Elaine Aron, Ph.D. -- The Highly Sensitive Child
High sensitivity is an innate trait found in 20% of the population of humans and most animal species. It represents a more reflective strategy for approaching life’s problems and sets the sensitive apart from the nonsensitive in many ways. Are all gifted children highly sensitive? If high sensitivity is a greater awareness of the subtleties in a situation, how would giftedness and sensitivity differ? In this session, these questions and more will be explored.
David Berg, E.T. -- Making Math Real® for the Gifted and Accelerated Student (Part 1 of a 3-hour workshop)
The usual instructional models for math do not provide adequate methodology or time to meet the developmental and educational needs of either gifted or struggling students. In this presentation, participants will be introduced to the diverse processing styles of the gifted population, research from neuroscience and cognitive science that relates to the developmental needs of gifted students, and educational best practices for gifted students. Attendees will also participate in three representative math lessons that span the grades from early primary through Algebra 1.
Stephanie Brown, Ph.D. -- The Fast Pace of Everything: What Does it Mean for Our Kids?
The pace of everyday life has outstripped our ability to manage. Multitasking, the buzzword for achievement over the last fifteen years, has become the source of multiproblems. We live with chronic pressure that leads to stress disorders of all kinds. The emphasis on speed, the pressures of competition, and the absence of a realistic middle ground have created serious problems for many, including children. In this session, learn how to accept and maintain the best of technological advances while recognizing the problems created by these advances. Learn also how to recognize the impact of this fast pace on children’s behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and social development.
Barbara Clark, Ed.D. -- How the Brain Learns: The Fascinating Differences of Being Gifted
In this session, we will take a look at differences in the functioning of the gifted brain and learn how we can support its development and contribute to the child’s intellectual growth. By understanding the dynamic nature of intelligence, the importance of brain plasticity, and the power of the integration of brain functions in the learning process, we help to develop the potential of every child. Knowing what is needed to nurture and maintain high levels of intelligence challenges us to change our ideas and beliefs and to add to the practices we use.
Neeru Khosla, M.S., M.Ed. -- Textbooks 2.0: Textbooks to Flexbooks
Does one-size-fits-all work for a 21st century education? This talk will focus on how the system developed by the CK-12 Foundation might help move education into the 21st century. CK-12 is a nonprofit organization with a mission to reduce the cost of textbook materials for the K-12 market by using an open-content, web-based collaborative model termed the “FlexBook.” This discussion will cover how CK-12 intends to pioneer the generation and distribution of high-quality educational content aligned with public school standards that will both serve as core text and provide an adaptive environment for learning.
Margie Kitano, Ph.D. -- A Comprehensive Framework for Serving Gifted Learners from Diverse Backgrounds
As a group, gifted students from low-income and culturally diverse backgrounds underachieve relative to their higher-income and mainstream peers. This session draws on current research to offer an instructional framework for promoting learning of gifted students from diverse backgrounds. This session will enable participants to use tools for (a) assessing student engagement, (b) identifying teachers’ instructional strengths and areas for growth, and (c) transforming units to support multicultural objectives.
Megan Foley Nicpon, Ph.D. -- Understanding Twice-Exceptional Students: Methods for Identifying and Accommodating Exceptionalities
Twice-exceptional students, or gifted students with co-existing disabilities, can be challenging for educators and parents to understand. Typically, there are academic areas that come very easily to the student, such as mathematics or reading, as well as areas that are much more difficult to master, such as getting along with peers or taking tests without experiencing overwhelming anxiety. This presentation will cover identification of twice-exceptionality and provide strategies for optimizing gifts while accommodating difficulties so that students have a positive, strengths-based experience in their educational and home environments.
Dana Reupert, M.A. -- Why Advocacy: Challenging and Engaging the Gifted Student
Since gifted programs are not mandated in California, the current budget crisis has placed services for gifted and talented children at risk, as school districts struggle to balance their budgets and succeed in an era of accountability that gives no credit for students who perform above "proficient" or who show talent in areas such as art, music, and leadership. Learn how some school districts are protecting services for gifted and talented students, and find out how to ensure that students have access to the best-quality gifted programs and services school districts can offer. Suggestions will be shared on how to become an effective advocate at all levels.
Robin Schader, Ph.D. -- Discovering Interests: Key to Developing Talent
The majority of parent calls received by the Neag Center for Talent Development at the University of Connecticut and the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) are from parents who are concerned because their child isn't achieving up to his or her potential. Relatively few of these children have been asked what they really like doing or what truly interests them. This session will explore research on interests and offer ways to help students build connections between what they are taught in school and what excites their curiosity.
Gary Small, M.D. -- Is New Technology Changing Our Brains?
Today’s young digital natives have never known a world without computers, 24-hour TV news, Internet, and cell phones. Their brains’ neural circuitry has mastered this modern technology, but their traditional face-to-face human contact skills are often neglected. As a consequence of this rapidly increasing high-tech stimulation, we are witnessing the beginning of a new kind of generation gap. This lecture will cover the current pivotal point in brain evolution, show how we all -- digital natives and digital immigrants alike -- can adapt to it, and provide the tools we need in order to take charge of our lives and our brains while we preserve our humanity and keep up with the latest technology.
