- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock /news-archive/tag/gifted-education/ ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Tue, 09 Apr 2019 12:53:27 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 MacFarlane receives Early Leader Award for significant contributions to gifted education /news-archive/2019/04/09/macfarlane-receives-early-leader-award-for-significant-contributions-to-gifted-education/ Tue, 09 Apr 2019 12:53:27 +0000 /news/?p=73932 ...]]> A University of Arkansas at Little Rock professor has been recognized for her significant contributions and service as a leader in the field of gifted education. Dr. Bronwyn MacFarlane, a professor of gifted education, received the 2018-19 Early Leader award from the National Association for Gifted Education (NAGC). The Early Leader Award is given nationally to the individual with the most potential and exceptional early leadership track record based on their professional contributions to the field of gifted education in their early career. “The awards program shines a light on those who are making a difference in supporting gifted children as they reach to achieve their personal best,” said NAGC Executive Director M. René Islas. “Dr. MacFarlane is an accomplished author and speaker who is guiding work at the local, state, and national level.” In another honor, MacFarlane has also received the Faculty Excellence Award in Research and Creative Endeavors for the College of Education and Health Professions. MacFarlane is the editor and writer of four books about educational processes for high-ability learners. She is currently chair of the National Association for Gifted Education STEM Network, has also served as guest editor of Roeper Review, a journal on gifted education, and writes the national column, “The Curriculum Corner,” in Teaching for High Potential magazine. MacFarlane published three of her books in the last three years and her latest book,” (2018), provides educators and parents with a guide about delivering school-wide change, serving learner needs, developing critical thinking and content mastery, and showcases specialized schools that are differentiating for specific areas of talent development. In the past 15 years, MacFarlane has taken note of the increased demand for more specialized school programs such as STEM education. She believes that combining the lessons of gifted education is the way to make a winning formula for providing great STEM education as well as other educational programs. “STEM education has been a topic of interest for many years,” she said. “Some school leaders and teachers may find themselves tasked with starting or revising a STEM program and there is a lot to consider in offering quality programs. How do we begin? What are the best materials to use? How will this program make a difference in supporting student growth and development? To offer STEM programs is important, but you want to deliver high-quality STEM programs that will offer students an advanced understanding in STEM topics and we can learn the how-to’s from the field of gifted education, such as ways to deliver curriculum and instruction with powerful, quality, and best-practice strategies.” In the upper right photo, Dr. Bronwyn MacFarlane (middle) receives the 2018-19 Early Leader award from Dr. Jonathon Plucker (left), NAGC president-elect and professor at Johns Hopkins University, and Dr. Sally Krisel, NAGC president and faculty at University of Georgia, at the 65th Annual Convention Celebration of Excellence Awards Ceremony of the National Association for Gifted Children. ]]> Gifted education, STEM equals winning combination for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock teacher /news-archive/2018/05/30/gifted-education-stem-research/ Wed, 30 May 2018 13:56:30 +0000 /news/?p=70667 ...]]> As a gifted education professor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with more than a decade of experience, Dr. Bronwyn MacFarlane is always looking for ways to share the gift of education. In the past 15 years, MacFarlane has taken note of the increased demand for more Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. She believes that combining the lessons of gifted education is the way to make a winning formula for providing great STEM education. “STEM education has been a hot topic for 12 to 15 years now,” she said. “Some teachers may find themselves tasked with starting a STEM program. There is a lot to think about. How do I begin? What are the materials to use? To offer STEM programs is important, but you want to deliver high-quality STEM programs that will offer students an advanced understanding in STEM topics. That is what we can learn from the field of gifted education – ways to deliver curriculum and instruction in powerful, quality, and best-practice strategies.” MacFarlane recently explored this topic by serving as a guest editor of the Roeper Review, an academic journal. The special issue explored integrating STEM education with gifted curriculum. The refereed articles in the special issue explored curriculum planning in STEM education, robotics programs, how to integrate the arts into STEM education, measurement of the success of academic programs, and international STEM education programs. “Serving as guest editor is an important scholarly task as the guest editor identifies a specific topic that needs to be further addressed in a special publication. Before this special issue came out, I led the creation of a 2016 book titled It has been well received as a guidebook for educators and also translated into Arabic,” she said. “This special spring journal issue of Roeper Review takes it a step further with the latest research that has focused on integrating STEM and gifted education practices, so it moves us forward in understanding what works and how educators can offer programs that are really high-quality and powerful learning experiences.” MacFarlane pointed to the Girls in STEM Leadership Conference on campus as an example of a high-quality and powerful learning experience that promotes STEM education. