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WATG Fall Conference Coming Soon!
Deb Douglas, WATG Board
Fall WATG Conference
October 7-8, 2010
Forging the Future: Leadership for Tomorrow
Whether you’re a leader in the classroom, your district, business, or your family, this conference is for YOU.
“A great leader's courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position.” John Maxwell
You’re sure to find something that fills your needs in our 30 break-out sessions including . . .
- Differentiation
- RtI
- Inclusive Identification
- Parent Groups
- Leadership
- Creativity
- Spiritual Giftedness
- PDPs
- Inner Wealth
- Grant Projects
Your presenters include (among others):
Leaders in WI G/T Education: Chrystyna Mursky, DPI G/T consultant; Cindy Clark, McFarland; Peggy Eserkahn, West DePere; Ben Kossow, Waterford; Tom Zigan, (retired) Wauwatosa; Sarah Kasprowicz, Merton; Jackie Drummer, South Milwaukee: Ruth Robinson, Janesville; Roger Thorson, Merton; Ohla Skyba, WCATY; Jeff Widder, Whitefish Bay; Lori Williams, Manitowoc; Gretchen Wolfe, Madison
Leaders in Research: Professors Julia Roberts (our keynote speaker), Ramon Aldag, Pam Clinkenbeard, Scott Peters, and Michael Pietchowski
Leaders in the Industry: Nathan Levy, NL Associates, Inc.; Judy Rhoads, Pieces of Learning; Jeannine Knapp, One Sand Grain Family Consulting LLC; Christine Longe, Educational Consultant
And remember the pre-conference sessions: New Coordinators, Experienced Coordinators and Administrators: Technology for Differentiation, and Basics of Differentiation.
Early Bird Pricing Extended to September 15!
WATG Teen Conference
Jackie Drummer, WATG Past President
Whenever I think of leadership, I get a visual image of Huck Finn’s tremendous ability to move a group of people to accomplish a common goal. Though the experts might disagree on things such as, “Is leadership born or made?” “Do situations create leaders?” and “Can leadership be taught?” I believe that all of us would agree that the world needs more positive leadership.
In a recent Newsweek article, Queen Elizabeth II of England captured the essence of leadership in this way: “I know of no single formula for success, but over the years I have observed that some attributes of leadership are universal, and are often about finding ways of encouraging people to combine their efforts, their talents, their insights, their enthusiasm, and their inspiration, to work together.”
Keeping this idea in mind, WATG has decided to turn a laser-like focus on our teens and the development of their leadership skills at this year’s Teen Conference.
On Friday, October 8, 2010, teens gathering to develop positive leadership skills will experience creative activities, personal leadership assessment, skills training, role playing and time for reflection, all in the beautiful and inspirational setting of Blue Harbor Conference Center. Facilitators will be Seth Sondag, Gifted and Talented Coordinator in the West Allis – West Milwaukee Schools and me, Jackie Drummer, Past WATG President and Gifted and Talented Coordinator in the School District of South Milwaukee. Together, Seth and I have worked with gifted teens and leaders for over sixty years, and are committed to helping today’s youth find their leadership “will” and “skill.”
Registration is limited to the first 30 teens, ages 13-16 or grades 7-10 for this exciting adventure, “Leadership for Tomorrow: Forging Your Future.” Registration information is available online at our online registration site.
Grant Update – Creativity Resource Guide, A Compendium of Places to Start
Ruth Robinson, WATG Board
Coach of the Green Bay Packers, Mike McCarthy, has a sign in his office that reads “Less Volume; More Creativity”. This is his reminder to remain flexible in play-calling strategies, and is a valuable reminder for educators as well.
Daniel Pink, author of A Whole New Mind, Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future and Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, is convinced that the American spirit of innovation, invention and creativity will bring us back to true global leadership.
The Framework for Twentieth Century Learning includes these Learning and Innovation Skills among the keys to success for the students coming to our classrooms this fall:
- Creativity & Innovation
- Critical thinking & Problem Solving
- Communication & Collaboration
How do busy educators build these skills into an already crowded curriculum, and with children who may have lost their creative curiosity?
WATG Board Members, Jeff Widder of Whitefish Bay, Roger Thorson of Merton and Ruth Robinson of Janesville are finishing a creativity guide to help educators interested in developing this talent in students. The guide, generously funded by a DPI Gifted and Talented Grant, will provide resources, strategies, and ready-to-use use ideas that can be embedded into the daily learning experience.
This creativity guide will be introduced in a breakout session at the WATG Conference at the Blue Harbor Resort on October 7-8. All in attendance will receive a paper copy of the guide. After the conference, the guide will be available on the WATG website.
Register now to be present for the conference and receive an advance copy for you and your students!
“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have!” - Maya Angelou
Grant Update – Online Staff Development Opportunities
Benjamin Kossow, WATG Board
Completed last spring, WATG now offers quick webinars to help develop your skills and add to the tools at your disposal for learning about gifted education and differentiation. Courtesy of last year’s the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s gifted education grant, the first of what we hope to be many webinars are hosted at our website. The first three topics covered include cluster grouping, classroom management, and acceleration. Look for more timely webinars to be introduced during the upcoming year, and be sure to share with your colleagues and friends.
Grant Update – Psychologist Database
Dr. Pam Clinkenbeard, WATG Board
Based on frequent requests, particularly from the parents of gifted children, WATG is developing a list of psychologists and other therapists who are interested in and/or experienced with assessing or counseling gifted children and adolescents. Our list so far is small and not too geographically diverse, despite repeated requests for recommendations. We need your help gathering names and contact information. If you have had a good experience with a psychologist or other mental health professional who seemed to “get” gifted children, or you wish to nominate yourself for the list, please send the psychologist’s contact information to Dr. Pam Clinkenbeard or Dr. Wanda Routier. Please put “GT psychologist” in the subject line. We will then contact that person to see if they would like to register for the list. We hope to have a draft list available for the fall WATG conference. Thank you!
Grant Update – Matching the Program to the Child
Deb Douglas, WATG Board
Work continues on this project, which has been funded by a Department of Public Instruction Gifted and Talented Grant. We are learning a lot about the publishing world, software development and copyright laws, as we explore the possibility of creating an online tool that will help us and you match the needs of gifted children to appropriate programming. Thanks to everyone we surveyed last spring for your overwhelming support and enthusiasm. Over 65 school district coordinators provided input, and we hope to canvass more of you this fall so that our final product is truly useful for you and your students. During a conference session at Blue Harbor on October 7 and 8, grant project coordinator, Deb Douglas, will share details of this exciting tool based on the work of Dr. Karen Rogers’ in Re-Forming Gifted Education. We look forward to an informative session and lively discussion.
Find Us on Facebook!
Benjamin Kossow, WATG Board
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!
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