Keynote Speaker

The Cognitive and Affective Issues of Acceleration:  International Applications

Abstract

This keynote will focus on the research involving acceleration and its cognitive and affective implications for gifted students. The publication of “A Nation Deceived: How America Holds Back its Brightest Students” (Colangelo, Assouline, & Gross) has been translated into 10 languages and has demonstrated applicability on an international level. Presentation will include how acceleration can be implemented.

Practical Applications of Acceleration in Schools and at the Policy Level

Abstract

This workshop will entail a close look at the realities of implementing acceleration in schools. I will discuss the importance of cognitive and social readiness for a student who is being considered for whole-grade acceleration. I will discuss the Iowa Acceleration Scale(3rd ed) and IDEAL Solutions for Mathematics Acceleration as tools that can be used for making decisions regarding acceleration. I will also use policy “Guidelines for Developing an Academic Acceleration Policy” for discussion policy issues. There will be time for questions and interactions on all issues involving acceleration.

Talent Support Networks – For all Ages

Abstract

Talent can not properly develop without the support of the society. However, the society can not properly develop without the support of talents. This is what I call the tao of talent. Talents often occupy a central but highly dynamic position in social networks. Proper networking strategies are key factors for talented people to be successful. The efficiency of the discovery and help of talents can be greatly expanded by talent support networks. Such a network has been introduced in Hungary and in the neighboring countries in 2007. This network involves close to a thousand Talent Points, 15 thousand teachers participating in training sessions to discover and help talents, more than a hundred thousand people discovering 26 thousands of new talents in 2 years. Europe has a huge talent reserve. Talent support networks in other European countries and trans-national talent support networks may help us to uncover this treasure. European Talent Support Centers serve this network as hubs. European Talent Days are the first example of joint European programs, which hopefully will be followed by many more. The lecture and session will discuss the best practices and cooperation possibilities of these networks.

Out of the Usual Course of Nature: Child Prodigies and Their Domains

Abstract

The prodigy has been part of western culture for millennia, a source of wonder and sometimes a source of fear. Until about a century ago, prodigies were not studied scientifically, and the scholarly literature remains very small. In this talk we will review what is known scientifically about child prodigies in several fields, including what tends to happen when they become adults, what role IQ plays in their ability to perform, the importance of natural talent, why there have been so few girl prodigies, and why certain domains have produced prodigies and others have not. We will end with some speculative thoughts on why prodigies continue to play an important role in our culture and what they may be able to teach us about ourselves.

Giftedness und Excellence in Vocational Training

Abstract

TBA

Developing Self-Regulated Learning Skills in Gifted Children

Abstract

Developing a talent to the point at which an individual can make exceptional accomplishments requires about 10,000 hours of active learning or deliberate practice. Studies indicate that individuals frequently find such a learning process to be somewhat unpleasant or even to elicit aversive feelings. These facts raise two pertinent questions for giftedness research: How can individuals increase the likelihood of maintaining their focus over the course of such a long learning process, and how can such a process be structured in a manner which is perceived as more pleasant? A partial answer to these questions is that gifted individuals need encouraging, professional support throughout the course of their development. Yet gifted individuals’ learning cannot be wholly planned, accompanied, monitored, and optimized by others. Thus, a second crucial partial answer needs to focus on gifted individuals’ own capabilities in the area of self-regulated learning, which is the focus of this talk.
After introductory remarks on the topic of self-regulated learning, the results of studies on averagely gifted and gifted students will be presented. The most important points of departure to be considered when designing training programs in this area will be outlined. As a case in point, I will describe a number of training programs which are designed to be carried out by teachers as well as parents of gifted pupils. The programs focus on both individual scholastic subjects (e.g., mathematics or science) and on cognitive, metacognitive, and motivational strategies of self-regulation when learning. The results of evaluation studies will be presented which examined the effectiveness of such training regimens for averagely gifted students as well as for gifted achievers and gifted underachievers. The talk will conclude with thoughts on how self-regulated learning capabilities can be conveyed in the context of counseling conducted with gifted individuals.

Rethinking Giftedness and Gifted Education:
A Proposed Direction Forward Based on Psychological Science

Abstract

In surveying the landscape of current knowledge about giftedness and gifted education, this session will advance a set of inter-related arguments: the abilities of individuals do matter, particularly their abilities in specific talent domains; developmental trajectories exist for talent domains with variations as to when they start, peak, and end; and opportunities provided by society are crucial at every point in the talent development process. Just as society must strive to promote these opportunities, we will argue that individuals with talent have some responsibility for their own growth and development. Furthermore, it is clear from the research knowledge base that psychosocial variables are determining influences in the successful development of talent. And finally, outstanding achievement or eminence—with its attendant benefits to society and for the gifted individual—ought to be the chief goal of gifted education.