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Presentation Descriptions and Speaker Biographies
Adult PresentationsSue Jackson
Keynote: Sacred Ground, Stone Soup and the Grace of Being
In the Waves and Underneath: Anxiety, Depression and the Exceptionally Gifted
Janet S. Arndt
Matching EQ to IQ: Understanding and Enhancing Your Gifted Child's Emotional Intelligence
Research will be shared that reveals the importance of social-emotional health for students' academic success. Strategies for helping gifted students deal with verbal and relationship bullying will be delineated. Participants will learn about assertive vocabulary and body language that will help to move gifted students toward a high EQ.
Janet S. Arndt, Ed.D. is an assistant professor of education at Gordon College, Wenham, MA. She has worked as a teacher, school counselor, and Early Childhood Specialist in the public Schools. She has facilitated parent education classes for over twenty-five years. Dr. Arndt was recently awarded a grant to develop a protocol to provide socio-emotional health and well being for all students who deal with stress, bullying and difficult social interactions.
Anna Cavenay
Exploring the Middle Ground between Hot House Parenting and Throwing them to the Wolves
One controversy that appears during discussions of gifted [and other special needs] children concerns a disagreement over the purpose and mission of parents [and teachers]. One side focuses on the need of parents to prepare their children for the rigors of a not very accommodating world. The other side sees the need to help their children develop their individual gifts and appreciate their unique selves. This session will consist of group activities designed to explore these tricky issues.
Anna Caveney is an education consultant. She has designed and implemented individualized curricula for homeschooling teenagers, developed a theory of the emotional foundations of underachievement and led workshops addressing the challenges and joys of being highly gifted. She has created and taught classes in calculus, thinking skills and peer counseling.
Maria Droujkova
Roles of metaphor in the growth of understanding
This interactive workshop is designed for teachers, parents and adult learners. The workshop will introduce participants to theoretical issues related to metaphor, and to examples of metaphors from my studies and from literature. Participants will also carry out a mini-study of roles of metaphor in their own learning.
Maria Droujkova is a mathematics education researcher. Her studies deal with roles of metaphor in learning, young children's mathematical development, and family mathematics.
Kit Finn
How to Survive Your HG/PG Child’s Adolescence
An adolescent is clearly not yet an adult, and yet equally clearly not any longer a child. What is going on with the kid, and how does the giftedness play in here? Some information and a lot of sharing of stories in this session.
Kit Finn
Lori Flint
Myths: Communication and Conflict
What, if any, relationship does research indicate exists between intelligence and common sense? What about communication skills, emotional intelligence, the ability to handle conflict? Engage in self-assessment, straightforward communication, and learn effective advocacy skills-for yourself and/or others in your life.
Combination lecture/interactive discussion.
Dr. Lori Flint. is an Assistant Professor of Education in the Department of Educational Foundations at Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio. Teaching in both graduate and undergraduate programs, she holds her doctorate from The University of Georgia in Educational Psychology/Gifted & Creative Education, and Master of Education from Ashland University in Talent Development. A Board Member of the Counseling & Guidance Division of National Association for Gifted Children, and of the Ohio C onsortium of Teacher Education Organizations, she writes and reviews for education and gifted education journals. An active advocate for children at the local, state and national levels, she has experience teaching and parenting gifted and creative children and adults, from birth through adulthood. She has published papers and book chapters, and has presented at local, national, and international conferences. Research interests include those related to increasing student achievement and motivation, especially through the specific teaching of skills needed for school and real-life survival; gender; social and emotional areas; and individual differences such as gifted students with learning disabilities.
Pamela L. Gay
Nurturing the Science Kid: Do try this at home!
In a world filled with little red "Danger" labels, and fine print that seems to forever admonish "Do not try this at home," the science-minded child doesn't have a lot of avenues for hands-on exploration.
In a society where science literacy is poor to non-existent, the science-minded child doesn't have a lot of people to relate with. In this seminar, we will discuss problems your child faces and focus on ways you can help your young scientist become involved in programs and online discussions with his/her peers. Along the way, you'll see several hands-on projects your child can do at home. Participants will receive a resource guide and detailed instructions for all the science demonstrations mentioned during this seminar.
