Online distance learning programs are helping to meet the needs of gifted students by providing challenging learning experiences and opportunities to connect with like-minded peers. 

Some of these distance learning programs, such as those offered by the  Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth or Stanford’s Education Program for Gifted Youth, are excellent but they are very expensive, and they tend to only list typical academic sequences in Math, English, and some languages. 

A new program, the Gifted Kids Network (GKN) is offering engaging, multimedia-rich classes that encourage student activism.  This is fantastic!

Bright, talented kids are learning how they can make this world a better place.

Eight-year-old Alex just completed the Beta program for the Gifted Kids Network.  Despite the work involved and the late start (we didn’t find out about the class until a month into the session), he loved it. 

Each week in his Space Colonies Class, he got to watch videos or play games that taught him about the factors to consider - such as atmosphere or geology - when assessing the habitability of planets. Later in the course, he read The Green Book, a story about a family that is forced to leave a dying Earth to colonize a distant planet.

If you ask him, Alex will loudly proclaim that “The Green Book is the worst book on the face of the planet.”  I still don’t know why he had such a negative reaction, but I suspect it’s because the main character was a girl.  And, even though he hated the book, it certainly inspired his latest writing, Alex’s Journal: Journey to the New Planet. (See above.) 

Take a look at all the amazing projects that these talented students completed in various classes on the GKN Student Blog Site.  You will be impressed.

I think that what he liked best about this class was the chance to connect with other kids who share his interests.  Alex has been asking for his own IM account for awhile, but I don’t think he’s old enough to handle a public account like AOL’s AIM.  However, on the GKN there is a “lounge” where the kids can chat in a safe, teacher-monitored environment.

Now, he’s looking forward to GKN’s Animal Planet Summer Enrichment Class where he’ll get to create a humane, virtual zoo.  Older sister Kayla is also excited about the Cool Tools Summer Enrichment Class where she will get to create an online multimedia project that will incorporate “digital photography, video creation, web design, and more.”

Personally, I’m thrilled that they will both get to participate in a fun learning experience from the comfort of our home, or wherever we take our laptops!

More articles on Gifted Programs:

Testing For Talent - Why we signed up for Johns Hopkins Center For Talented Youth Talent Search.

Taking the SCAT Test - Taking the test that all 2nd-6th grade students must ace for Johns Hopkins CTY Talent Search.

Book Resource:

The Green Book (Sunburst Book): Jill Paton Walsh: BooksISBN: 0374428026
ISBN-13: 9780374428020

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