Featured Speaker: Dr. Diane Williams

Diane L. Williams, Ph.D. CCC-SLP, Assistant Professor, Department of Speech-Language Pathology at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, conducts NIH-funded behavioral and neuroimaging studies of language and cognitive processing in high-functioning children and adults with autism in collaboration with the Center for Autism Research at the University of Pittsburgh and the Center for Cognitive Brain Imaging at Carnegie Mellon University. Dr. Williams has extensive clinical experience with children and adults with autism with a wide range of cognitive abilities and has served as a consultant for numerous school districts. A primary focus of her research program is the design of interventions for children with autism based on a neurobiological model. She is the author of Developmental Language Disorders: Language, Learning, and the Brain.

Join Dr. Williams for her breakout session on Friday, April 23rd, Challenges to Learning: Gifted Children on the Autism Spectrum.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

Special thanks to those sponsors whose contributions will add so much to our conference.  This year's major sponsors include:

The Summer Institute for the Gifted, Event Sponsor

Commonwealth Connections Academy, Sponsor of the Children's Program

The J.W. Foundation, providing each attendee with a complimentary copy of the book The Art of Learning

Conference Committee Emails

If you have any questions or wish to reach members of the conference committee, use the emails listed below.  While email is the preferred form of communication, you may reach someone by phone by calling the PAGE Helpline at 888-736-6443.

Conference Committee: PAGEgoes2Mars@gmail.com

Dr. Judith Mosse, Conference Co-Chair: JMosse@asd.k12.pa.us

Dan Rosenberg, Conference Co-Chair: danielr222@yahoo.com

Amy Villa, Exhibit Hall Coordinator: avilla1@pghboe.net

Linda Deal, Awards Committee Chairperson: lindajdeal@gmail.com

A Note about Meals

Breakfast

A full breakfast will be provided for all hotel guests as part of the room rate.  Due to costs and the fact that breakfast is included for those staying on site, breakfast will not be provided for those attendees not staying at the hotel.  Those who wish to purchase breakfast may do so at the hotel, as both a restaurant and a cafe are located in the lobby area.


Lunch

Lunch is on your own on Thursday.  A lunch buffet is available for purchase in the hotel restaurant for less than $10.  Numerous other restaurants are within close proximity to the Sheraton.


Friday's lunch (included with a registration for that day) consists of a chicken entree and will be a sit-down lunch.  Because many attendees will be traveling across the state on Saturday afternoon to return home, that day will feature a boxed lunch (included with registration).  By having this lunch option, we are able to end earlier than the previous day, giving attendees a chance to attend all four breakout sessions while still arriving home at a reasonable hour.

Note that the lunches on both Friday and Saturday contain meat items.  If you require a vegetarian option, please contact the conference committee at PAGEgoes2Mars@gmail.com.  A vegetarian lunch will be provided for you.

A Note to Exhibitors: If you prefer a boxed lunch on Friday so that you will be able to eat at your booth, please email PAGEgoes2Mars@gmail.com.

Featured Speaker: Marilyn Thomas

Marilyn Thomas is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin in Madison with a B.S. in Nursing.  After a career in public health nursing, health education, and medical sales, she and her husband became the parents of two gifted children, one of whom also has a learning disability.  She has been the president of the PAGE Affiliate in Lancaster County—the Lancaster County PArtners for Gifted Education (LC PAGE) since 2005.   In the fall of 2008 she helped to establish a parent support/advocacy group in her own school district known as the Hempfield Partners for Exceptional Children (HPEC).  She has presented at local affiliate meetings throughout Central PA, at previous PAGE Conferences, and at the national level at the annual Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA) Conference in Washington, DC.  She has recently been a member of the Chapter 16 stakeholders' group and was the 2008 PAGE Parent of the Year.

Join Mrs. Thomas at the conference where she will present the workshop Myths about Gifted Education and Gifted Children: A Reality Check and will co-present the session Advocating for the Gifted Child: Working with School Personnel with PAGE Past President and former school administrator Dr. David Mason.

