This document discusses free online resources available to parents of gifted children, including discussion forums, blogs, and curriculum resources. It provides an overview of support communities, parenting resources, advocacy tools, and social-emotional support available on the internet. The document encourages parents to utilize these free online tools and internet-based professional development opportunities to connect with others and find information to support their gifted children.

1. ©2008 C. Kottmeyer & K. Kearney
The Gifted Parent Online:
Totally Free Internet Tools for
Parent Support & Advocacy
By Carolyn Kottmeyer
and Kathi Kearney

2. ©2008 C. Kottmeyer & K. Kearney
You are not alone!
• 2.5% of the population
• Identification limited by state and district
mandates
• Privacy prevents contact
• Internet allows world-wide interaction…
• We are not alone!

3. ©2008 C. Kottmeyer & K. Kearney
Online Support
• Gifted discussion communities
 Homeschooling
 Twice Exceptional
 Exceptionally / Profoundly Gifted
• Gifted Blogs
 2e: Twice Exceptional Newsletter
 Eide Neurolearning Blog
 Gifted Exchange – Laura Vanderkam
 Unwrapping the Gifted – Tamara Fisher

4. ©2008 C. Kottmeyer & K. Kearney
Support Communities
• TAGFAM
 TAGFAM –Talented And Gifted FAMilies
 TAGPDQ – more than plain gifted
 TAGMAX – homeschooling gifted
• GT-Families
 GT-Families – general support
 GT-Special – twice exceptional gifted
 GT-Adult – adult gifted
• Gifted Online Conferences (NING)
 Variety of discussion topics plus conferences

5. ©2008 C. Kottmeyer & K. Kearney

6. ©2008 C. Kottmeyer & K. Kearney
Support Lists
• Specialized support groups…
 Homeschooling Gifted Children
 Homeschooling 2 College Life
 Michael Clay Thompson’s Language Arts
 Gifted-NLD-Aspergers
 2e Young Adults
 Auditory Processing
 Bright Kids (American Mensa)
 State and local gifted organizations…

7. ©2008 C. Kottmeyer & K. Kearney
Netiquette
• Keep your tone positive
 Use “I language…”
 No “flaming”
 Consider your audience (international)
 The “7%-38%-55% Rule”
• 7% words, 38% tone of voice, 55% body language
– Albert Mehrabian, Professor Emeritus of Psychology,
UCLA
• (Print and) Keep your welcome letter
 Unsubscribe, nomail, digest
 Don’t send list commands to the list

8. ©2008 C. Kottmeyer & K. Kearney
Online Parenting Resources
• Parents
 www.hoagiesgifted.org/parents.htm
 Research
 Resources
• Books
• Products
• Games & Toys
 Success Stories
 Frequently Answered Questions
 A Lighter Note

9. ©2008 C. Kottmeyer & K. Kearney
Online Parenting Resources
• Parents
 Characteristics & Identification
 Testing & Tests
 Highly / Exceptionally / Profoundly Gifted
 Traditional School
 Advocacy
 Homeschooling
 Summer & Saturday / Academic Programs
 Parenting
 Social-Emotional
 Twice Exceptional
 Special Topics

10. ©2008 C. Kottmeyer & K. Kearney

11. ©2008 C. Kottmeyer & K. Kearney
Online Parenting Resources
• Special Topics
 www.hoagiesgifted.org/special_topics.htm
 At-Risk Gifted Children
 ELL (ESL)
 Gender Issues
 Gifted Adults
 Creative / Math / Science / Humanities /
Musical / Technologically gifted students
 Philosophy

12. ©2008 C. Kottmeyer & K. Kearney
Online Parenting Resources
• Twice Exceptional
 www.hoagiesgifted.org/twice_exceptional.htm
 AD/HD
 Aspergers (AS)
 Auditory Processing (APD)
 Dyslexia / Dysgraphia / Dyscalculia
 Nonverbal Learning Disability (NLD / NVLD)
 Sensory Integration Disorder (SI)
 Visual Processing
 2e Role Models
 2e Books & Products
 Technology
 IEPs

13. ©2008 C. Kottmeyer & K. Kearney
Advocacy Resources
• Gifted Advocacy
 www.hoagiesgifted.org/advocacy.htm
• Competing with myths about the social and emotional
development of gifted students
 Myth 1. Gifted students should be with students their
own age
 Myth 3. Being perfectly well rounded should be the
primary goal
• Distinguishing Myths From Realities: NRC/GT Research
 Useful quiz for self-discovery and professional
development…
• Arguments and Red Herrings
 www.hoagiesgifted.org/arguments.htm

14. ©2008 C. Kottmeyer & K. Kearney

15. ©2008 C. Kottmeyer & K. Kearney
Advocacy Resources
• ERIC EC Clearinghouse for Exceptional
Children
 www.hoagiesgifted.org/eric
• Davidson Institute Guidebooks
 www.gt-cybersource.org
 Advocating for Exceptionally Gifted Young
People: A Guidebook
 Considering the Options: A Guidebook for
Investigating Early College Entrance (Parents &
Students versions)
 Mentorship: A Guidebook

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Online Curriculum
• Enrichment
 Interactive
 Reading lists
• Curriculum Units
 Every topic, grade level
 Many include educational objectives met
• Complete Classes
 Middle & High school

