By Dianne Lockhart
MONTE
VISTA, CO-Public schools work hard to address the needs of all students, but still there seem to be some who fall through
the cracks, if they are not recognized for being a gifted student. Colorado schools in recent years have implemented programs
for gifted students, with Monte Vista schools among them, showing progress for gifted students in kindergarten through twelfth
grades.
Parents are taking a more hands-on approach, in some cases, by providing their gifted students a home schooled,
custom-tailored educational program. With schools such as those listed below, which are only a small sampling, and many other
Universities specializing in this, now, local public schools will have to compete, at least on the middle to upper income
level students whose parents can afford to offer distance learning to their children. With shrinking budgets, enrollment,
and CSAP regulations, local schools could see changes in the future, but change is not always a bad thing. The distance learning
schools have begun offering courses designed to fit into and mesh with the curriculum of local schools, so students have the
added advantage of both worlds.
There are even schools you wouldn’t consider to be distance education specialists-
schools such as Texas Tech, who now offer home school courses. There are many schools, now, online with materials available
for most students, even the gifted, some of which are household names. Here is some general information available at their
sites, in their own words, for just a few of these schools:
Johns Hopkins University’s CTY Online
Thanks
to advances in technology, especially the Internet, CTY can offer a wide variety of courses anytime, anywhere, through distance
education. CTY began offering distance courses in 1983 with assistance from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The
program, now known as CTYOnline, has grown to more than 7,000 enrollments yearly, with students throughout the United
States and more than 60 countries.
CTY's unique distance education program provides challenging academic courses all
year long for eligible students in grades K through 12. Like CTY's summer programs, the distance courses are varied, demanding
and very appropriate for our highly able students. Unlike the summer programs, however, students can work from home or school,
guided by CTYOnline faculty and using computers and the Internet to learn and interact with teachers and students.
Accreditation
The Commission on Secondary Schools of the Middle States Association of Colleges
and Schools accredits CTY for grades 5 through 12. Many schools work closely with CTYOnline, and a large number of
students arrange to obtain credit or placement from their schools for successful completion of CTYOnline distance
courses.
Read more >>> http://cty.jhu.edu/cde/
Stanford University’s Education Program
For Gifted Youth
The Education Program for Gifted Youth (EPGY) at Stanford University is a continuing project
dedicated to developing and offering multimedia computer-based distance-learning courses. Combining technical and instructional
expertise, EPGY provides high-ability students of all ages with an individualized educational experience, optimized in both
pace and content. Through EPGY, students have access to courses in a variety of subjects at levels ranging from kindergarten
through advanced-undergraduate. Since its inception over 50,000 students from 35 countries have taken courses from EPGY.
Northwestern
University’s Center For Talent Development (CTD) offers students the opportunity to participate in computer-based mathematics
and language arts courses that are developed and administered by Stanford University’s Education Program for Gifted
Youth (EPGY). This component of the Gifted LearningLinks Program allows academically talented students in grades K - 12 to
progress at their own pace in math and language arts courses.
Students in EPGY courses use the computer to access multimedia
lectures. These lectures are followed by exercises in which students answer questions that are evaluated by the computer.
Students also have the option of joining weekly sessions in the EPGY virtual classroom, a real-time forum for teacher-student
interaction.
EPGY students are assigned to course instructors who are available for additional instructional support
by phone, email, and virtual classroom. Instructors monitor student progress, review student assignments, and help address
particular student difficulties.
EPGY instructors have a thorough knowledge of their subject areas as well as expertise
in using technology to provide advanced instruction to gifted students. To ensure success, students should be in constant
contact with their instructors electronically. They may also seek help from their parents or other family members when questions
arise.
Computer Requirements
The EPGY courses are Web-based and run on computers with Windows
XP/2000 or Macintosh OS X 10 3/4. Computers must have browsers that support Flash and Java plug-ins. Textbooks are not required.
Recommended Weekly Time Commitment
Students should expect to spend anywhere from two to eight
hours per week on the course, depending on the age of the student and the level of the course.
Course Dates
EPGY
courses begin on the first of each month throughout the year and last for three months. Registration and payment must be received
at least one month prior to the desired start date.
