The Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Education’s staff leads the nation in research and product development for gifted students. We are dedicated to promoting gifted and talented services for your family and ours.
Because families may not have access to classroom resources or other educational programs, links and suggestions are added daily at the top of each list.
Links We Love….
Suitable for Learners of All Ages
☀ Are you curious about how the ancient Egyptians made and used papyrus? Join the Summer Laureate team as we venture into “Curious about Papyrus.” When you arrive at the Google Slide page, simply click on the “Present” tab located at the top right corner of the page to enjoy a visit to King Tut’s tomb, a papyrus-making demonstration, and demonstrations on how to make and decorate your own papyrus. Curated resources and links for further adventures along the Nile are also included.
☀ Yale Young Global Scholars program plans to meet on campus during the summer of 2021. If restrictions are still in place, then they will pivot to remote learning. This program offers opportunities for students in Grades 11-12. Pricy, but scholarships are available.
☀ UA Little Rock’s own Sequoyah National Research Center developed and designed a website and interactive touchscreen table visually maps the journey of American Indians on the Trail of Tears as a result of the Indian Removal Act of 1830. The project was funded by a grant from the Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council.
“Indian removal, or the Trail of Tears, through Arkansas was not being taught in the public schools,” said Dr. Daniel Littlefield Jr., director of the Sequoyah National Research Center. “We wanted to create a resource where teachers and students could go to get accurate information about this historical event. We think this website will be a valuable tool for educators to use in developing curricula for elementary and secondary classes.”
☀ Zuni connects learners to free online educational materials. The site has sponsored ads, but the material seems quite good. Check out the Zuni teacher and family overview.
☀ A very exciting announcement from Economics Arkansas! Teachers and students can participate in the award winning Stock Market Game for free! For the present time, the participation fee is waived. Teachers, register your teams (no limits) and select “teach students” as the option.
☀AGATE is Arkansas’s advocacy group for gifted and talented education. If you are not currently a member of AGATE, please consider joining! Here is the link to an affordable membership in AGATE. AGATE’s quarterly newsletters provide essential and timely resources, information, and updates. AGATE Conference February 24 & 25, 2022 in Rogers, AR.
☀ Try a productive, creative round of BINGO that builds curiosity and talent with daily challenges.
☀ Enjoy a lunch doodle with Mo Willems, Kennedy Center Education Artist-in-Residence at home.
☀ Arkansas PBS has teamed up with Arkansas AMI to streaming live instruction for students in Pre-K – 8th grade. Lead by Arkansas Teachers-of-the-Year, this is a remarkable opportunity to participate in meaningful and grade-level appropriate sessions.
☀ Harry Potter at Home! Now, it’s a party! Enjoy this amazing learning hub developed by J. K. Rowling.
☀ Start your engines! NASCAR learning at its best!
☀ Fascinating, interactive, and creative indoor and outdoor math activities for all ages.
☀ What could be more engaging than a trip to Seussville! Inspired by the wonderful world Dr. Seuss, this page is for all learners who are young at heart.
☀ Just in time…. A kid-friendly comic exploring the new Coronavirus, posted by NPR.
☀ Khan Academy is a well-established online learning environment for children ages 2-18. The courses are fun, well-designed, and engaging for learners. Khan Academy also provides free SAT prep.
☀This is an unbelievable opportunity to experience Renzulli Learning Online at no cost. Under normal conditions, this service is offered to school districts at a cost. But while schools are closed, Renzulli Learning is provided at no cost to families.
☀ Take a walk through the 10 most famous in the world:
British Museum, London
Guggenheim Museum, New York
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Musée d’Orsay, Paris
Pergamon Museum, Berlin
National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul
Rijksmuseum, AmsterdamVan Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
Uffizi Gallery, Florence
MASP, São Paulo
☀ Let expert curators inspire you with the stories behind the images, and check out these online exhibitions:
National Museum of American History
Getty Museum
Houston Museum Of Natural Science
New-York Historical Society
☀ Learn about Art Movements in the History
☀ Explore and tour other famous museums, sites, and landmarks using Google’s Street View
☀ Girls who Code offers free activities for the beginner and the advanced learners. Parents can sign up to receive activity updates.
☀ Visit top exhibits, zoom in on artworks in mind-blowing detail and browse thousands of stories, photos, videos, and manuscripts:
Google Art and Culture
☀ Keep calm and create art! Check out these great crafting projects for all ages:
Kinderart
Deepspacesparkle
☀ How about hands-on exhibits with tons of activities?
Catalhoyuk
Explore Evolution
☀ Are you more of a scientist? No problem! Check out these pages for science learning and activities:
NASA STEM @ Home For Students Grades K-4
Children’s Science Center
Science Snacks
Extreme Science
Today I found out
How stuff works
Learning Toolbox
National Geographic
Tinkering projects
☀ Are you and your kids getting a Green Hour each day? Create an explorer pack which includes all the materials you need for a Green Hour adventure in your own backyard! Check out the Spring 2020 issue in Arkansas Out of Doors Magazine:
☀ National Wildlife Federation offers free downloadable “Nature Notebook” pages each month, full of activities. Help create your child’s very own “Nature Notebook”
☀Are you a birdwatcher? The live eagle cam broadcasts video of baby bald eagles from their nest in Decorah, Iowa. Learn about eagles and watch them hatch, play, eat, and learn to fly.
Advanced Placement Learning
☀ OMG! McGraw-Hill has granted free access to our favorite AP Exam prep guides. All subjects! The guides are the very popular 5 Steps to a 5. Please share this information and link with all your AP teacher friends and colleagues.
☀ April 2 Webinar from Trevor Packer on Spring 2020 AP Testing and test dates.
☀ AP Tests will be administered for two weeks beginning early May. Click here for the full test schedule.
☀ The College Board is offering free online exam practice for AP students. Click here for AP exam updates and access to free AP review classes.
Online Resources for Parents and Professionals:
☀ UA Little Rock offers amazing learning programs that are fully online. Follow your interests, find your program, register, and get started!
☀ Prufrock Press, a valuable publishing house supporting gifted and talented education topics is currently offering free weekly webinars for parents and educators from national experts on timely topics.
☀ Parents, this link leads to a very comprehensive page constructed by the National Association for Gifted Children. You’ll find important published research, learning resources, and learning for PreK-12 learners. There are also links to the learning resources posted by other states.
☀ This resource advises parents on how best to talk to children about the coronavirus.
☀ This article details advice from experts on how parents can help teens be prepared and have the right information about the coronavirus.
☀ ‘The Science of Well Being’: Yale’s most popular class ever available via Coursera. If you do not want to have a certificate at the end of the course, you can have this course for free.
☀ Prufrock Press’s free webinars bring experts in the field of gifted education to you. Browse this archive of recordings of past webinars to find informal conversations about engaging topics in gifted education and social and emotional learning.