Catherine Steiner-Adair, Ph.D. -- Teaching Gifted Girls How to Lead and Not Worry So Much about Perfection
There is a tension in academically talented girls’ lives between being a perfect girl who succeeds in a narrow perspective and becoming a young adult leader who understands how and when to use her authority. How do we avoid educating girls to be perfect and encourage them to hold on to a vision of who they want to be? Research suggests that academically advantaged girls are underperforming as leaders in college and beyond, and at the same time excelling in risky behaviors -- for example, drinking as much or more than college boys. This workshop will discuss educational practices and skills that can better prepare gifted girls to assume positions in the world as agents of change.
Joyce VanTassel-Baska, Ed.D. -- What Works in Curriculum and Instruction of the Gifted
This session will focus on key principles of curriculum development found to be essential in designing research-based units of study, along with teaching and learning models that elevate thinking within and across disciplines. Research findings will also be shared on curriculum effectiveness and professional development.
John Thomas West, M.Ed., M.A., and Mirman School Faculty -- From Lab Base to Curricular Integration: One-to-One Computer and Educational Technology Programs Open Unexpected Doors in 21st Century Gifted Classrooms
This open-forum faculty exchange led by John Thomas West III, Headmaster of The Mirman School, illustrates how one school’s quest to establish a one-to-one laptop program has opened doors never imagined. This dynamic, interactive presentation begins with a detailed account of the school’s implementation of 21st century educational technology across grades 1-9, and ends with a walk through hidden doors of unimagined global outreach and bolstered community service programs. Understand how the benefits of educational technology programs extend far beyond the welcome achievements of accelerated learning and classroom interaction. Parents and teachers alike are invited to hear the process, the challenges, even the unexpected payoffs, and learn how technology initiatives can be creatively implemented in your own school with surprising success.
David Berg, E.T. -- Making Math Real® for the Gifted and Accelerated Student (Part 2 of a 3-hour workshop)
The usual instructional models for math do not provide adequate methodology or time to meet the developmental and educational needs of either gifted or struggling students. In this presentation, participants will be introduced to the diverse processing styles of the gifted population, research from neuroscience and cognitive science that relates to the developmental needs of gifted students, and educational best practices for gifted students. Attendees will also participate in three representative math lessons that span the grades from early primary through Algebra 1.
Donna Y. Ford, Ph.D., and Gilman Whiting, Ph.D. -- Opening Minds and Doors: Reversing Under-Representation of Culturally Different Students in Gifted Education and AP Classes
Black and Hispanic/Latino students are often poorly represented in gifted and AP classes for a number of reasons. Teachers and other school personnel play a significant role in these students being under-identified. In this session, we focus on barriers, and we will share recommendations and resources for reversing this longstanding pattern of under-representation.
Diane Frankenstein, M.A. -- Read a Book, Ask a Question, Start a Conversation: Reading with Children in Grades PreK–5
This session will present parents and teachers with strategies for finding appropriate books for the elementary-age prolific reader, as well as strategies for having conversations with children that can help them think about and better understand the stories they read. Diane's approach shows us that the most important outcome may not just be how many books children have read, but how many conversations they've had about them. In our fast moving, media saturated world, reading with children and talking with them about the stories they read is more important than ever before.
Corin Barsily Goodwin, M.P.P. -- Homeschooling, Supplementation, and Educational Alternatives for Gifted, Profoundly Gifted, and Twice-Exceptional Children
Finding a good fit for a child who learns differently presents special challenges for parents and educators. Whether families are satisfied with their current situation or are contemplating change, this session will provide insight and information to guide you throughout your child's educational career. We will cover homeschooling, charter programs, after-schooling, and supplementation options for all gifted children, and will include hard-to-find advice on profoundly gifted and twice-exceptional learners.
Elizabeth Jones, M.S. -- Searching for Balance
Gifted and highly gifted children often exhibit extreme sensitivities to their environment. This discussion will focus on assisting young people in finding balance in their lives between intellectual, social, emotional, and physical aspects of self.
Marilyn Kimura, B.A. -- Gifted Parenting: Do the Research and Trust Your Instincts
As the parent of a gifted child, you know there's a lot to learn, and this is one area of parenting where your own parents and friends may be of little help. Even your child's teacher and school often know little more than you do! Where can you get the information you need to understand gifted children's needs, provide for and advocate for them, find resources, connect with groups and institutions that provide programs, and learn all about what you can do at home to nurture your own child's special talents? Join Marilyn Kimura as she reviews current literature on gifted education for parents, and learn about books, periodicals, and online sites that contain the latest research, thinking, and ideas for parents of gifted children.
David Levy, Ph.D. -- No Time to Think
Thanks to the proliferation of information technologies, there is less time to think -- and to relate to others and to the world -- than ever before. This session will look at whether our educational system is primarily training young people to slot into our accelerating, production-oriented economy. The importance of paying attention in early grades to the cultivation of greater receptivity will be covered, and participants will discuss how parents -- themselves overstretched and overworked -- might model alternatives for their children.