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock STEM Education Center hosted three conferences during the spring 2018 semester for hundreds of girls in the seventh and eighth grades. MacFarlane served as a guest speaker on a panel discussion led by women working in STEM fields. “I spoke to the girls about my work as an educator and a scholar. I described research findings about characteristics of successful achievers and how we can learn from patterns of success,” she said. “We had a really enthusiastic response from all the students in attendance. They wanted to know how we successfully achieved our goals so they could do that for their own personal journeys.” MacFarlane also serves as the nationally elected chair of the with more than 1,000 members in the National Association for Gifted Children. She is continuing to add to the body of research for gifted education with a new book coming out this summer, The new 2018 book focuses on how to serve high-ability learners in specialized schools and deliver school-wide educational change. ]]> Longtime ��Vlog��ý Little Rock volunteer to receive President’s Award /news-archive/2018/05/03/longtime-ua-little-rock-volunteer-receive-presidents-award/ Thu, 03 May 2018 17:25:44 +0000 /news/?p=70413 ...]]> For Mauri Douglass, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock holds a special place. It’s where she laid the foundation for a 30-year career in gifted education. It’s where she met her husband, where many of her lifelong friendships first took root, and where her own children would later attend. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is also where Douglass has remained engaged in community service and why she has been chosen to receive this year’s Presidents Award, which honors alumni who have achieved career success, donated time and talents to their community, and remained in touch with their alma mater as a volunteer and resource. The award will be presented at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Distinguished Alumni Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Friday, May 11, in the Great Hall of the William J. Clinton Presidential Center. Douglass has volunteered hundreds of hours serving on the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni Association Board. For the past four years, she has chaired Taste of Little Rock, a signature fundraiser for the university. This year’s event raised more than $138,000 for scholarships. Choosing ��Vlog��ý Little Rock was an easy decision for Douglass (Class of ’74 and ’86). Both of her parents attended the former Little Rock Junior College, and three of her four siblings also attended. When her older sister, Vicki Draper, attended, the university was called Little Rock University. Two of Douglass and her husband Lee’s three children have chosen ��Vlog��ý Little Rock for their education. Middle child Jay Douglass has a computer science degree. Daughter Keri Douglass Walker earned an undergraduate degree from Wellesley College in Massachusetts and completed a master’s degree in business information systems at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in December. The couple’s youngest child, Sam, is a junior at ��Vlog��ý Fayetteville. Douglass completed two degrees of her own during her time at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock – an undergraduate degree in elementary education in 1974 and a master’s degree in education in 1986 – as well as a certification in gifted education. “Arkansas was on the forefront of gifted education,” Douglass said. “People were coming from around the country to see what we were doing. It was the place for gifted education, and I was fortunate I was educated here.” Douglass taught for 33 years, including 25 years in gifted and talented education. All but two years of her career were spent in the North Little Rock School District, including Rose City, Boone Park, Amboy, and Crestwood elementary schools. She credits her long, successful teaching career to the education she received at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and to the connections she made. Douglass retired from teaching in 2010, and husband Lee retired in December 2017 as chief legal officer at Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield. The couple may not have met had it not been for Greek life at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Mauri was a Chi Omega, and Lee was a member of Kappa Sigma. When members are initiated, they receive a chapter pin number based on the order of initiation into the chapter. The couple have the same pin number – 141 – in their respective Greek organizations. “We were meant to be together,” she said matter-of-factly. “We started dating my sophomore year, and we will be