Featured Speaker: Franny McAleer

Franny McAleer has several degrees in education, curriculum, supervision, and administration and taught in the classroom for over thirty years.  She is presently on the faculties of Indiana University of Pennsylvania as well as Wilkes, Chapman, Waynesburg, and Duquesne Universities. She has taught professional development courses for the Pennsylvania Department of Education for over twenty years.  She also developed and supervised educational programs throughout the United States in the areas of differentiating instruction, creativity, career planning, gifted and talented education, and restructuring America's high schools.  Ms. McAleer has authored 20 books as well as numerous magazine and journal articles.  She has served as PAGE president and has also been the Regional President of the Pennsylvania Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (PASCD), She is a member of various advisory boards, promoting educational practices that teach students to use their minds well and talents creatively.  She also facilitates gifted education reviews for districts wanting to improve their gifted programs.  For more information about Ms. McAleer, visit www.learnerslink.com.

At this year's PAGE conference, Ms. McAleer will be presenting the workshop Out of This World with Six Hats: A Leadership Tool for the 21st Century and will be serving on the panel The Top Five Fundamentals of Gifted Education along with Dr. Jeanne Van Briesen of Carnegie Mellon University, teacher of the gifted Charlton Wolfgang, and 2009 PAGE Parent of the Year Julie Krause.  In addition, Ms. McAleer will also be coordinating a course for graduate credit revolving around this year's conference.  If you are interested in earning graduate credit for your conference participation visit Learners Link.

Conference Forms

Here are the links to download conference forms:

Conference Registration Form

Additional Registration for Those Wishing to Receive Graduate Credit for Attending the Conference

Exhibitor Application

Full Day Session: Best Practices for Meeting the Needs of All Gifted Learners

This session will focus on the key components of a strong gifted program as well as specific and practical instructional strategies for use with gifted students.  We will discuss not only the importance of rigor but also how rigor can be heightened with certain choices for instructional strategies and curricula.  Time will also be spent looking at typically underserved populations of gifted learners such as the twice exceptional, students who are gifted and ELL, as well as underachievers and students of poverty.   Students' needs will be identified as well as coupled with best practices in curriculum and instruction to address their unique learning needs.  Strategies will be presented and demonstrated across grade levels and subject matter.

This workshop will be presented by Dr. Mary Slade of James Madison University from 8:30-3:30 (with one hour for lunch on your own) on Thursday, April 22nd.

Half-Day Sessions

The following 3-hour sessions are being offered on Thursday, April 22nd.

The Challenges of Parenting and Teaching Gifted Children
Presented by Andy Mahoney, Counselor of the Gifted

This session will include a discussion of some of the unique concerns for gifted children, their parents, and their teachers. We will discuss what it means for a child to be gifted and what it means to be a parent or teacher of a gifted child. We will focus on the needs of gifted children in educational, social-emotional, and developmental areas. The workshop will also explore the identity formation of the gifted child. How a well formed gifted identity impacts learning and the development of gifted ability, and how parents and teachers can foster a healthy productive identity for the gifted child.

This session will be offered from 8:30 A.M. - 11:30 A.M.


Developing Mathematical Talent
Presented by Dr. Ann Lupkowski Shoplik, Director and Founder of C-MITES

Mathematically talented students need a program that is different from the regular school math program. That’s common sense, but how do we do it?  In this practical session, learn how to set up a comprehensive, systematic program for students who are exceptionally talented in math. Discover how to modify the regular program for the students, and develop an understanding of the Pyramid of Educational Options for gifted children.  The Diagnostic Testing -> Prescriptive Instruction model is the backbone of this process; students are tested to determine their level of ability and achievement in mathematics, and instruction is tailored to their individual needs.  This practical model has been used in full-scale school district programs as well as for individual students in supplementary programs.  Whether you are a parent looking for options for your individual child or a gifted coordinator looking for ways to challenge your students systematically, this session will help you meet the needs of your students. Case studies of individual students and sample exemplary programs will illustrate the steps of the process.  Curriculum resources will be described and other resources for establishing a program (such as sample letters) will be included.

This session will be offered from 12:30 P.M. - 3:30 P.M.

