parenting for high potential - nagc php/nagc php april... · it was a brick and mortar school....

iPhones, Tablets, and Apps, Oh My!

By Vinnie Vrotny

April

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a note from the editor

6 Parent-to-Parent: Will Colleges Accept My Child’s Online Courses? ..... 2 By Nancy Arey Cohen, Parent and Community Network Chair

6 iPhones, Tablets, and Apps, Oh My! ........................................................... 4 By Vinnie Vrotny

6 Hot Apps & Cool Sites For You and Your Family ..................................... 12 By Vinnie Vrotny

6 A New 21st Century Approach for Battling Bullying: How We Can Empower Our Kids .............................................................. 16 By Nancy Willard

6 ABCs of Gifted: O is for Opportunities ..................................................... 20 By Dr. Joanne Foster

parenting for high potential

Not a day goes by without my 12-year-old son chat-tering about a new app or video game, negotiating screen time limits, asking who can access his Google Plus circles, or researching homework on his iPad. Maybe it’s me, but it seems that gifted kids—with their curiosity, insa-tiable appetite for knowledge, and sometimes obsessive passions and interests—seem to be even more wired for understanding technology, its capabilities, and its pow-ers. Even though my son has fewer devices than some, it boggles my mind that he is juggling an iPad, personal computer, Nintendo 3DS, Wii, and Nook—and that still doesn’t include the soon-to-come cellphone!

With the explosion of personal technology in our children’s daily lives, I think we’d all agree that parent-ing in the digital age is not easy. Technology simply adds another layer to child rearing that generations before us didn’t encounter.

This issue of Parenting for High Potential focuses on all things cyber—how to help our children become good digital citizens, how to talk with them about technology, hot apps and cool sites for you and your gifted child to explore, and even considerations if you’re thinking about online high schooling options.

We also have the privilege of featuring author and advocate Nancy Willard, who has tirelessly focused on drawing attention to the issues of cybersafety and cyber-bullying. Nancy is now shifting her focus to address the broader bullying issue prevalent among our youth, and presents a 21st century framework on ways to empower and engage children dealing with this complex issue.

Given its online focus, it’s only fitting that this issue of PHP be delivered to you electronically. My goal is to de-liver high-quality content to you in the way that best fits your lifestyle in our ever-evolving 24/7 plugged-in world. Drop me a line any time at [email protected] with ideas, inspirations, or new ways we can connect.

Kathleen Nilles, Editor-in-ChiefParenting for High Potential

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2 PHP | Parenting for High Potential

Parent-to-Parent

Back in the 1980s, when online courses were just coming onto the scene, I seriously considered homeschooling my older child. Because the idea of

homeschooling was fairly new, and the concept of online education barely a real-ity, college admissions personnel were not yet sure how to view the success or failure of a teenager based on his online progress. So, we opted for a traditional school ex-perience, supplemented with enrichment, travel, and fun along the way.

Much has changed in the last 30 years. Today, whether you’re considering a few class-es or a full-time online high school program, colleges now view the child who delves into online learning as one willing to go beyond the norm and foster a love of learning. Suc-cessful completion of online courses demon-strates initiative, discipline, and maturity.

However, there are still some important factors to consider before jumping into the world of online programming. Since on-line courses are available 24 hours a day, the student must be disciplined.

In a U.S. News and World Report online blog, Bari Norman, former admissions of-ficer at Columbia University, says, “Stu-dents doing online programs have to take their studies as seriously as they would if it was a brick and mortar school. There’s not much regulation of [online high schools], so everyone has to look at them a little more carefully. Some programs have

a good reputation, but the key is finding something that’s reputable.”

Norman also believes that some university admissions counselors still worry about whether students taking online courses are doing the work entirely themselves. However, if college admis-sions testing and letters of recommendation concur with the stu-dent’s online grades, the online degree is generally accepted.

Accreditation is one important factor to consider before enrolling in an online school. Is your online school fully ac-credited? Unfortunately, there are many online schools that are not—and colleges will not accept students earning a degree from those schools. Make sure the online school you’ve chosen is accredited by the United States Department of Education (USDE) or Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). And while it seems counterintuitive, national accreditation is good, but regional accreditation is better.

When all is said and done, though, col-leges look for the same 10 student attri-butes they have sought for years, whether the degree is from a brick and mortar school or an accredited online school:1. Good grades, with an upward trend.

If freshman year is difficult, but grades

improve steadily, colleges will consider the student.

2. Course Selection. Admissions counsel-ors look for the student who challenges himself.

3. Respectable scores on standardized college admissions test(s). SAT or ACT score requirements vary depending upon the selectivity of the college or university.

4. Leadership and passion for a few ac-tivities. Students who build a resume by joining dozens of organizations but are not active members are not viewed as strongly as those who join one or two ac-tivities but pursue them wholeheartedly.

5. Community Service. Increasingly, this category is more important since colleges want students with a global view and a desire to make a difference.

6. Demonstrated Maturity. Whether

By Nancy Arey Cohen, Chair, Parent and Community Network

Will Colleges Accept My Child’s Online Courses?

