Hurra (in Norwegian), hurra (in German), and hurray! 🙂 It’s June, and it’s the first Gifted Awareness Week in Germany. Why? To bring attention to the issue of gifted education, of course. Eigentlich sollte ich ja auf Deutsch schreiben, but my written German has turned a bit «wobbly», so I better stick to English.

This first Gifted Awareness Week in Germany was initiated by my friend Roya Klingner, the head and Founder of the Global Center for Gifted and Talented Children. Roya has a big heart for gifted children and she is working hard to achieve her goal of making the world a better place for all gifted children. Being a gifted child herself, and a Specialist in Gifted Education, she knows what it takes! – Roya and I had been discussing Gifted Education for quite some time before we met in real life during the European Council for High Ability‘s 13th Conference in Münster, Germany, last September. How? Roya is a woman of many talents, so she uses Social Media to increase awareness about the issues that Gifted Children face. So, we actually «met» in Second Life (The Global Virtual Meeting on Gifted Education in Second Life) before we met in Münster. (Join us for the next Global Virtual Meeting for Gifted Education in Second Life!)

Why Gifted Awareness?

Why do we need awareness about giftedness, and the needs of gifted children? Because when we, as Schools, Teachers, as a Socieety, know more about Giftedness and Gifted Education we can make a lasting impact on the lives of many gifted children.

But they’re so smart, they take care of themselves, right? – No. Sorry, that’s not quite the way it goes. Yes, they’re gifted, but they’re still children! If you’re still into that myth, please read the section on «Common Myths in Gifted Education» form the National Association for Gifted Children (USA).

But, surely. All Teachers Challenge all their pupils, right? – No. Sorry again. Without knowledge and training regarding giftedness and gifted children, it’s likely that Teachers miss out on the gifted child’s needs. The gifted child is different and might just behave differently from what the teacher perceives to be a «good student». For more information, have a look at what PotentialPlus.uk tell Teachers regarding children with High Learning Potential (HLP) here.

A Europe – for Gifted Children!

The awareness of the needs of gifted children is growing. To know more about their needs and how to take care of them in our schools we need research. And the researchers of Europe come together in the European Council for High Ability, ECHA:

The major goal of ECHA is to act as a communications network to promote the exchange of information among people interested in high ability – educators, researchers, psychologists, parents and the highly able themselves. As the ECHA network grows, provision for highly able people improves and these improvements are beneficial to all members of society.

As the Norwegian Correspondent of ECHA, it is a pleasure for me to wish Germany all the best during the first Gifted Awareness Week in Germany & Viel Erfolg bei der ersten Aktionswoche – Gemeinsam für Hochbegabte Kinder!

You’ll learn more by going to the website of the Global Center for Gifted and Talented Children and read more! 🙂