Breakout Sessions & Speakers
Please check back for more breakout information and program changes.
7:30 am: Registration, Coffee & Exhibits
8:00 am: Welcome & Tribute with Dennis Corash
Conference host Dennis N. Corash, Ph.D. is the father of three gifted children/twice exceptional children who are now adults. He is a past president of Colorado Association for Gifted and Talented, past assistant professor of Elementary Education and Literacy at Metropolitan State University of Denver, and a Founding Member of the Colorado Academy of Educators for the Gifted, Talented and Creative
8:10 am: Opening Keynote with Donna Ford, Ph.D.
Recruiting and Retaining Under-Represented Students in GT: A Focus on Equity, Not Equality
9:45 am - 10:45 am: Breakout Session I
Beyond a "Means to an End" Mentality: Helping Young People Cultivate a Meaningful Relationship with Their Education
Jenny Hecht, LCSW
In this presentation and discussion, we will address the paradigm in which everything we do becomes something to strengthen our resume or college applications. Encouraging people to engage with their experiences, academic or otherwise, in order to enrich their lives, cultivate relationships, and follow their curiosity and wonder invites us to shift this paradigm and allows us to experience even greater gains in our personal growth.
Jenny Hecht has over 20 years of experience working with youth and adults. Her practice is grounded in strengthening distress tolerance skills through mindfulness and supportive examination of the thought patterns that limit each individual's potential. Jenny's passion for supporting the social-emotional needs of gifted individuals has extended to providing professional development, consultation, and support for those who work with this population. She is regularly invited to serve on expert panels and she provides presentations and workshops for youth, parents, and professionals throughout Colorado. Jenny is also the regional trainer for Sources of Strength, a comprehensive wellness and resiliency program, and a proud member of the Board of Colie's Closet, a peer-education organization with the goal of decreasing youth suicide. Mental Health & Giftedness Panel Participant
Selecting High-Quality Multicultural Literature for GT Students with Donna Ford, Ph.D.
Many gifted students are passionate about reading, and educators know its invaluable importance and that it results in higher test scores in all subject areas. Unfortunately, there are very few multicultural books overall and even fewer that are also high-quality. In this session, Dr. Ford will share criteria and resources for selecting multicultural books that will engage and challenge your gifted learners. See bio
10:55 am - 11:55 am: Breakout Session II
The Autonomous Learner Model: From Student to Learner to Producer of Knowledge
Blanch Kapushion, Ph.D.
In Colorado, gifted learners are a recognized categorical, yet teacher education, professional learning and models to support this group are underutilized. It is a myth that gifted learners “can make it on their own.” Gifted learners need academic and social-emotional accommodations to support their learning potential. The Autonomous Learner Model provides a framework to meet the academic and social-emotional needs of gifted learners at all levels and in all settings. The strategies and information that are foundational to implementation are integrated within the instructional day, not separate. In this session, we will define Autonomous Learners, explore the 5 Dimensions and 4 Domains of the Autonomous Learner Model, understand why we need to address the academic and social- emotional needs of gifted learners.
Blanche Kapushion, Ph.D. is an educator with over 35 years as a classroom teacher, program coordinator for outdoor education, elementary principal, Director of Gifted and Talented and Director of Student Achievement for JeffCO and Sheridan Schools, respectively, in Colorado. She also supports gifted learners and their families through her educational consulting business, Global Education Enterprise. Blanch will also host a tribute in memory of friend and peer, George Betts, during the lunch hour.
Rethinking Intelligence and its Measurement in Gifted, "Different-Minded," Neurodiverse Learners with Marlo Payne Thurman, Ph.D.
As we begin to more fully understand and include a wider ranger of neurodiverse learners under the umbrella of giftedness, questions are emerging about the very definition of intelligence and the interpretation of IQ test scores as these relate to some of our most different-minded, gifted learners. This presentation will detail the benefits and challenges of using existing IQ tests to assess giftedness and will propose new ways to think about and support different types of intelligence in neurodiverse learners.
