Preliminary Program – 18th World Conference on GIfted and Talented Children

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Magro | Paper | Expanding Conceptions of Intelligence: Lessons Learned From Refugees and Newcomers to Canada

Presenters

Magro, Karen. The University of Winnipeg, Canada

Abstract

With classrooms today becoming more culturally diverse, this study highlights the importance of re-examining conceptions of intelligence. Too often education for newcomers can focus on a deficit model of learning, emphasizing the skills that newcomers may not yet possess, such as fluency in English and knowledge of North American cultural mores. Through narrative research methods, this study emphasizes the exceptional, personal qualities that many newcomers and refugees demonstrate: resilience, empathy, and intercultural competence. Twenty adult refugees and newcomers, who experienced political conflict and war while they were children, were interviewed with an attempt to understand their challenges and hopes for life in Canada. Fifteen English teachers who work with refugees were also interviewed. This study supports the statements made by theorists like Sternberg and Renzulli, who assert that conceptions of intelligence have been too narrow and that biases towards rewarding verbal-linguistic and mathematical intelligence have excluded inter- and intra-personal intelligences.

Schedule

Day	Timeslot	Room	Sequence
Wednesday	5:00 – 6:00 pm	10	1
Wednesday	5:00 – 6:00 pm	10	2

Presentation

Not Available

Makela | Poster | Discourse on Educational Policy of Gifted Education in Finland

Presenters

Mäkelä, Sonja. University of Helsinki, Finland

Abstract

Equality and caring for others have been seen as important factors in the educational policy in Finland. Unfortunately, this has led to the situation where taking care of gifted children has not received wide attention. This poster presentation portrays the results of a study where the discourse of educational policy of gifted education in Finland has been researched. The presentation will also give an overview of how gifted children are taken into account at the level of compulsory education in Finland. The study was conducted by analyzing articles from two central Finnish publications over the past 15 years, using the content-analysis method. Preliminary results show that change toward better consideration of the gifted is wanted. There exists a strong belief that gifted children should have the same opportunities as others to develop their abilities; however, the ideas of how gifted education should be best carried out varied considerably.

Schedule

Day	Timeslot	Room
Wednesday	10:30 am – 12:00 pm	Exhibition

Presentation

Not Available

Mann | Symposium | Engineering Teachable Moments: Employing Engineering Design Activities

Presenters

Mann, Eric; Duncan, Daphne; Strutz, Michele; Yoon, SoYoon; Pereira, Nielsen. Purdue University, Indiana, USA

Abstract

Children are born engineers. They are fascinated with building and with taking things apart to see how they work. There are many parallels between the emerging field of engineering education and gifted education pedagogy. As K to 12 students explore the engineering-design process, they engage in solving real-world problems while developing problem-solving skills, including problem formulation, iteration, and testing of alternative solutions. Students exchange traditional roles as lesson-learners and doers-of-exercises for more challenging and demanding roles that require hands-on learning, critical and creative thinking, first-hand investigations, and the application of knowledge in finding solutions to complex problems. Aspects of problem-based learning, Socratic dialogue, and an integrated curriculum involving multiple aspects of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines are included in an effective engineering curriculum. This symposium introduces efforts at Purdue University to integrate appropriate engineering activities in K to 12 classrooms to enhance the curriculum.

Schedule

Day	Timeslot	Room
Tuesday	10:30 am – 12:00 pm	04

Presentation

Not Available

Marron | Symposium | Academic Acceleration Activities of the Institute for Research and Policy on Acceleration

Presenters

Marron, Maureen A.; Lohman, David F.; Colangelo, Nick; Assouline, Susan. Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development, Iowa, USA

Abstract

The Institute for Research and Policy on Acceleration (IRPA) at the University of Iowa’s Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education was founded in 2006 to support academic acceleration efforts around the world. In this informational presentation, we describe the range of IRPA’s activities, which include conducting international survey research on acceleration attitudes and practices, conducting qualitative research on school counselors’ knowledge and attitudes about acceleration, providing support for others’ research on acceleration, developing instruments to assess students for acceleration (notably, the Iowa Acceleration Scale, third edition), drafting model language for acceleration policies, supporting global gifted education initiatives with translated versions of A Nation Deceived (Colangelo, Assouline, & Gross, 2004), and maintaining a website (www.accelerationinstitute.org) that contains a comprehensive collection of research articles, information on state acceleration policies, and personal stories of acceleration.