Susanna Loeb, Ph.D., M.P.P. -- Changes to the Teacher Workforce: Improvements and Concerns
This session will address the substantial changes to the teacher workforce in the United States over the past ten years. It will describe how the No Child Left Behind Act has changed requirements for teachers and how these changes have likely affected student learning. The session will also cover recent innovations in school personnel policies, including alternative routes to teaching (e.g., Teach for America), alternative compensation approaches (e.g., pay-for-performance), and recent advances in understanding and documenting effective instruction. The session will take a national perspective with particular attention to California schools.
Linda Kreger Silverman, Ph.D. -- The Unique Inner Lives of the Gifted
Intricate thought processes and complex emotions are held in delicate balance in the gifted individual. Idealism, self-doubt, perceptiveness, excruciating sensitivity, moral imperatives, desperate needs for understanding, acceptance, love -- all impinge simultaneously. Gifted children develop more asynchronously than others, and often feel unable to relate to age-mates. When they are forced into a mold that doesn’t fit, they begin to experience their differences as deficits. All who interact with them must understand their characteristics and overexcitabilities. We will explore the emotional needs and social realities of gifted children and discuss ways to nurture their full development.
Catherine Steiner-Adair, Ph.D. -- Body Politics: Educating Gifted Girls to Outsmart Unhealthy Girl Culture
Although educators are making huge strides in closing the academic gap between girls and boys, girls are bombarded by cultural messages and images that leave academically talented girls vulnerable to making psychologically risky, unhealthy choices outside the classroom. Body-image preoccupation and eating disorders first appeared in the most educationally and economically advantaged girls -- and today's gifted girls struggle to hold on to a vision of who they want to be versus turning their bodies into a vision of what they believe they need to look like in order to be successful. This workshop will address the necessity of educating elementary and middle school girls to be culturally savvy and literate. Participants will learn about upbeat curricula developed toward this end at Harvard Medical School and best practices for parents, teachers and counselors.
Michael Clay Thompson, M.A. -- Effective Vocabulary and Grammar Instruction
“Can u believe my rents want me 2 learn grammar!!*?” The whole country has spent twenty years taking grammar out of the system, and now we are realizing that engaging, time-efficient, and effective grammar and vocabulary strategies are immediately needed. Teachers and parents will be surprised at the effectiveness of Thompson’s powerful Latin-based vocabulary curriculum and delighted at how quickly children can be taught through this visually oriented, four-tier approach designed specifically for gifted learners.
Stephanie Tolan, M.A. -- Where Do the Mermaids Stand? Finding a Place for the Profoundly Gifted Child
In a culture that routinely (and understandably) bases its treatment and education of children on norms, children whose intelligence is several standard deviations above those norms seldom encounter environments designed for them and often feel themselves caught between their child bodies and their adult-like minds. Even where schools support programs for gifted children, the profoundly gifted may have difficulty finding intellectual challenge, social acceptance, compatible friends, and emotional support. In a world that is unlikely to change for them, our challenge is to help them empower themselves and negotiate a place in the game.
Joyce VanTassel-Baska, Ed.D. -- What Works in Curriculum and Instruction of the Gifted
This session will focus on key principles of curriculum development found to be essential in designing research-based units of study. We will also look at teaching and learning models that elevate thinking within and across disciplines, and share research findings on curriculum effectiveness and professional development.
Jeremy Bailenson, Ph.D. -- Transformed Social Interaction in Virtual Worlds
Over time, our mode of remote communication has evolved from written letters to telephones, email, internet chat rooms, and videoconferences. Virtual environments now promise to further change the nature of remote interaction. Virtual environments track verbal and nonverbal signals of multiple participants and render those signals onto avatars -- three-dimensional, digital representations of people in a shared digital space. This session will describe a series of projects that explore the ways avatars qualitatively change the nature of communication, education, and social interaction.
Wes Beach, M.A. -- Creative Paths to College
Often the type of education that best meets the needs of a gifted young person is very different from a conventional one. But parents and educators too frequently see an unconventional education as jeopardizing a student’s opportunities for admission to college. It is entirely possible to alter radically, or skip altogether, a traditional high school education and go on to reach the highest levels of formal education. This session will present a number of illustrative student stories as well as general considerations in designing creative paths to college.
Yves Behar, B.S. -- Design for Good: A New Ethos
Design students and young creative thinkers want to change the world. Why? Because they can. Yves Behar will speak to the ideas driving the 21rst century for-profit, and not-for-profit start-ups, NGOs, and agencies using “design for good” at the center of their action. There are incredible places for young creative minds to apply design’s broad ability to tackle great challenges holistically and to make a difference in areas as diverse as education, health, sustainability, and green tech. The new power of design is “good.”
David Berg, E.T. -- Making Math Real® for the Gifted and Accelerated Student (Part 3 of a 3-hour workshop)
The usual instructional models for math do not provide adequate methodology or time to meet the developmental and educational needs of either gifted or struggling students. In this presentation, participants will be introduced to the diverse processing styles of the gifted population, research from neuroscience and cognitive science that relates to the developmental needs of gifted students, and educational best practices for gifted students. Attendees will also participate in three representative math lessons that span the grades from early primary through Algebra 1.
Stephanie Brown, Ph.D. -- The Fast Pace of Everything: What Does it Mean for Our Kids?