April 2014 3

Nancy Hertzog, Chair Lake Forest Park, WA

Janette Boazman Irving, TX

Nancy Arey Cohen Falmouth, ME

Lisa Conrad Ambridge, PA

Denise Drain Indianapolis, IN

Susan Dulong Langley Milford, MA

Rosina Gallagher Chicago, IL

Stephanie Georgiades Tampa, FL

Jake Giessman Columbia, MO

Keri Guilbault Bel Air, MD

Kristin Humbargar Underhill, VT

Susan Jackson Fountain Hills, AZ

Joan Jacobs Lincoln, NE

Cheryl Jenkins Huntsville, AL

Kathy Jones Chanute, KS

Michele Kane Long Grove, IL

Diana Reeves Mansfield, MA

Jennifer Ritchotte Greeley, CO

Kathleen Robinson Parker, CO

Rhoda Rosen Evanston, IL

Dana Seymour Starkville, MS

Executive Director Nancy Green

Layout & design Hung Nguyen

Editor-in-Chief Kathleen Nilles

Parenting for High Potential is published 8 times a year, 4 print issues and 4 digital issues, and is distributed as a membership benefit by the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC). The views expressed in the magazine are those of the authors and do not necesarily reflect the views of NAGC or its Board of Directors. Copyright © 2014. National Association for Gifted Children, 1331 H Street NW, Suite 1001, Washington, DC 20005. 202-785-4268. www.nagc.org

For advertising information, contact [email protected]

Published by

To access digital issues of Parenting for High Potential (January, April, July, October), visit http://www.nagc.org/phpdigital.aspx.

2013–2014 Parent Editorial and Content Advisory Board

NAGC Staff Liaisons: Karen Yoho and Kathleen Nilles

through a job, internship, or volunteer position, students should exhibit a level of maturity and dedication.

7. Writing Skills. With students texting and communicating online in linguistic fragments, colleges want to know that the student can express himself by writ-ing in a clear, concise, and personal way.

8. Letters of Recommendation. Colleges look for recommendations from some-one who truly knows and respects the student.

9. Extra Letters of Recommendation. Letters written by celebrities, politi-cians, or others who do not really know the student are usually dismissed. Let-ters from bosses, coaches, or co-work-ers, however, are given more weight.

10. Individual Light. This is not the time to be shy. Colleges like to see why each

student will be a unique addition to the student body. 0

ReferencesKoebler, J. (2011, August 8). Universi-

ties begin to offer online high school diplomas [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/high-school-notes/2011/08/08/universities-begin-to-offer-online-high-school-diplomas

Online ResourcesBest Online High Schools

http://bestonlinehighschools.comCollege Data: Your Online

College Advisor https://www.collegedata.com/cs/content/content_getinarticle_tmpl.jhtml?articleId=10029

Harvard Extension School http://www.extension.harvard.edu/prospective-students/opportunities-high-school-students

Online Diplomas and Accreditation http://www.excelhighschool.com/blog/

list-of-fake-online-high-schools-and-fake-online-ged-programs/

Online Program Rankings: U.S. News & World Reports http://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/articles/2013/07/16/consider-online-college-courses-in-high-school

U.S. Department of Education http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/

Author’s Note Nancy Arey Cohen, M.A.Ed., is a lifelong advocate for gifted children. As the proud (but not hovering) parent of two adult gifted sons, she spent many years advo-cating in schools in Massachusetts, Texas, and Minnesota for the needs of gifted children, providing hundreds of hours of enrichment opportunities, and counseling parents on ways to work collaboratively with teachers. Nancy currently chairs the NAGC Parent and Community Network.

balancing technology

iPhones, Tablets, and Apps, Oh My!

By Vinnie Vrotny


April 2014 5

As a teen growing up, the world was far different than today. If I wanted to find out more information about a topic I was interested in, I needed to

go to the library. If I wanted to make plans, I sought out the individuals face-to-face or negotiated with my family members to use the single telephone line in the house. If I wanted to catch a television show, movie, or radio broadcast, I reserved my time. With the explosive growth of the Inter-net, the abundant availability of Wi-Fi networks, and thousands of applications, teens and adults now have pocket-sized devices with more computing power than Apollo 11, which landed on the moon.

All of this access places parents of gifted children in a quandary: How can one pro-vide access to these tools and networks and still maintain balance? How much screen time is too much? Which apps will best support my child’s learning and nurture her creativity and imagination? And, just when we’ve figured it out, a new wave of apps and tools become available—making what we learned obsolete.

How can parents help their children become positive digital citizens, leverage tools for learning and creativity, while maintaining a healthy balance?

I offer the following framework in help-ing parents become guides and mentors for their children in the dizzying digital age.

Monitor Your Usage: You’re the Best Role ModelIn my work over the past 10 years, I’ve asked children what they wished their parents knew about technology. They are nearly unanimous in their responses: They crave parents who are confident in their ability to learn and will help them make sense of their world. Children are as con-fused by the changes as we are. They’re just willing to try and fail. But they’re still looking to us for answers.