Schedule

Day	Timeslot	Room
Wednesday	10:30 am – 12:00 pm	02

Presentation

Not Available

Martens | Paper | Combining Philosophy with Physics: The Responses of Gifted Students to Interdisciplinary Learning

Presenters

Doyle, Seamus; Martens, Kristy. Westmount Charter School, Canada

Abstract

Gifted students benefit from rigorous and sustained interdisciplinary engagement. It facilitates the examination of large-scale, universal ideas and establishes connections between disparate subjects of study. It is commonly held that using this approach with gifted learners increases motivation and achievement, encourages sustained interest, and fosters broader growth of learning through enrichment. We created a month-long interdisciplinary unit in which we combined Grade 12 physics and philosophy for the purpose of enriching the differentiated learning experience for students. The unit was centered on the ideas of choice, determination, human concepts of time, and the intersection between the disciplines of physics and philosophy. This session includes our observations and anecdotal evidence about student responses to their interdisciplinary experience.

Schedule

Day	Timeslot	Room	Sequence
Friday	9:00 – 10:00 am	08	1
Friday	9:00 – 10:00 am	08	2

Presentation

Not Available

Marziyeh | Paper | Learning Styles and Hemispheric Dominance in Iranian Gifted Students

Presenters

Amini, Marziyeh. Marvdasht Azad University, Iran

Abstract

Meeting the educational needs of gifted and talented students is of great importance, but developing different instructional designs that suit their needs is a complex task. Many designs have changed over the past 30 years. To expand appropriate opportunities, the need for identification of traits and preferences is required. The present study focused on two major factors in high-ability students: learning styles and hemispheric dominance. In this study, 177 high-ability, intermediate girls and boys, studying in special schools for the gifted, completed the LSI (Kolb) and the ILDQ (Saeedian, 2006). The main purposes of the study were to compare learning styles with regard to sex difference, to compare the prevalence of the type of hemispheric dominance in with regard to sex difference, and to compare the learning styles and hemispheric dominances combined between the sexes. The findings of this study will be discussed.

Schedule

Day	Timeslot	Room	Sequence
Tuesday	10:30 am – 12:00 pm	12	1
Tuesday	10:30 am – 12:00 pm	12	2
Tuesday	10:30 am – 12:00 pm	12	3

Presentation

Not Available

Matthews | Symposium | Understanding High-Ability High School Dropouts in the Context of USA Schools

Presenters

Matthews, Michael S. University of North Carolina, USA / Crammond, Bonnie & Nordin Landis, Rebecca. University of Georgia, USA / Kim, Kyung Hee. College of William and Mary, Virginia, USA

Abstract

The problem of gifted students dropping out of school has received increased scrutiny in the USA in recent years. The fact is that the large numbers of students dropping out of school include gifted, creative, and highly able students. Exact numbers are difficult to determine due to vagaries in counting dropouts, as well as varying definitions of giftedness. Although most programs for dropouts target helping them with academics, for gifted learners other factors are causing these students to leave school. The three papers in this symposium draw on both qualitative and quantitative approaches to learning more about the creative, affective, environmental, and circumstantial factors that cause highly able learners to choose to leave school without a diploma. Based on this information, we share specific recommendations for students, parents, and schools to retain these learners.

Schedule

Day	Timeslot	Room
Thursday	10:30 am – 12:00 pm	08

Presentation

Not Available

Mays | Paper | Pathways to Leadership: the Experience of Aboriginal Youth

Presenters

Mays, Annabelle. The University of Winnipeg, Canada

Abstract

This session will present some of the findings of a pilot study which focused upon twelve, young Aboriginal men and women identified as leaders and role models by their communities. One purpose of the study was to investigate the positive and negative impact of family, community, and educational settings upon these young people with respect to their “pathways” or life stories, with the goal of providing some insight into what contributed to the emergence of these youthful leaders. The study sought input from the twelve youth leaders, as well as from individuals who played a significant role in each of their pathways to leadership. Data were gathered through interviews with the youth leaders and during a forum which included them and the significant persons identified by them.