The pace of everyday life has outstripped our ability to manage. Multitasking, the buzzword for achievement over the last fifteen years, has become the source of multiproblems. We live with chronic pressure that leads to stress disorders of all kinds. The emphasis on speed, the pressures of competition, and the absence of a realistic middle ground have created serious problems for many, including children. In this session, learn how to accept and maintain the best of technological advances while recognizing the problems created by these advances. Learn also how to recognize the impact of this fast pace on children’s behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and social development.
Linda Burch, M.B.A., and Matt Levinson, M.A. -- Educating Kids and School Communities in a 24/7 Digital World: Safe, Savvy, and Respectful
Just five years ago Facebook and Club Penguin did not exist, Google had not yet become a household name, and blogging, texting, and tweeting were not yet common verbs. The digital media that run through the middle of kids' lives today are evolving at a dizzying pace, bringing with them opportunities and challenges that are unique to this generation. While many parents and educators embrace the educational and creative potential of these new media, they also worry about unintended negative consequences, and are skeptical about digital media's role in helping children navigate 21st-century communication and collaboration. Learn how to keep open lines of communication about digital media between schools, parents, and students; how schools can deal with the increasingly blurred line between home and school activity as it relates to digital media; how so many of these issues are connected fundamentally to our conceptions of ethics and citizenship; and how some practical, simple strategies can enable schools and their communities to harness technology so that it can be used to its fullest potential.
Tracy L. Cross, Ph.D. -- From Underachievement to Depression: How Students Cope with Being Gifted
The lives of gifted students are complicated. Developing one's identity against the backdrop of mixed messages from society often leads to unhelpful social coping behaviors. Some of these are positive or neutral; others are detrimental to a child’s development and success. In this session, gifted students' self-perceptions, social cognition, coping strategies, and behaviors in school will be described. Research models that illustrate the experiences and perceptions gifted students have that lead to their coping behaviors will be explored. Suggestions for teachers, counselors, and parents for guiding the psychological and social development of gifted students will also be covered.
Carol Dweck, Ph.D. -- MINDSET: Helping Gifted Students Fulfill Their Potential
Dr. Dweck will show how students' mindsets -- their belief that their intelligence is simply a gift, or that it is a quality they can develop -- shape their motivation to learn. Mindsets affect whether students seek challenges, are willing to work hard, and are resilient. Dr. Dweck will show how these mindsets can be shaped through our praise and through workshops that teach a growth mindset.
Margie Kitano, Ph.D. -- Strategies for Working with Gifted English Learners
Schools across the country underserve gifted and talented students who have primary languages other than English. This session addresses the special needs of linguistically diverse gifted students through identification, program models, and instruction. The major focus will be on instructional strategies in the classroom. Participants will be able to identify best practices for gifted, low-income English learners based on what practicing teachers do and on current research. Specific examples from practicing teachers are provided to illustrate effective strategies for gifted English learners in bilingual education and English immersion classrooms.
Linda Kreger Silverman, Ph.D. -- Where Have All the Girls Gone?
What happens to gifted girls? There are an equal number of gifted boys and girls -- even in the upper regions of giftedness, beyond 180 IQ. But girls begin to go underground as soon as they are placed in preschool. Why do gifted girls hide? What can be done about it? It is essential that parents recognize giftedness in their daughters and advocate for them in schools. This session will explore how parents can change this age-old pattern.
Robert Sternberg, Ph.D. -- A New Model for Assessing Student Abilities
Assessments in this country tend to emphasize IQs, SATs, ACTs, ERBs, SSATs, and other similar standardized tests. But our research suggests that these tests measure only a very limited sampling of abilities and that it is possible to assess a broader range of analytical, creative, practical, and wisdom-based abilities in ways that better meet the needs of schools and students alike. We will show how we do these assessments and what results they yield.
Gilman Whiting, Ph.D., and Donna Y. Ford, Ph.D. -- Helping Culturally Different Males to Choose School Success: The Scholar Identity Model as One Solution
Whether they are identified as gifted or not, many Black and Hispanic/Latino males face negative stereotypes. Too many succumb to these stereotypes, as partly evidenced by their high rates of underachievement and under-representation in gifted education and AP classes. The Scholar Identity Model and Institute were designed with these students and issues in mind. Specifically, the goal of the Institute is to work with such males to defy stereotypes and, instead, choose school success. In this session, both the model and the summer institute are described, and each will be discussed as a resource for families and educators.
Anna Williams, M.A. -- Identifying and Assessing Differentiated Learning
What should a parent be able to see in a differentiated classroom? This session is designed to educate parents about the theory and terminology that are considered best practice for meeting the needs of diverse and gifted learners in a regular, heterogeneous classroom. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about these ideas and see real examples of student work, all of which will assist them in advocating for and assessing the success of a differentiated classroom.
Twice-exceptional Learner Parent Panel
Invaluable advice from experienced parents. Moderated by Marsha Blair, Academic Support Coordinator for The Menlo School.
Distance Learning and Supplementation
Helping Twice-Exceptional Learners Achieve Exceptional Success
Trends in 21st Century Education
Creativity, Cognition, Computers, and Kids
Facts and Myths of Cultural Diversity and Underachievement
Jeremy Bailenson, Ph.D. -- Transformed Social Interaction in Virtual Worlds
Over time, our mode of remote communication has evolved from written letters to telephones, email, internet chat rooms, and videoconferences. Virtual environments now promise to further change the nature of remote interaction. Virtual environments track verbal and nonverbal signals of multiple participants and render those signals onto avatars -- three-dimensional, digital representations of people in a shared digital space. This session will describe a series of projects that explore the ways avatars qualitatively change the nature of communication, education, and social interaction.
