As part of the "Educating Gifted and Talented Students" series, the booklet offers the teacher guidelines for facilitating communication abilities in gifted children. Following an introduction, a first chapter lists characteristics of students gifted in speech communication and leadership. The essence of giftedness in speech communication and leadership is seen to be the capacity for effective flexibility. Additional characteristics of leadership and speech communication abilities are mentioned in a second chapter and three methods (including showing ambiguous pictures to students and asking them to describe what they see portrayed) for identifying leadership and communication abilities are outlined. A final chapter, which makes up the bulk of the booklet, describes strategies for teaching oral communication. A purposes section discusses the general directions or goals for communication instruction aimed at the gifted. The section on practices suggests methods for achieving those goals, methods especially applicable for gifted students. A programs section deals with integrating the suggested methods into the classroom setting. Among procedures considered are experiential learning, individualized learning, independent study projects, and internships. Appendixes include information on introspection activities, teacher/student agreement on course ground rules, a troubleshooting checklist, a leader's brief, and steps for program evaluation. (SBH)

As part of the "Educating Gifted and Talented Students" series, the booklet offers the teacher guidelines for facilitating communication abilities in gifted children. Following an introduction, a first chapter lists characteristics of students gifted in speech communication and leadership. The essence of giftedness in speech communication and leadership is seen to be the capacity for effective flexibility. Additional characteristics of leadership and speech communication abilities are mentioned in a second chapter and three methods (including showing ambiguous pictures to students and asking them to describe what they see portrayed) for identifying leadership and communication abilities are outlined. A final chapter, which makes up the bulk of the booklet, describes strategies for teaching oral communication. A purposes section discusses the general directions or goals for communication instruction aimed at the gifted. The section on practices suggests methods for achieving those goals, methods especially applicable for gifted students. A programs section deals with integrating the suggested methods into the classroom setting. Among procedures considered are experiential learning, individualized learning, independent study projects, and internships. Appendixes include information on introspection activities, teacher/student agreement on course ground rules, a troubleshooting checklist, a leader's brief, and steps for program evaluation. (SBH)

2016 Outstanding Academic Title, Choice In this provocative volume, Chester E. Finn, Jr., and Brandon L. Wright argue that, for decades, the United States has done too little to focus on educating students to achieve at high levels. The authors identify two core problems: First, compared to other countries, the United States does not produce enough high achievers. Second, students from disadvantaged backgrounds are severely underrepresented among those high achievers. The authors describe educating students to high levels of achievement as an issue of both equity and human capital: talented students deserve appropriate resources and attention, and the nation needs to develop these students' abilities to remain competitive in the international arena. The authors embark on a study of twelve countries and regions to address these issues, exploring the structures and practices that enable some countries to produce a higher proportion of high-achieving students than the United States and to more equitably represent disadvantaged students among their top scorers. Based on this research, the authors present a series of ambitious but pragmatic points that they believe should inform US policy in this area. This candid and engaging book takes a topic that is largely discussed behind closed doors and puts it squarely on the table for public debate.

Much of the research about teachers focuses on “those who can’t/don’t/aren’t good” in the classroom. However, teachers who are gifted and talented exist, but there has been little attention to date on the characteristics and practices of such teachers in the classroom. While few, the examples of research on positive teacher attributes include work on the “expert,” “authentic,” and “creative,” as well as examples of research on eminent adults. Identifying, Describing, and Developing Teachers Who Are Gifted and Talented is an essential reference source that discusses behaviors and traits in teachers who are considered gifted and talented as well as case studies on the identification and preparation of teachers who fall into this category. Featuring research on topics such as creative innovation, emotional intelligence, and skill development, this book is ideally designed for educators, administrators, researchers, and academicians.