learn Central Elluminate platform. We would also like to thank Colm O'Reilly, Director of CTYI for his continued support.

CTYI Annual Conference: "Gifted Children Going Forward: Creating a True Smart Economy", Saturday, March 13th

The Irish Centre for Talented Youth has announced the date for their annual Conference which will take place in DCU on Saturday, March 13th. This year the focus will be on gifted children going forward and their place in a true smart economy. This conference is suitable for parents, teachers and student-teachers of children in primary and secondary school and has always proved very enjoyable and highly informative. The price for parents and teachers is €80 and a heavily discounted €20 for Third Level Students. This also includes lunch.

Keynote Address:
Prof. Franz Mönks, Radboud University Nijmegen
“Meeting the learning and developmental needs of
individuals with high potential”

Speakers Include:
Dr. Pichak Siripoonsap, Deputy Director of Thailand’s Gifted & Talented Foundation
Dr. Sarah McElwee, Oxford University (Psychologist)
Leo Lopez MD, Montefiore Children's Hospital, NY (Pediatrician)
Dr. Arlene Egan, UCD (“Motivating Gifted Children to Succeed”)
Margaret Keane, Founder of www.giftedkids.ie

To book a place and to view the workshop schedule you can download an application form here but please forward to Ms. Lynne Mooney, CTYI, Dublin City University, Dublin 9. If you would like some more information contact Lynne directly by email to Lynne.mooney@dcu.ie or by tel (01) 7005090.

ICEP Europe Gifted Education CPD courses for Parents and Teachers

ICEP Europe is currently enrolling for the Spring term of their Teaching Gifted and Talented Students: Rising to the Challenge of Highly Able Learners. While this excellent 20 hour online course is primarily aimed at teachers, it is also helpful to parents wishing to learn about the most appropriate educational provision for their children. The fee for this comprehensive course is €330 but ICEPE have very kindly agreed to offer Giftedkids.ie parent users a very generous 20 percent discount. To avail of this reduced rate please use the promotional code Giftedkids on the online application form, the discounted price will be automatically calculated. Enrolment is now open until April 9th, the course itself finishes on April 16th. Remember this course is subsidised for teachers by the Department for Education & Science at the significantly reduced rate of €150.

ICEPE offers a wide variety of online CPD (continous professional development) courses for teachers and parents focusing on special educational needs. They can be contacted on (01) 6510618 or through their website. If you would like more information and advice on their range of courses you can also contact Ciara Hayden at ICEPE on her direct number (01) 6510919.

Giftedkids.ie honoured at the Social Entrepreneurs Ireland 2009 Awards, October 19th

On October 19th at a ceremony in Dublin attended by President Mary McAleese, thirty-one social entrepreneurs from all over Ireland were honoured for their work in tackling social issues. Amongst the awardees was Margaret Keane who received the Level 1 award as a result of her work with Giftedkids.ie, the web site she founded in February 2008 as a support and advocacy site for Irish exceptionally able children, their parents and teachers. From small beginnings the site has now grown with a small voluntary team of parents and teachers who help to run the site. These are the unsung heroes who selflessly give their time and expertise in order to ensure that the cause of gifted children is kept alive.

When asked what impact this award will have on gifted children in Ireland, Margaret responded: “Social Entrepreneurs Ireland has been incredibly supportive of our work. The level of mentoring and guidance that awardees receive is phenomenal and the opportunity to network with other awardees has proved invaluable. It has allowed the Giftedkids site to grow and develop new and much needed resources for our target groups.”

The funding provided by the Social Entrepreneurs Ireland Award is being used to produce a pilot series of six free online webinars aimed at parents, teachers and other professionals working with gifted children. These will be launched in January 2010.

To read more about the inspiring stories behind the SEI awardees visit the Social Entrepreneurs Ireland web site.

Our Voice – Launched 1 August 2009!

Calling all talented, creative, gifted and interested teenagers – listen up! Our Voice, Giftedkids' online magazine for teens, and by teens, started accepting submissions on August 1, 2009. Is there an issue you feel strongly about and want to write something about? A poem you’ve had sitting in a drawer for a while and would like to share? Do you want to enthuse about a particular book or film, or rant or rave about the Irish educational system, or comment on a current event? Do you create your own comics and hope to share them with an audience? Our Voice offers the opportunity for teenagers to publish work online as well as providing a space for discussions and debates amongst the readers.

The magazine is edited by Claire Hennessy, a Dublin-based novelist who was first published as a teenager and now, as a decrepit twenty-something, will be overseeing submissions and provide editorial guidance to contributors. She has run writing workshops for teens and notes:

“It’s amazing what a difference it can make when people are in a safe environment where they can share their work with one another. They make friends, bounce ideas off one another, and their work improves almost without them realising it. I’m hoping Our Voice will be that kind of space for writers and readers alike.”

Now that you’ve listened up – speak up, write up, and get submitting! Email your submission to Claire at  voice@giftedkids.ie.

TV3 "The Morning Show" features Gifted Children

On June 23rd TV3's "The Morning Show" broadcast a programme devoted to gifted children and some of the issues that they and their families faced. We worked with both CTYI and the ICEPE to provide background material for the production team involved. All participants including parents, Colm O'Reilly from CTYI and Dr. Moya O'Brien of the ICEPE came across very well. It was fantastic to see a balanced and well thought out programme on this subject. Thank you to the production team behind the programme and the parents who agreed to be interviewed. To view the programme in full click here.

Upcoming Lucena Clinic Talks

The Lucena Clinic regularly runs information evenings for parents and carers. These are excellent free events which are usually oversubscribed, so early booking is advisable. For up to date details please consult the Lucena Clinic website. To register for any of the events please contact the clinic by email or phone 01 4923596/4999349. All talks take place at the Lucena Clinic, 59 Orwell Road, Rathgar, Dublin 6.