We’re our children’s best role models and, oftentimes, we are not there for them in their moments of need. Instead of giv-

ing them the undivided attention they de-sire, we’re distracted by our own devices, constantly checking our email or incom-ing text messages. In analyzing my own parenting mistakes and observing others, I’ve found we often don’t model the be-haviors and actions we’d like to see in our children.

In her new book, The Big Disconnect: Protecting Children and Families in the Digital Age, Dr. Catherine Steiner-Adair warns parents about pitfalls and dangers about parenting in today’s technological

society. Steiner-Adair is concerned that parents have unwittingly abdicated their roles as parents when they are most desper-ately needed by children; one consequence is that technologies replace parents as the source of values, context, community, and coaches in their lives.

I suggest two goals that 21st century parents can set for themselves and their gifted children to provide the foundation for a healthy relationship with technology.

The first: Model a balanced and healthy use of technology. As a family, schedule

Instead of giving them the undivided attention they desire, we’re distracted by our own devices, constantly

checking our email or incoming text messages.



some technology-free days to interact and be fully present with each other. This pro-vides a chance to build, make, tinker, and engage face-to-face. In addition, I encour-age families to turn off technology during these times every day: • From the time the kids wake up through

breakfast• During your trip to school• On your way home from school or when

you arrive home from work• During dinner• In the evening right before bedtime, or be-

tween bath time and bedtime, depending on the age of your children. These are key times to connect with

each other.The second goal for 21st century parents

is to help students develop empathy, sort social clues, and make sense of the messag-es that are bombarding them throughout the day. Brain-based research shows that a child’s prefrontal cortex, used for executive functioning, is not fully formed until his or her mid-20s (Johnson, Blum, & Giedd, 2009). This means adolescents and older

teens are going through rapid brain growth preventing them from making good deci-sions. While we might not know every-thing about technology, as parents we do have life experiences to provide wisdom to help our kids make the best decisions.

Establish Rules and GuidelinesAdolescents often feel there is a lack of clear guidelines and rules within their house-hold. Or, when there are rules, they report inconsistency in the application of those rules. In the past, one could simply advise

Cyber Talking with a Younger Child

• Keep Yourself Safe. “Stay on the kid’s sites that are safe and fun. If you want to go to a new site, tell me, and we will check it out together.”

• Keep Your Life in Balance. “Keep the time you spend using technologies in balance with other fun activities. (In other words, “Enough screen time, go outside and play, go read a book, let’s call a friend.”)

• Think Before You Post. “Post material that shows people you make good choices. Never post your address or phone num-ber.”

• Connect Safely. “Communicate only with friends you know and trust through email or personal messaging. Com-municate with strangers only through the safe kids’ sites we have found.”

• Stay Out of the Garbage. “If ‘yucky’ stuff appears on your computer, turn off the screen, like this, and tell me.”

• Spot the Ads. “Make sure you can tell the difference between fun activities and ads for kid’s stuff.”

• Be Kind Online. “Treat others kindly online. Before you send a message or post material about someone else, think about how you would feel if someone sent you that kind of message or posted something like that about you. If you receive a hurtful mes-sage, ask me for help so we can figure out how best to respond.”

Use these conversation starters to help your young child understand these cybersafety guidelines:

Source: Embrace Civility in the Digital Age (2011). Issue Brief: CyberSavvy Parents.

April 2014 7

families to put the computer in a central community household location. But with today’s smartphones, tablets, e-readers, and gaming consoles capable of connect-ing to Wi-Fi or cellular networks—plus new school requirements for collaborative applications and learning management sys-tems—it’s increasingly more difficult for parents to manage technology access.

Each family should determine their own set of guidelines consistent with their own values. Guidelines should outline when technology should be used and rea-sonable limits for total screen time across all devices. Parents should consider setting up filtering systems, such as OpenDNS, for all connected devices. Even in our school’s 1:1 take-home program, we em-power parents to collect phones, laptops, and e-readers at an agreed upon time so children can settle into a bedtime routine. Parents also have to be willing to say “no” to their children and consistently apply natural consequences for non-compliance of family guidelines.

As children get older, parents should also establish a pathway for their kids to build

Cyber Savvy Parenting Tip

Adolescents often feel there is a lack of clear guidelines and rules within their household.


Research Shows

• Children of parents who are actively and positively involved in their child’s digital activi-ties demonstrate fewer online risk behaviors.

• Cyberbullied teens whose parents were actively and positively involved were less emo-tionally distressed and better able to respond effectively to these incidents.

Tip Every time you interact with your child about his or her digital activities, be sure you make one positive statement about your child’s good choices. From your child’s perspective, interactions about his digital activities will feel good and he will want to share more with you. :



Tips for Parents of Tweens & Teens

Use these conversation starters to help your tween or teen understand these cybersafety guidelines:

2 Tweens and teens will not stay in “electroni-cally fenced play yards.” (Conduct a search on the term “bypass Internet filter.”) The mar-keting push is for parents to install monitoring software. Most teens would view this degree of intrusiveness as an indication of lack of trust. Use of monitoring might be an appropriate logical consequence if your child’s use of technologies has been highly inappropriate.

