Gifted children have a variety of unique gifts as well as a variety of unique needs and challenges. Join the Institute for Educational Advancement as we explore ways to meet our gifted children’s particular needs and learn more about this extraordinary group of young people. These monthly meetings are intended for parents of gifted children to provide free support and community in the midst of the joys and challenges of raising a gifted child.
Next Meeting:
Personalized Learning for Gifted Students
Speaker: Louise Hindle
Thursday, May 1, 2014
6:30 pm—8:00 pm
Institute for Educational Advancement
569 South Marengo Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91101
Educational discourse and pedagogy seems fascinated with personalized learning. We see it embedded in the Race to the Top Campaign, we see it interwoven in discussions about the effective use of technology in the classroom; what, however, does it mean in policy and practice for gifted students? This talk will conceptualize personalized learning and define some best fit teaching for learning strategies for gifted 2nd through 8th graders.
Louise Hindle is IEA’s Academy Coordinator. A British import, Louise graduated from the University of Manchester with a B.A. Honors Degree in English Literature and Language, completed her post-graduate teacher training at The University of Cambridge, and has recently completed her dissertation in Educational Leadership and Innovation with the University of Warwick. Louise has 20 years of experience in education as a high school literature teacher, lead teacher, administrator, adviser, and consultant. She is also the parent of three fun and active school-aged children.
Full 2013-2014 Schedule (subject to change):
The Middle & High School Selection Process
Speaker: Bonnie Raskin
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
6:30 pm—8:00 pm
IEA Learning Center
625 Fair Oaks Avenue, Suite 288
South Pasadena, CA 91030
Bonnie will be addressing the various steps in the middle and high school selection process, including:
- How to find schools that are the right “fit” for your child
- What goes on at various events such as Open Houses, Shadow Visits, and interviews
- Ways to familiarize yourself with a school above and beyond formal visits
- How to prepare for an interview
- How to enlist and secure strong letters of recommendation
About the Speaker:
Bonnie Raskin is IEA’s Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship (CDB) Program Coordinator. She has worked in the admissions offices of multiple Los Angeles area private schools. Working with the CDB program, she offers extensive support to a group of middle school students each year as they apply to and select their CDB high schools.
Addressing the Elephant in the Room: How to Talk About Giftedness
Special Guest Speakers: Sharon Duncan & Dr. Joanna Haase
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
6:30 pm—8:00 pm
South Pasadena Public Library Community Room*
1115 El Centro Street
South Pasadena, CA 91030
Why is it so difficult to talk about gifted? Parents, educators, and politicians resist discussing the needs of gifted children due to fears of being perceived as elitist. This reluctance adversely impacts gifted students in terms of funding, development of services, and willingness of parents to seek out support for their gifted children. This session explores America’s views and discomfort with giftedness, why it exists, and how we can work collectively to change the misperceptions.
About Sharon Duncan:
Sharon Duncan is the co-founder of Gifted Identity. She provides consulting support to parents, teachers, schools, and districts to help them meet the needs of gifted children. Sharon also consults on homeschooling, decisions, options, and concerns. Sharon is a SENG Model Parent Group facilitator and serves on the Mensa Youth Programming Committee. She spent 26 years working at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory before leaving to homeschool her son. Sharon has served on the Board of Trustees of a private K-8 school and as President of the School Site Council at a public elementary school. Sharon regularly presents at schools, school districts, organizations, and state and national conferences on various topics about gifted children.
About Joanna L. Haase:
Joanna Haase, Ph.D., MFT, is a psychotherapist in Pasadena, California, with over 20 years of experience working with gifted individuals and their families. Dr. Haase specializes in eating disorders, anxiety, and depression and is the president and co-founder of California Gifted Network. Partnering with school districts throughout California, Dr. Haase works to educate parents, teachers, and administrators on how to better support gifted and talented students.
Parenting Precocious Kids: Understanding the Ups and Downs of Growing Up Gifted
Special Guest Speaker: Dr. Jim Delisle
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
6:30 pm—8:00 pm
South Pasadena Public Library Community Room*
1115 El Centro Street
South Pasadena, CA 91030
Parents of gifted children and teens have many questions about how best to meet their intellectual and emotional needs. They want to know what giftedness is and the label’s impact on other family members. They want to know how to advocate for their gifted child in a school setting mired in “bringing up the bottom” rather than “raising the bar” at the top. They want to know how to set expectations that are appropriate and attainable. And they want to know how to juggle the wide range of emotional intensities that often “comes with the territory” in raising gifted kids.
Dr. James (Jim) Delisle has taught gifted children and those who work on their behalf for more than 35 years. Jim retired from Kent State University in 2008 after 25 years of service there as a professor of special education. Throughout his career, Jim has taken time away from college teaching to return to his “classroom roots”, volunteering as a 2nd, 4th, 5th and 8th grade teacher. Too, Jim taught gifted middle school students one day a week in the Twinsburg, Ohio Public Schools. Currently, Jim works part-time with highly-gifted 9th and 10th graders at the Scholars’ Academy in Conway, South Carolina. The author of more than 250 articles and 19 books, Jim’s work has been translated into multiple languages and has been featured in both professional journals and in popular media, such as The New York Times, People Magazine, and on Oprah!
Feeding The Mind & Heart of Gifted Children
Speaker: Elizabeth Jones, IEA President & Co-Founder
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
6:30 pm—8:00 pm
South Pasadena Public Library Community Room*
1115 El Centro Street
South Pasadena, CA 91030
The integration of intellectual, physical, social, spiritual, and emotional aspects of self are crucial in a gifted child’s development. This talk will explore Dabrowski’s theory of overexcitabilities and how it connects to supporting the development of the whole child. The theory and practice will demonstrate that, as powerful as the mind of a gifted child is, it will not develop fully without nurturing the heart.
Programs for Gifted Kids
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
6:30 pm—8:00 pm
Institute for Educational Advancement
569 South Marengo Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91101
Come learn about IEA’s programs for gifted youth! Get more information, ask questions, and find the right program for your gifted child.
College Selection & Admissions for Gifted Students
Speaker: Kate Duey, Certified College Consultant
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
6:30 pm—8:00 pm
Institute for Educational Advancement
569 South Marengo Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91101
Kate will speak about the special issues facing gifted students and their families during the college search and application process. She has worked with IEA supporting gifted students since 2009 and has a wealth of knowledge about their unique challenges and their wonderful potential. Kate has a BA from Harvard College and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She earned College Counseling Certification from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Personalized Learning for Gifted Students
Speaker: Louise Hindle
Thursday, May 1, 2014
6:30 pm—8:00 pm
Institute for Educational Advancement
569 South Marengo Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91101
Educational discourse and pedagogy seems fascinated with personalized learning. We see it embedded in the Race to the Top Campaign, we see it interwoven in discussions about the effective use of technology in the classroom; what, however, does it mean in policy and practice for gifted students? This talk will conceptualize personalized learning and define some best fit teaching for learning strategies for gifted 2nd through 8th graders.
Louise Hindle is IEA’s Academy Coordinator. A British import, Louise graduated from the University of Manchester with a B.A. Honors Degree in English Literature and Language, completed her post-graduate teacher training at The University of Cambridge, and has recently completed her dissertation in Educational Leadership and Innovation with the University of Warwick. Louise has 20 years of experience in education as a high school literature teacher, lead teacher, administrator, adviser, and consultant. She is also the parent of three fun and active school-aged children.
*This activity is not sponsored by the City of South Pasadena or the South Pasadena Public Library.
To receive more information about our Gifted Child Parent Support Groups as it becomes available, please sign up for our email list and be sure to include your zip code.