As part of a book study, I'm reading The Writing Rope. Working through this text is helping me better understand the aspects of writing that can be challenging for gifted and twice-exceptional students. If you'd like to learn more, this title is available for checkout in the Heartland AEA professional library.

Has your district talked about what to call your services, as discussed in this article?

Most would agree that focusing on what each student needs is a worthwhile endeavor. While the question of ditching the label of gifted is debated within the field of gifted education / talent development / advanced academics (see how many labels people use!), the name likely doesn't change much about what Iowa schools do for students.

In our state, we are required to identify students as gifted and talented under Iowa Code 257.44.

I don't always take as much time to read for pleasure as I should. Historical fiction is a genre that I enjoy, so I picked up this title at my favorite local bookstore in Ames, Dog-Earred Books. The story, set in the early 1900's, centers around Belle da Costa Greene, who became the personal librarian for J.P. Morgan. Belle is a black woman who, because of her fair skin, assumes the identity of white, which helps open doors for her that wouldn't have otherwise been possible.

Morgan was a collector of rare books, manuscripts, and art, who built his own museum to house them in next to his house in downtown Manhattan. Now called the Morgan Library & Museum, it continues to add masterworks to its collection and serves as a major research center for scholars from many fields. Belle was the librarian for Morgan and his son for most of her professional career and was well known for her expertise in curating the Morgan collection.