Pamela L. Gay is an astronomer, science writer, and educator. By day, Dr. Gay oversees the physics and astronomy teaching laboratories at Harvard University, and by night she teaches observational astronomy to students around the world through Swinburne Astronomy Online. Her popular science articles have appeared in numerous publications, including Sky and Telescope and Astronomy.
Carolyn Kottmeyer
1st Time Attendees
This will include a brief presentation on terminology you are likely to hear during the weekend, which presentations are aimed at newcomers, and other introductory material. A good chunk of this period will be spent doing Q&A; with the attendees.
Carolyn Kottmeyer is the webmistress of Hoagies' Gifted Education Page (www.hoagiesgifted.org) and Hoagies' Kids and Teens Page (www.hoagieskids.org). She writes for the SENG Newsletter, Gifted Education Communicator, and for Our Gifted Children. But first and foremost, she is the parent of two profoundly gifted girls, her pride and joy, and her guiding force in her gifted education research and writing.
Nathan Levy
Practical Ways to Reach Highly Gifted Children in Class, School, and Out of School
This workshop explores numerous strategies, activities, and materials that have been used successfully by the speaker in varieties of settings in urban, suburban, and rural schools. The use of logic stories, creative writing, science, and math explorations will be shared in numerous and very practical ways. Participants will leave with a plethora of specific strategies for making delivery of instruction more dynamic and fruitful.
Applying his experience from over thirty years as a teacher, principal, author, and educational consultant, Nathan Levy has traveled extensively across the United States, as well as South America, Europe, and Asia to bring his message related to thinking and creativity. His workshops cover many topics for a wide array of participants. He offers ideas on how to bring creativity and spontaneity to adults and children while stimulating integrated thinking. Nathan Levy’s many publications assist people in their quest for new and creative ways to develop critical thinking skills. Nathan is the author of the famous book series Stories With Holes, and Whose Clues? as well as several other books. Stories With Holes is an excellent teaching tool designed to promote higher order thinking in the classroom.
Lisa Rainen
Bibliotherapy: Creating Connections for the Highly Gifted
Sometimes it seems we can't get many of our highly gifted children away from their books long enough to do just about anything. They read in class, at dinner, and maybe even while they sleep! Parents, teachers, and counselors can utilize that intense involvement with books to connect with children and help them think about their role in the world. Books provide sources of social learning, emotional connection, self discovery, and much more. Highly gifted children can bring a depth of understanding to discussions about literature that makes bibliotherapy a particularly effective method for addressing social emotional issues. In this session, we will review the ideas behind bibliotherapy and its uses for highly gifted children in and out of school, then discuss ways to put these ideas into practice.
Lisa Rainen
Josh Shaine
Ain't no Conference Deep Enough
What is the value of a conference when you already have been to so many? If you have heard the same talks so many times that you could deliver them yourselves, what are you paying for? What can you do to make the conference experience more meaningful? What can (and should) the conference do for you?
We will explore these topics both as a general concept and specifically for the participants, with an eye toward this weekend as well as all the weekends to come.
Beyond Visual-Spatial
In common discussion, on the email lists, at conferences, and in much of the literature, there is discussion of the Audio-Sequential/Visual-Spatial dichotomy. Yet, powerful as that way of looking at the world is, there are parts of both our experiences and the literature of learning that are not taken into account. How does that framework interact with other learning styles theories? How is it touched by personality type theory?
What can we do as parents, as teachers, as students, to milk these ideas for all they are worth, apply them in our own lives, and extend them for others?
Josh Shaine Josh Shaine is the former director of the MIT High School Studies Program and former headmaster of Massachusetts Academy for Gifted students. He is currently the president of Gifted Conference Planners (www.giftedconferenceplanners.org), the sponsor of the Beyond IQ Conferences for and about highly and profoundly gifted children. His current research with Locus of Thought, a small think tank, includes exploration of the different Non-Linear Learning Styles, Underachievement, and Depression among highly and profoundly gifted children.