Barbara Clark, Ed.D., and Sherrie Friedman, M.A., J.D. -- What Do We Do When Gifted Children Aren't Acting Gifted at All
There are times when the behavior of gifted children may lead to questions about whether they are really gifted. Very gifted children, in trying to solve problems created by their parents or teachers, may only make things worse, leading them into social and emotional situations they can't handle. How should we respond? This session will explore the responsibilities of those who care for gifted children in these social and emotional situations, and how we can find teaching moments when the child's own solution fails.
Thomas Greenspon, Ph.D. -- When Smart Isn't Cool: Getting Beyond a Negative Experience of Giftedness
Giftedness -- unusual intellectual prowess -- is not a thing one has or doesn't have. It is a fluid, evolving, and changing aspect of the overall sense of self, and it is not always positive. Giftedness can be experienced as a cause for rejection by others, or it can seem to come with burdensome expectations. A resulting sense of defectiveness and unacceptability can permeate a child's self-impression, leading to underachievement, low self-esteem, and even anxiety or depression. Learn how families can help to counteract this negative self-impression and create a positive, affirming springboard for gifted kids' emotional development.
Sandra Kaplan, Ed.D. -- Diversity and Differentiation: Providing a Tailored Learning Experience in the Classroom (Part 1 of a 3-hour workshop)
When students in urban settings confront a curriculum that is not responsive to their diverse learning experiences, the result is underachievement. Educators, parents, and teachers recognize that learners with diverse academic, cultural, economic, and linguistic backgrounds require a diverse curriculum. The Parallel Curriculum Model (PCM) is designed to be responsive to different populations in different contexts. PCM implementation in heterogeneous classrooms helps students demonstrate abilities that are not visible in a traditional pedagogical environment. In this session, educators will learn how to reinforce basic content, connect previously and newly acquired content to form new understandings, and affirm a student's identity as a scholar.
David Kelley, M.A., & Kim Saxe, M.S. -- Hands-on Design Thinking Workshop (Part 1 of a 2-hour workshop)
Learn by doing! Come experience the power of Design Thinking as we guide you through a project. Participants will deepen their understanding of the ways that Design Thinking mindsets and strategies enhance students' growth as effective and confident problem solvers. The founder of Stanford's d.school and the design firm, IDEO, and the director of Nueva's unique I-Lab will guide you through this engaging project. Handouts of Nueva's Design Thinking process will be provided and examples of integrated curricula developed in the I-Lab will be shared. Come have fun!
Beth Littrell, M.Ed. -- Exploring Overexcitabilities in Highly and Profoundly Gifted Students
Dabrowski coined the term "overexcitability" to describe the intense social-emotional characteristics of gifted children, and he listed five categories of "higher than average responsiveness": psychomotor, sensual, intellectual, imaginative, and emotional. Often, these are the characteristics that prevent gifted students from success in traditional classrooms. This session focuses on understanding these characteristics and exploring strategies that might help students use them to create advantages and opportunities.
Susanna Loeb, Ph.D., M.P.P. -- The Funding of Gifted Education in the Context of State Budget Cuts and Increased Federal Participation
This session will describe the funding of special education and gifted education in California. In the process it will review how public schools are financed in California and how this finance structure compares to structures in other states. It will also describe how education funding fits into the federal stimulus package and how California schools may or may not benefit from new federal dollars.
Raymond Ravaglia, M.A. -- Reconceiving Precollegiate Education in the Online High School
Over the past three years, the Education Program for Gifted Youth Online High School at Stanford University has been conducting an extended experiment in reconceiving what a precollegiate education should be. As we enter our fourth year, we offer a report on where we have been, where our students have gone, and the wider implications this endeavor has for the future of gifted education.
Gordon Sherman, Ph.D. -- Abilities and Disabilities: Outcomes of Cerebrodiversity
Variability in the structure and function of the human brain is central to our evolutionary success, enabling our species to adapt to Earth's changing environments over the eons. Cerebrodiversity -- our collective neural heterogeneity -- is good! Neuroplasticity, which enables the brain to alter or form new neuronal connections and dynamically reorganize, is a mechanism for cerebrodiversity. Depending on environmental demands (usually socioculturally determined), cerebrodiversity can translate into strengths or weaknesses among individuals, sometimes falling on extreme ends of a gift-disability continuum. However, as environmental demands change, a gift can become a disability and vice versa.
Robert Sternberg, Ph.D. -- Teaching for Reasoning, Resilience, and Responsibility
In this talk, Dr. Sternberg will describe a model of “Teaching for the Other 3 R's: Reasoning, Resilience, and Responsibility.” He will discuss why these three constructs are important and how they can be incorporated into school teaching and assessment.
Stephanie Tolan, M.A. -- Acknowledging the Gifted Ex-Child
The first step in dealing with adult giftedness is accepting the possibility that the word might apply to oneself. Most of us were not told we were gifted, and those of us who were told might well have doubted it or preferred to wish it away. It isn't easy to be different. The next step is to decide what story we will tell ourselves now about our unusual intelligence and its meaning. No matter what we have or have not done with our giftedness, we can begin at any moment to put it to work in our lives.
