Here's our latest video from our Homeschool Retreat series. Notice that, at times, the tutoring session can be as much about coaching a student through issues of self-doubt as it is about teaching or practicing an Orton-Gillingham based skill.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pyA9WZrCWg&w=640&h=360]
Today's interview features inspiring individual Nora S. Newcombe. Dr. Newcombe is Laura H. Carnell Professor of Psychology and James H. Glackin Distinguished Faculty Fellow at Temple University. Her Ph.D. was received in 1976 from Harvard University, where she worked with Jerome Kagan. Her research focuses on spatial cognition and development, as well as the development of autobiographical and episodic memory. A recent emphasis is on understanding the nature, development and malleability of spatial skills that facilitate learning of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). She is currently Principal Investigator of the NSF-funded Spatial Intelligence and Learning Center (SILC) and co-directs the Temple Infant and Child Laboratory (TICL) on Temple’s Ambler Campus and the Research in Spatial Cognition (RISC) Lab on Main Campus. Dr. Newcombe is the author of numerous chapters, articles, and books, including Making Space with Janellen Huttenlocher (published by the MIT Press, 2000). Her work has been recognized by numerous awards and publications. We're delighted to feature her wisdom in this interview.
Camp Spring Creek: We came across your essay published in American Educator titled “Picture This: Increasing Math and Science Learning by Improving Spatial Thinking” and agreed wholeheartedly with your observations. Thank you so much for providing teachers with concrete, age-appropriate ideas about incorporating spatial learning opportunities in their classrooms. We were struck by the idea that “learning styles” (ex. kinesthetic, auditory, visual) are a relative myth, and depend more on what a child is exposed to rather than any innate skills. Can you tell our readership, many of whom were trained under that philosophy of learning styles, a little more about this myth?
Dr. Nora S. Newcombe: Many people feel strongly that they like to learn some ways more than other ways. I think they may be right sometimes about what works for them, but not always. A particularly dangerous idea is that if you don’t like something or think you aren’t good at it, you should avoid it. Now that we know you can improve, it is sensible to say that we should all at least try to be well-rounded. It’s like eating. You may really and truly not like vinegar or artichokes, but you don’t really know until you’ve tried them. You might become an artichoke lover!
CSC: Is there one publication above all others that you might recommend for an enthusiastic education advocate or parent interested in learning differences? We’d like to know about something that isn’t wholly academic, but is still solid in its research and selection of content.
Dr. Newcombe: I would recommend another article in the American Educator. It’s by Dr. Daniel Willingham at the University of Virginia, whose Ask the Cognitive Scientist columns provide a wonderfully accurate and accessible account of what educators should know about cognitive science research. See http://www.aft.org/periodical/american-educator/summer-2005/ask-cognitive-scientist.
CSC: What advice would you give to a new elementary teacher who feels determined to “do it all,” yet likewise overwhelmed by the diverse needs presented by the children in any one given classroom?
Dr. Newcombe: I have never been a classroom teacher, but the teachers I know and admire all seem to me to be good at setting goals for themselves, starting with the basics of simple and solid and engaging classes and sensitive interaction with young children. In the longer run, they work on adding nuances and wrinkles. As with many things, it’s good to keep things simple at first, and proceed day by day.
CSC: We’re curious about your personal interest in education advocacy and spatial learning in particular. What draws you to focus on these things and how have you seen children in your own family struggle or succeed in today’s educational environments?
Dr. Newcombe: My interests are based on my love of science and math. I like to look at maps and graphs and diagrams, and I love visual art too. I just want to spread my passion because I think other people may enjoy (and benefit from) this way of thinking too.
We'd like to offer a round of applause and public note of appreciation to all our grant-funding organizations, partner organizations, trainees, tutors, counselors, staff, parents, and of course--our CAMPERS! Without the team effort from everyone on this list, we could not be where we are today. Where are we? We're in a position to offer slightly more scholarships each year, we're in a position to train local teachers without cost to the teachers themselves, we're in a position to observe and celebrate the accomplishments of our "extended family," we're in a position to expand year-round programming and improve our physical campus, and we're in a position of sincere gratitude to all of you as we look to the future and realize our fullest capabilities are within reach. Slow and steady, we're growing the best ways we know how. Thank YOU for making it possible!
