Whats behind the pushback diversity trainer Jane Elliot gets from many white students about her now-famous Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes exercise? The exercise aims to explain the daily struggles of nonwhite students, and the pushback doesnt come from a place of hate, but one of ignorance or even arrogance.

Its the common problem in our culture of denial, both in the sense of denying identity within race and thus denying the problem as well as denying the reality of...

I have one student~ who lives and breathes fishing. He knows more about different types of fish~ fishing gear~ and fishing conditions than most adults. He has read dozens of books and magazines on the subject~ written his own E-book on fishing~ and serves as a fishing guide for his father and other family members.

I think its safe to say hes obsessed with fishing.

In fact~ it can be quite common for gifted children and those highly curious and enthusiastic about...

1. Manners always matter; they help us negotiate complex and simple relationships. Manners serve as the guardrails for society. The internet too has guardrails to keep us from falling into trouble. In a recent infographic by Donna Queza~ (@twitter.com/donnaqueza)~ the following simple and essential Twitter Manners were highlighted for us to share with our students.
2. 1. Don't ignore someone when he/she talks about you-even if it uncomplimentary.
3. Think of Twitter as a...

"If we want them to achieve, we must link them with achievers....One plus one--Pass it on."
(H. Weinberg, The Public Television Outreach Alliance)

Sometimes my students simply amaze me.

I teach a second-grader, who is a full-blown animal lover. Last year, she collected supplies for the Humane Society. She devours books, often one per day, that have dogs and other animals in them. As part of her gifted project, she established a dog washing club in her...