Judy Willis, M.D., M.Ed. -- Teaching the Brain to Read: Strategies for Extending Vocabulary Building and Use
In this session we will look at the ways that brain research correlates to strategies for extending vocabulary development and transfer of learned vocabulary for successful reading comprehension and writing. Topics will include strategies to connect new vocabulary to prior knowledge for relational memory, patterning relational memory into long-term memory, and using vocabulary for application with highest-level executive function thinking.
Frank C. Worrell, Ph.D. -- Giftedness as a Single IQ Score: Confronting the Myth
This presentation will address the history of identification of gifted children by IQ alone, the persistence of this myth over time, and the problems with relying on a single test score as an indicator of gifted performance. The discussion will include a review of some of the other constructs that predict giftedness, with specific attention to minority populations and how they are underrepresented in gifted and talented programs.
Ed Zaccaro, M.Ed. -- Meeting the Needs of Mathematically Gifted Children
Are you finding it difficult to meet the needs of children who are mathematically gifted? Even in schools that group by ability, the pace is often too slow and acceleration isn't always the answer. This session will show teachers, parents, and administrators the eight components of an ideal program for mathematically gifted children. These eight components include challenging mathematically gifted children, showing them a wonderful and exciting side of math and science, helping them value their gift, and ensuring that all mathematically gifted children have the opportunity to work with other gifted children.
Wes Beach, M.A. -- Creative Paths to College
Often the type of education that best meets the needs of a gifted young person is very different from a conventional one. But parents and educators too frequently see an unconventional education as jeopardizing a student's opportunities for admission to college. It is entirely possible to alter radically, or skip altogether, a traditional high school education and go on to reach the highest levels of formal education. This session will present a number of illustrative student stories as well as general considerations in designing creative paths to college.
Stuart Brown, M.D. -- Play: A Serious Consideration for Our Children's Intelligence and Happiness
What is it that triggers our emotional engagement with the world? What holds attention, and helps to craft our uniquely human social brain, and fosters progressive mastery? We will take a close look at the evolution, neurobiology and characteristics of play behaviors, their embedded place in the brain's survival circuitry, and the growing data on the relationship of play to performance, emotional regulation, and overall well-being. We will also review the consequences of a lack of sufficient play in an individual life or culture.
Tracy L. Cross, Ph.D. -- Social and Emotional Issues of Gifted Adolescents
The lives of gifted adolescents are complicated. Developing one's identity against the backdrop of mixed messages from society often leads to unhelpful social coping behaviors. This presentation will highlight common issues that gifted adolescents experience, including identity development, perfectionism, achievement expectations, dating, multipotentiality, and feeling aberrant. We will explore dimensions of personality and other aspects of the psychological nature of gifted adolescents.
Diane Frankenstein, M.A. -- Choices, Questions, and Dreams: The Mystique of Adolescent Literature
At the stage when adolescents are becoming more independent and autonomous, talking about stories is a natural way to continue the habit of discussing their concerns, and helping them explore their personal belief systems and values. From grades 6 to 8+ there is a window of opportunity to hand your adolescent children the books that will carry them into high school. Diane will explore the classics of adolescent literature, showing how these books support both the intellectual and emotional growth of adolescents.
Bryan Hallauer, B.A. -- Profound Accommodations: Meeting the Needs of Our Nation's Brightest Youth
The most common and popular education paradigm in the United States puts gifted students at a disadvantage. When parents, educators, and students work collaboratively in a positive educational climate, learning can truly be the focus. Discover tried and true accommodations identified through a decade of experience working with profoundly gifted youth.
Fumiko Hoeft, M.D., Ph.D., and Rosalie Whitlock, Ph.D. -- Brain Basis of Learning Disabilities, Giftedness, and Creativity
This talk will provide an overview of current findings in developmental cognitive neuroscience that stem from functional and structural neuroimaging technology. Recent trends will be reviewed, from neuroscience's examination of the brain basis of superior intelligence and creativity to learning challenges. We will also see what has been learned about the impact on brain development of children's motivation and environments.
Sandra Kaplan, Ed.D. -- Diversity and Differentiation: Providing a Tailored Learning Experience in the Classroom (Part 2 of a 3-hour workshop)
When students in urban settings confront a curriculum that is not responsive to their diverse learning experiences, the result is underachievement. Educators, parents, and teachers recognize that learners with diverse academic, cultural, economic, and linguistic backgrounds require a diverse curriculum. The Parallel Curriculum Model (PCM) is designed to be responsive to different populations in different contexts. PCM implementation in heterogeneous classrooms helps students demonstrate abilities that are not visible in a traditional pedagogical environment. In this session, educators will learn how to reinforce basic content, connect previously and newly acquired content to form new understandings, and affirm a student's identity as a scholar.
