Presentations by UConn Affiliated Faculty and Students

Thursday, November 13

Identifying Hidden Talent: Inclusive Strategies and Activities for Recognizing Potential
8:00 – 11:30 AM | 304 – 305
Kathy Gavin, Del Siegle, Kelly L. Kearney

Poster Sessions
5:15 – 6:30 PM | Exhibit Hall B
     Poster 41: Leveraging Gifted Students' Strengths in Supporting Executive Functioning Difficulties – John P. Burrell
     Poster 51: Retaining Families of Gifted Students: Where is the Point of Leverage? – Celeste DC Sodergren

Friday, November 14

Developing Math Talent: Advanced Number Investigations to Challenge and Motivate Students
8:00 – 9:00 AM | 411 – 412
Kathy Gavin

Teacher Rating Scales: Promises and Pitfalls
8:00 – 9:00 AM | 401 – 402
D. Betsy McCoach, Karen Rambo-Hernandez (Texas A&M)

Research & Evaluation Dissertation Award Winners
8:00 – 9:00 AM | 406
Celeste DC Sodergren, Vicki L. Boley (Colorado State University), Austina De Bonte (WA Coalition for Gifted Education)

1 is Good, 2 is Better: Professional Learning for Differentiation with the Option to Co-teach
9:15 – 10:00 AM | 306 – 307
Ashley Y. Carpenter (William & Mary's Center for Gifted Education), Kelly L. Kearney, Del Siegle, Kenneth J. Wright (Talcott Mountain Academy), Mei Zheng

IN:OUT—A Dynamic Approach to Spot English Learner Potential/Talent as Soon as Monday Morning
9:15 – 10:00 AM | 301
Susan Dulong Langley, John P. Burrell, Talbot S. Hook (University of Georgia at Athens), Celeste DC Sodergren, Marcy D. Voss (Seidlitz Education and J Taylor Education)

I Have a Good Question, So Now What?
10:15 – 11:00 AM | 408 – 410
Tamra Stambaugh (Whitworth University), Catherine A. Little, Casey Hogan

From Hesitation to Imagination: Unlocking Creative Potential in the Classroom
11:15 – 12:00 PM | 317 – 318
Shannon McDonald, Jimmy Wilson, Mei Zheng

Nurturing the Creativity of the Gifted Educator
11:15 – 12:00 PM | 403 – 405
Cyndi Burnett (Creativity in Education), Matthew Worwood

Beyond Limits: Practical Approaches to Unlocking Success Through Creativity in 2e Learners
2:30 – 3:00 PM | 319
Jimmy Wilson, Julie H. Delgado (Carroll University)

Cultivating High-Level Creative Competency in the Future Creative
2:30 – 3:00 PM | 403 – 405
Matthew Worwood, Cyndi Burnett (Creativity in Education)

A How-To Session on Using Multiple Measures for Gifted and Talented Identification
3:10 – 3:40 PM | 301
Scott J. Peters (NWEA), Daniel Long (NWEA), D. Betsy McCoach

Saturday, November 15

Lesson Roundtable 25: Experimenting with Literature
8:00 – 9:00 AM | Exhibit Hall B
Kelly Dausel

Best Gifted Education Practices Based on Current Research Findings from NCRGE
9:15 – 10:45 AM | 304 – 305
Del Siegle, D. Betsy McCoach

ADOPT a Practical Approach: Simplify Differentiation via the Advanced Options Planning Tool
10:15 – 11:45 AM | 408 – 410
Susan Dulong Langley, Ashley Y. Carpenter (William & Mary's Center for Gifted Education), Kenneth J. Wright (Talcott Mountain Academy), Kelly L. Kearney

Catch Them Being Gifted: An Alternative Approach to Talent Spotting
3:45 – 4:45 PM | 304 – 305
Del Siegle, Susan Dulong Langley, Kelly L. Kearney, Celeste DC Sodergren, John P. Burrell, Talbot S. Hook (University of Georgia at Athens), Mei Zheng, Shelby Jones

Sunday, November 16

Beyond ChatGPT: Practical Tools for Sparking Creative Thinking in Gifted Learners
8:00 – 9:00 AM | 401 – 402
Jimmy Wilson, Shuyu Wang

 

 

The following links will provide you information about our...

• ...free professional learning webinars
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• ...Ph.D. program
• ..online and summer Master's degree program
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• ...SEM outreach
• ...national study on acceleration
• Renzulli Executive Functioning Scales for students

 

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12 Misconceptions About Gifted Students

Gifted students  have unique intellectual and emotional needs, but misconceptions about them persist. Some of the common misconceptions teachers might have about gifted students include:

1. All Gifted Students are Alike: Just as with any other group of students, gifted students have individual strengths, weaknesses, interests, and needs.
2. Gifted Students Don't Need Help: Being intellectually gifted doesn't mean a student is adept in all areas. They may excel in one area while struggling in another.
3. They'll Do Fine on Their Own: Without appropriate challenges and support, gifted students can become disengaged, underachieve, or develop behavioral problems.
4. Giftedness Equals High Achievement: Some gifted students may not perform well in traditional school settings. Their potential might be masked by factors like twice-exceptionality (being gifted alongside a learning or physical disability) or lack of motivation.
5. Gifted Students Are Mature in All Areas: While they might be academically advanced, they can still be emotionally and socially at par with their age peers or even lag behind.
6. Acceleration is Harmful: Acceleration (e.g., grade skipping, early entrance) can be highly beneficial for some gifted students when done appropriately, but it is often avoided due to misconceptions.
7. More Homework is the Solution: Simply giving more of the same type of work can be tedious and demotivating. Gifted students often benefit more from depth and complexity rather than just volume.
8. Giftedness is Solely Academic: While many definitions of giftedness focus on academics, students can also be gifted in areas such as the arts, leadership, or athletics.
9. Gifted Programs are Elitist: This misconception arises from the idea that providing special programs for gifted students is unfair. However, just as students with learning disabilities receive specialized support, gifted students also have unique learning needs that should be addressed.
10. All Students are Gifted in Some Way: While every student has unique strengths and talents, not all students meet the criteria for giftedness in an academic or intellectual sense.
11. Without Special Training, Teachers Can't Challenge Gifted Students:  While specialized training is beneficial, even teachers without it can use strategies like differentiation and addressing student interests to better cater to the needs of gifted students in their classroom.
12. Gifted Students Don't Have Disabilities: This overlooks the twice-exceptional students who are both gifted and have learning or physical disabilities. Their needs are particularly complex as their giftedness can sometimes mask their disabilities and vice versa.

Recognizing and addressing these misconceptions is vital for educators to create an environment where gifted students are understood, supported, and challenged appropriately.