For substantial funding and grants:
Ms. Robyn Oskuie (Endowment)
Dr. Louis Harris (Endowment)
CFWNC (People in Need Grant)
Mitchell Fund (People in Need Grant)
For partner organizations:
Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators
Augustine Project Winston-Salem
For individual donors:
Philanthropists: Mr. & Mrs. Bill Shattuck, Rainbow Fund, and The True North Foundation.
Benefactors: Triangle Community Foundation
Sponsors: Mr. & Mrs. Tom Brown, Mr. & Mrs. Duane Connell, Mr. & Mrs. Walter Daniels, Mrs. Lori Ferrell, Dr. & Mrs. Bill Sears, Longleaf Foundation, Mr. & Mrs. Samuel S. Polk, Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy Teaford,
Supporters: Mr. Edward Banta, Mr. & Mrs. Charles McClain, Mr. Andrew Oliphant, Mr. & Mrs. Robert Oliphant, Mr. & Mrs. Jonathan Schoolar, Dr. & Mrs. Brian Shaw, Mr. & Mrs. Mike Warren.
Contributors: Mr. Brown & Ms. Rosasco, Ms. Marobeth Ruegg, Mrs. Geradts Cutrone, Ms. Amanda Kyle Williams, Mr. C. Wilson Anderson, Jr., Mr. & Mrs. Dan Blanch, Mr. & Dr. Christy, Mr. Jon Ellenbogen & Ms. Becky Plummer, Mr. & Mrs. Jeff Greene, Dr. & Mrs. David Hoeppner, Mr. & Mrs. Morgen Houchard, Ms. Valerie Imbleau, Mrs. Karen Leopold, Mrs. Theresa Krug, Mr. Thomas Loring, Mr. & Mrs. Brannon Morris, Mr. & Mrs. Joel Plotkin, Ms. Rebecca Morgan, Dr. & Mrs. Anthony Shaw, Mr. & Mrs. Jason Smith, Mr. & Mrs. Robert Tucker, Dr. & Mrs. William Chambers, Dr. & Mrs. Taylor Townsend, Ms. Juanita Greene, Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Schulte, Mr. & Mrs. Matthew Baker, Mr. & Mrs. Ed Anderson, Mr. & Mrs. Roger Burleson, Mr. & Mrs. Charles Tappan, Mr. & Mrs. Scott Ramming, Mr. & Mrs. A D Dreibholz, Mr. Thomas Gilchrist, Mr. & Mrs. Phillip Jackson, Mr. & Mrs. Steve van der Vorst, Mr. & Mrs. Alton Robinson, Mr. & Mrs. Michael Wollam, Mr. and Mrs. Royall Brown.
Friends: Mr. R. Patterson Warlick, Mr. & Mrs. Joe Street, Mr. & Mrs. Frederick Pownall, Mr. & Mrs. Clinton North, Mrs. Nancy Coleman, Mr. & Mrs. David Broshar, E & J Gallo Winery, Ms. Gina Phillips, Mr. & Mrs. Raymond Humphrey, Mr. Paul Eke & Ms. Sonja Hutchins, Mr. & Mrs. James Butts, Mr. Eugene Morris, Mr. & Mrs. Jim O'Donnell, Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Cox, Mr. & Mrs. Roger Vorraber, Mr. John Littleton & Ms. Kate Vogel, Mr. & Mrs. Thor Bueno, Mr. Osaretin Eke.
This video from our Homeschool Retreat features the acronym CLOVER, which stands for the 6 syllable types: closed, consonant LE, open, vowel combo, silent e, and r-controlled. Watch and learn alongside the tutor (who is being observed for certification training hours) as the tutee works on this syllable drill.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNw-TW15k2A&w=640&h=360]
Here's the next installment in our video series from this fall's Homeschool Retreat. We hope to start using a more sophisticated video camera in 2015, so apologies in advance for the sound quality on this short clip. The visual part of this drill is what is essential, however. Notice how Susie uses gestures and expressions to guide the tutee toward success during this tutoring session: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojdNZCFqb9M]
We recently became aware of Thinking Differently: An Inspiring Guide for parents of Children with Learning Differences written by David Flink. David is both dyslexic and has ADHD, and tells a humorous, informative story in this Dyslexic Advantage video. He wants to change the message about learning differences so that people come to believe that the problem isn't "in" the child or adult who learns differently...rather, the child or adult holds a gift within. "Disability, or this ability," David often says. We're on board!
