Gifted Education International

The lives of Eleanor Roosevelt, Paul Robeson, and Etty Hillesum give insight into the inner transformation that is the essence of personal growth toward global awareness. Components of the process of personal growth are spelled out. Simple, easily accessible techniques, facilitate the process and empower children in their personal growth.

We are living in an increasingly interdependent world, and in order for the peoples of the world to continue to progress without threat of catastrophic man-made disasters, we need to understand each other. This need can be met by fostering global awareness and global learning which focus on the process of developing and nurturing global citizens who are open, sensitive, and positive toward other cultures, as well as toward their own culture.

This article explores the role that global connections play in developing curriculum for gifted and talented students. It also examines how converging technology trends, or virtual connections, are impacting the daily lives and learning of gifted students that is accessible anywhere at any time. It also crosses boundaries, or authentic connectedness, as it examines trends in defining giftedness, particularly for marginalized groups, and the role of global and multicultural education for the gifted that includes the development of intercultural skills in gifted world citizenship. Opportunities to develop creative productivity through international service learning are explored.

Mankind will unite harmoniously if there is a focus on brotherhood in the economic domain by sharing; if there is equality in the judicial domain, since under the law and stars we are all equal; and if there is freedom of the mind in domains such as media, science, and religion. Why is wisdom a priority for the gifted? Society crucially depends on how well the next generation of gifted students is educated. The most important and most difficult objective will be to aim not just toward academic accomplishment, but on developing wisdom. First, it is essential to help gifted students build recognition of their intellectual limits i.e. humility, and a consciousness and commitment to meeting one's obligations, together with an advanced knowledge of history. Murray (2007) said that those with superior intelligence need to learn to be wise.

This article describes some of the ways that schools in New Zealand promote global awareness and active service for the betterment of others, locally, nationally, and globally. New Zealand culture has a tradition of reaching out, and while most activities are not limited to gifted students, there is an expectation that the best and brightest students will take a leadership role and become actively engaged in issues that they ethically or morally hold dear. Many of the opportunities provided are co-curricular activities, but special programs have a role in the social-emotional development of our gifted students.

Education for creativity is a key issue for human and humane progress in the future. In order to illustrate the complexity of creativity as the highest form of intelligence Urban's Components Model of Creativity is shortly referred to and explained. Finally the components model is expanded into a capacious four-stage model structure framed and hold by an environmental, ecological scaffold. It seems necessary to conceptualise Responsible Createlligence as future competence embedded in such a comprehensive model in order not to limit creative education to a mere technical training or to ignore and neglect important personality aspects as well as societally bound conditions and influences, which affect responsible creative and intelligent thinking and acting as well as education (not only) for the gifted.

Concerns about the economy, the environment, and a widespread yearning for change have fueled gifted youngsters' worries about the future and the state of the world. Furthermore, the characteristics that distinguish them from others, including their intellectual and emotional intensity, often amplify their feelings about significant issues that touch their world today. Because of an awareness of an increasingly urgent need for people to simplify life, gifted students need guidance in unraveling the intricacies of simplifying life in increasingly complex times. With support from adults in considering wide-ranging perspectives, gifted students can simultaneously develop their awareness and understanding of the issues, while being guided in searching for practical solutions that can be implemented both locally and around the world. The combination of personal issues and social concerns need to be addressed as gifted students sort out the complexity of simplifying life, and practical strategies for grappling with these can be put into action. In addition to current thinking on the topic, this article draws upon ideas that have stood the test of time and are more relevant than ever today and offers practical suggestions for assisting gifted students with the fine points of moving toward simplicity.

It is generally accepted that the world has become a global village. The notion of world workers constantly migrating from one country and continent to another, has become commonplace. The ever-changing world impacts not only every country in the world but, indeed, every human being, including the gifted. Little wonder then that, in 1975, scholars demonstrated appreciation for the need to move beyond national concerns and to start focusing on the bigger picture; to embrace the notion of a global village and celebrate global awareness. George Parkyn said that our “very survival depends upon a new concern with the quality of human life and its relationship to the finite world we inhabit” (in Conceptual curriculum 2004: 1). Since then the development of global awareness has been increasingly highlighted by a number of authors (Rogalla, 2003; Tallent-Runnels, 2007; Terry, 2008, Volk, 2007 & 2008). Roeper (2008) said the term global awareness “is too limiting, it is really Universal Awareness with which we are concerned”. Sheard (2008) concluded that children who have lived “outside their passport countries” (third culture kids, or TCKs), could be a resource to the gifted community through the lessons the TCKs have learned. She also said that “instilling global awareness in gifted children might have social and emotional costs as well as benefits”.

The pace, scope and significance of changes experienced in recent years have focused awareness on the interdependence of all nations with respect to issues of economic stability and environmental stewardship. Experts from all over the world are discussing ways in which global crises have arisen and how they will need to be addressed. Global attention is turning to investments that must be made with respect to trans-national health care, education and poverty. Education, according to Microsoft's Bill Gates, is the most critical investment for the future of all citizens and all nations. Enhancing education opportunities and the quality of education for students within and across all nations awakens us to the new era of social responsibility calling for preparation of youth to participate in global citizenship and global leadership. We are facing problems that we cannot solve as individual nations. We are facing solutions that impinge on individual nations' autonomy. We are challenging ourselves to learn how to negotiate and compromise in order to align our future-focused goals of mutual survival.

“Why don't you ask the real questions, like what is it like to be a gifted kid?”

This article by the President of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children (WCGTC) was in part presented in his presidential address to the biennial WCGTC Vancouver conference in August 2009. Dr. Taisir Subhi Yamin discusses the growing interest in gifted educaton and outlines goals to ensure that there is a cadre of highly qualified and competent teachers for gifted programming. He emphasizes the “digital world” and its impact on organizations that support gifted education, and he discusses the work of the International Association of Educators for World Peace and its efforts for global awareness and understanding.

This article explores the sensitivity and mood disorders found in a number of gifted people. Dabrowski's theory of positive disintegration provides the theoretical framework through which issues for these people are examined. Personal narratives and poems from gifted young people provide insights to their sensitivities and struggles. The aesthetic is proposed as one way in which to understand their needs. There are direct implications for parents, teachers, health professionals, and creative people when mood disorders are considered developmental rather than purely pathological. In particular, the therapeutic influence of expressing strong feelings through creative writing has merit in terms of support. Dabrowski's theory and the use of the aesthetic deepens both our understanding and our appreciation of the gifted.