Enhancing Scientific Abilities in the Gifted Population

Scientific and creative ability is something that can lead to fundamental advancement of research and findings. However, it isn't always fostered among students and people with the highest capacity. As a nation we have a problem not only supporting the gifted population but also those with advance aptitude toward creative science. While we may talk a great deal about the importance of STEM we leave the exceptionally skilled underdeveloped with almost no opportunities to learn skills and overcome the emotional laden issues that are common in this population. What is giftedness and how does it contribute to scientific abilities?

Scientific abilities allows someone to understand and work with scientific process by using use inductive and deductive reasoning to come to valid and logical conclusions. In other words, scientific thinking abilities with a special talent for the science. Its kind of a definition that leads a little to be desired in its circular thinking but it kind of puts us in the right area.

When matched with creativity scientific thinking leads to new discoveries and paradigm shift type thinking that can impact society in ma-mouth ways. Science will investigate what we already understand and break it down or build it up to gain greater knowledge. However, creativity allows for cognitive leaps that lead to whole new ways of constructing information into new forms and models. It changes the way we think.

Creativity is a subconscious process and takes considerable time. Some people tap their unconscious more than others and are thus able to be more creative. It is based in our ability to solve problems on a deeper cognitive level and then draw forth those solutions to an "aha" experience that solves the problem more wholistically than existing models. This is where the actual magic occurs.

Giftedness can often be found in mathematical, scientific, technical, linguistic, social, and musical arenas. In the scientific domains there are factors that impact their success and failure. According to a meta-analysis of other studies the motivation and self-conception seem to be the biggest blocks to actual high performance (Heller, 2011):

Motivation: Success comes through practice, practice and more practice. The need to create goals that allow for meaningful work and the push toward a solid outcome is important. Many highly intelligent people have lots of interest but a lack of time to complete them all. Helping them find an overriding goal that interests them throughout their careers can be exceptionally important in creating a positive outcome down the road.

Self-Conception: The ability to integrate experiences into a complete whole. This takes significant time as the person disintegrates their previous experiences and reforms them into a new self. Gifted people often think of themselves as different and have received considerable negative feedback from society unless placed in an environment where their skills are encouraged. Helping them come to a new realization of identity and self leads to higher performance.

What is the return on investment for society? Beyond the exceptional thinking of abilities of this population the most extraordinary gifted take greater care to protect and advance society. They feel a sense of obligation with their talents and end up producing new ways of thinking to advance society to higher forms. Their innate characteristics make the return an often high one beyond what we can currently imagine. Foster giftedness among the many different skill levels and variables in natural life can lead to higher societal growth whether this is in the economic, scientific, artistic or political realms.

Because we are not maximizing the potential of the nation and the highly skilled people within it I advocate for gifted programs in higher education institutions. Universities and educational systems that have unused resources and facilities should seriously consider attracting, enhancing and developing gifted graduates from around the world as they not only contribute to the advancement of society in a rapidly changing global world but also to the institution's brand image. Advanced programs, scholarships, visas, job placement, patent help and counseling services are part of the process of exceptional outputs. Such institutions will likely find their brand image go up and their financial resources improve as private/public philanthropic resources support this population and employers who are wiling to provide funds to sponsor the highest quality recruits. The end result is a population that develops new ideas that enhances both their employers and the institution that groomed them through their creative capacity that often leads to tangible benefits.

Heller, K. (2007). Scientific ability and creativity. High Ability Studies, 18 (2).

EDULEARN18 (10th annual International Conference on Education and New Learning

EDULEARN18 (10th annual International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies)
July, 2nd-4th, 2018
Palma de Mallorca, Spain
http://iated.org/edulearn

Deadline for abstracts submission is March, 22nd, 2018 (included)
Abstracts should be submitted on-line at http://iated.org/edulearn/online_submission

OVERVIEW
You are invited to join the 10th anniversary of EDULEARN (10th annual International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies) that will be held in Palma de Mallorca (Spain) on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th of July 2018.

This conference will provide the ideal opportunity to present your projects and experiences to an international audience in three different formats (oral, poster or virtual). Also, it will offer participants an overview of the current situation of education, research and new learning innovations. You will be able to listen to experts from different countries, representing all continents.
If you wish to learn more about how education is changing in the world, then do not miss the opportunity to come to EDULEARN18.

A TRULY INTERNATIONAL EVENT
After 10 years, EDULEARN has become an annual meeting point for lecturers, researchers, professors, educational scientists and technologists.
Every year, EDULEARN brings together over 800 delegates from 80 different countries.

ABSTRACT SUBMISSION
There will be 3 presentation formats: Oral, Poster or Virtual.
You can submit your abstracts proposals until March, 22nd, 2018 (included)
Abstracts should be submitted on-line at http://iated.org/edulearn/online_submission

TOP FIVE REASONS TO ATTEND EDULEARN18
- Present your paper in one of the largest international conferences on education
- Interact with international educators and technologists for future cooperation
- Meet 800 participants from more than 80 countries.
- Learn about education innovations and strategies in 70+ thematic sessions and workshops
- Publish your paper in EDULEARN18 Proceedings.

