UPCOMING GIFTED CONFERENCES
Minnesota Council for the Gifted and Talented Annual Conference (MCGT)

The annual MCGT Conference for parents and gifted children is this Saturday, November 12th at Robbinsdale Middle School.

The 2016 Keynote Speaker, Lisa Van Gemert is known as the "Gifted Guru." She will be sharing best practices in relation to giftedness with a balance of neuropsychology, pedagogy, humor and fun!

As parents attend sessions, children grades 7 and under can select different exploration classes to take. 

For more information and registration click here.


Minnesota Educator's of the Gifted and Talented Conference

January 29-31, 2017
Cragun's Conference Center in Brainerd, MN

Keynote Speaker: Ian Byrd, the creator of the Byrdseed website for gifted education.

This conference is typically for educators but is open for parents of the gifted.

For more information on the
Quick Links:

High Potential/Gifted Program
Welcome to our first High Potential/Gifted newsletter of the 2016-2017 school year . This newsletter is intended for parents and guardians who have children who were identified as High Potential/Gifted in the Chisago Lakes School District.  

How fitting since it is Gifted and Talented Youth Week in Minnesota. Read Governor Dayton's proclamation here. 
Growth Mindset


Nature vs. Nurture? Are people born intelligent or is it learned? Have you every wondered about this age-old question?
 
Most experts agree that it's not either-or.  Scientists are learning that people have more capacity for lifelong learning and brain development than ever thought. Each person does have a unique genetic endowment, but it is clear that experience, training, and personal effort take them the rest of the way. 

According to Robert Sternberg, present-day guru of intelligence, the major factor in whether people achieve expertise "is not some fixed prior ability, but purposeful engagement."

Students at Chisago Lakes who have been identified for the High Potential/Gifted Committee have displayed advanced abilities in either math or reading at some point in their education. Our task is to maintain that ability and partner it with the purposeful engagement so that they can be successful throughout their lives.

One of the main ways we do this in the district is by promoting a growth mindset.  To see if you have a growth or fixed mindset, take the quiz here: Mindset Quiz.

To  learn more about Mindsets, please see the sections below.
Mindsets in Gifted Children

Fixed Mindset: The belief that we're born with a fixed amount of intelligence and ability. People operating in the fixed mindset are prone to avoid challenge and failures.

Growth Mindset: The belief tha twith practice and effort, people have limitless potential to learn and grow. 

Both mindsets exist in us all but whether we chooose to view various aspects of our lives through the lens of th egrowth or the fixed minset can make a big difference.

Mindset
Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D.

The book  Mindset  by Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D. was first published in 2006 and has been generating a lot of notice lately. Based on decades of research on achievement and success, Dweck has discovered that it is not just our abilities and talent that bring us success, but whether we approach our goals with a fixed or growth mindset. 

Dweck's book makes it clear that praising our children's intelligence and aiblity doesn't foster self-esteem and lead to accomplishment but may actually jeopardize their success. With the right mindset, we can motivate our kids and help them to improve in school, as well as reach their own goals.