20. ©2008 C. Kottmeyer & K. Kearney
Online Enrichment
• Hoagies’ Kids & Teens Links
 www.hoagiesgifted.org/links.htm
 Art, Theater, Music
 Books & Authors
 Brain Teasers, Logic Puzzles & Optical Illusions
 Interactive Challenges
 For the Love of Words
 Math & Multiplication
 Science & Natural Science
 Social Studies, Economics, Geography
 Space
 Young Kids

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Curriculum Units
• Internet Investigations
 www.hoagiesgifted.org/investigations.htm
 Lesson Plan Collections K-12+
• Illuminations (math)
• JetStream (weather)
• Kennedy Center ArtsEdge (art)
• NASA Educational Materials Finder
• NOVA (PBS programs)
• Smithsonian
• Xpeditions (geography)
 Individual Lesson Plans, too

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Complete Online Courses
• (Free) Online High School Courses
 www.hoagiesgifted.org/online_hs.htm
 Ready-made curriculum
• Content, Evaluations, Text
 Some kids respond better than others to online
learning
• Run trial lessons
• Determine if course suits child
 Include discussion time…
• Parent, teacher, mentor, older student
 Download the course website
• WebWhacker**

31. ©2008 C. Kottmeyer & K. Kearney
Convincing Your School…
• Review the materials thoroughly
• Learn school policy on independent study for
credit
 State policy / accepted course list
 Find advocate within the system
• Get necessary approval
• Excellent option for…
 Lower-SES schools
 Block / 6-day scheduled schools
 High-level acceleration at any grade level

32. ©2008 C. Kottmeyer & K. Kearney
Middle & High School Options
• Assorted
 MIT OpenCourseWare Video Courses
 National Repository of Online Courses, Monterey
Institute
 UCBerkeley on YouTube
• English / Literature
 SCORE Literature Cyberguides
 Principals of Composition
 Debate Central: Critical Advocacy
• Science
 Forensics Illustrated: Step Under the Tape
 General Biology, Chemistry
 AP Physics, Biology, Environmental Science

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Middle & High School Options
• Math
 Algebra, Geometry, Calculus, Statistics
 AP Calculus, Statistics
• History
 Digital History
 AP U.S. History, U.S. Government
 My Own Business
• Languages
 Ancient or Modern Greek, French, German, Italian,
Icelandic, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese
• Electives
 Astronomy, Music Theory & Appreciation, History of
Religion, Computers

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Online Professional
Development
• Support our teachers!
• Online Communities, Blogs, Support Lists
 Gifted Online Conferences (NING)
 2eEducator
 Unwrapping the Gifted
 Davidson Institute Educators Guild
 CGEP Network (APA)
 Belin Blank Gifted Teachers Listserv
• Professional development curriculum…

45. ©2008 C. Kottmeyer & K. Kearney
Gifted Education Professional
Development Package
• Early childhood, primary & secondary
• Core, extension and specialisation
 Understanding Giftedness
 Identification of Gifted Students
 Social and Emotional Development
 Underachievement
 Curriculum Differentiation
 Developing Programmes and Provisions
• www.dest.gov.au/sectors/school_education/publicat

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48. ©2008 C. Kottmeyer & K. Kearney
Online Social-Emotional
Support
• SENG
 www.sengifted.org
 Articles and research
 Annual Conference
• Davidson Young Scholars
 www.davidsonyoungscholars.org
 Exceptionally / profoundly gifted ages 5-18
 Wide variety of support available…

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51. ©2008 C. Kottmeyer & K. Kearney
Online Access to…
Conferences
• Local, State, National, International…
 NAGC
 NAGC State Affiliates
 Local school district groups
 SENG
 SENG Parenting Groups
 Beyond IQ
 CTY / CTD / TIP Family Conferences

52. ©2008 C. Kottmeyer & K. Kearney
Internet Safety
• PC Security
 It’s not just your mother’s antivirus program any
more!
• Privacy
 You may be surprised what’s known about you
 And your home
 And…

53. ©2008 C. Kottmeyer & K. Kearney
PC Security
• Anti-Virus
 Current definitions!
• Anti-Spyware
 One scan, one memory resident
• Windows critical and security updates
• Phishing!
 Don’t click anywhere on an unexpected pop-up
• Google Toolbar
• www.hoagiesgifted.org/pc_security.htm

54. ©2008 C. Kottmeyer & K. Kearney
Privacy
• Learn all about yourself…
 www.Naymz.com
 www.ZoomInfo.com
 www.ZabaSearch.com
• Learn about your house!
 www.zillow.com
• Set up Google Alerts on yourself and family
 www.google.com/alert
• Register for Do Not Call; renew every 5 years
 www.donotcall.gov

55. ©2008 C. Kottmeyer & K. Kearney
Privacy Loss is Forever…
• Wayback Machine
 www.archive.org
 Historical snapshots of websites back to 1996
• Boards and Mailing Lists
 Archives

56. ©2008 C. Kottmeyer & K. Kearney
Special Note…
• The internet is free, but Internet websites are
not…
• Hoagies’ Gifted Education Page is supported by
your affiliate program purchases
 Shop through Hoagies’ Page links
 No cost to you; small percentage goes to
Hoagies

57. ©2008 C. Kottmeyer & K. Kearney
The Gifted Parent Online:
Totally Free Internet Tools for
Parent Support & Advocacy
Questions?
Thank you!