Enrichment clusters engage students and facilitators in student-driven, real-world learning experiences. Grouped by interest, students working like practicing professionals apply advanced content and methods to develop products and services for authentic audiences. Clusters are scheduled during the school day over an extended period of time and involve all students. This updated second edition of Enrichment Clusters provides the rationale for including this important enrichment program for all students, suggestions for creating buy-in, and a step-by-step guide for successful implementation of a self-sustaining enrichment cluster program within the context of specific schools. Included are staff development activities, suggestions for evaluation and program improvement, guidelines for developing high quality cluster experiences for teachers and students, suggested resources, and everything one needs to develop, implement, and sustain a top-quality enrichment cluster program.

"PETSTM (Primary Education Thinking Skills) is a systematized enrichment and diagnostic thinking skills program. Lessons are presented in convergent analysis, divergent synthesis, visual/spatial thinking, and evaluation, suitable for grades K-3. The program aligns to the higher levels of Bloom's Taxonomy. PETSTM 1, the red book, introduces the six thinking specialists of Crystal Pond Woods: Dudley the Detective, the convergent/deductive thinker, Isabel the Inventor, the divergent/inventive thinker, Sybil the Scientist, the convergent/analytical thinker, Yolanda the Yarnspinner, the divergent/creative thinker, Max the Magician, the visual/spatial thinker, Jordan the Judge, the evaluative thinker. Included in the 24 lessons are encounters with the animal characters who are engaged in problem-solving scenarios calling for their types of thinking -- four lessons involving each character (two whole class lessons to help identify talented learners with accompanying reproducible activities, and two small group lessons for identified students and accompanying reproducible activities). PETSTM helps build behavioral portfolios for talented learners that support a differentiated approach to their education, integrates flexibly into any existing primary curriculum, and offers opportunities for learners with different strengths to shine"--Amazon.com.

Enrichment Activities for Gifted Students outlines a variety of extracurricular academic activities and programming options for gifted student talent development. This book: Includes strategies for educators to develop enrichment programs that fit the needs of their students. Provides numerous examples of nationally-recognized and easy-to-implement programs and competitions. Helps promote students' academic growth. Categorizes options by subject area, including math, science, technology, language arts, and social studies. Categorizes options by skill type, including creative thinking, problem solving, and adaptability. Enrichment Activities for Gifted Students provides everything busy educators need to know about offering, funding, and supporting enrichment activities and programs that develop students' content knowledge and expertise, build valuable real-world skills, and extend learning beyond the walls of the classroom.

Explains how to streamline or "compact" curricula through a practical, step-by-step approach. Presents skills required to modify curricula and the techniques for pretesting students and preparing enrichment options.

The field of gifted education is characterized by a confusing array of perspectives concerning such fundamental issues as definition, philosophy, curriculum, social and emotional development, and underserved populations. The mission of this book is to provide a coherent framework that instructors and service providers can use in planning effective programs, providing appropriate counseling services, and evaluating programs for the gifted. Most sections are organized around fundamental issues confronting the field and follow a common structure: an introductory chapter that provides historical and theoretical background and organizing questions followed by several point-of-view chapters written by experts that provide varied perspectives on the topic at hand. Distinguishing Features Comprehensive Coverage – The book’s forty-five manageable-length chapters cover the full range of topics that must be considered in planning programs and services for gifted students both within and outside of school. Coherent Structure – Section introductions provide background information and organizing questions to guide chapter authors who provide varying views of the issue at hand. The emphasis is not on the "right way" or the "wrong way" (except when clearly documented bad practice is discussed), but on how best practice stems from well-informed and logical decision-making. Decision Making Focus – The book’s introductory chapter addresses the need for a clearly developed and consistently applied set of values to guide decision making. Likewise, each section introduction includes a decision making framework regarding some aspect of educating, counseling, or parenting gifted students. This book is appropriate for introductory level courses in gifted education or courses in program development and planning. It is also suitable for school personnel responsible for making program planning decisions in the area of gifted education and for academic libraries with holdings in this area.

"Through individual profiles, more than 50 influential people in the field of gifted education share their perceptions and insights of where gifted education has been and where it is going. Each profile provides contact information, professional background, significant contributions to and publications in the field, those people who have influenced their careers, perceptions of critical events in gifted education, and opinions on future changes necessary to sustain the field. Along with an historical overview in the form of a timeline, Profiles of Influence contains narrative summaries of both the critical events identified and needed changes suggested in the individual profiles. In addition, profiles of the major organizations and associations supporting gifted education are included."--Back cover.