Course Fees
The fee for EPGY courses is
$530 per course per quarter (three months). The fee includes tuition, registration and shipping. Full payment
for the first quarter of study is due at the
Courses
Accelerated K-2 Mathematics
Topics
include counting, elementary set operations, addition and subtraction, measurement, multiplication, fractional parts, and
shapes.
Accelerated 3-4 Mathematics
Topics include basic axioms of arithmetic: integers, symmetry, angles, polygons
and operations with fractions.
Accelerated 5-6 Mathematics
Topics include an introduction to plane and solid geometry,
sentential logic and sets, operations on fractions and mixed numbers, decimal arithmetic and percentages, functions and graphing,
area and volume, prime numbers, and probability.
Honors Pre-Algebra Grade 7 Mathematics
The topics covered in
grade 7 Mathematics are traditionally covered in a grade 7-8 pre-algebra mathematics curriculum. Topics include the coordinate
system, solving linear equations, surface area and volume, exponentiation, elementary statistics and trigonometry, absolute
value, and graphing.
Grades 3-5 Language Arts & Writing
The Language Arts and Writing course provides students
with a systematic presentation of the essential elements of English grammar and mechanics, focusing on grammatical concepts,
language conventions, and sentence-level writing. The content is divided into three curriculum strands: parts of speech, sentence
structure, and sentence composition.
Grades 7-12 English Grammar/Web-based
This self-paced grammar course is designed
to help students understand the grammar of the sentence and make stylistic choices informed by their knowledge of grammar.
Topics include effective subject and verb choice, active and passive voice, clause coordination and subordination, sentence
fragments, comma splices and run-together sentences, and phrasal modifiers, including verbal constructions for finite verbs.
The
University of Nebraska’s Independent Study High School
The UNL Independent Study High School offers
home school students the tools needed to earn a high school diploma from a fully-accredited and internationally-recognized
high school program.
The diploma program allows students the flexibility to choose their own track of study. This program
is highly effective for students seeking to attend college after high school, as the Independent Study High School is fully
accredited.
Independent study courses are also an excellent option for students looking to supplement their existing
curriculum. Over 100 courses allow home school students to explore a wide range of topics.
Read more >>> http://nebraskahs.unl.edu/waycool/course_demo.shtml
Hewlitt
Packard’s International Telementor Program
The International Telementor Program (ITP)
facilitates electronic mentoring relationships between professional adults and students worldwide, and is recognized as the
leader in the field of academic based mentoring. Since 1995 over 15,000 students throughout nine countries have received support,
encouragement, and professional guidance. ITP serves students in K-12 and home school environments as well as college and
university settings.
Telementoring is a process that combines the proven practice of mentoring with the speed and ease
of electronic communication, enabling busy professionals to make significant contributions to the academic lives of students.
Through mentoring by industry professionals, a corporation helps students develop the skills and foundation to pursue their
interests successfully and operate at their potential.
Although research shows that face-to-face mentoring programs
can have a variety of positive impacts, many top professionals believe they simply don't have the time to make that kind of
commitment. By spending about 30-45 minutes per week, mentors can help students achieve academic excellence and explore career
and educational futures.
A study of teacher survey data from the last three years (September, 1999 - March, 2002) indicates
telementoring is making a measurable difference for students. A high percentage of teachers witnessed significant improvement
in writing skills (95%), self-directed learning (88%), critical thinking skills (75%), career and workplace knowledge (57%),
desire to go to college (46%), subject grades (45%), and science comprehension and ability (44%). Access the research documents
on the Web site: www.telementor.org
ITP staff encourages you to consider providing this resource for your teachers
and students. The general steps to participate include:
1. Visit www.telementor.org to review successful ITP projects
from students around the world.
2. Identify teachers who have project based learning experience and technology skills.
3. Develop ITP projects that meet and enrich existing education goals.
4. Ensure teachers and students have a solid
connection to the Internet.
5. Determine whether students will be able to communicate 2-3 times per week with mentors.
6. Secure funding for your students to participate. The cost of the program is $200 per student.
7. Contact ITP
staff with your questions or comments.
For more information, visit http://www.telementor.org
Other sources:
http://www.cogito.org/Programs/programslist.aspx?distanceed
http://www.chec.org/