Melinda Stewart and Kiki Mercer
Homeschooling your HG/PG Child: An Overview
The presenters share their years of experience homeschooling their gifted children as well as their experience working with Voyagers, a large homeschool cooperative with a special mission to serve gifted children. They will discuss their differing approaches, their successes and difficulties. They will be joined by their teen sons who will answer questions about their experiences growing up gifted and homeschooled. There will be ample time for questions.
Melinda Stewart is a founder and current Chairman of the Board at Voyagers, Inc., a homeschooling resource center which includes a special mission to serve gifted children. She is the mother of two PG kids, and teaches history, Latin and piano. She is trained as a clincial social worker and worked as a therapist and psychoeducational program developer for 20 years at various places including McLean Hospital, Harvard Community Health Plan and the Stone Center of Wellesley College. She is an amateur naturalist, a musician and a mommy.
Kiki Mercer has been homeschooling her now 13 year old son, Robert, for the past seven years. Initially compacting a fairly traditional educational program, Robert defined his interests in history, classical languages and literature at a very young age. The Mercer family approach has been to focus on a classical content utilizing a variety of delivery venues including ad hoc classes, self study, tutors, Voyagers Resource Center, and Harvard Extension School classes. Robert's planned program has steadfastly depended on frequent needs assessment coupled with long range goals for academic as well as personal growth.
At present, having completed four times the standard requirements for a high school graduation, Robert is slowly migrating into an early college experience at the Harvard Extension School.
Kiki holds a Masters Degree in Clinical Pastoral Counseling and teaches/facilitates study group offerings at Voyagers Resource Center.
Eric Van
Serotonin and Her Friends: Brain Chemistry, Personality, and Giftedness
Everyone's heard of serotonin, the brain chemical boosted by the Prozac class of antidepressants. In fact, it is only one of half a dozen fundamental brain chemicals (only one other, dopamine, appears to have hired the same press agent). The idea that each of these chemicals must control a separate fundamental aspect of the brain's function, and hence determine a basic personality trait, is not a new one. But figuring out exactly what each chemical does, and therefore what the basic components of personality are, is an enormous scientific challenge. This lightning trip through modern brain science will start with a brief lesson on how brain cells talk to each other, explain where in the brain the Big Six chemicals are and how they control the rest of the brain, and present a novel theory as to the role of each, with an emphasis on how they contribute to giftedness. Sneak preview: the world's most successful personality system, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (based on Carl Jung's personality theory), got that way for a darn good reason.
Eric M. Van entered Harvard in 1972 as one of future Nobel Laureate Sheldon Glashow's particle physics tutees and graduated in 1978 as one of the late Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Elizabeth Bishop's students. He has spent the last four years back at Harvard, as a Special Student affiliated with the Graduate Department of Psychology, taking 20 undergraduate courses in the field in preparation for an eventual Ph.D. He lives in Watertown, Mass.
Maddi Wallach
Different Minds In These Times
This workshop will focus on children and adults motivated primarily by ethics, meaning, connection, creativity, and/or invention.
In my opinion, we live in a society where many of our institutions' perspectives are too narrow and out of balance, focusing too much on mastery and organization and too little on the perspectives mentioned above. Therefore, people motivated by these perspectives can have many struggles related to their lack of fit in our culture. In addition, many of them will probably be affected by the war and related issues at this time.
In this workshop, we will discuss characteristic, needs, struggles, and ways to support people with these motivations and perspectives. I believe that now, more than ever, we need to understand, validate, and enfranchise these people so their voices of balance can be heard.
Maddi Wallach is an Expressive Arts Therapist, Director of the Connection Institute, and parent of one profoundly gifted and one highly gifted child.
Meredith Warshaw
Motivation Problem or Hidden Disability?
Many children labeled "underachievers" have undiagnosed special needs such as learning disabilities, ADHD/inattentive type, auditory or visual processing problems, Asperger Syndrome, etc. Gifted children with learning differences may compensate well enough to manage the work sometimes or for some subjects, but not consistently. This can look like motivation problems and lead to social and emotional difficulties at school and home. This session will address issues of identification, modifications, and support for twice-exceptional learners.