2 Pay attention to what your child is doing on-line, but balance your supervision with your child’s emerging legitimate interests in per-sonal privacy. Remember, if your child feels you are overly intrusive, it is exceptionally easy to find a way to go behind your back. Positive interac-tions, both face-to-face and online, will be more effective in encouraging your child to share.

2 Implement the use of cellphone safety and security features provided by your cellphone provider that are appropriate to your child’s age. Discuss issues of responsible cellphone use, including responsible texting and issues around the capture or sending of im-ages. Show your child how easy it is for anyone to forward or post something they have sent digitally. Make sure your child turns off his or her cellphone when going to bed. If there are any problems associated with this, use the security features that allow you to control time of use.

2 Many tweens and almost all teens are ac-tively engaged in social networking. Use these guidelines: - It’s best not to allow tweens to register on

social networking sites for users over the age

of 13. Make this decision based on your child’s maturity.

- When you decide to allow your child to start so-cial networking, go through all privacy settings with your child to make sure that only accepted friends can see your child’s profile.

- Insist that your child only establish friendship links with people whom he or she knows and trusts, and review all friends to make sure this is the case. As your child gains experience in so-cial networking, allow your child more freedom to exercise his or her own good choices. This includes the establishment of friendship links with people whom your child’s friends know face-to-face.

- If your child is younger, or has a habit of not making good choices, it may be best that you have your child’s login password, so you can review everything that is happening. One way to supervise is to create your own profile and friend your child. This way you can regularly review what is happening, including materials posted and friends added.

- Advise your child that you will regularly review his or her profile, and if any material is posted that is not safe or in accord with your family’s values, you will place restrictions on his or her use. As your child gains experience and dem-onstrates good decision making, you can back off this review.


April 2014 9

trust in their use of technologies, in the same way we build skills and trust in driving. As children age, while demonstrating good be-haviors and a balanced use of technology, they get more privileges. This may include privacy privileges, such as placing their pass-word into a sealed envelope to be used only in an emergency (rather than parents know-ing their password), and having extended family, such as aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents, “friend” your children on social networks rather than you. This pro-vides children a sense of independence while providing an extended trusted network to monitor and mentor your children.

Parents should also take time to learn the technologies their children are using and how they’re using them. Learn how to play Minecraft. Monitor your children’s post-ings. Ask your children to teach you how to use new tools that you hear about, such as Snapchat. Show your children you’re in-terested in what they’re learning and doing. This helps establish open and honest com-munication. And, when your child makes a mistake—and they will—you’ll have es-tablished this essential relationship to help them recover and learn from it. Admit it. Most of us, when signing up for a new service or app, breeze through the pages and pages of the terms of service agreements

and click “I agree.” Many kids, even though they are much younger than 13—the mini-mum user age many services require—have Instagram or Facebook accounts.

We can avoid two potential pitfalls if we more closely adhere to the terms set forth in an application’s or service’s “Terms of Service.” This first is to comply with the

Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) that was established by the Fed-eral Trade Commission (FTC) to protect children from predatory practices by busi-nesses that share and sell data and informa-tion about their users. This is why most social media sites such as Facebook, Insta-gram, and Twitter ask users to be over 13

According to danah boyd, Microsoft Principal Researcher and Fellow at Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet and the Society, parents who allow their children to lie about their age send mixed messages and risk the potential of having children feel that it is okay to lie about their

age later when the stakes may be significantly higher.



years old, to comply with these standards. It is also important to read and review the

privacy policies for each of these sites. Some of them, like Facebook, change often in an attempt to make public what is meant to be private. Imagine the surprise of one of my friends, when another friend sent him a pic-

ture of his children appearing on an ad on the side of a bus in Bel-gium. He had shared this photo on an image-sharing site. Accord-ing to a revision to the site’s terms of service, they were within their rights to sell the image.

The second pitfall we can avoid is to not be complacent or agree to allow our children to lie about their age in order to sign up

for a service or download an app. Accord-ing to danah boyd, Microsoft Principal Re-searcher and Fellow at Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet and the Society, parents who allow their children to lie about their age send mixed messages and risk the po-tential of having children feel that it is okay

to lie about their age later when the stakes may be significantly higher.

It’s no secret that parenting in the digi-tal age can be challenging. However, we can make our family life easier by follow-ing three simple strategies:

1. Model good behavior and a balanced use of technology. Chil-dren mimic our actions, not our words.

2. Create an atmosphere and expectation of honest, open com-munication.

3. Stay connected and informed about changes to technology and so-cial media. Determine how they will affect your child.

Great teachers inspire great minds ... thank them h

Contact NAGC at 202-785-4268 or give online at www.nagc.org.

As the school year winds down and we watch our children graduate or move on to the next level of learning, it is a fitting time to recognize the people who have guided, nurtured, and supported them.

These wonderful mentors and educators have made an enduring impact on your child—inspiring them to reach higher, learn more, and do better. Please show them your appreciation with a tax-deductible gift in their name to the 2014 Annual Fund. Your gift allows us to enhance the programs and services NAGC provides—from teacher training tools and resources to timely information for parents and caregivers as they encourage their high-potential learners to thrive in the classroom and in life.