From the Amazon summary page for David's book: "In Thinking Differently, David Flink, the leader of Eye to Eye—a national mentoring program for students with learning and attention issues—enlarges our understanding of the learning process and offers powerful, innovative strategies for parenting, teaching, and supporting the 20 percent of students with learning disabilities. An outstanding fighter who has helped thousands of children adapt to their specific learning issues, Flink understands the needs and experiences of these children first hand. He, too, has dyslexia and ADHD. Focusing on how to arm students who think and learn differently with essential skills, including meta-cognition and self-advocacy, Flink offers real, hard advice, providing the tools to address specific problems they face—from building self-esteem and reconstructing the learning environment, to getting proper diagnoses and discovering their inner gifts. With his easy, hands-on “Step-by-Step Launchpad to Empowerment,” parents can take immediate steps to improve their children’s lives. Thinking Differently is a brilliant, compassionate work, packed with essential insights and real-world applications indispensable for parents, educators, and other professional involved with children with learning disabilities."
Continuing our series of interviews with inspiring individuals, we reached out to Mimi Koehl. Professor Koehl didn't learn she was dyslexic until age 45, when the locks to her lab at UC Berkley were changed from a standard lock and key to a coded keypad. She tried and tried to get into her lab and was routinely locked out. Friend and fellow scientist Jack Horner (also interviewed by Camp Spring Creek, right here), had previously suggested Professor Koehl might be dyslexic. After testing, Dr. Koehl found out that, indeed, she was dyslexic.
Mimi Koehl, a Professor of Integrative Biology at the University of California, Berkeley, earned her Ph.D. in Zoology at Duke University. Professor Koehl is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Her awards include a MacArthur “genius grant,” a Presidential Young Investigator Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship, the John Martin Award, the Borelli Award, the Rachel Carson Award, and the Muybridge Award. She studies the physics of how organisms interact with their environments, focusing on how microscopic creatures swim and capture food in turbulent water flow, how organisms glide in turbulent wind, how wave-battered marine organisms avoid being washed away, and how olfactory antennae catch odors from water or air moving around them.
Camp Spring Creek: When young college students are asked to choose a path in life, art and science are often perceived at opposite ends of the spectrum. As a young woman, you were pushed to pursue art and education, but quickly learned your passion lay with the sciences. But when you speak about the micro marine organisms that you study, your passion and imagination shine forth--often with vivid, visual descriptions that could easily translate into artwork. Do you still pursue the arts? Can you speak a little bit about the connections you find between these two seemingly opposite fields?
Dr. Koehl: I see two similaritities between what artists and scientists do. One is that we are all careful observers of the world around us. Scientists, however, have invented special instruments that enable us to observe things that we could not see just with our eyes. The other similarity is that both scientists and artists deal with abstractions that capture and simplify the important essence of something. Artists do this with paintings and sculptures, while scientists do this with theories and mathematical equations about how things work. Although both artists and scientists can be passionate about their work, scientists have to follow rules of evidence and hypothesis testing to make sure that the answers to their questions are objective. In contrast, art is very subjective. I have poured all of my creative energy into science, so I no longer do art...but maybe I will pick up art again in the future if I ever retire from doing science.
CSC: When you asked the folks at UC Berkley to provide you with a metal lock and key to your lab, after you proved you were dyslexic, how did they respond?
Dr. Koehl: The Americans with Disabilities Act applies to those of us with "learning disabilities" as well as to people with physical diabilities. Therefore, the university had to give me a metal key to my lab. That key for me is like a wheelchair ramp for people who can't walk.
CSC: You taught yourself many "survival skills" to get through the education system as a young girl. Your father shared many tips and techniques with you as well. Knowing what you know now, are there any everyday habits or "go-to" tools you use to make your work as a scientist and teacher more efficient?