Meredith Warshaw, M.S.S., M.A., Special Needs Educational Advisor, helps families of gifted/special needs children and those who work with them better understand children's needs. She is also Contributing Editor and a member of the Editorial Board for 2e: The Twice-Exceptional Newsletter. Ms. Warshaw is creator of the Uniquely Gifted website (www.uniquelygifted.org).
Meredith Warshaw and Donnah Nickerson-Réti
Life on a See-Saw: Meeting the Emotional Needs of Gifted/Special Needs Children
This session will focus on the social and emotional needs of gifted children, especially those with special needs such as learning disabilities, ADHD, Asperger Syndrome, etc, and will cover discussing children's special needs with them, providing emotional support, and searching for peers. Topics will be largely determined by the needs of session participants.
Meredith Warshaw, M.S.S., M.A. is a Special Needs Educational Advisor, specializing in gifted/special needs children. Donnah M. Nickerson-Réti, M.D. is a psychiatrist in private practice with expertise in the mental health needs of gifted/special needs children.
Shulamit Widawsky
Understanding the Expanded Sensitivities of the Gifted
Gifted people are by definition, more sensitive in some way. The same sensitivities that lead to intellectual, creative and physical abilities and accomplishments, do not come without cost. These issues result in emotional concerns, which can be anticipated and supported; if they are not, emotional problems and underachievement are likely. This presentation describes the importance and essential features of recognizing and serving the emotional needs of the gifted that are brought about by heightened sensitivities.
Shulamit Widawsky is a Counselor for the Gifted, with a private practice in Annandale, VA. She has been working professionally with gifted children, adults, and families since 1988. Her expertise is in working with the highly/profoundly gifted, and the twice exceptional. Shulamit’s other interests include lecturing, writing, philosophy, and art. Her website can be found at www.shulamit.info
Presentation Descriptions and Speaker Biographies
Children's Presentations
Rebecca Bemrose-Fetter
Spaced Out
What do you think about space? Are there aliens? What do they look like? What would you do if aliens landed in your backyard? This session will focus on this and more, including building your own alien.
Rebecca Bemrose-Fetter lives near Toronto, Ontario. However, she is still trying to determine which planet is really her home, because this one surely cannot be it! Does THIS explain why she is into aliens and space?!
Maria Droujkova
Natural Math ™
The workshop will deal with topics from algebra, topology, and number theory. The activities will be accessible to children not yet familiar with the topics, and will also include more advanced parts that may be of interest to children who have worked with the topics before. Natural Math(R) is a program based on research of metaphors in mathematics.
Maria Droujkova is a mathematics education researcher. Her studies deal with roles of metaphor in learning, young children's mathematical development, and family mathematics.
Teresa Finn
Karate
An introduction to Shorin-ryu karate with an emphasis on defensive maneuvers. Basic bunkai will be presented. Martial arts weapons technique will be demonstrated.
Teresa Finn holds a 5th-ku green belt in Shorin-ryu karate. She holds 6th-kyu blue rank in Yammani-Chorin-ryu kobudo (weapons) technique. She has been studying with Sensei John Spence for eight years.
Lori Flint
Powering Down, Switching Off: Stress Reduction Techniques for Gifted Kids
Can't shut off your mind at bedtime? Have a hard time switching gears at school? Need to refresh after recess or before a test? Here are some tried and true kid-tested techniques for self-calming, relaxation, and refreshment of busy brains.
Interactive session; wear comfortable clothing.
Dr. Lori Flint is an Assistant Professor of Education in the Department of Educational Foundations at Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio. Teaching in both graduate and undergraduate programs, she holds her doctorate from The University of Georgia in Educational Psychology/Gifted & Creative Education, and Master of Education from Ashland University in Talent Development. A Board Member of the Counseling & Guidance Division of National Association for Gifted Children, and of the Ohio Consortium of Teacher Education Organizations, she writes and reviews for education and gifted education journals. An active advocate for children at the local, state and national levels, she has experience teaching and parenting gifted and creative children and adults, from birth through adulthood. She has published papers and book chapters, and has presented at local, national, and international conferences. Research interests include those related to increasing student achievement and motivation, especially through the specific teaching of skills needed for school and real-life survival; gender; social and emotional areas; and individual differences such as gifted students with learning disabilities.
