Presentations by UConn Affiliated Faculty and Students
Thursday, November 21
Local Norms for Local Programs: Introduction, Identification, and Implementation (Pre-Conference Session)
8:00 – 11:30 AM | 606 – 607
D. Betsy McCoach, Karen E. Rambo-Hernandez (Texas A&M University)
Research & Evaluation Research Gala
8:00 – 9:00 PM | 611 – 612
Developing Student Potential: Elementary Teachers' Perceptions and Practices (R&E Research Gala)
Julie Delgado
Development of a Paradigm Adherence Instrument for Gifted Education (R&E Research Gala)
Talbot Hook
Development of the Creativity and Meaning in Life Scale (CMLS) (R&E Research Gala)
Mei Zheng
The Effects of Professional Learning on Teacher Beliefs about Student High Potential (R&E Research Gala)
Shana Lusk
Friday, November 22
Signature Session: NAGC's Early Childhood Task Force: Supporting Effective Practice in the Early Years
11:15 AM – 12:00 PM | 6B
Nancy Hertzog (University of Washington), Catherine A. Little, Kelly L. Kearney, Kisha McCray (National Head Start Association), Megan Parker Peters (Lipscomb University), Alicia Schroeder-Schock (West Fargo Public Schools), Aimee Sulit (Deer Valley Unified School District)
Grapple and Grow: Professional Learning on Encouraging Productive Struggle (Poster 49)
12:15 – 1:00 PM | 4B
Catherine A. Little, Clarisa Rodrigues, Jimmy Wilson
A Practical Approach for Spotting Talent in Elementary School Age Multilingual Students
1:15 – 2:15 PM | 602 - 604
Del Siegle, Susan D. Dulong Langley, John P. Burrell, Kelly L. Kearney, Talbot S. Hook
Help! My Gifted Child Isn't Acting Gifted
3:00 – 3:30 PM | 304
Del Siegle, D. Betsy McCoach
Saturday, November 23
Improving Gifted Education Identification and Services Using Research from the National Center
8:00 – 9:00 AM | 602 - 604
Del Siegle, D. Betsy McCoach
Signature Session: Effective Curriculum for the Gifted: What Has Worked Across Time?
8:00 – 9:00 AM | 6B
Joyce VanTassel-Baska (William and Mary), Catherine Little, Linda Brody (CTY, Johns Hopkins University), Shelagh Gallagher (University of North Texas)
Native American Visibility: Culturally Responsive Do's for Your Students
9:15 – 10:15 AM | 606 - 607
Shana Lusk, Anne Gray (Northern New Mexico College)
Implementation of Subject Acceleration
9:15 – 10:15 AM | 608
Catherine A. Little, Mei Zheng
How Professional Learning Influences Teacher Perceptions of Developing Potential
10:30 – 11:00 AM | 609
Julie H. Delgado, Talbot S. Hook
Using the Equity Explorer to Compare Multiple Pathways and Local Norms
11:00 – 11:30 AM | 3AB
D. Betsy McCoach, Lindsay Lee (Michigan State University)
What Policies and Practices Can Help Identify and Nurture Giftedness Among English Learners? (Poster 74)
12:00 – 12:45 PM | 4B
Del Siegle, Daniel A. Long (A Division of HMH), German A. Diaz (Milwaukee Public Schools, Wisconsin), Martha A. Lopez (Milwaukee Public Schools, Wisconsin)
Parent Perceptions of Giftedness and Media Literacy (Poster 8)
12:00 – 12:45 PM | 4B
Shannon McDonald, Julie H. Delgado
Where in the Paradigm Are We? Exploring Researcher and Practitioner Beliefs About Giftedness (Poster 78)
12:00 – 12:45 PM | 4B
Talbot S. Hook
Paving the Pathway for Success: Creating Equitable Identification Practices (Poster 12)
12:00 – 12:45 PM | 4B
Julie H. Delgado, Holly A. Kincaid (Truman State University, Missouri), Cynthia Z. Hansen (Bridges Graduate School, California & Private Practice)
The Gifted Language Bridge: Enhancing Multilingual Learner Curriculum and Instruction
2:30 – 3:00 PM | 613 - 614
Susan D. Dulong Langley, Shana Lusk
Local Norms 2.0: Analytic Issues Implementing Local Norms in One and Two-Phase Systems
3:00 – 3:30 PM | 2AB
D. Betsy McCoach, Daniel A. Long (A Division of HMH), Lindsay Lee (Michigan State University)
Invitation to Inquiry: Encouraging Young Learners to RSVP for Advanced Thinking
3:00 – 3:30 PM | 201
Elizabeth A. Fogarty (University of St. Thomas, Minnesota), Janine M. Firmender (Saint Joseph's University, Pennsylvania), Catherine A. Little
Put Me In, Coach! Two Heads Are Better Than One for Differentiating Up
3:45 – 4:45 PM | 609
Susan D. Dulong Langley, Luis Orione Ferreira, Kenneth J. Wright (Talcott Mountain Academy, Connecticut), Ashley Y. Carpenter (William & Mary Center for Gifted Education, Virginia)
Sunday, November 24
Demonstrating Readiness or Demonstrating Potential? Using Developmental Assessments for Talent Development
8:00 – 9:00 AM | 609
Kelly L. Kearney, Rebecca L. O'Brien (Whitworth University, Washington)
Data Driven Differentiation That Doesn't Drive You to Distraction: Classroom Examples
9:15 – 10:15 AM | 6C
Del Siegle, Susan D. Dulong Langley, Kelly L. Kearney, Luis Orione Ferreira, Kenneth J. Wright (Talcott Mountain Academy, Connecticut), Ashley Y. Carpenter (William & Mary Center for Gifted Education, Virginia)
The following links will provide you information about our...
- ...free professional learning webinars
- ...fully online graduate certificate
- ...Ph.D. program
- ..online and summer Master's degree program
- ...professional learning summer event, Confratute
- ...professional learning virtual event, Taste of Confratute
- ...SEM outreach
- ...national study on acceleration
- Renzulli Executive Functioning Scales for students
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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:
- All Gifted Students are Alike: Just as with any other group of students, gifted students have individual strengths, weaknesses, interests, and needs.
- 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.
- They'll Do Fine on Their Own: Without appropriate challenges and support, gifted students can become disengaged, underachieve, or develop behavioral problems.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.