David Kelley, M.S. and Founder of IDEO, & Kim Saxe, M.S. -- Hands-on Design Thinking Workshop (Part 2 of a 2-hour workshop)
Learn by doing! Come experience the power of Design Thinking as we guide you through a project. Participants will deepen their understanding of the ways that Design Thinking mindsets and strategies enhance students' growth as effective and confident problem solvers. The founder of Stanford's d.school and the design firm, IDEO, and the director of Nueva's unique I-Lab will guide you through this engaging project. Handouts of Nueva's Design Thinking process will be provided and examples of integrated curricula developed in the I-Lab will be shared. Come have fun!
Lynne Kelly, M.Ed. -- Curriculum Material for Individualized Extension
Gifted children get bored in the regular classroom unless substantial enrichment is available. Most teachers recognize that, but it is not always clear how to deal with it in the demanding environment of a mixed-ability classroom. This presentation will focus on the EUMY (Enrichment Units for the Middle Years) curriculum materials, which enable practical delivery and management while meeting individual needs of gifted students. This session will explore the units and how they are implemented, with participants relating ideas to their own schools and situations. Participants will then address some of the school-specific issues arising from implementing the units.
Robert Sapolsky, Ph.D. -- Humans: Are We Just Another Ape? Are We Just a Bunch of Neurons?
In this talk, Stanford scientist Robert Sapolsky approaches the issue of human behavior from the standpoint of his two areas of investigation -- neuroscience and primatology. What he has to say will set you thinking about free will and our uniqueness as a species.
KR Sridhar, Ph.D. -- Fostering Creativity and Innovation
How does one move from theory to practice? We often know what needs to be done to foster creativity in the classroom or in an organization but not how to innovate successfully. This talk focuses on the practical steps to implement sustained innovation in the classroom, in a school, or in a business.
Michael Clay Thompson, M.A. -- Putting the Thinking Back Into Writing: Formal Academic Writing Strategies for Gifted Children
With the emphasis in recent years on unstructured, creative, or journal writing for students, it comes as no particular surprise to frustrated parents and college admissions officers that many children -- gifted or not -- lack formal, standard, academic writing skills. Examine how Thompson's writing program solves this problem, weaving engaging grammar and vocabulary instruction seamlessly into examples of clear, well-organized formal academic writing. Discover how to put the thinking back into writing instruction, and equip yourself with this proven sequence for producing motivated and competent writers at all grade levels.
John Seely Brown, Ph.D. -- Learning through Tinkering
Growing up in the 21st century poses unique challenges. We will examine challenges that highlight the importance of informal learning -- tinkering and play -- and how these elements can blend together to create an ability to learn how to learn and to develop a sense of confidence in understanding complex systems. We will also discuss passion-driven learning and how the Internet can support that.
Stephen Chou, Ph.D., and Dan Peters, Psy.D.-- The Psychosocial Development of Gifted Children through an Ericksonian Lens: Autonomy versus Shame
Gifted children often develop in asynchronous ways, with certain facets of their intellects or characters well in advance of others. This can appear as an advantage, but it clearly carries potential detriments. How do we help these young people navigate through emotional difficulties that can, if unacknowledged or ignored, affect the rest of their lives? This presentation proposes an understanding of gifted children's psychology from the perspective of Erik Erikson's developmental model.
Thomas Greenspon, Ph.D. -- Perfectionism: What It Is, What It Isn't, and How to Help
Perfectionism can sap emotional energy, cause difficulties in relationships, and actually interfere with performance. Perfectionism is not about doing one's best, or about pursuing excellence; it's about the desire to be perfect, the fear of imperfection, and the emotional conviction that perfection is the only route to acceptability as a person. Find out what perfectionism is, where it comes from, how it might relate to giftedness, and what concrete steps can be taken to launch a process of recovery from perfectionism by building an environment of acceptance.
Sandra Kaplan, Ed.D. -- Diversity and Differentiation: Providing a Tailored Learning Experience in the Classroom (Part 3 of a 3-hour workshop)
When students in urban settings confront a curriculum that is not responsive to their diverse learning experiences, the result is underachievement. Educators, parents, and teachers recognize that meeting the needs of academic, cultural, economic and linguistic diversity among learners occurs when their individual diversity is met with a diverse curriculum. The Parallel Curriculum Model (PCM) is designed to be responsive to different populations in different contexts. PCM implementation in heterogeneous classrooms assists students in demonstrating abilities that are not visible when the traditional rubric is used. In this session, educators will learn how to reinforce basic content, connect previously and newly acquired content to form new understandings, and affirm a student's identity as a scholar.
David Kelley, M.A., and Kim Saxe, M.S. -- Design Thinking for Kids: A Stanford/Nueva Collaboration to Make the Dream Real
Stanford University and The Nueva School are teaching the mindsets and processes of Design Thinking to help students develop effective skills for identifying and solving problems, and to nurture their creative confidence. Learn how Design Thinking is changing the way our students think in this informal chat with the founder of Stanford’s d.school and the design firm, IDEO, and the director of Nueva’s unique I-Lab.
David Levy, Ph.D. -- No Time to Think
Thanks to the proliferation of information technologies, there is less time to think -- and to relate to others and to the world -- than ever before. This session will look at whether our educational system is primarily training young people to slot into our accelerating, production-oriented economy. The importance of paying attention in early grades to the cultivation of greater receptivity will be covered, and participants will discuss how parents -- themselves overstretched and overworked -- might model alternatives for their children.
