WATG2017

(Additional Fee Required) All children deserve an exceptional learning experience. To provide for a quality education, we must be attentive to the differences of our students. Gifted learners generally possess rapid acquisition of fundamental knowledge; advanced abilities within and across disciplines; and learn through holistic conceptual understandings.  Based on their sophisticated learning processes, more advanced levels of questioning must be employed, whether in the general classroom, pull-out/enrichment programs (before, during or after school) or in specialized settings.
This session will demonstrate how to adjust and modify “up” curriculum and instructional practices to best meet the needs of gifted learners.  Join Dr. Richard Cash, an internationally recognized expert in gifted education and differentiation, as he shows you five ways to create advanced levels of questions. You are sure to leave this workshop with materials that can be put to practice immediately. Come prepared to engage in learning activities that will extend and enhance current curriculum for gifted and advanced learners

(Additional Fee Required) Learn the why, how, what, and when of helping gifted students take charge of their own educations. While everything that affects gifted programming - laws, funding, initiatives, curriculum, instruction, administrators, teacher education, etc - is often in flux, we can help each gifted learner find their own most appropriate, intentional, steady path toward graduation and beyond.

We'll take a look at what the students themselves have to say about their needs and desire to find a unique route to graduation and beyond.  And if you’re interested in facilitating your own GT Carpe Diem self-advocacy workshop, you'll discover the information, insights, and tools you need. You may even learn more about your own learner profile as we try out some of the student activities.


Participant Outcomes:

• Understand the rights and responsibilities of gifted students
• Learn how to assess the five areas of a learner profile
• Recognize student characteristics that match specific programming options
• Consider how all stakeholders in the district can play a role in students' self­-advocacy
• Successfully plan and facilitate a workshop for gifted students
• Learn to modify the workshop activities for other instructional models

NAGC K­12 Programming Standards explicitly addressed in this session:
1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.7
4.1, 4.2, 4.3
5.5, 5.7
6.1, 6.2

(Additional Fee Required) This 3 hour pre­conference session will take you from being an absolute beginner with Google Classroom to a competent or advanced user who can consider how differentiation and enrichment might be approached with this tool.


In the first part of the session, attention will be given to the "nuts and bolts" of Google Classroom ­ how to find it, creating a classroom and enrolling students, adding assignments and resources, etc. In the second half of the session, we will talk about how to differentiate and/or enrich learning with Google Classroom. Time will be spent both hearing ideas about classrooms that are already being used and then generating our own ideas.


This session will be most valuable to those who bring a laptop (Mac, PC, or Chromebook) and who have an idea for a unit they would like to differentiate or enrich. In addition, a school gmail account is a must to be able to access Google Classroom.
HANDOUTS: tinyurl.com/DifferentiationGC
Participant Outcomes:

• Set up a Google Classroom, enroll students, and add assignments/resources.
• Take a lesson or unit and break it up into enriched or differentiated lessons that students can use.

NAGC Standards addressed

1. 1.6.1. Educators design interventions for students to develop cognitive and affective growth that is based on research of effective practices.
2. 2.4.2. Differentiated product­based assessments to measure the progress of students with gifts and talents.
3. 3.1.1. Educators select, adapt, and use a repertoire of instructional strategies and materials that differentiate for students with gifts and talents and that respond to diversity.

Gifted children, particularly those of diverse backgrounds (race & culture), may be forced to manage an accelerated level of isolation, confusion, and ultimately disappointment if self-discovery and acceptance are not addressed appropriately by members of the educational and home community. 

This session will create an intentional dialogue about diversity and the impact for children within their own circle of influence.  The ability to thrive within one's own community is heavily dependent upon the person's ability to feel a sense of belonging.  We will explore the challenges one faces during this self-discovery process and how we as teachers, administrators, and community partners can assist along the way.