Dr. Koehl: There are many, but I will just share a few simple ones…If you can't read things on a computer screen, print them out and then use the bookmark to help you read them. When writing equations, always leave lots of space around them so you can see what terms are in the numerator or denominator, which things are in parentheses, and which things are exponents. Then, use a different color to write the units for each term of the equation. Then, cancel the units and make sure when you are done that the units for the right side of the equation are the same as for the left side of the equation. If they are not, start over rather than getting muddled by the equation you have written that is wrong. Use lots of colored pens and highlighters and Post-Its to color-code your folders, notes, etc., so that you can find what you are looking for on a page or in a pile of papers without having to re-read them (which can take forever). Do not be messy. Keep all your papers and notes organized so you don't have to try to re-read them whenever you need to find something. Allow yourself LOTS of time to get something done. We dyslexics are very slow if reading is involved in a task. It is easier to understand a scientific principle and then use it to answer questions on an exam (or in real life) than it is to try to memorize all those words in the textbook.
CSC: Has learning about your own dyslexia changed the way you instruct others? If so, please share a specific example with us.
Dr. Koehl: Dyslexics are very good at visualizing things in 3-D and in seeing how they change over time. I have tried to use this ability to design visuals (diagrams, videos) to use in my teaching to explain scientific concepts to my students. I have also found that if I organize my slides, blackboard notes, and handouts so that they are easy to sort out by a dyslexic, then they are also easier to use for normal students as well.
Want more? Check out this creative interview with Mimi at I Was Wondering and her inspiring presentation at Dyslexic Advantage.
We came across this article by Dr. Barbara Moskal via LinkedIn and decided to reach out to her for an interview. We're delighted that she replied! Dr. Barbara M. Moskal is a Professor of Applied Mathematics and Statistics and the Director of the Trefny Institute for Educational Innovation at the Colorado School of Mines. She is also an associate editor for the Journal of Engineering Education. The opinions expressed herein are hers and do not necessarily reflect that of her colleagues or affiliations. Her passions and her work lie in changing the equation for attracting and training students of all ages to STEM.
Camp Spring Creek: In your article about dyslexia and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics), you explained the following: "According to Davis and Braun (2010), in 'The Gift of Dyslexia,' many dyslexic students naturally use three-dimensional reasoning as a technique for problem solving. When dyslexic students encounter a problem solving situation, they naturally change their three-dimensional perspective and examine the problem from various angles without shifting their observation point." But a typical classroom doesn't necessarily engage students with spatial learning opportunities, or the chance to creatively solve something through a student's own best means. How would you advise professionals to create lasting change in our education system that encourages acceptance of creative problem solving?
Dr. Moskal: Realistically, scientists and engineers use spatial reasoning everyday. The jobs available in these areas are very rewarding from both a intellectual and financial perspective. All students should have the opportunity to understand science and engineering through the manipulation of their physical world. Not only would this build on the natural abilities that some dyslexic students have but also it is likely to inspire more students’ interests in these lucrative and necessary fields.
Science and engineering were developed using three dimensional reasoning, physical manipulation and experimentation; it is not natural or inspiring to teach these subjects void of these features. If we want students to think like scientists and engineers, then we must allow them to experience science and engineering as the professionals do— through curiosity, experimentation and physical manipulations. Scientists and engineers do use the knowledge of the past and this often requires reading— but this reading is inspired by curiosity and a desire to learn and understand.
In order to implement such a change in the classroom, teachers— especially those who teach science, engineering and mathematics— need to experience science. They need professional development opportunities that allow them to experiment and explore — driven by curiosity and experimentation. What teachers do not need is more text based assignments to give to their students. Science is hands-on. We need to teach it that way.
CSC: Like you, we believe in the importance of early intervention. Can you tell us about one or two organizations or schools that you think are addressing this in compelling, successful ways?
Dr. Moskal: Currently, I am the Director of the Trefny Institute for Educational Innovation at the Colorado School of Mines. Each summer, this institute participates in the Rocky Mountain Camp for Dyslexic Youth (Director: Joyce Bilgrave). We participate in this effort because we believe in the scientific capabilities of these students. Students who struggle to read need to have the opportunity to participate in activities in which they can be successful. Science and engineering offer such activities. For two weeks of this five week camp, we provide hands-on activities that allow students to experience hands-on scientific and engineering learning. Most of the students are excited to come to their one-hour science unit. For many of them, after a challenging morning of reading, science is just plain fun. My graduate students and I have a blast too, because we know science is fun.