Schedule

Day	Timeslot	Room	Sequence
Thursday	2:15 – 3:15 pm	09	1
Thursday	2:15 – 3:15 pm	09	2

Presentation

Not Available

McCluskey | Pre-conference Workshop | Meeting the Needs of Talented ADHD Students

Presenters

McCluskey, Ken. University of Winnipeg, Canada

Abstract

As the term, itself, indicates, ADHD is typically viewed as a disorder and, certainly, hyperactive and inattentive children present some interesting challenges at home, at school, and in the community. This session highlights many of the problems and acknowledges that the prognosis for ADHD is, sometimes, far from benign; however, an attempt is made to put a more positive spin on things by recasting reality and pointing to the creative strengths that frequently go hand in hand with the condition. To illustrate, with proper support, might not stubborn behavior in childhood grow into determination in adulthood? Might not inattentive daydreaming turn into creative invention, overactivity into productive energy, and off-the-wall behavior into outside-the-box thinking? The overall intent is to offer a humane, flexible approach to help parents, teachers, and other caregivers turn negatives into positives and identify and nurture the talents of an often-misunderstood population.

Schedule

Day	Timeslot	Room
Monday	9:00 am – 12:00 pm	04

Presentation

Not Available

McCluskey | Paper | Creating Creative, Cooperative Environments Creatively and Cooperatively

Presenters

McCluskey, Ken. University of Winnipeg, Canada

Abstract

Researchers often consider how to develop creative environments through (a) person—the characteristics and problem-solving styles of the people involved, (b) process—the operations they perform, and (c) product—the resultant outcomes. However, in education, in business, and, indeed, in all areas of human endeavor, the problem-solving environment is equally important, and there are tangible things than can be done to help establish an energizing, stimulating climate. The focus of this session is on nurturing creativity in schools, post-secondary institutions, and the workplace by setting a positive tone which builds trust and openness, challenge and motivation, autonomy, dynamism, playfulness and humor, and idea support.

Schedule

Day	Timeslot	Room	Sequence
Wednesday	10:30 am – 12:00 pm	04	1
Wednesday	10:30 am – 12:00 pm	04	2
Wednesday	10:30 am – 12:00 pm	04	3

Presentation

Not Available

Meadows | Workshop | Apple, Avocado, or Acerola? Analogy as a Fruitful Tool for Exploring Giftedness

Presenters

Meadows, Sara. The Gifted Education Centre, New Zealand

Abstract

Stephanie Tolan’s cheetah analogy resonates powerfully with parents of gifted children and can lead to dramatic “aha” moments for teachers. This workshop demonstrates ways to create insights into giftedness using a fruit analogy, as well as modeling the effectiveness of this approach in working with gifted students. Analogy requires looking anew at something familiar, suspending judgment, and practicing critical and creative thinking. Inherently complex and challenging, it fosters motivation, skill development, conceptual understanding, and original outcomes—all requirements of the type of curriculum essential for meeting the needs of gifted students. Workshop participants will use hands-on activities and discussion to define fruit (giftedness), determine Vitamin C levels (intelligence), and plan desserts (programs). The resulting difficulties will reinforce the need to understand the characteristics of individual fruits (students) and fruit classes (types of giftedness), before creating recipes (activities or programs) for them.

Schedule

Day	Timeslot	Room
Tuesday	8:00 – 8:45 am	11

Presentation

Not Available

Meatyard | Panel Discussion | Aiming for the Top 100: The Universality of the Gifted and Talented Agenda

Presenters

Meatyard, Barry. World Class Arena and University of Warwick, UK / Eyre, Deborah. University of Oxford, UK / O’Brien, Pat. World Class Arena, UK

Abstract

In the 21st century, high-class education has a global perspective, and the student bodies of the world’s top 100 universities are now truly international communities. Since gifted and talented students from many countries aspire to study at such universities, what issues does this raise given their diverse educational experiences and cultural backgrounds? Educationalists from around the world demonstrate remarkable consistency in their perceptions of what constitutes adult expertise and how this might be developed in students, a feature which emphasizes the universality of the gifted and talented agenda. Panel members from diverse backgrounds, including representatives from Malaysia, Ireland, the UK, and Hong Kong, will discuss the needs of gifted and talented students in their systems and how they can be best supported in their aspirations to complete degree programs successfully in a competitive international arena.

