Volume III., Fall, 2009

“Integrating New Concepts for the Gifted and Talented”

Fall Newsletter, 2009

What’s Up with Mallett & Company, ECS

Mallett & Company, ECS has been serving educators for over ten years. We are proud of the educators who have completed their on-line staff development sessions to meet the requirements for their certification in gifted and talented. Mallett & Company, ECS has designed our sessions to be in alignment with the goals and objectives set forth by TEA. We continue to offer an exciting 30-hours of on-line instruction, as well as face-to-face staff development, for educators to receive their certification in Gifted and Talented.

We are offering a Special Promotion for the 30-Hour GT Certification Sessions!! The total cost for the 30-hours is $300.00. This offer will expire December 31, 2009. Please take advantage of this special offer NOW!

     The training cost is $60.00 per session, per participant. The cost for the entire 30 hours is $300.00 per participant. The sessions will count towards receiving the ‘Awareness Certificate’ that is offered by Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented. Every participant will receive a certificate for each session, after doing the assignments and passing the test at the end of the session.

Our New Sessions

     We added more six-hour updates this past summer for teachers and administrators. The new sessions include: Under-represented Gifted Learners in American Schools, Underachieving Gifted: A Look at Identification and Solutions, Multicultural Needs of the Gifted and Talented in American Schools, Stress: An Overview of the Effects in the Classroom, FORMAT: An Integrated Education Model for Teaching Gifted and Talented in the Regular Classroom Part 1 and Part 2, and Study Skills for Teaching the Gifted and Talented in the Classroom.

     Our staff development sessions for administrators have been revised and lectures have been added to each. These sessions meet the requirements for the administrator certification in Texas. Administrators will be able to see how their campuses can meet the 'excellent quality standards' set forth in the TEA plan for gifted and talented education.

     We are indeed excited about the improvements that have been made for each session and the fact that all participants are able to interact with each other, as well as with us. Every session is researched based. Our sessions are affordable and payment options are available. We remain one of the best staff development leaders in our state.

Our Gratitude

     We appreciate the business of all districts that have supported Mallett & Company, ECS this pasted year. Currently, we are providing staff development sessions for public, private, and charter schools. In the summer of 2009, we served our first out-of-state school. We are looking forward to a great school year for 2009-2010! The schools that have actively participated in the On-Line Staff Development are listed on our site.

Our Goal

     Our goal is to add at least twenty (20) new districts to our roster of leading schools in Texas and across the country. We know that educators are the key to developing better programs for our gifted learners. We know that our staff development will assist them in developing their knowledge base about gifted education.

     We are encouraging educators to think about their lesson planning, instructional strategies, and the thinking skills that are being implemented in their classrooms/schools. We challenge teachers by asking them to evaluate these components, to see if they are effectively being put into practice.

     Our sessions also give educators the opportunity to develop professionally and continue to achieve best practices in their classrooms. By encouraging students to pursue their interests, educators learn how to diversify curriculum and plan better lessons. We help educators to put into practice the best models for teaching gifted and talented students. We assist them in incorporating into their lesson planning the option for students to make their own choices of study and research. This concept of giving students choices brings us to the next point of interest, and that is our endorsement of a new learning system.

Our Endorsement

     Mallett & Company, ECS explores the many options for differentiating curriculum and lesson planning that is offered by various sources. We believe, and have experienced first hand, that Renzulli Learning is on the cutting edge of differentiating lessons for gifted learners. Dr. Joe Renzulli at the University of Connecticut developed this system. We also believe, and have given our endorsement, that this new system of differentiating curriculum will assist teachers in developing challenging lesson planning for all gifted children.

     Parents are excited about the fact that their children are engaged in research and the exploration of their interests. The system provides a means by which students are given an assessment to discover their own learning styles. Based on the student's learning style, the educator is able to pinpoint how a child will best process information. It is another fabulous tool for educating gifted children. (For more information log on to: http://www.renzullilearning.com)

Our Participation and Support

     Mallett & Company, ECS will be presenting sessions for educators, administrators, and parents at the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented Conference in Houston, Texas, December 2-4, 2009.

     Our sessions will include: Principles of Differentiating Curriculum Using Higher Order Questioning Strategies and Lesson Planning Using the Integrative Education Model.

     Please visit us at our conference booth. We will be there to answer your questions about staff development for your school/district. (For more information about the conference log on to http://www.txgifted.)

     We continue to support the efforts of the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented, as well as the National Association for the Gifted and Talented. It is our desire for educators and schools/districts to participate in the conferences that these organizations offer.

     Have a great fall!

     Kindest regards,

     Deborah G. Mallett, CEO, Mallett & Company, ECS