Frannie Greenberg
Mathemagic
Explore Mobius strips, dice games, probability, and more. Is it magic or is it math?
This is for the Birds
Build a nesting box for chickadees, nuthatches, and downy woodpeckers. Learn how to attract birds to your home in this fun hands-on workshop .
Frannie Greenberg is the Executive Director for Kids College. She was a contributing writer for the New Hampshire Gifted and Talented Curriculum Frameworks, and is a Board Member of NHAGE.
Katy Hamilton
Theatre Games
This session will center on fun theatre games that work on using the imagination, moving your body freely, projecting your voice, and improvisation skills.
Katy Hamilton
Michael LaFosse
Origami Plants and Animals
It's spring! Learn how to fold a great collection of origami plants and animals to represent this beautiful time of year. We will make tulip plants, ducks, water lilies, foxes, turtles and a skunk! Michael LaFosse, of the Origamido Studio, will be your instructor. Michael is an origami master and the author of over twenty five books on paper folding. You will be learning from the best!
Advanced Origami Animals
Learn how to make some truly great origami animals: a panda, a northern cardinal and a dragon, to name a few. Michael LaFosse, of the Origamido Studio, will be your instructor. Michael is an origami master and the author of over twenty five books on paper folding. You will be learning from the best!
Origami master, author, professional artist, sculptor, and student of biology, Michael LaFosse is one of the most seasoned and respected presenters of the paper arts. With over twenty years of experience in teaching origami, papermaking, and paper sculpting to individuals and groups, his instructional and entertaining style appeals to all ages and abilities from beginner to master level.
Nathan Levy
Stories with Holes
Participants will work together to find answers to these mind-stretching riddles through imaginative and divergent thinking.
Applying his experience from over 30 years as a teacher, principal, author and education consultant, Nathan Levy has traveled extensively across the United States as well as South America, Europe and Asia to bring his message related to thinking and creativity. His workshops cover many topics for a wide array of participants. He offers ideas on how to bring creativity and spontaneity to adults and children while stimulating integrated thinking. Dr. Levy's many publications assist people in their quest for new and creative ways to develop critical thinking skills.
Tamora Pierce
Feeding the (Imagination) Beast
I've fallen in love with the subject of _______. What else can I read about it? If I'm interested in ______, what books are out there?" A discussion for sharing cool books and seeing what they mean on the surface and below. Tip sheets and favorite book lists on a variety of topics will be shared.
Tamora Pierce is a best-selling author of fantasy for young adults. Her stories appeal to gifted readers because they feature characters whose gifts and aspirations set them apart from society; because they take it as a given that empowering women doesn't mean disempowering men; and because they're good.
Tamora also is founder of two sites, Sheroes Central and Sheroes Fans, that celebrate real-life female heroes and other topics of interest to thinking people. Her own web site, www.tamora-pierce.com, provides more information about the author and her books than we can provide here.
Hal Terrie
Beginning Chess
This workshop is designed for the child with very little experience playing the game. We will introduce the pieces and how they move along with some basic strategies.
Intermediate Chess
Okay - I know how to move the pieces, but how do I make a plan? How do I combine my pieces? How do I checkmate my opponent?! Learn how to develop a strategy for beating your opponent.
Hal Terrie is a Life Master of the US Chess Federation and the Director of Scholastic Chess for the New Hampshire State Chess Association. In addition to his competitive playing, he is a well known tournament director.
Dorie Zackin
Come Explore Collage!
In this workshop we will be creating our own creative collages from a variety of different materials. Make anything, from semi-realistic to abstract patterns, large or small scale, two-dimensional or three-dimensional. The only requirement is creativity.
Dorie Zackin has a masters degree in teaching from Rhode Island School of Design. She teaches elementary school art in Westford MA, and ceramics at the Arlington Center for the Arts.
Russell Zahniser
Physics of Music
Build your own musical instruments, and learn the physics principles that make them work. Some music theory from a physics and mathematics standpoint, and some theory of sound and waves. String instruments and wind instruments of various types will be discussed, and possibly a bit about the human vocal apparatus.
Russell Zahniser
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