Newsletter

2010 WATG Fall Conference
Forging the Future: Leadership for Tomorrow
Deb Douglas, WATG Board

“America has need of thousands of leaders who will never be elected President or even a governor of a state or president of a professional society, but who, quietly and without ostentation, nevertheless will exert true leadership in their several walks of life.”  (Harold Willis Dodds, President Emeritus, Princeton University).

Why did we choose “leadership” as the theme of our 2010 conference? We chose it because future leadership depends on complex knowledge and innovation from all of us.  Many people aren’t aware that leadership is one of the five areas of giftedness outlined by our state and national definitions.  And if you’re like many of us, identifying and programming for gifted leaders is often (sadly) near the bottom of your to-do list. When it comes down to it, how often do we as adults even have time to reflect on our own leadership roles in our jobs, our districts, or our communities?  Or how often do we network with others to lead gifted education into the 21st century?

For inspiration on leadership we can turn to our keynoter speaker, Dr. Julia Roberts, who is the director of the Center for Gifted Studies at Western Kentucky University and a well-known leader in gifted education, just finishing her term on the board of the National Association for Gifted Children.

How can you be a part of changing the status quo?
•    Submit a proposal to present a break-out session (click here for proposal form)
•    Attend the conference (click here for registration form)
•    Nominate leaders in gifted advocacy for our 2010 awards (click here for nomination form)
•    Encourage a gifted student leader to attend the Teen Conference (click here for more information)

Plan on joining us at the Blue Harbor Convention Center in Sheboygan on October 7 and 8, 2010. Come to be energized, challenged, and renewed. Most of all, come ready to delve into leadership as we forge the future together.

Save the Date!  Overlooked Gifts Coming to Milwaukee
Jackie Drummer, WATG Past President

On April 23 and 24th, 2010, WATG will partner with Milwaukee Public Schools, Cooperative Educational Services Agency #1 and the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) to present the regional academy Overlooked Gifts:  Working with Low Income and Culturally Diverse Gifted Learners.  This Academy will be held at the Wyndham Hotel and Conference Center, 4747 South Howell Avenue, Milwaukee, WI, and will begin with registration and an after-dinner keynote on Friday evening by Joyce Van Tassel-Baska on Patterns and Profiles of Promising Learners from Poverty.

The Academy will continue on Saturday with a variety of breakout sessions geared toward parenting, teaching, and serving gifted children from diverse cultures and from poverty, and will feature national experts on these topics.  This Academy is funded by a Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction gifted and talented grant for the 2009-2010 school year.  We look forward to an Academy that will further the work of the 2008 and 2009 Diversity Summits in Wisconsin!

Download the Overlooked Gifts brochure for more information.

Grand Rounds at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin
Dal Drummer, WATG Board

On February 17, 2010, Dr. James Webb conducted the first “Grand Rounds" (staff development) talk on “Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnosis of Gifted Children” to a full audience of physicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, and healthcare professionals from the Medical College of Wisconsin, Children’s Hospital, Froedert Hospital, and other interested participants from the greater Milwaukee area. The Grand Rounds were held at the Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare training facility in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with an audience of 92 participants. Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and WATG coordinated efforts to bring Dr. Webb to these Grand Rounds in Milwaukee.  This effort was funded by a DPI gifted and talented grant. At the Grand Rounds, Dr. Webb asserted that gifted children are sometimes inappropriately diagnosed with ADD, ADHD, or many other conditions when they may actually be expressing boredom, high energy, intensities, or extreme curiosity while learning.

Because health care professionals lack training regarding giftedness, gifted children may be misdiagnosed when they are not doing well in school, or when their parents or teachers are concerned with their unusual behavior. Dr. Webb’s Grand Rounds presentation was the first of its kind for him, and he covered much material. After the “official” talk, Dr. Webb graciously agreed to consult with participants individually.  WATG and Dr. Webb share the hope that many doctors and professionals will seek further information on how to meet the needs of gifted children, and will think twice before misdiagnosing them.

