On October 11, SSU deans and directors attended the meeting at the Support Center for Endowed Children, where they discussed the development of the center. Its moderatos became SSU Vice-Rector for Educational Work Ye.G. Yelina, Head of the Center Ye.I. Balakireva, a specialist on educational work M.V. Bratashova, and a psychologist of the Center, Associate Professor of the SSU Department of Counseling Psychology A.A. Karelin.
At the beginning of the meeting A.A. Karelin asked the audience to take the creativity test developed by Frank Williams, so that the guests learnt how psychological testing is conducted in the Support Center for Endowed Children. Due to this test the psychologists of the center define IQ, art, and motivational levels of schoolchildren.
A.A. Karelin explained that endowment is evaluated via a few parameters. One of them is productivity estimated how fast children create 12 test drawings. As the psychologist said, mental processing speed and metal flexibility define the level children’s endowment. Other talent criteria of the test include original thinking and the way children place the details of their drawings.
According to the Center’s staff, schoolchildren and their parents can make individual educational plans and choose this or that university course considering the test results.
Then Ye.I. Balakireva reported on the Center’s work. More than 120 schoolchildren have been tested there since February, 2018. Also she commented on such an important issue as cooperation with schools in the region in order to detect gifted children. In addition, the Center’s staff should find the best way to support those children.
Yekaterina Igorevna spoke in details about the available Center’s courses for children: the workshop on project work “Science: first_step” (for 6-7 grade students), the workshop on arts development “Treasury” (6-11 grade students), the mind game club (for 7-9 grade students), and the web-workshop (for 10-11 grade students and 1-2 year students).
Having taken into account parents’ opinion, Yekaterina Igorevna underlined that electives led by SSU professors and postgraduates play a significant role in the Center’s work. Its staff is going to coordinate those courses and form the data base.
A specialist on educational work M.V. Bratashova suggested that university professors can make schoolchildren be interested in research using such methods as short scientific stand-up performances, and the deans and the directors supported that idea.
The Center actively cooperates with successful SSU graduates because schoolchildren are always excited to meet them.
Thus, CEO of the RAYBIN Company Ye.V. Yegorov, a graduate from the Faculty of Physics, led a master-class “DIY. Life as Constructor”. He told the children about his school and university life and gave advice how to build dream career.
In September schoolchildren talked with another graduate of the Faculty of Physics who has PhD in Physics and Mathematics and works in a big international company Yelena Volkova. She spoke about her career path and working experience in innovation technologies.
Later on the guests discussed the Center’s development, considered different pedagogical issues and suggested ideas to improve curriculums for gifted schoolchildren.
SSU Vice-Rector for Educational Work Ye.G. Yelina drew the conclusion of the meeting. From her point of view, every child is gifted in his or her own way.
‘We opened the Support Center for Endowed Children so its students will enter our university. The Center’s staff can help schoolchildren prepare for Unified State Exams better and motivate them to study harder. Children and their parents can receive all the necessary information about the schedule of the Center’s courses,’ explained Yelena Genrikhovna.
Also she asked the deans and directors to think about new ways of interaction with enrollees. Ye.G. Yelina shared her own idea: students can have their pedagogical internships in the center.
