Breakout Session 6
Tuesday, October 24 - 11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Tuesday, October 24 - 11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Students from poverty continue to be underrepresented in gifted programs nationally and in the state of Virginia. Project ExCEL is a Jacob K. Javits-funded grant that uses Problem-Based Learning (PBL) as a universal screening tool to identify gifted potential in students from poverty at the middle school level. This session will discuss how Project ExCEL and PBL have helped to increase student access to gifted services, while also positively influencing instruction and teacher beliefs about students' abilities.
Administrators, Teachers Grades K-12
Momentum 1
Learn how students become literacy heroes, collaborating across grade levels to build and stock a community lending library - a self-sustaining, year-round Little Free Library located right in the neighborhood. Students choose the books for the Little Free Library, developing research, persuasive, and presentation skills. This authentic service learning project engages students’ passion for reading. Students curate a collection of quality children’s literature that inspires, motivates, and entertains, ultimately creating excitement for books and lifelong literacy.
Administrators, Parents, Teachers Grades K-12
Adrenaline
Take a look at what blended learning can look like in your classroom. Learn how to design and use hyperdocs to create a digital learning environment in which students collaborate, create, research, and think critically.
Administrators, Teachers Grades K-12
Granby C
The needs of twice-exceptional (2e) students include identifying and addressing both conditions (Costis, 2016; Reis, Baum, & Burke, 2015). Individualized Education Plans (IEP) must reflect goals, objectives, and accommodations which allow 2e students to operate at a level commensurate with their abilities. The presenters will discuss strategies for using a strengths-based approach to designing IEPs for 2e students. Effective collaboration techniques between regular, gifted, and special educators will also be discussed. (Intermediate Level Session)
Administrators, Parents, Teachers Grades K-12
Energy 2
Through the Local Plan for the Education of the Gifted Template, VDOE provides planning guidance to divisions to support policy development. Although the Template requires provisions be made to support equitable representation of minority students, gaps in identification remain a persistent problem. In this presentation, I share a tool I created to evaluate division planning efforts to diminish gaps in identification and seek participant input concerning the strengths and weaknesses of my tool. (Intermediate Level Session)
Administrators, Teachers Grades K-12
Momentum 2
Meeting the social and emotional needs of gifted learners is a topic of great interest to educators of the gifted as they develop and nurture relationships with students of all ages. While being nice is certainly a great start, working with gifted students in a classroom requires more. This interactive session will show participants three ways to meet student needs through curriculum and instruction: 1) Using Growth Mindset (Carol Dweck) and/or Habits of Mind (Kosta/Kallick) while working in content; 2) Planning for the emotional response gifted students may have during a learning experience; and 3) Planning in advance for characteristics known to be present in students. This session focuses on the “how” and will provide anecdotes and practical examples of how to meet the social and emotional needs of gifted learners through curriculum and instruction. (Intermediate Level Session)
Administrators, Teachers Grades 3-12
Momentum 3
The session will focus on using Project Clarion units with diverse groups of learners. We will discuss how to integrate STEM concepts, Responsive Classroom practices, and cooperative learning structures.
Administrators, Teachers Grades K-5
Fusion
The process of teaching and learning in schools is composed of three components: curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Each component (C-I-A) allows the teacher to gather information on student learning and make decisions about what (and how) to teach next (Gareis & Grant, 2015). For gifted teachers, this task can be challenging due to the use of advanced content and instructional practices necessary to satiate gifted and high-ability students' thirst for knowledge. This session will revisit the C-I-A components while focusing on various high-quality assessment tools gifted resource teachers can use with their identified gifted and high-ability students. In addition, this session will include practical applications of high-quality assessments based upon NAGC Gifted Education Program Standards 2, 3, and 4.
Administrators, Teachers Grades 3-12
Energy 1
Instant Challenges are a great way to begin teaching project based learning to students of all ages. Students will learn to focus, think creatively and critically, collaborate, self-assess and better understand their own strengths and weaknesses - all while having fun!
Administrators, Parents, Teachers Grades K-12
Granby A
Working with gifted students in Duke TIP summer programs for almost four decades has provided evidence of the nature of the characteristics of gifted/talented students. While individual differences (and exceptions to the rule) abound, there are strong tendencies among gifted kids regarding their social and emotional development. Knowledge of these tendencies can inform parents and teachers, helping them to understand the responses they receive from their children and students, turning “rough seas” into “smooth sailing.”
Administrators, Parents, Teachers Grades K-12
Granby B