CSC: Playing devil's advocate, there are many reasons people might argue in favor of our current education system, which emphasizes literacy above STEM. For example, in order to drive a car and read directions, it's best if you can read. In order to earn a license, in fact, you have to read the laws and pass the test. You don't have to understand mechanical engineering or how your car works in order to drive it from point A to point B...and you don't have to know how the photocopier works that made copies of the test you took, in order to take it. Help us understand the argument in favor of "more STEM" a little bit more, as though you were explaining it to a skeptical parent.
Dr. Moskal: Students do have to learn to read. However, they also need STEM literacy and many of our young dyslexic students can succeed, and succeed at a very high level, in STEM. Yes, please keep teaching our kids to read, but please also let them experience the joy of science, engineering and mathematics. When I was young, children were permitted to have talents in different areas and to develop these talents at different rates. Some students were excellent in English while others were excellent in mathematics. We need to allow all of our children to develop their talents— whether it be English, science, mathematics or the arts. Please stop removing dyslexic students from science, an area in which they may be able to flourish. Mathematical and scientific curiosity can motivate students to read. It is a different type of reading— reading to learn, something scientists and engineers do everyday.
I want to emphasize that reading is very important and our dyslexic students need to learn to read. They also need to experience success and maybe that success will be in STEM. These students aren’t failing, they are failing to learn to read at the pace that society currently demands. Let’s give them school based subjects in which they can succeed (and that are known to be intellectually challenging)— science and mathematics. Based on our experiences at the Rocky Mountain Camp, when given the chance, these students can succeed in STEM.
I recently wrote an article which will appear in Prism, a magazine that is produced by the American Society for Engineering Education. I was asked to write about students with disabilities and I decided to focus on dyslexia. For that article, I decided to seek out colleagues who are scientists and who had been diagnosed with dyslexia. I wanted to offer success stories as examples of what dyslexic students can achieve. The idea to focus on colleagues occurred to me in the morning and I found a match for my article by that afternoon. I hadn’t officially started my search; I just mentioned the article during one of my meetings and an attendee of that meeting spoke to me afterwards. He shared his success and his childhood diagnosis. I can’t help but wonder how many scientists struggled to learn to read, and once they succeeded, forgot about or denied that struggle. It is not a popular thing in the scientific world to admit that learning was once difficult, but I suspect that for many it was.
How many dyslexic children can become successful scientists and engineers if only they were told that they can succeed (and better still— experience that success)? How many children with dyslexia can succeed if they had a role model with the same disability who has succeeded? Let’s set the bar high for all of our children, including those with dyslexia.
CSC: We're really big fans of the Orton-Gillingham approach to learning about the structure of language and find that it is immensely helpful for students with dyslexia--the same students, of course, who more often than not will prove to be very talented in other subject areas, such as STEM. For those of us who don't take naturally to the STEM subject areas, however, what would be the "OG of STEM," so to speak? In other words, for those who show little talent or gifts in the STEM areas (which is different than having a learning difference, we know), what approach or technique might "unlock" these areas?
Dr. Moskal: We all learned through play when we are young; play is instinctual. I play every single day— and it is called science. The OG of science is experimentation and hands-on learning. Unlock the toolkit and allow children to do what they do well— play. Our children need to experience play that is directed to scientific and engineering learning. Play with purpose. Play with enthusiasm. This requires hands-on, physical manipulation and curiosity driven learning. I want all of our children to play.
Last month, we received a very special phone call. Cynia, one of our campers, had exciting news to share. She'd just gotten her report card and saw that she earned straight A's for the first time. What a joy! Cynia called Susie, who says, "I could just hear the excitement in Cynia's voice. She wanted to share her news." We always love hearing from our campers, whether it is to share good news, ask a question, seek advice, or talk about coming back next year.
"More important than the grades Cynia made is the boost the grades gave her self-confidence," says Susie. "We must remember that grades are really extrinsic rewards, but, often they can boost the intrinsic value when you know you have worked hard to achieve something. We are so proud of Cynia and her ability to stick with something until she reaches her goal."