PUBLICATIONS
EDULEARN18 Proceedings (with ISBN) will be produced with all the accepted abstracts and papers.

This Publication will be reviewed for its inclusion in the ISI CPCI (Web of Science). Since 2010, all previous editions were already indexed in ISI CPCI. Also, a DOI number will be assigned to each accepted paper.

All accepted contributions will be indexed in IATED Digital Library to form part of our database of innovative projects in Education and Technology.

IMPORTANT DEADLINES
- Abstract Submission Deadline: March 22nd, 2018. (included)
- Notification of Acceptance/Rejection: April 16th, 2018.
- Final Paper Submission Deadline: May 10th, 2018. (included)
- Registration deadline for authors: May 10th, 2018. (included)
- Conference Dates: Palma de Mallorca (Spain), July 2nd-3rd-4th, 2018.

VENUE
In addition to your participation in EDULEARN18, you will have the opportunity to visit Palma de Mallorca.
The capital of the island of Mallorca enjoys an excellent climate all year round. Known for its sun and beach tourism, it also has an attractive historic quarter and its monuments are worth are well worth visiting.

The landscape of the island is full of coves, beaches, pine forests and cliffs on the coast. The variety of the landscape and culture invites visitors to explore every corner of the island and to enjoy its unique local gastronomy.

Also, Palma is a very accessible city: its airport offers a wide range of international flights.
We look forward to seeing you in Palma.

More information is available at http://iated.org/edulearn/tourism

Enquiries: edulearn18@iated.org
Website: http://iated.org/edulearn

Holiday Shopping Largest Since Recession

U.S. consumers spend $598 billion in retail sales with a $90 billion return rate of products. This is the largest holiday shopping period since the recession. It is seen as a good sign for the economy for the year because a large percentage of the economy is based on retail sales and if the stores start out strong they can balance their budgets and reinvest in new lines for next year. It also shows that people have disposable incomes and are willing to buy.

More Skilled Workers Needed in Michigan

Michigan Still has a shortage of workers. While many times we think that higher education leads to high pay that is all relative on what degree you obtain. Not all people are cut out for college or haven't learned the necessary skills to continue to work through a college degree. There are alternatives for such people that include skilled trades in anything from roofing to dental assistants all the way over to IT certificates.

See the list below and their projected growth rates.

https://www.michigan.gov/documents/careers/MIhotjobs_353112_7.pdf

Coyote or Wolf in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan

My son and I are out on a hunt hoping to shoot some deer before the season ends. As we walk through the woods we scare out a pack of deer. They run straight across our nose and into the frozen swamp. We take our take and try and stalk them out with slow movements and lots of patience. They have much better hearing than us and any sudden movements will scare them off.

However, we did come across the remnants of a recent wolf or coyote attack on deer. Just not sure where it came from or what type of animal? Nearly complete eaten carcass, including the bones, full grown deer and lots of tracks and fuss in the snow. So I took a better look at the tracks to determine the time and potential type of attack.

-The tracks were slightly smaller than a wolf-A good sign it was a coyote.

-The bones were eaten-Another sign it was coyote

-About 5-6 animals were involved in the attack-Could be either but lends more to wolf unless it is a large prey.

-Full-grown deer: Lends toward wolves.

-Attack was over the past 24 hours as we had some snow which would have covered those tracks.

It was likely a coyote attack while wolves are in the area they seem to have more fear of people and this was off of a walking trail that has been used at least a couple of times after the last snow fall a day or so earlier. The size of the prints are not huge so it was a smaller animal that seemed to have moved as a pack. I also noticed that the animals came in from different angles in a well coordinated prey hunt.

The Upper Peninsula of Michigan has some of the best wildlife in the country. Deer, bear, black panther, wolves, coyote, fox, rabbits and a whole host of other stuff lives abundantly in the area. Never had an issue with any of them and on my hunts I have only come across a few unless I was looking for them. There is a growing eco tourism industry.

How to Detect When People Lie?

Lie detection is a useful skill that can be used in everything from employee recruitment to personal relationships. Most of us have told lies at one time or another. Whether it is a white lie or to gain some advantage we as a human species are prone to such behaviors. Yet that doesn't mean we all engage in them. Most people simply don't because they have developed a strong confidence in themselves and their ability to get what they want without deception. However, lie detection can help protect us against those who are not so honest with their intentions.

Let us say you are conducting an interview and someone is lying about their skills, abilities, and background. If you hire this person you may find that you need to fire them in the future if they don't perform according to expectations. While most of us put forward a "good foot" most of us would not consider lying as an appropriate method for selected.