We would be pleased to recognize the teacher you have honored and list his or her name in NAGC’s 2014 Year in Review.

April 2014 11

In doing so, we’ll find our task signifi-cantly easier and less frightening, while al-lowing our children to develop into healthy, productive citizens in a digital age. 0

Referencesboyd, d. (2014). It’s complicated: The social

lives of networked teens. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

Johnson, S., Blum, R., & Giedd, J. (2009). Adolescent maturity and the brain: The promise and pitfalls of neu-roscience research in adolescent health policy. Journal of Adolescent Health, (45)3, pp. 216-221. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/ar-ticles/PMC2892678/

Steiner-Adair, C. (2013). The big discon-

nect: Protecting childhood and family relationships in the digital age. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Additional ResourcesChildren’s Online Privacy Protection Act.

Retrieved from http://www.coppa.orgRheingold, H. (2012). Net smart: How to

thrive online. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Willard, N. (2007). Cyberbullying and cy-berthreats: Responding to the challenge of online social cruelty, threats, and distress. Champaign, IL: Research Press.

Willard, N. (2007). Cyber-safe kids, cyber-savvy teens: Helping your child use the Internet safely and responsibly. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Willard, N. (2011). Cyber savvy: Embrac-ing digital safety and civility. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

About the AuthorVinnie Vrotny has devoted the past 27 years of his professional life teaching students, teachers, and parents how to harness and leverage the power of technology into learn-ing. The father of two children, he is cur-rently the Director of Academic Technolo-gy at Quest Academy, a gifted independent school for 3-year-olds through 8th graders, in Palatine, IL. He was a recent presenter at the Illinois Association for Gifted Chil-dren’s 2014 Annual Convention.

www.ctd.northwestern.edu • 847/491-3782

Center for Talent Development Northwestern University

EXPLORE OUR PROGRAMS & APPLY TODAY

Summer Program: Rigorous, academic adventures that allow gifted students to delve into a subject of intrigue, build upon their strengths and connect with peers.

Gifted LearningLinks: Online courses allow access to advanced subject matter, individualized pace and one-on-one engagement with instructors.

Civic Education Project: Pathway to leadership and civic engagement combining service-learning with academic study and reflection.

Dynamic Pathways for Gifted LearnersPreK–Grade 12 Programs Now Enrolling


favorite apps and online resources

Hot Apps and Cool Sites for You and Your Family By Vinnie Vrotny

With the tens of thousands of apps, websites, and online resources, it’s impossible to cover

them all here. Here’s my short list of favorite apps and online resources for parents and kids.

Rating & Reviewing Digital MediaCommon Sense Media http://www.commonsensemedia.org/Site covers all types of media.

EdSurgehttps://www.edsurge.com/products/Reviews different apps in various categories.

Graphite http://www.graphite.org/Rates apps and websites, allowing parents to make informed decisions about which tools their families can use.

Digital Parenting BlogsLearning Online: Real Answers to Real Questions http://www.aplatformforgood.org/blog/Houston educator and blogger Susan Davis includes research resources and tips for how parents can monitor their children’s social media accounts through Gmail.

Media! Tech! Parenting! http://mediatechparenting.net/Blog from longtime educator Marti Weston at Georgetown Day School.

Still Learning http://jaymelinnjohnson.wordpress.com/By Jayme Johnson, an educator at the Village School in California.

Favorite Sites

Favorite Apps

CREATiviTY

Book Creator—Helps create books, via photos, drawings, and narration.

Explain Everything (iOS)—Generates slide shows and videos using a variety of inputs.

Haiku Deck—Allows you to create powerful presentations.

iMovie (iOS)—More versatile than the laptop version, with the ability to create movie trailers.

iStopMotion—Want to recreate the “The Lego Movie?” This powerful app allows you to construct stop motion videos.

Paper— Offers ways to sketch ideas. Perfect for visual learners.

PuppetPals—Video creation tool that allows you to create animated movies using stages and puppets.

Sketchbook Pro—Sketching tool that allows for the capture of notes and ideas.

ORGANizATiON AND viSUAlizATiON

Evernote—Load on multiple devices and capture pictures, handwriting, and audio files, accessible from nearly anywhere. Evernote Moleskine, allows you to capture and access handwritten notes, too.

Google Drive or Dropbox—Share and collaborate files, plus a great back-up tool for important work and creations.

Inspiration Maps—Organize your thoughts both visually and sequentially; switch back and forth between these two different views.

Kindle, Nook, and OverDrive e-Readers—For book lovers, with ability to sample books before buying.

Notability and Penultimate—Take handwritten notes and mark up various kinds of files.

Quick Graph+—Graphing application that enables you to feel and understand various mathematical equations.

April 2014 13


favorite apps and online resources

Raise a Red Flag

STEAM Apps

• Bee-Bot—Control a robot using Logo-like commands to navigate.

• Cargo-Bot—Works through puzzles to build computational thinking.

• Construct a Car—Create and build cars to go through various tracks. Great problem solving possibilities.