SENG Parent Group Facilitation in Kenosha
Deb Kucek, WATG Board

There are now 25 more SENG Model Parent Group facilitators in Wisconsin!

On February 18th and 19th, SENG Model Parent Group facilitator training was held at Carthage College in Kenosha.  Dr. James Webb and Arlene DeVries provided the two day training session to a group that included teachers, counselors, and experienced parents of gifted children.   Attendees learned techniques essential to providing a caring and safe place for parents to discuss perfectionism, intensity, motivation as it relates to their gifted children.

An important part of the training included an evening session where 40 parents from the area gathered for small group discussions, facilitated by the newly-trained facilitators.  The guided discussions provided valuable experience for the facilitators, and the parents who attended were able to take home ideas and techniques that they could use with their gifted children. 

This training was made possible by a grant from Wisconsin Department of Instruction.

Matching the program to the child:  Online Identification and Programming Software Project
Deb Douglas, WATG Board

Tony dawdled over online coursework.  Malia just didn’t connect with her mentor.  Sarah hated going into the 4th grade classroom for math.  Sometimes our best efforts to set up special programming for a gifted student fail because the option simply didn’t fit that student’s specific need.   As part of WATG’s grant from DPI we are developing an online software tool to identify the specific needs of gifted students and match them to appropriate programming.  The software is modeled on the well-researched, peer-reviewed approach laid out by Dr. Karen Rogers in her book, Re-Forming Gifted Education: Matching the Program to the Child. It will be housed on a secure website and available to all Wisconsin school districts. Data entered online by students, parents, and school personnel would be compiled and sorted and then appropriate options would be recommended. Dr. Rogers, professor at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, is very interested in our project and arrangements could be made for her to consult in districts using the software.  What an extraordinary connection that would be!  It’s a huge “work in process” that most likely will take two years to complete, but we’ll keep you posted.

New Gifted Teacher Licensure Program
Dr. Pamela Clinkenbeard, WATG Board

As many of you know, DPI has approved a graduate licensure program in gifted and talented education to be offered jointly by UW-Stevens Point and UW-Whitewater. This is currently the only licensure program in gifted and talented education in the state; it is for any licensed educator who is interested in learning more about the psychology and education of gifted and talented students, and how to identify and nurture gifts and talents in every socio-economic and cultural group.  The teacher license is supplementary (see PI 34 X.) and the program will address giftedness at all developmental levels (preK-12).  The program includes the following four courses (12 graduate credits):

•  Summer 1: Foundations (intro) course through UWW*
•  Fall Semester: Psychology (identification, assessment, social-emotional) course through UWW
  
•  Spring Semester: Curriculum course through UWSP
  
•  Summer 2 or arr. Practicum course through UWSP
  

 *The Foundations course is also taught through UWSP each fall.

Most of the courses are taught in a hybrid format with most of the class "meetings" taking place online. For those interested, the four licensure courses may be combined with additional coursework to lead to a master’s degree at either UWSP or UWW.  Plans are in development for the following options: (1) an additional administrative course that would lead to the Gifted Coordinator license; (2) streamlined programming for experienced gifted teachers and coordinators; and (3) a possible undergraduate version of the licensure program.

For more information or to enroll in the program beginning Summer 2010, contact lenchoc@uww.edu or call UWW Continuing Education at 800-621-5376.  You may also contact program faculty:

• J. Christine Gould, Associate Professor of Education, UW-Stevens Point, cgould@uwsp.edu, phone 715-346-3223
• Pamela R. Clinkenbeard, Professor of Educational Foundations, UW-Whitewater,
  
• clinkenp@uww.edu, phone 262-472-5432
  
• Scott J. Peters, Assistant Professor of Educational Foundations, UW-Whitewater,
  peterss@uww.edu, phone 262-472-5407

WATG continues to strengthen its presence on the Internet and extend its ability to communicate.  As part of this process, WATG launched a new page on Facebook.  Become a fan of our Facebook page to keep up to date with the latest news, events, and articles from gifted education in Wisconsin and beyond!