married 45 years in June.” Greek life has remained a part of Douglass’ life long after college. After graduation, she served as a Chi Omega chapter advisor for 12 years the first time around. Then, in 2011, she returned for a second round as recruitment advisor and community service advisor. She retired from those positions in 2016 and is now alumnae liaison for the Chi Omega chapter at the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni Association, her Gamma Zeta chapter sisters, and the Little Rock Chi Omega Alumnae Club. “I know people across all 54 years of Chi Omega’s presence at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock,” she said. “I can go into any age group and feel like I’m one of them.” When the Chi Omega chapter began planning for its 50th anniversary in 2014, Douglass was asked to chair the event. “The tradition for the 50-year celebration is a gift to the university. That’s how I got really involved at ��Vlog��ýLR,” Douglass recalled. “During that time, I got to know people in the Alumni Association. They helped us find missing sisters and helped us plan our courtyard.” To raise money, the sorority sold bricks to help build and maintain Chi Omega Courtyard Plaza near Ottenheimer Library. Another fundraising campaign raised money for the Gamma Zeta Scholarship, a $1,000 scholarship awarded each spring to a member of the Gamma Zeta Chapter of Chi Omega. Douglass doesn’t foresee her family’s involvement ending any time soon. “This is where we made so many friendships and connections that have been so helpful, both personally and professionally,” she said. “We love ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and all that it has done for us.” Mauri Douglass is the recipient of the 2018 ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Presidents Award. Photo by Sara Reeves.]]> Registration open for gifted and talented youth summer SLUFY program /news-archive/2018/02/19/registration-slufy/ Mon, 19 Feb 2018 14:54:04 +0000 /news/?p=69457 ...]]> The Summer Laureate University for Youth (SLUFY) program is accepting applications for this year’s educational event for high-ability students in kindergarten through eighth grade. This summer’s programming is set to run 12:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. daily from July 9-20. Now in its 39th year, SLUFY is a program of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Education that gives high-ability students the opportunity to explore their interests and talents through classes in a variety of subjects. Students also will meet other talented students, forging friendships that last long beyond the summer program. Certified master teachers, graduate students in gifted and talented education, and other experts enthusiastically help these youths learn and grow in new, exciting ways. Courses offered involve fun, hands-on activities in math, science, the arts, social studies, and language arts, all targeted to specific age groups. Kindergarteners will explore the world of “creepy crawlies,” including the anatomy of bugs and insect habitats. They also will go on a world tour, exploring the history and languages of Mexico, Brazil, Egypt, Kenya, Germany, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Australia, and Canada. First- and second-graders can learn how to cook mac n’ cheese, cobbler, and other food favorites during a power outage by harnessing the power of the sun and creating a solar oven, while third- and fourth-graders see how NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory engineer rovers are used to explore faraway worlds. Additional courses will explore engineering, oceanography, paleontology, superheroes, art, and Mexican culture. Students in fifth and sixth grade can learn the ropes of being a science fiction writer, learn about spies, espionage, and secret codes in the “Incognito” class, and explore the popularity of the escape room in “The Great Escape.” Seventh- and eighth-graders can learn how to defend themselves from zombies and survive an invasion during a zombie apocalypse, learn about great storytelling masters like Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman, and explore the world of musical theater through “Broadway Academy.” The cost to attend SLUFY is a $25 application fee and a $275 tuition fee, which includes all supplies and materials, field trips, and a T-shirt. Applications can be filled out online, emailed to giftedcenter@ualr.edu, or mailed to the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Jodie Mahony Center, 2801 S. University Ave., S��Vlog��ý 101, Little Rock, AR 72204. Scholarships that cover $200 of the program tuition are available for applicants who demonstrate financial need. Applications for the Martha Gaunt Bass Scholarship are due by Monday, May 14. For a full list of courses, to inquire about scholarships, or to register online, check out the Summer Laureate University for Youth website or call 501-569-3410. ]]> Collaboration to provide gifted and talented training for Pulaski Heights Middle School teachers /news-archive/2017/05/10/gifted-and-talented-collaboration/ Wed, 10 May 2017 16:21:39 +0000 /news/?p=67137 ...]]> Teachers from Pulaski Heights Middle School are going back to school at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock to learn how to more effectively teach gifted and talented middle school students in mathematics and literacy. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Education and the are teaming up to provide the teachers training though the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock School of Education’s gifted and talented licensure program. “Training teachers in gifted, talented, and creative instruction and services is a hallmark of districts who are interested in advancing the performance and engagement of all students,” said Dr. Ann Robinson, director of the Jodie Mahony Center. The online program offers dynamic coursework through which teachers will learn a broad range of skills for teaching advanced children, including identifying talents, designing and implementing curriculum, and addressing social and emotional needs. “Keeping advanced students engaged and making learning gains through the middle school years is critical to preparing them for bright futures,” said Dr. Christine Deitz, associate director of the Jodie Mahony Center. The Little Rock School District is covering the cost of tuition and fees so more teachers and students can benefit from the program. The collaboration began when Principal Darryl Powell started researching ways to keep his students and teachers at Pulaski Heights Middle School motivated and performing well. The school was recently recognized as an “Achieving School” as determined by results from the 2015-2016 ACT Aspire, a standardized test measuring how student perform in math and reading. Powell met with Robinson, Deitz, Jennifer Thomas, coordinator for Gifted Secondary Programs at Little Rock School District, and Dr. Daniel Whitehorn, associate superintendent of secondary education for the Little Rock School District. Joy Thompson, a sixth-grade English teacher at Pulaski Heights, is excited about the opportunity to enhance her teaching by earning the licensure. “I’m looking forward to learning unique strategies and approaches to help foster my students’ gifts in such a way that will cultivate and enhance their learning,” Thompson said. Dr. John Kuykendall, director of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s School of Education, is looking forward to the partnership and a continued relationship with the Little Rock School District. “The School of Education program in gifted and creative education is uniquely positioned to develop Pulaski Heights Middle School teachers’ classroom instruction for advanced learners,” Kuykendall said. Pictured in the upper right photo, from left to right, back row: Terese Oliver and Holly Wolfe; Front row: Jennifer Thomas, Dr. Christine Deitz, Dr. Ann Robinson, and Darryl Powell.]]> Registration open for gifted and talented youth summer program /news-archive/2017/04/04/registratiom-gifted-and-talented-youth-summer-program/ Tue, 04 Apr 2017 20:45:56 +0000 /news/?p=66750 ...]]> The Summer Laureate University for Youth (SLUFY) program is accepting applications for this year’s educational event for high-ability students in kindergarten through eighth grade. This summer’s programming is set to run 12:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. daily from July 10 to July 21. Now in its 38th year, SLUFY is a program of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Education that gives high-ability students the opportunity to explore their interests and talents through classes in a variety of subjects. Students also will meet other talented students, forging friendships that last long beyond the summer program. For the first time in 10 years, the summer camp is returning to the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock campus. Certified master teachers, graduate students in gifted and talented education, and other experts enthusiastically help these youths learn and grow in new, exciting ways. Courses offered involve fun, hands-on activities in math, science, the arts, social studies, and language arts, all targeted to specific age groups. Kindergarteners will explore the world of “creepy crawlies,” including the anatomy of bugs and insect habitats. They will also go on a world tour, exploring the history and languages of Mexico, Brazil, Egypt, Kenya, Germany, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Australia, and Canada. First- and second-graders can learn how to cook mac n’ cheese, cobbler, and other food favorites during a power outage by harnessing the power of the sun and creating a solar oven, while third- and fourth-graders see how NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory engineer rovers are used to explore faraway worlds. Students in fifth and sixth grade can learn the ropes of being a professional actor or journalist, determine the probability of winning game shows like “The Price is Right” or “Deal or No Deal,” and explore J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series through fiction writing. Seventh- and eighth-graders can learn how to defend themselves from zombies and survive an invasion during a zombie apocalypse and explore the technology of the 1990s. The cost to attend SLUFY is a $25 application fee and a $275 tuition fee, which includes all supplies and materials, field trips, and a T-shirt. For a full list of courses, to inquire about scholarships, or to register online, check out the Summer Laureate University for Youth website. In the upper right photo, a SLUFY instructor teaches gifted children the finer points of making windmills in the SLUFY program. Photo by Lonnie Timmons III/��Vlog��ý Little Rock Communications.]]>