That perseverance is a lifelong skill, and whether the goal is straight A's, learning to rock climb, keeping a promise, or winning a science fair, it takes focus and determination. In celebration of Cynia's achievement, we took a few moments to call Nicole Baker (another inspiring individual interviewed on our blog). “I’ve known Cynia for a number of years and I’ve had the chance most recently to spend time with her on a weekly basis," says Nicole. "She’s always struggled with grades. But when she got her straight A’s report card last month, the first thing she wanted to do was call Susie.”
“Cynia is a firecracker, a spunky spirit for sure," adds Nicole. "She’s one of those kids that has an amazing spark and trajectory. Camp Spring Creek has harnessed that trajectory and guided all Cynia's energy in the best ways. She does have her moments of frustration and getting down on herself. She wants it to come easily. She wants to please everyone and get positive feedback—who doesn’t? All the work she did at Camp Spring Creek gave her the chance to get that and now she’s getting that outside the realm of camp. For example, these recent grades, or when we go to the bookstore now…she can pick out whatever book interests her. She doesn’t have to choose something for an early reader. It’s an exciting time."
Way to go, Cynia! THREE CHEERS!
We're thankful to all our Camp Spring Creek blog readers out there--and that includes tutors, parents, entrepreneurs, education advocates, administrators, campers, counselors, OG enthusiasts, and lovers of all-things-North-Carolina. Since we began actively posting on our blog a year and a half ago, our readership has skyrocketed and we've been able to share interviews with some of today's most creative, successful dyslexics and top educational advocates. We're also increasing our video database, slow and steady (and working on our camera and video editing skills!). We hope you'll spend this weekend with family or friends, or out and about in your community giving thanks for the time we're lucky to have to dedicate to thinking positively about best practices as parents, teachers, and tutors. Whether that means volunteering your tutoring skills for a session, taking extra time to read with your child, or carving out time to research a skill or learning activity you'd like to teach others, we hope it is a restful, meaningful time for all.
We'll be back in December with twice-weekly posts, including more videos in our Homeschool Retreat series. Meantime, if you have feedback to share with us about videos or topics you would like us to address on this blog, please leave your comments here. We'll thank you for it!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCc2H6R3MuY&w=640&h=360]
Here's a snapshot from our first Homeschool Retreat, an opportunity that enabled homeschool parents who are also OG tutors to have professional observation by Susie, as well as on-the-spot tips. The tutees were real troopers letting us film them! We also picked apples, baked cookies, and bought pottery--a successful retreat all around! Thursday's post will be another video in this series, with more on the the way...
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFVezkCAgGA&w=640&h=360]
This excerpt is copyrighted by American Educator and the full article and author info is linked at the bottom of the post. We found this points so helpful, we wanted to include them in summary on our blog: In the elementary school years, teachers need to supplement the kinds of activities appropriate for preschoolers with more focused instruction in spatial thinking. Playful learning of the sort that occurs in preschool can continue to some extent in elementary school; activities such as block building, gesturing, reading spatially challenging books, etc., continue to develop spatial skills in older children too. But as children get older, they can also benefit from more focused lessons. Mathematics is a central subject in which spatial thinking is needed, because space provides a concrete grounding for number ideas, as when we use a number line, use base-10 blocks, or represent multiplication as area. Here are some specific ideas for children in kindergarten through fifth grade:
(Nora S. Newcombe, published in American Educato, copyright 2010) Full article: http://www.aft.org//sites/default/files/periodicals/Newcombe_1.pdf
This content is copyrighted to American Educator and is an excerpt from a longer work written by Nora S. Newcombe. We found it so compelling, we wanted to share, along with one more post on this theme to be released in a few days: Ways to fit spatial learning into the preschool or home learning environment:
objects will appear directly below where they were released, even when they are dropped into a twisting tube with an exit point far away. But, when asked to visualize the path before responding, they do much better. Simply being asked to wait before answering does not help—visualization is key.
Last year's Classroom Educator Course participants, supported by the People in Need grant we received, have officially completed all their classroom and observations hours, meeting all course requirements. Congrats to our local teachers and administrators, who go above and beyond to incorporate OG-principles into their daily work. We appreciate and applaud you!
Here's the second video in our two-part installment on the "drop keep e" spelling pattern.
