I am very excited and happy to announce that I will be teaching a 3-week online course/workshop for educators next fall about competitions for gifted and talented students. This course will be held from September 12-30 through the University of Iowa's Belin-Blank Center. I will announce the online registration information as soon as the fall schedule is posted on their website.

The course description is as follows:

“Educators often encourage participation in competitions in- or outside of the classroom as a means to develop and enhance the academic, creative, and leadership talents and abilities of gifted students. Researchers suggest that there are both advantages and disadvantages to the participation in competitions; with the right tools and a good roadmap, the experience can be exciting and memorable for you and your students.”

Involving students in a competition is more than just having them participate in a program in order to compete with others; it is a provision that can be made for gifted students to thoroughly follow a theme, go deeper into the content of a topic of interest, and learn valuable presentation skills that can be used over a lifetime. The benefits of learning new information and skills by following the various processes and steps involved with an assortment of diverse competitions are limitless.

This workshop is in the format of a Web Quest and will guide participants to discover some new and exciting possibilities for their students. More information to follow.

Jenelle S. Miller, Ed.D.