Situational Context and Logic:

Situational context and understanding is likely the key determinant of lie. Does the information make sense in the circumstances in which they exist? Is what they are saying logically consistent? In other words, "does it really make sense and is it plausible?"

Much of that depends on the person's lying abilities. If the person is a practiced liar they may think through all the possible scenarios and find that which is most make sense. However, they will often leave gaps in their explanations and have less verifiable details (Park, Levin, et. al, 2002).

The Word Test:

While it is not a perfect measure the use of more "um" in speech can be an indication that a person is telling the truth (Arciuli, Mallard & Villar, 2010). Contrary to popular opinion "um" doesn't mean that a person is stressing to find an answer. They may simply be thinking about details or even be trying to find their own truth to create an accurate answer.

The Cognitive Load Test:

When people are stressed and lying their immediate reactions are often to default quickly to the truth but only when there is no opportunity to think through plausible explanations. Let us say that they are currently working on a crisis and the speed of their thinking and activities will likely default in actions that are based on their understanding of events. In other words, they will act in their own best interest to solve problems based on their deeper understanding of events. Lies usually don't make their way into the equation until the crisis is over.

Self Interest and Self-Promotion:

People often lie to hide negative things about themselves, their intentions, or to promote themselves. Healthy people don't need to do this because they have internal beliefs that being a highly developed individual leads to benefits in the world. They rely on their own abilities and character. When trying to determine a lie think about that advantages and disadvantages a person receives from the information they are offering (Underwood, Kerlin & Farrington-Flint, 2011).

Another way to think of this is through their patterns of thought. Thinking is a habit. If a person is always talking about money or always talking about their abilities you can come to the conclusion that this is important to them. If what they say indicates that they say doesn't seem to match a quality value system you can be more sure through active listening that may be willing to deceive to obtain a goal.

Time is the Determinant of Lying:

Discovering patterns takes time. When you wait to make a final judgement you will eventually gain more information. Let them talk, let them explain things, and let them feel a false sense of security. You don't need to hand over valuable things or given them anything you don't want to. Just ask questions, be aware when you spend time with people, and let time determine the end result.

Some people are Better Lie Detectors:

People who are extroverts and open to experience, according to to the Big Five personality factors are able to both tell lies and detect lies (Elaad & Reizer, 2015). In the same study it was found that those who were conscientious also didn't lie as much and were not very good at detecting lies. Your personality can determine whether or not you are both a good liar and a lie detector.


Nahari, G., Vrij, A. & Fisher, R. (2014). Exploiting liars' verbal strategies by examining the verifiability of details. Legal and Criminological Psychology, 19 (2).

Park, H., et. al. (2002). How people really detect lies. Communication Monographs, 69 (2).

Reinhard, M., et. al. (2014). Detecting lies and truths in social work: how suspicion level and familiarity affect detection accuracy. British Journal of Social Work, 44 (2).

Reizer, A. (2015). Personality correlates of the self-assessed abilities to tell and detect lies, tell truths and believe others. Journal of Individual Differences, 36, (3).

Underwood, J., Kerlin, L. & Farrington-Flint, L. (2011). The lies we tell and what they say about us: Using behavioural characteristics to explain Facebook activity. Computers in Human Behavior, 27 (5).

Quality Brands of Local Businesses Increase Foreign Direct Investment

Areas known for quality are rewarded in the global market by future investment. Consumers responded to location of origin perceptions positively with increased purchases that led to increased economic growth in these areas.  A study of 30 source and 34 host countries between 2005 and 2006 found that an increase of 27% in foreign direct investment occurred as a result of a 1% increase in quality perception of intangibles (Kalamova & Konrad, 2010).

If governments want to improve their economic position by attracting new investments into the area they will need to move beyond thinking exclusively about price and into the perceptional quality of the products produced in their area and how that quality perception improves economies. Locations that are known for high quality products are rewarded through future investments that leads to additional tax revenue, jobs and other benefits as a result of an expanding local economy.

The knowledge-capital model helps understand that local production is often based in the skills that develop around industries. According to the study, the most relevant factors that encourage investment are perceptions of products, social and economic environments and culture. As areas became known positively for such attributes they improved their sales prospects.

One of the reasons why this happens is that consumers use heuristics when making decisions about whether or not to purchase particular products. Some locations are considered high quality producers while others are not and this can hamper them. Selection rates are likely to increase as consumers weigh and balance price and quality.

For business managers this makes quality perceptions an important part of the business plan. While quality and price should improve based on having the quality producers within the same area there is are additional benefits for actively promoting quality outputs.

Branding also leads to future investment as potential investors ponder where and how to invest within certain high growth markets that offer the highest potential for investment return. They will naturally select regions that have existing businesses successfully competing within the market because risks are lower. Improved investment portfolios come with the added advantage of economic growth and prosperity within the region. This investment also leads to robust innovation, production and cluster development.

Kalamova, M.& Konrad, K. (2010) National brands and foreign direct investment. Kyklos, 63 (3).