Schedule

Day	Timeslot	Room
Wednesday	8:00 – 8:45 am	02

Presentation

Not Available

Meatyard | Workshop | An International Perspective on Whole-School Improvement

Presenters

Meatyard, Barry; O’Brien, Pat. World Class Arena, UK

Abstract

Emerging research indicates that effective gifted and talented classroom pedagogies can lead to increased student performance, not just for the gifted and talented cohort, but across the whole school. Using science as an exemplar subject, this workshop will explore the English Classroom Quality Standards, developed from the National Association for Gifted and Talented Youth (NAGTY) pedagogical model for teacher development and illustrated by the work at the UK National Science Learning Centre, with schools in the UK London Challenge program and with the MARA (Majlis Amanah Rakyet) and MRSM (Marktab Rendah Sains Mara) Colleges in Malaysia. The session will provide a hands-on opportunity to explore pedagogies for the gifted and talented in the everyday classroom and discussion of independent evaluation evidence in the UK, which shows greater student motivation and raised standards at the whole-school level. Promising indicators of a similar effect in Malaysia will be introduced. Further developments of World Class Arena’s international work will be reported.

Schedule

Day	Timeslot	Room
Tuesday	8:00 – 8:45 am	10

Presentation

Not Available

Merritt | Workshop | Critical and Creative Thinking for Primary Minds

Presenters

Merritt, Dodie. Genoa-Kingston Community Unit School District, Illinois, USA

Abstract

One can reach gifted and talented students where they live by introducing them to problem-solving strategies in convergent, divergent, evaluative, and visual thinking, through an engaging program of whole-class lessons and small-group activities. See how to build behavioral portfolios on talented young learners, for identification purposes, by using checklists aligned with these thinking strategies, checklists that also double as teacher-training tools. Empirical data from a recent Illinois study will be shared, supporting the significance of teaching primary thinking skills directly, as will data from a different three-year study that demonstrates the effective role this program has played in identifying non-English speaking, gifted students.

Schedule

Day	Timeslot	Room
Wednesday	1:15 – 2:00 pm	12

Presentation

Not Available

Merrotsy | Paper | The Education of Gifted Students in Rural Contexts

Presenters

Merrotsy, Peter. University of New England, Australia

Abstract

Gifted education literature makes sparse mention of rural issues. Notable exceptions, such as “Gifted education in rural schools: A national assessment” Colangelo et al (1999), are already ten years old, and little evidence of research is available from institutions, such as the Center for Rural Gifted Education, Indiana University of Pennsylvania. This paper will present the findings of the author’s research in Australia, Scotland, and Canada during the past two years. Issues addressed will include national and state policy and practice, with examples from community and teacher workshops in rural and remote areas; flexibility of curriculum, with an example on academic acceleration; gifted Aboriginal students, including invisible gifted underachievers; the reality of gifted education in remote communities; and a discussion of the disadvantages and advantages of gifted education in rural and isolated contexts.

Schedule

Day	Timeslot	Room	Sequence
Wednesday	5:00 – 6:00 pm	03	1
Wednesday	5:00 – 6:00 pm	03	2

Presentation

Not Available

Merrotsy | Paper | Gifted Youth and Juvenile Justice

Presenters

Merrotsy, Peter. University of New England, Australia / Lamoureux, Kevin. University of Winnipeg, Canada

Abstract

Little is known about the extent to which youth caught up in the juvenile justice system may have high learning potential and different learning needs from typical youth in this context. We are conducting a joint study in Canada and Australia to explore this issue. This paper will describe the nature of the dynamic assessment being used to assess cognitive ability and the interventions used to address gaps in literacy, numeracy, and creative problem solving. The preliminary results of this joint study will also be presented.