Dr. Marlo Payne Thurman specializes in assessment, advocacy, cognitive training, sensory and behavior support, and socio-emotional coaching. In 1999 Marlo founded the Brideun Learning Communities and Brideun School for Exceptional Children, a play-based, therapeutic school. She later founded 2E Consulting Services to expand her private practice to provide training to programs that work with individuals unable to find success in traditional settings despite adequate intelligence. Marlo holds board positions with the US Autism and Asperger’s Association, co-directs the US College Autism Project, and is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Northern Colorado. She has been recognized for her work by People klonopin buy usa Magazine, the Special Educator, ADDitude Magazine, the New York Times, and National Public Radio. Mental Health & Giftedness Panel Participant
11:55 am: Buffet Lunch
Tribute to George Betts, with Blanche Kapushion
12:20 pm: Lunch Keynote with Andi McNair : The Possibility of the Unexplored
1:50 pm - 2:50 pm: Breakout Session III
Helping Gifted Students Who Struggle With Executive Function Seth Pearler, M.Ed.
How can you help the gifted child who struggles with focus and resists help? What can you do when a child resists homework, responsibilities, being honest, turning things in, using a planner, organizing their backpack, following up, reading, etc. etc. etc? These are the students who have so much to offer "if only they would apply themselves".
Executive function (EF) coach, Seth Pearler, will share some of the most important aspects of executive function as they relate to the classroom, the most common problems parents have when it comes to how schools address EF, and specific classroom strategies to help kids who struggle with EF. This presentation is designed to leave you with practical tools and strategies to use in the classroom to make life easier for everyone!
A Panel Discussion on Mental Health and Giftedness
Is there a connection between giftedness and mental health issues? Are some who are diagnosed with mental health issues actually "just gifted" and does such a distinction matter? Join us for our 5th annual Q & A, with panelists Sheila Abichandani, Jenny Hecht and Dr. Marlo Payne Thurman as we discuss the complex and often painful relationships between giftedness and mental health. With real-world questions and expert answers, this panel will continue the important discussion about the need for increased understanding about mental health in our gifted population.
Engaging Gifted Students Through the Depth & Complexity Framework
Karen Burkenheim, Gifted & Talented Facilitator
“I’m bored! This is too easy!” Do you frequently hear this from your
gifted students? Then come learn about Depth & Complexity icons, a
critical thinking tool developed by Sandra Kaplan that can be used with
gifted students of all ages to challenge them to dig deeper into their
studies and engage them in higher level thinking. Icons are a part of the
Depth & Complexity Framework, which has been designated by the CDE's
Office of Gifted Education as a focus for statewide professional learning.
You will come away with a thorough knowledge of this tool and more ideas
to further implement Depth and Complexity in your class!
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm: Breakout Session IV
Tools of the Trade with Andi McNair
Teaching gifted students requires us to be creative and find ways to engage and empower them even when they are not in our classrooms. Find out how technology can be used to do just that. In this learning experience, I will share with educators how to know if technology is meaningful and why it is important to use these tools to help students make connections. You will leave this experience excited about the potential ways to engage their gifted learners in meaningful learning experiences using technology tools that are accessible and easy to use. See bio.
A Panel Discussion on Mental Health and Giftedness, 2nd Session
Continue or join in on this important discussion and Q & A, with panelists Sheila Abichandani, Jenny Hecht and Dr. Marlo Payne Thurman. See above description for more information.
Sheila Abichandani is a therapist in Boulder, CO who serves the holistic needs of complex individuals. She received her B.S. in Biology and Neuroscience from Emory University and her M.A. in Mental Health Counseling from Northwestern University,. She has supported Gifted and Profoundly Gifted children and their families for over 10 years in a range of capacities, including SENG support group facilitator, parent coach, nutritionist, school advocate, and, now, counselor and consultant for children, adolescents, adults, families, and organizations. While her clinical practice is informed by training in evidence-based practices and extensive study of psychodynamics, attachment theory, and existential therapy, her role as mother of a PG child also serves as a touchstone of skill, compassion, surrender, and empowerment.
Curiosity as an Indicator of Giftedness
Cameron Hayes
The connection between curiosity and giftedness has long been maintained by experts, but is there quantifiable data to prove this case? In this seminar, we will examine the current state of curiosity research and what implications it has for creating increased equity in gifted education.
Dr. Cameron Hays holds graduate degrees in educational psychology, educational leadership, and curriculum & instruction. His educational foci have been gifted and talented education, special education and English-language learners. He has worked in private, charter, and public education with students from infancy to graduate school and currently works as a history teacher at the Denver School of the Arts.