• Daisy the Dinosaur and Hopscotch—Two programming environments that use Scratch-like blocks to create a program.

• GamePress—Build video games using a visual controller.

• Lightbot—Solve various puzzles to build computational thinking.

• Minecraft—A virtual environment builder that unleashes creativity. Used to support a variety of different curricula.

• Toca Builder—“Minecraft Lite” allow you to build and construct different structures and environments.

Watch for these...

• Ask.fm—Teens have always polled their friends, but Ask.fm allows for anonymous replies, which have been used for mean and vicious attacks of some teens.

• Instagram—An never-ending search for likes may distort a teen’s self-worth.

• Snapchat—There is a false sense of privacy and security in using these apps. Promotes the explosion of selfies.

• Tumblr—Inappropriate material can easily be found; one has to work hard to create a private, secure profile.

• Twitter—Focus on instantaneous communication and celebrity worship can lead to unrealistic expectations and gratification.

• Vine—For video sharing; terms of service for 18-year-olds and beyond.

looking for More Apps?

Hey, parents and teachers! Check out this 2013 NAGC Convention presentation chock-full of 70 iPad apps that promote authentic learning. Includes apps for creating music, photography, filmmaking; early literacy, reading, e-books, content creation; dictation and notetaking; science; and content for flipped classrooms.

“iPads: Intuitive Technology for 21st-Century Students”Del SiegleUniversity of Connecticuthttp://www.eventscribe.com/2013/NAGC/assets/pdf/68902.pdf

April 2014 15

Residential Programs (3 weeks | Ages 9-17)

Amherst CollegeBryn Mawr CollegeColumbia UniversityEmory UniversityHarvard UniversityPrinceton University

UC BerkeleyUniversity of ChicagoUCLAVassar CollegeYale University

Day Programs available for students ages 5-12!


empowering against bullies

A New 21st Century Approach for Battling Bullying

In 2011, close to 1.2 million students in the U.S. reported that someone was hurtful to them at school once a week or more—a rate that has not significantly declined since 2005. Of this

number, over 540,000 students say they are bul-lied “almost daily,” and more than 700,000 stu-dents report they are “fearful of attack or harm” at school “sometimes” or “most of the time” (Robers, Zhang, Truman & Snyder, 2012).

Students most typically targeted are those who are obese, have a minority sexual orientation or identity, or have disabilities (Bradshaw, Waas-dorp, O’Brennan & Gulemetova, 2011; Gay Les-bian Straight Education Network, 2011; Puhl, Peterson & Luedicke, 2013). Others targeted are of racial, national origin, and religious minorities.

Then there are the kids who simply “walk to a different beat.” These include those who are gifted, have unusual or unique interests, or reject the values and behaviors of “social climbers” in their school.

Certain laws protect certain classes of students. For example, civil rights laws provide protection for students against discriminatory harassment associated with race, national origin, religion, or sexual orientation, when a hostile environment interferes with their ability to learn and par-ticipate. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), schools must also pay close attention to students with disabilities who are either being bullied or engaging in bullying.

ineffective 20th Century “Rules-and-Punishment” ApproachSchools generally comply with state bullying prevention statutes and follow common bully-ing prevention guidelines. School staff members believe they are effectively managing bullying and harassment, but there is a more pervasive issue at hand. I believe that the traditional 20th century “adult-control, rules-and-punishment” approach simply does not work in preventing bullying and harassment because: • Most bullying is motivated by a desire to

achieve social dominance among peers.• The hurtful acts generally occur outside of

adult presence.• Telling students to “tell an adult” if they are

bullied isn’t effective when they believe that telling an adult could cause serious damage to their reputation or lead to retaliation.

• The common prevention approach typically focuses on only the socially marginalized student who faces multiple risks. Schools tend to ignore the hurtful acts of the “socially motivated” students, the “social climbers” who are well integrated, and are considered “popular” and “cool.” These students are often highly skilled in being hurtful, but behave appropriately in the presence of staff.

• In addition to addressing the challenges of more one-directional bullying, schools need to address the more complicated situation

How We Can Empower Our KidsBy Nancy Willard

April 2014 17

of “teen drama” that may involve many more players, all of whom are being hurtful. Social media appears to have increased these kinds of hurtful situations.

• The “Just say ‘no’” messages did not reduce drug abuse (West & O’Neill, 2004), so why should we think students will be responsive to adult-dictated rules like, “Don’t bully others?”

A New 21st Century ApproachClearly, U.S. schools must prepare stu-dents with the academic insights and skills necessary for success in work and life in the 21st century. But they also must en-sure that students gain responsible social relationship skills. These social competen-cies are equally important for success in work and life. By focusing on such social competencies, academic performance also improves.

Parents can encourage schools to shift to a 21st century approach in addressing bullying and harassment. A 21st century approach addresses the age-old problem of bullying by ensuring a positive school cli-mate, engaging students as full participants in the effort, and resolving negative inci-dents in a positive and restorative manner.

Schools incorporating a 21st century approach should:• Place a high priority on addressing

these issues through dedicated staffing at the district and school level, with broad-based committees that include school, student, parent, and community representatives.