Schedule

Day	Timeslot	Room	Sequence
Friday	9:00 – 10:00 am	10	1
Friday	9:00 – 10:00 am	10	2

Presentation

Not Available

Miller | Paper | A Model for Goal Setting in a Gifted High-School Mathematics Class

Presenters

Miller, Sandy. Westmount Charter School, Canada

Abstract

This session will review the outcomes achieved when integrating learning goals in a Grade 12 gifted Mathematics class. The class utilized the same techniques and philosophies used in training for a half marathon in order to aid gifted students in developing perseverance and goal setting. The timeline for training for a half marathon is 16 weeks, about the same amount of time given to Grade 12 students in Alberta to prepare for their diploma exam. In order to complete a half marathon successfully , participants are encouraged to commit to weekly speed drills, hill climbs, increasingly long runs, and goal setting. The model implemented in a gifted high-school class incorporated these same philosophies: weekly speed drills, hard hill-climbing problems, increasingly long practice runs, and personal goal setting.

Schedule

Day	Timeslot	Room	Sequence
Thursday	10:30 am – 12:00 pm	12	1
Thursday	10:30 am – 12:00 pm	12	2
Thursday	10:30 am – 12:00 pm	12	3

Presentation

Not Available

Mitchell | Workshop | Virtual Me

Presenters

Mitchell, Melissa. S. University of Connecticut, USA

Abstract

Distance learning is an excellent enrichment opportunity for gifted students with limited opportunities at their schools; however, most platforms for distance learning do not provide gifted students with the stimulation to which they have become accustomed. The technology is simply outdated. A new brand of distance learning, the virtual learning environment (VLE), provides students with synchronous virtual interaction. Gifted students can form learning communities with students who share similar interests and abilities, and students from underserved populations can have accesses to enrichment opportunities that previously were not available. This presentation will provide administrators, educators, parents, and other interested individuals with an introduction to the enrichment possibilities available in virtual-learning environments. By taking a journey into virtual-learning environments, such as Teen Second Life, Second Life, and Sloodle, educators and parents will be able to see how they can tap the potential of this virtual world.

Schedule

Day	Timeslot	Room
Tuesday	8:00 – 8:45 am	07

Presentation

Not Available

Mohamed | Paper | Using the NNAT and Raven in Identifying Gifted Elementary Students in Egypt

Presenters

Moustafa, Emam; Mohamed, Ahmed. College of Education, Asyut University, Egypt

Abstract

In this study, we explored the use of NNAT-I (Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test) and the Raven Progressive Matrices in identifying gifted students. The participants were 119 Grade 4 and 5 students from five elementary schools in Asyut, Upper Egypt. No significant differences were found between males and females in the scores. Fourth graders’ performances were markedly higher than those of the fifth graders. The results of the study support the use of the NNAT-I as an essential measure in the identification of non-verbal giftedness. Discussion will evolve during the presentation.

Schedule

Day	Timeslot	Room	Sequence
Thursday	10:30 am – 12:00 pm	13	1
Thursday	10:30 am – 12:00 pm	13	2
Thursday	10:30 am – 12:00 pm	13	3

Presentation

Not Available

Mohamed | Paper | Creative Storytelling: Problem-Solving in Children’s Invented Stories

Presenters

Mohamed, Ahmed. Asyut University, Egypt / Maker, C. June. University of Arizona, USA

Abstract

The Discovering Intellectual Strengths and Capabilities while Observing Varied Ethnic Responses (DISCOVER) oral, linguistic activity is a genuine assessment for children’s problem-solving ability when they tell stories. A group of children’s stories was re-analyzed using the problem-solving behavior checklist of the DISCOVER assessment model. One major purpose of this analysis was to shed some light on the problem-solving behaviors that linguistically gifted children exhibit when they tell stories. Another purpose was to propose some possible problem-solving behaviors that could be added to the DISCOVER assessment checklist in future assessments. Different methods of analyzing children’s storytelling were investigated to elicit the most important characteristics that are prominent in the process of rating a child’s linguistic ability. A new list of characteristics was suggested. The DISCOVER assessment observers need to consider these characteristics in the debriefing sessions.

Schedule

Day	Timeslot	Room	Sequence
Wednesday	10:30 am – 12:00 pm	12	1
Wednesday	10:30 am – 12:00 pm	12	2
Wednesday	10:30 am – 12:00 pm	12	3

Presentation

Not Available

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