Virginia Morse

Cindy Nottage

After receiving their Masters degrees in education, Virginia and Cindy spent many years teaching in elementary school classrooms in the United States and Germany. In 1984, they joined forces in New Hampshire to create and implement a gifted and talented program for the Sanborn Regional School District. Because of the difficulties encountered by their high-ability students in conducting research studies, they developed the Independent Investigation Method, a research model that was tested and perfected in their schools for 14 years. Their goal was to empower students of all abilities to carry out independent research studies. They began to create materials to support their research process, and in 1992, they founded Active Learning Systems to publish IIM materials and offer part-time consulting. By 1998, the demand for their skills as trainers, authors, program developers, and consultants led them to full-time employment in their company.

The universal skills taught in the Independent Investigation Method have been widely recognized and have led to invitations to teach at UCONN, Notre Dame College, Boise State University, and UVA; to present at gifted and talented, reading, library, Title I, and literacy conferences at the regional and national levels; and to train teachers in hundreds of districts across the United States and internationally. Their real-life classroom experiences, their practical, effective research model and materials, and their lively presentation style make them highly sought-after consultants.