• Measure what is happening locally to be able to assess the local concerns and evaluate progress. Use approaches that are research-based and have a likelihood of success.

• Review all policies and practices including school security, mental health plans, disciplinary policies, and incident reporting and tracking.

• Focus on the schoolwide positive management of student behavior and implement a comprehensive approach to

increase students’ social, emotional, and cultural competencies.

• Engage students in leadership roles to provide insight and recommendations and to implement student-led programs and activities.

• Specifically address the concerns of those students who are more typically targeted by assessing school practices, involving those students in planning, and in creating diversity support groups. Also address personal relationship issues, bullying associated with athletics and groups, and workplace bullying.

• Shift from punitive responses to an approach that addresses the challenges faced by all students involved and holds those students being hurtful accountable in a manner that remedies the harm and stops the continuation of the problem.

• Evaluate the effectiveness of every school intervention.

Parent leadership efforts can help schools shift to a 21st century approach. One of the most important steps parents can take is to start the conversation and initiate efforts to ensure that student voices


empowering against bullies

If You Think Your Child is Being Bullied…

Parents who believe their child or teen is being bullied or harassed need to document what is happening. Ask yourself the following questions and prepare your documentation accordingly:

1. Has your child or teen been the target of hurtful acts by another student or students? If so, de-scribe the situations that have occurred.

2. Have the hurtful acts been pervasive (widely spread), or persistent (continuing)? If so, how sig-nificant have the acts been? How many people have been involved? How many times has this happened?

3. As a result of these hurtful acts:• Is your child or teen emotionally distressed? Is this

distress reasonable under the circumstances? Key indicators of emotional distress would include: feeling anxious, scared, or really sad; wanting to retaliate against people or to hurt oneself; head-aches; problems sleeping; stomach pain; and avoiding people. Obtain a letter from your pediatri-cian documenting these concerns.

• Has there been a significant interference in the ability of your child or teen to receive an educa-tion or to participate in school activities?

- Indicators of interference with learning could include: skipped school one or more days; skipped a class one or more times; difficulty concentrating in class; difficulty completing assignments; received lower grades; or did not feel comfortable participating in class discussions or class activities.

- Interference with activities at school could include avoiding: riding the bus; certain areas of the school building; using the bathroom; using the locker room; going into the cafeteria; participating in school clubs; participating on

a school sports team; and attending school activities, like school dances or games.

If the answers to questions 1-3 are “yes,” then this constitutes bullying.

4. Is your child or teen a member of, or perceived to be a member of, a protected class as defined by federal or state civil rights laws?

5. Are the hurtful acts related to your child’s or teen’s membership, or perceived membership, in this protected class? If the answers to questions 1-5 are “yes,” this constitutes discriminatory harassment.

Create a Resiliency Plan Parents who feel their child is being bullied will need to approach the school or a higher administrative level to address this concern. In addition to deter-mining ways for eliminating the harassment, part of the discussion should focus on developing a sup-portive “resiliency” plan to help their child or teen:

• Establish a support system that includes adults and peers, both in and out of school.

• Help the child or teen learn to hold him or herself in a position that demonstrates strength and confi-dence and to walk with power and pride.

• Identify “heroes” to emulate who have successfully met life challenges.

• Focus on positive happenings and activities, especially activities involving friendly peers, and thinking about possibilities for his or her future.

• Decide to build on the insight he or she has gained to make a positive difference in the lives of others.

Document the Situation

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are better heard and that students assume a greater leadership role in setting and implementing anti-bullying policies and programs. 0

ReferencesBradshaw, C., Waasdorp, T., O’Brennan, L &

Gulemetova, M. (2011) Findings from the National Education Association’s nationwide study of bullying: Teachers’ and education sup-port professionals’ perspectives. National Edu-cation Association. Retrieved from http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/Nationwide_ Bullying_Research_Findings.pdf

Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network. (2011). The 2011 National School Climate Survey. Retrieved from http://glsen.org/nscs

Puhl, R., Peterson, J. & Luedicke, J. (2013). Weight-based victimization: Bullying ex-periences of weight loss treatment–seeking youth. Pediatrics, 131:e1-e9.

Robers, S., Zhang, J., Truman, & Snyder, T. (2012). Indicators of school crime safety. Bureau of Justice Statistics: Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/programs/crimeindicators/crimeindica-tors2012/

West, S. & O’Neal, K. (2004). Project D.A.R.E. outcome effectiveness revisited. American Journal of Public Health, 94(6), 1027–1029.

Additional ResourcesBradshaw, C., Sawyer, A. & O’Brennan, L.

(2007). Bullying and peer victimization at school: Perceptual differences between students and school staff. School Psychology Review, 36(3).

Butler, J. (2009). Unsafe in the schoolhouse: Abuse of children with disabilities. The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Inc.

Davis, S. & Nixon, C. (2013). Youth voice project: Student insights into bullying and peer mistreatment. Champaign, IL: Research Press.

