​OUR KEYNOTE
 Jeff Danielian

Jeff Danielian is the Director of the La Salle Scholars Program in Providence, Rhode Island. He received his Masters degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Connecticut and works from his home base on many exciting projects, both web and print based. He works regularly with NAGC members to ensure that they have access to, and an understanding of, the resources available to them. Jeff is also the editor-in-chief of Teaching for High Potential, co-author of Connecting for High Potential and writes the monthly column, The Teacher's Corner. He also manages and coordinates the Javits-Frasier Teacher Scholarship.

​In addition to his work for NAGC, Jeff is the author of Enriching the Young Naturalist, The Best Young Adult Books Contest, and The Reel Classroom, all from Prufrock Press. He presents at local, national, and international conferences on many topics including the affective needs of gifted and talented students, creativity and eminence, and the school/home connection.
Keynote:   The Spark that Sets the Flame
Motivation, as it relates to education, is one of the only factors that is found across definitions, conceptions, and theories relating to gifted and talented children. It makes sense actually, for if we strip away measures of intelligence, demonstrations of creativity, and labeling across the spectrum of learning and behavior disorders, what remains is enthusiasm, determination, ambition, and commitment. The desire to create, succeed, and produce can come from a variety of sources and may shift from one interest to another. As educators, it is our job to help nurture, support, and reinforce what drives our high-ability students.
Workshop: Extending and Enhancing Your Unit of Instruction: From Process to Product 
A unit of instruction can be broken down into two areas of student understanding; content and skills. This session will explore both aspects of curricular design, offering suggestions on how to differentiate process and product. Emphasis will be placed on short, long, and end of unit projects and their accompanying rubrics.


With Special Guests...
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Julie Lamb Milligan, Ph.D.

Julie Lamb Milligan has a B.S.E. in Middle Level Education, a M.S.E. in Gifted, Talented and Creative Education, and a Ph.D. in Gifted Education with an emphasis in Curriculum and Instruction. Among her accomplishments during the past 10 years, she was named Outstanding Alumni in the Department of Special Education at Arkansas State University, received the Educator Award for AGATE (Arkansans for Gifted & Talented Education) and has received state and national recognition in the area of curriculum writing.
As an educator of 28 years, she has taught math and science, facilitated for gifted children in grades K-12, and has been an administrator in public schools. Dr. Milligan is currently a professor of gifted education at Arkansas State University.
She has published numerous articles which have appeared in Educator, Exceptional Children, Roeper Review, Rural Special Education Quarterly, and Understanding Our Gifted. Most recently, she has published a book titled Assessment of Giftedness: A Concise and Practical Guide.
Workshop: Stakeholders: What they don't know will hurt them.
We have all heard the expression, “What they don’t know won’t hurt them.”  But it can hurt in the realm of stakeholders’ assisting with meeting the needs of gifted children.  This presentation will address why positive stakeholder interactions are important.  Next, collaboration in terms of positive public relations and strategies to accomplish that will be shared.  The audience will also come away with materials they can use at their own schools to build those positive relationships that help make advocacy for advanced learners a collaborative process.  ​

Tijl Koenderink

Tijl Koenderink has become a major force in education in The Netherlands where he has particularly focused on underachieving bright students, many of whom have dropped out of school and society. An entrepreneur as well as an educator, he is the founder and Board member of Feniks Talent, the founder and director of the School of Understanding, and the Co-founder and Head Trainer of TakeOnTalents.com.
Tijl Koenderink is a textbook case of gifted education gone wrong. He went through three different high schools, where he was bullied and considered by most to be a below average student, even though he had an IQ of 150. He turned things around and has written three books among which is “7 Challenges of Gifted Students” – a best-seller in The Netherlands.  After working with thousands of gifted kids, parents, and teachers, Tijl identified the most frequent challenges that hinder students'  educational "flow"; such as lack of motivation, negative beliefs about themselves, lack of frustration tolerance, and trouble sticking to a plan. Using his practical models, Tijl has trained thousands of parents and educators and was instrumental in setting up 70 full-time gifted schools.
Workshop: Education from the ground up: A first principle approach to talent development. 
​Most of the education system has been built based on the past: how did we teach children before? How can we make minor updates to adapt to current developments? This leaves us with a seriously outdated school system that often directly contradicts what science shows us as effective approaches to talent development. It is lacking engagement, passion and purpose. It is using a factory model on our most prized possessions: our students.
In a quest to find an answer Tijl Koenderink is building a “first principle” approach to education. By combining building blocks for developmental psychology, cognitive sciences, positive psychotherapy and a lot of good practices he presents a model of how genetic biological raw ability does or does not translate to actual performance. Searching for the holy grail, how to lead students in and through the education system with more passion, more fire and engagement then they came into it he shares his lesson based on the schools he founded and guided.


And featuring...
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Rachel McAnallen, Ph.D.

Known simply as "Ms. Math" to children across the country, Rachel McAnallen has devoted her life to sharing the joy and beauty of mathematics with learners of all ages. 
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A professional educator for over half a century, Rachel travels the world teaching her subject at every grade level. As a life-long learner, Rachel completed her PhD at the University of Connecticut at age 75. Rachel approaches the world around her with a boundless curiosity and a playful sense of humor that is reflected in her teaching style.
Workshop: Math for those who think they can't do math -
YES YOU CAN!
Are you smart, a good reader, (perhaps gifted), and can’t understand why you can’t understand math?  Do you have students in your classes that fit the same bill?  Mathematics is a language that needs to be spoken and our culture speaks it incorrectly.  This workshop helps teachers clean up their math language and starts by calling numbers by their correct place value names.  The participants will then learn that there are an infinite numbers of ways to add, subtract, multiply and divide.  The learners are encouraged to use their own creativity to do the basic operations.  This session also deals with the algebraic connection between what we teach 2nd and 3rd graders and what we teach the 9th grade algebra student.  Developmental theory, multiple intelligences and different learning styles will be emphasized which should enable teachers to help their students to understand math concepts from the concrete stages to the abstract.  Bring your sense of humor to this workshop and be prepared to challenge all the lies you have been taught in basic arithmetic.​

Jonathan Plucker, Ph.D.

Jonathan Plucker, Ph.D. is the Julian C. Stanley Professor of Talent Development at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Plucker has published over 200 articles, chapters and reports. His recent books include Intelligence 101, published with Amber Esping, and Critical Issues and Practices in Gifted Education, published with Carolyn Callahan.  His work defining and studying the excellence gap is part of a larger effort to re-orient the thinking of policymakers and educators toward how to best promote success and high achievement for all children. He is editor for the “Research-Based Decision Making for Gifted Education and Talent Development” book series and the “Psychological Perspectives on Contemporary Educational Issues” series.  Currently, Jonathan serves on the NAGC Board of Directors in the role of President-Elect. 
Workshop 1: Creativity Through the Magic of Constraints
Constraints are often viewed as the enemy of creativity, but research suggests that constraints may be helpful to the creative process. Using a hands-on activity, we will explore the relationship between constraints and creativity and discuss specific ways to use these principles when working with students.

Workshop 2: What's Your School's Talent Development Plan?
In a series of recent studies, the lack of coordination among advanced learning policies and programs within schools and districts has become apparent. In this session, we will discuss how to construct talent development plans, share examples from districts, and begin creating plans for your schools and districts.