This is the auditory portion. You can view the visual portion on our YouTube channel linked on the right sidebar.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Da6IoheugdM&w=640&h=360]
A new study by Harrison Kell, David Lubinski, Camilla Benbow, and James Steiger published in Psychological Science has made the connection between early spatial talent and creativity in adult life even stronger. Here's an excerpt from the article in the New York Times:
"The researchers, from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, said their findings make a strong case for rewriting standardized tests like the SAT and ACT to focus more on spatial ability, to help identify children who excel in this area and foster their talents. 'Evidence has been mounting over several decades that spatial ability gives us something that we don’t capture with traditional measures used in educational selection,' said David Lubinski, the lead author of the study and a psychologist at Vanderbilt. 'We could be losing some modern-day Edisons and Fords.' Following up on a study from the 1970s, Dr. Lubinski and his colleagues tracked the professional progress of 563 students who had scored in the top 0.5 percent on the SAT 30 years ago, when they were 13. At the time, the students had also taken the Differential Aptitude Test. Years later, the children who had scored exceptionally high on the SAT also tended to be high achievers — not surprisingly — measured in terms of the scholarly papers they had published and patents that they held. But there was an even higher correlation with success among those who had also scored highest on the spatial relations test, which the researchers judged to be a critical diagnostic for achievement in technology, engineering, math and science."
Read the article in full here.
We'll have more tutorial/training videos very soon. Meantime, here are the last of our camper quotes from this summer's survey, which included the following question: "Describe the most surprising thing you learned about yourself while at Camp Spring Creek." Here are some of our favorite responses:
"I never knew that I am good at art. I never knew that I would not be homesick." (Chase)
"How I say 'a' when I read." (Stefan)
"That I like reading." (K.K.)
"I'm better at things when I try them more than once. I also didn't think I would be good at archery but I was." (Caroline)
"I can improve on my butterfly stroke. The first and second years that I came, I did terrible in the butterfly stroke. But now that it is my third year, I have gotten much better." (Emily)
"That I can stay for a month, even though it was hard." (Jesse)
"That I love typing a lot and I like putting photos on my flashdrive." (Tommy)
"I learned about TI-GER words. I learned that I can swim faster. It was also a surprise that I could finish the color run." (Chase)
"I didn't realize that I would like woodshop and that I could make so many things and draw so much and be able to accomplish most of the strokes in swimming and to be competitive about a lot of things and be really good at sports and really like to play." (Michelle)
"That I can wakeboard really well!" (Janusz)
"That when I try my hardest, I can get it right and I can make the A/B honor roll." (Cynia)
"I can do a back dive. I can make a pizza. I can bake cookies." (Jazel)
"I have learned that I like to build things out of wood. I have also made friends and have better manners at the table." (Ana)
"I thought that reading was boring, but it was fun. I thought that writing was boring, but it was fun." (Brooke)
Here's the first in a two-part installment of the "drop keep e" drill. This is the visual portion. Later, we'll offer the auditory portion.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2kV3dSoutA&w=640&h=360]
We briefly surveyed some of our camp staff at the end of this summer and would like to share some of their inspiring responses. This week's reply comes from Sinem. Here's what she had to say: Camp Spring Creek: Explain some of your impressions as a Counselor for Camp Spring Creek. What proved most challenging? What proved most rewarding?
Sinem Kaplan: The most challenging part for me was language and communication, since English isn't my first language. The most rewarding part was when a kid comes and hugs me. That was the best feeling I have ever had. Campers' loves and trusts motivated me a lot. CSC: As a role model to young campers, what were you most surprised by once you got to know the campers and felt comfortable in your role as Camp Counselor?
SK: The suprising part was some rules that put distance between counselors and the campers, for appropriateness, because they were away from their families for a long time for their young ages. We were their families at the camp. I don't remember any difficulties about being a good role m
odel to
the campers. Sometimes it was hard to be patient, [smile], but I was able to handle it.
CSC: Where are you now and what are you up to? (Job, school, city, country.)
SK: I am in Istanbul, Turkey. It's my last year at university and I will be an English teacher next year.
CSC: Finally, if you have a fave photo that you took this summer, please share it with us.
SK: Here's my photo. Love to all from Turkey!