Lumeng, J., Forrest, P., Appugliese, D., Kaciroti, N., Corwyn, R., & Bradley, R. (2010). Weight status as a predictor of being bullied in third through sixth grades. Pediatrics, 125(6).

Rose, C., Espelage, D., Aragon, S., & Elliott, J. (2011a). Bullying and victimization among students in special education and general education curricula. Exceptionality Education International, 21(2), 2–14.

Rose, C., Monda-Amaya, L., & Espelage, D. (2011b). Bullying perpetration and victim-ization in special education: A review of the literature. Remedial and Special Education, 32, 114–130.

U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. (2010). Peer-to-peer violence and bullying: Examining

the federal response. Retrieved from http://www.usccr.gov/pubs/2011statutory.pdf

Willard, N. (2014). Positive relations @ school (& elsewhere): Legal parameters and positive strategies to address bullying and harassment. Eugene, OR: Embrace Civility in the Digital Age.

About the AuthorNancy Willard, M.S., J.D. has degrees in spe-cial education and law. She taught emotionally disturbed students, worked in computer law, and then shifted to educational technology planning. When students started using the In-ternet in school, she saw a need for someone with combined expertise in the areas of youth risk behavior, technology use, and legal issues to provide a research-based, constructive per-spective on the issues related to bullying pre-vention.

Along this path, Nancy realized that it is impossible to address issues of bullying in the school environment, or when using digital technologies, using a 20th century “rules-and-punishment” approach. Her new book Posi-tive Relations @ School (& Elsewhere) presents a new model for addressing bullying and ha-rassment. Contact Nancy or view her work at http://www.embracecivility.org/.

What About Cyberbullying?

Multiple research studies have demonstrated that the vast majority of today’s youth are making good choices online and when using cellphones. Most are effectively handling the negative situations that occasionally occur and are not overly distressed by these situations. Most do not like seeing people engage in hurtful online behavior. Sometimes young people make mistakes that could be prevented if they fully understood the risks and effective strategies to avoid and respond to negative situations.

When a situation escalates, however, the “adult-control, rules-and-punishment” approach does not work to

address cyberbullying. Schools don’t make rules for websites and apps, school staff are not present in youth digital environments, students far more often fail to report digital abuse, and punishment can lead to anonymous, widespread digital retaliation involving participants outside of the authority of the school.

Review Nancy Willard’s 21st century framework for bullying (main article) through a cyber lens. It’s ap-plicable in the digital world, too.


ordinary or outstanding

Children’s learning opportunities can be ordinary or outstanding. Here’s an overview of my own opinions for optimizing them, in no particular order.

• Online venues—increasingly, technology informs what people do and what they know, and there are countless apps, links, tools, and portals for extended learning.

• Obvious—as tech-boundaries continue to expand so, too, does the need to oversee how children utilize the outlets and options.

• Old-fashioned—listening, chatting, reading together, playing games—these aren’t new-fangled ideas—they’re old-fashioned, tried-and-true, important ways to foster children’s development.

• Originality—encourage creativity. Outrageous, obscure, odd or off-beat ideas can often be springboards for exciting new endeavors.

• Ology—astrology, biology, zoology. From A to Z, there are many “ologies” (or forms of knowledge) that might capture children’s inter-est. Encourage their pursuit and help them find resources, programs, activities, and mentors.

• Open-mindedness—give children a heads-up: Learning opportuni-ties can occur at any time, in any place, real or virtual, often or oc-casionally.

• Organization—lots of options, even the most captivating ones, can be overwhelming for kids if they’re not organized. Help them become adept at managing their time, materials, and techno-activity.

• Opposition—healthy opposition is good for appreciating other peo-ple’s perspectives. Teach kids the benefits of controversy, debate, and deliberation, all of which will enhance their thinking and learning.

• Overabundance—too much of anything is generally not good. Kids sometimes need assistance recognizing this so that opportune times remain opportune and not onerous.

• Observation—keep your eyes open to ensure that children are feel-

ABCs of Being Smart…O Is for OpportunitiesBy Dr. Joanne Foster

OOptimism

April 2014 21

ing comfortable with their schooling, extra-curricular, and other experiences. Ensure challenges are suitable (not too easy and not too hard).

• Objectives—help kids set reasonable goals—ones they can orchestrate, and that are attainable.

• Offerings—aside from conventional school curriculum, think about commu-nity centers, extracurricular programs, mentorship possibilities, and specialty focus courses (for example, in the arts,

such as origami, opera, or oil painting). • Optimism—a positive attitude can help

make okay experiences even better. 0

Author’s Note Joanne Foster, Ed.D., is co-author (with Dona Matthews) of the award-winning book Being Smart About Gifted Education, 2nd Ed. (2009, Great Potential Press), and Beyond Intelligence (in press, Anansi). As a parent, teacher, consultant, researcher, and education specialist, Dr. Foster has more

than 30 years of experience working in the field of gifted education. She teaches at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto, and writes and presents extensively on a wide range of gifted-related topics at conferences and learning venues across North America. Her book on procrastination, Not Now Maybe Later, will be published in 2014. Visit her website at www.beyondintelligence.net or contact her at [email protected].

Open-mindedness

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