TAGT giftED19

With HB3 and the new Texas State Plan, it is more important than ever to find common ground with district goals. Let's discuss how we can work WITH resistant districts so we are pulling in the same direction.

We often find ourselves in the position of advocating for gifted youngsters in our lives.  Yet, at some point, they will need to know how to advocate for themselves.  We can nurture this important life skill and foster a life-long willingness to tactfully speak up for their own learning needs.

Being culturally competent and responsive plays a role in curriculum, instructional support, recruiting & retaining RCELD students in gifted education and secondary advanced academics. Participants will receive resources aiding in implementing culturally responsive practices in gifted and Advanced Placement classrooms. Strategies will be available for gifted and Advanced Placement leaders

Just when you thought you understood the last one, a New State Plan comes along. The original State Plan was published in 1990. Since that time, there have been three revisions, This session will focus on ten of the biggest concepts and/or changes in the New State Plan.

In the movie, A Field of Dreams, we all remember the famous line, "Build it and they will come." This session shares how a district designed a support system for parents to understand the social and emotional needs of their gifted learner. This partnership allows their gifted population to thrive.

This is an introductory lesson on types of yoga breathing that if used in your classrooms could help your students learn how to calm themselves, relieve test anxiety, and reduce stress.

Brand-new to gifted education? Unsure of where to find the resources, information, and guidance you need? You’re not alone! These experts can answer all of your questions about what to expect when you’re expected to teach gifted students.

Often, twice-exceptional learners are misdiagnosed or misidentified as a result of misconceptions regarding their needs and appropriate service options. The school community must be able to respond to their unique exceptionalities and potentialities. Investigate the TEA G/T Equity website with the lead of the TEA 2e Task Force.

Your child needs more challenge at school but how do you ask for that? What do you ask for? How are strategies such as differentiation, higher level thinking, depth, complexity, grouping, or compacting defined and implemented? Learn definitions, advocacy approaches and the research behind commonly used strategies in gifted education.

Advocating for policy is important at the school, district, and state levels; and policies that support gifted education will be discussed. Effective advocacy will be described as will characteristics of dreaded advocates. This session will provide participants with the opportunity to outline an advocacy plan important to them.

Quality early childhood learning experiences can help level the playing field for students who have been traditionally underserved in gifted education programs. However, many students do not have access to these enriched educational opportunities. This session will highlight research-based interventions to combat the lingering impacts of early opportunity gaps.

Many students who are gifted have low self-concepts after starting school. Explore the unique social emotional needs of the gifted learner, discover how to support those needs in the educational environment, and apply what you learn to advocate for gifted learners.

Massive upheavals are occurring in the world of G/T education. Changes in law, funding, public perception, and what science says are all creating challenges that G/T stakeholders must be nimble in addressing head on. Bring an open mind and an "unpopular opinion" and let's strategize about the future together!

In the K-12 environment, getting gifted/2e learner needs met is difficult, but doable. When they go to college, it's a whole different game. One small state university is attempting to meet the needs of underrepresented gifted/2e learners with a totally new program. Interactive discussion will take place.

We will explore the problems of nonidentification from a societal lens, asking questions about why gifted students slip through the cracks, and exploring the cost of failing to catch them. This gets to the heart of why we serve gifted students and explores potential and perceptions of these kids.

Educators have the legal and moral responsibility to educate and support students regardless of their immigration status. This session will provide an overview of policies affecting undocumented students, best practices for creating safe and welcoming schools, and resources designed for K-12 educators supporting undocumented students.

Now that the 86th Legislative Session is over and House Bill 3 is underway, TAGT Policy Consultant Marty DeLeon will let you know what HB3 and other education bills mean for gifted education, what comes next, and how you can help advocate for gifted education in the future.

Four conditions account for the majority of mental health issues experienced by gifted youth. Explore how the issues of ADHD, mood disorders, depression, and conduct disorder impact schools, what these issues look like in gifted youth, and how to recognize and handle them. Looking for practical ideas? You found them.

To truly know and serve our gifted students, we must do more than hear their voices, we must understand their stories. Bringing our advocacy and awareness campaign, #whyGT to life in a TED-Talk style storytelling session, TAGT invites you to hear from five Texas G/T students as they share how G/T has impacted them, what motivates and drives them, and #whyGT matters in their lives. Sponsored by Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life, University of Texas at Austin.

Faith Borkataky-Varma is a junior at St. Agnes Academy in Houston. Faith plays in the Chamber Orchestra and serves on the philanthropy committee of her school's student council. Every summer, Faith travels to India to volunteer at a school for children with special needs to teach reading, writing, and tasks of daily living. She also co-chairs the Hope for Three Teen Huddle, which supports siblings of children on the spectrum. As president of her school's Autism Awareness club, Faith hopes to spread awareness and raise funds through bake sales, school spirit events, and the stories she’ll be sharing at giftED.

Hana Bredstein is a freshman at University of Texas at Austin. She is studying international relations and enjoys running. She was identified as gifted in elementary school and experienced a variety of educational approaches as her family moved throughout the country. By seeing the different policies and levels of funding for G/T education (no other place compared to Texas), Hana found that there are many different paths from public to private to skipping grades, but the teachers and mentors along the way were what really made a difference.

Jayden Gathers is a sophomore who attends John M. Harlan High School in San Antonio and has been a part of the G/T program since the third grade. He enjoys playing a multitude of sports, including but not limited to basketball, football, and track. In his free time, Jayden enjoys spending time with family and friends but he also asks himself psychological questions and likes to think about the world and its mysteries. Jayden will be discussing how someone like him is looked at differently and why G/T has ultimately caused people to treat him differently as well.

Victor Rodriguez is a 16-year-old junior at Southwest Legacy High School in San Antonio. Victor proudly comes from a Mexican family. He has taken AP, Dual-Credit, Honors, and college-related classes throughout high school. Victor will share about how his heritage and specific family environment has helped him grow as a person and student.

Abigail Weston is a freshman at Round Rock High School. She enjoys running cross country, playing soccer, and participating in various school activities. Abigail’s gifted experience is unique in that she was also enrolled in a dual language program when identified for gifted education in third grade. She has reaped many benefits from the combined exposure to both of these programs. Her talk will highlight the challenging yet rewarding aspects of her journey as a dual language student.