Including opportunities for students to conduct independent investigations is a mainstay of gifted education programs and services. When carefully designed and skillfully facilitated, students' interest-based, independent study experiences result in increased intrinsic motivation, growth in 21st-century critical and creativity skills, greater…

Guidelines are offered to help teachers plan computer assisted instructional programs for gifted students. The flexibility of the computer enhances potential for academic acceleration. Examples of an alternative strategy for reviewing problem solving using BASIC are given. (CL)

Gifted intermediate-level students in Greenville, South Carolina, held a Future Fair in which students completed projects and developed critical and creative thinking skills as they investigated real problems. Projects such as models, inventions, photo essays, and creative writing focused on future schools, art, fashions, space travel, and other…

The Outdoor Research Project of Hutchinson Senior High School in Hutchinson, Kansas, was funded in 1977 to conduct a scientific baseline study of an outdoor education center and a state park. Gifted students used initial limnology tests, fish population studies, and groundcover analyses to produce management recommendations and a computer…

This paper examines cognitive capacities and dispositional characteristics that contribute to creative problem solving, including relationship generation skills, expertise, adaptability, and wisdom. The paper argues that programs for gifted and talented students should develop the beliefs, values, and motives that will encourage students to apply…

The manual is intended to help teachers of gifted elementary students teach independent learning skills. As a framework, it may be used to provide goals, objectives, conditions, and criteria for developing individualized educational programs (IEPs); to develop evaluation strategies; or to design instructional activities. Objectives and…

A program called OM (originally titled Olympics of the Mind), aimed at encouraging creativity in gifted and talented students via the industrial arts curriculum, is examined. Creative problem solving is discussed and examples of problems and format are included. Program effectiveness and public relations are described in detail. (CT)

To increase students' problem-solving abilities, the New York State New Compact for Learning requires schools to do more interdisciplinary, community-based work. Fairport High School's venture exploring the European Union evolved from Connections, a school-within-a-school program serving highly able students. Cooperation among three departments…

The manual describes the Maximize Talent program, a low budget offering for elementary gifted students. The program is said to rely on community tutors to provide creativity and problem solving experiences. Sections focus on the background (issues and problems in gifted education); program development (including sample budgets and job…

The American-born and -educated director of an international elementary and secondary school for gifted children in South Africa uses her 40 years of experience to explore the needs of gifted children and the goals of gifted education. The school provided an American-based educational program and English language instruction to a multilingual,…

Described is an approach to the teaching of thinking and problem-solving for gifted and regular education students, based on R.J. Sternberg's "Suggested Criteria for the Development of Thinking Skills Programmes." The program provides specific skills training and ample practice, emphasizes cooperative learning and motivation, and…

A pilot program was developed to offer gifted junior-high and intermediate students an opportunity to study the future and their role in it. The program consisted of a "Futures Symposium'" a series of preparatory sessions on creative problem-solving, ideation techniques, scenario writing, etc.; and a one-week program at Epcot Center.…

The article presents the Student Interest Unit (SIU) 0-100 (an instructional strategy based on student interest) approach to motivating gifted and talented children. (PHR)

A Wisconsin advocacy model for gifted education programs is presented, emphasizing ongoing collaboration and dissemination to most effectively utilize meager resources. Essential elements of the dissemination design are identified, including use of regional sites, requiring participation of an administrator on the team, group problem solving, and…

This article describes the development, over 13 years, of the Minnesota Young Inventors Program and Fair, focusing on its program components, including invention instruction and exhibit judging, the inventors fair, exhibit opportunities, plans for the future, and administration. The involvement of community businesses and corporations,…