Participant Outcomes:

• Understand the definition of Nigrescence and Hypercorrection.
• Ability to recognize the conflicting signs of self-discovery and acceptance within diverse students.
• Create a community-led action plan for identifying and addressing Nigrescence and
  hypercorrection among students.
• Develop the starting point for a specific strategic training for individual staff and community training

EXHIBITOR SESSION: THINKING MAPS

Personalized learning requires that students are empowered to THINK independently and quickly “move” from one thought process to another. This session will walk you through why it’s important to have visual representations for our thought processes and how using this “language for learning” will lead to deeper connections, a strong personalized learning environment, and greater student independence. Students and staff learn how to collaborate,
communicate, think critically, and creatively respond to the demands placed on today’s students and tomorrow’s leaders.

PARTICIPANT OUTCOMES:
Learners will see how a systemic approach to THINKING will unlock to door to personalized learning, more rigorous instruction, and cross-curricular literacy.

“Think deeply about simple things.” That’s the advice professor Arnold Ross of Ohio State University has for all of us. The most complex and enjoyable mathematical explorations begin with simple concepts that are mined for their richness and elegance. It is much more critical to add depth and complexity than to move quickly through textbooks.

How does one take a simple concept like 5+4=9 and motivate highly capable students to think deeply? Through creative math and innovative teaching!

In this session, attendees will be shown how to keep math exciting and challenging through digging deeper rather than by going faster. Most examples and resources are for teachers of students in gr. 3-6.

Participant Outcomes:

• Expand toolbox to extend math challenges for students with high math aptitude and interest
• Leave with resources and ideas to expand teaching practices

Wisconsin currently has two active federal Javits grants for projects related to gifted students.  Both focus on delivering appropriately challenging and culturally relevant instruction within the RtI framework. 

Expanding Excellence is DPI’s grant on mitigating the excellence gap for low-income students and English Language Learners, especially at the primary level. The Smart Spaces grant to UW-Madison/WCATY expands access to high-quality blended curriculum for underrepresented gifted middle school students.

This session will provide an update on each project and will also provide numerous suggestions and strategies based on lessons learned that participants may find useful for implementing gifted programming in their own districts, schools, and classrooms.  Issues addressed will include inclusive identification, programming within the RtI model, and parent involvement.

Participant Outcomes:

 

• Understand purpose and basic structure of both Javits grants
• Understand current national emphasis on inclusive gifted education
• Consider grant student identification strategies for application in own classroom, building, or district
•  Apply aspects of grant curriculum and programming information to own classroom, building, or district

 

NAGC Standards addressed : 2, 3, 4, 5

(Exhibitor Session) 
The greatest hurdle for incorporating project-based learning in the curriculum is that there is rarely enough time in the school calendar to devote to multiple project based learning experiences. For your gifted and talented students, you want them to have project based learning opportunities, but you just don’t know how to work it into your GT program. Until now.

In this session, Wisconsin Destination Imagination (DI) provides you with an experience every DI team member experiences at every team meeting: an interactive experience of project based learning that is completed within 15 minutes. Our session will provide you with our approach to rapid problem solving project based learning experiences that you can fit in multiple times during the school year.

In this session, you will learn skills – and have FUN!

This session will be a facilitated parent discussion.  Co-facilitators, Dal and Jackie Drummer, Nationally Certified SENG (Supporting the Emotional Needs of Gifted) trainers, will encourage parents to share ideas, information, and the joys and challenges of parenting gifted children and adolescents.

In this session, parents will network, share information and resources in a guided facilitation format.  This session is designed to help parents deal more effectively with the unique social, emotional and learning needs of their gifted child/ren. Community resource ideas, and specific parenting techniques will be explored.

Advocacy. What do you think of when you hear that word?

• Meeting with school personnel to get your child evaluated and identified?
• Investigating school board conversations around gifted education?
• Writing letters or making phone calls to state and federal lawmakers?

This session will address these questions and more. You will leave with a plan and tools to advocate at the local, state and federal level in a friendly and fearless manner.