Beth Littrell, M.Ed. -- Communication and Relationships for Highly and Profoundly Gifted Students
Gifted students need time with intellectual peers and may feel isolated or lonely without those meaningful relationships. This session explores the phenomena of introversion and extroversion, the need for empathy and understanding from others who share common feelings, and strategies for finding and nurturing friendships. The session also explores strategies for communication at home and school.
Megan Foley Nicpon, Ph.D. -- Understanding Twice-Exceptional Students: Methods for Identifying and Accommodating Exceptionalities
Twice-exceptional students, or gifted students with co-existing disabilities, can be challenging for educators and parents to understand. Typically, there are academic areas that come very easily to the student, such as mathematics or reading, as well as areas that are much more difficult to master, such as getting along with peers or taking tests without experiencing overwhelming anxiety. This presentation will cover identification of twice-exceptionality and provide strategies for optimizing gifts while accommodating difficulties so that students have a positive, strengths-based experience in their educational and home environments.
Anshul Samar -- Create, Combat, and Conquer with a Young Entrepeneur!
Anshul Samar is a 10th grader, the CEO of Alchemist Empire Inc., and the creator of the Elementeo chemistry card game. Anshul will talk about his game and his journey as a CEO, beginning from a $500 California Association of the Gifted grant to launching the game last year at National Association of Gifted Children's Conference. He'll discuss how he thought of the idea, built prototypes, and manufactured the game. He'll talk about the process of hiring artists, working with law firms, incorporating the company, traveling around the country, and marketing. Anshul has appeared on FOX, ABC, NBC, NPR and PBS BizKids and has had interviews with New York Times, Scholastic, and many other blogs and newspapers.
Judy Willis, M.D., M.Ed. -- Looking Within: How Neuroimaging Can Inform Teaching and Learning
Breakthroughs in neuroimaging studies have allowed us to see real-time activities in the brain during the processing of sensory input, memory formation, and information retrieval. This presentation will cover such topics as using advances in neuroscience research to ignite students' engagement, maximizing and maintaining attention and focus, determining an appropriate level of challenge for all students, strategies to increase memory retrieval, and what makes the adolescent brain different -- and the gifted adolescent brain unique in its own way, even more open to high-risk behavior.
Frank C. Worrell, Ph.D. -- Motivation and Underachievement in Talented Students: Two Sides of the Same Coin
This presentation will review the major conceptions of motivation and the role of motivation in the selection and performance of students identified for GATE programs. Issues covered will include (a) the relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in this population, (b) the factors that affect how students perceive their abilities, and (c) appropriate ways to communicate that support positive motivational orientations. We will discuss underachievement in the context of motivational challenges faced by students who are identified as gifted and talented. There will also be some discussion of the specific motivational challenges that are faced by students from groups that are traditionally under-represented in GATE programs.
Ed Zaccaro, Ph.D. -- Five Real-Life Math Investigations That Will Astound Teachers and Students
See the power of mathematics as the danger of short-term loans is exposed in dramatic fashion. Discover the shocking answer to how much money a hybrid car will save its owner because of reduced gasoline usage. Watch as mathematics shows the futility of depending on corn-based ethanol to lower our dependence on oil imports. See how statistics are manipulated to hide the truth. These and other fascinating math investigations show the ability of mathematics to cut through deception and flawed thinking.
Five experts will share their perspectives on current research and neurological advancements in the field of learning differences, and offer practical advice that can help the twice exceptional students you know achieve exceptional success. Speaker and parent panel discussions round out the day, allowing ample time to address your specific questions.
8:40-9:45
Megan Foley Nicpon, Ph.D. -- Understanding Twice Exceptional Students: Methods for Identifying and Accommodating Exceptionalities
10:00-11:00
Corin Barsily Goodwin, M.P.P. -- Homeschooling, Supplementation, and Educational Alternatives for Gifted, Profoundly Gifted, and Twice-Exceptional Children
11:10-12:10
Twice Exceptional Parent Panel -- Invaluable Advice from Experienced Parents
Marsha Blair, Academic Support Coordinator for The Menlo School, moderates a powerfully poignant panel discussion with parents of now successful children with learning differences who will share their stories and provide heartfelt, honest, important advice.
12:40-1:30
Twice Exceptional Learner Speaker Panel -- Helping Twice Exceptional Children Achieve Exceptional Success
Speakers: Tracy Cross, Megan Foley Nicpon, Gordon Sherman, and Linda Silverman
Moderator: Rosalie Whitlock
1:40-2:40
Gordon Sherman, Ph.D. -- Abilities and Disabilities: Outcomes of Cerebrodiversity
2:50-3:50
Fumiko Hoeft, M.D., Ph.D., co-presenting with Rosalie Whitlock, Ph.D. -- Brain Basis of Learning Disabilities, Giftedness, and Creativity
4:00-5:00
Megan Foley Nicpon, Ph.D. — Understanding Twice-Exceptional Students: Methods for Identifying and Accommodating Exceptionalities
The following speakers will not specifically address learning differences in their presentations, but those interested in twice exceptional children may find them helpful. Please see their presentation descriptions for details: David Berg, E.T., Stuart Brown, M.D., Tracy Cross, Ph.D., Linda Kreger Silverman, Ph.D., and Judy Willis, M.D.