Featured Speaker: Dr. Mary Ann Swiatek

Mary Ann Swiatek, Ph.D., has been doing research on giftedness since exploring the topic of acceleration in a library research project as an undergraduate in the late 1980s.  She graduated from Oberlin College with honors in Psychology and immediately went on to Iowa State University, from which she received her M.S. and Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology.  While at Iowa State, she was fortunate to work with Dr. Camilla Benbow and the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth (SMPY).  Since receiving her doctorate, she has worked as a college professor at SUNY Fredonia and Lafayette College, and as a Research Specialist with C-MITES.  Currently, she is a psychologist at KidsPeace, a large psychiatric facility for children and adolescents.  She is a past member of the PAGE Board and continues to be an active member of the PAGE Speakers Bureau.  Her interests focus on academic acceleration and social coping among gifted students, but she regularly speaks on other topics related to giftedness, as well.

Join Dr. Swiatek for her breakout sessions Gender and Giftedness, Ability Grouping: Helpful or Harmful?, and Questions and Answers about Academic Acceleration.

Featured Speaker: Janet Aaker Smith

Janet Aaker Smith taught elementary and middle school gifted classes.  Subsequently, she took a position as a lecturer at the University of Melbourne and Deakin University and served as Vice President of the Victorian Association for Gifted and Talented Children.  Since Victoria (Australia) had no state policy concerning gifted education, Janet became involved in designing the government’s new policy and implementing its initiatives.

As an entrepreneur, Ms. Aaker Smith formed L.E.A.P., a consulting business to design and provide professional development for educators and co-founded Vibrant Learning, a company dedicated to educating teachers, administrators and businesses about Learning Styles. Along the way she has written nine books, including: Flying in Style with Altitude, Aptitude and Attitude; Bewitched, Bedazzled and Beguiled; and 90 Instructional Strategies for the Classroom and Challenging Puzzles Series: Social Studies, Science and Language Arts.

Join Ms. Aaker Smith for during the conference for her breakout sessions Giggles and Chuckles: Humor and the Gifted Learner, You Have the Right to Extend, Enrich and Challenge!, and Extreme Makeover: Brain-Compatible Differentiated Instruction.

Thanks to Our Exhibitors

Thank you to all of the exhibitors for our event.  To learn more about exhibitor and sponsor opportunities, email Dan Rosenberg at danielr222@yahoo.com.  PAGE encourages you to to support the following exhibitors, all of whom will have a presence at our conference.

Carnegie Science Center - http://www.carnegiesciencecenter.org

C-MITES - http://www.cmu.edu/cmites

Commonwealth Connections Academy - http://www.connectionsacademy.com/pennsylvania-school/free-online-public-school.aspx

Creek Connections/Allegheny College - http://creekconnections.allegheny.edu

CTY/Johns Hopkins University - http://cty.jhu.edu

Educational Impressions - http://www.brightideascatalog.com

EMC/Educators Source - http://www.emcp.com

Great Potential Press - http://www.giftedbooks.com

H.J. Heinz History Center - http://www.heinzhistorycenter.org

Indiana University of Pennsylvania Center for Gifted Education - http://www.coe.iup.edu/gifted

Invent Now Kids/Camp Invention - http://www.invent.org

Johns Hopkins University/CTY - http://www.cty.jhu.edu

Just Ducky Tours - http://www.justduckytours.com

Lehigh University Pennsylvania School for Global Entrepreneurship - http://www.iacocca-lehigh.org

Millersville University's College of Graduate and Professional Studies - http://www.millersville.edu/academics/educ/eled/graduate.php#MasterofEducationDegreeinGiftedEducation

Nathan Levy Books - http://www.storieswithholes.com

Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School - University Scholars Program - http://www.palcs.org

Pennsylvania Treasury Department, TAP Bureau/529 College Plan - http://www.makecollegepossible.com

Pieces of Learning - http://www.piecesoflearning.com

SAE International's A World in Motion Program - http://www.awim.org

Shady Side Academy - http://www.shadysideacademy.org

The Summer Institute for the Gifted - http://www.giftedstudy.org

Travel for Teens - http://www.travelforteens.com

The University of Pittsburgh Health Career Scholars Academy - http://www.hcsa.pitt.edu

Usborne Books and More - http://www.usbornebooks.com

Keynotes

Join us on both Friday, April 23rd, and Saturday, April 24th for keynotes presented by Dr. Karen Rogers of The University of St. Thomas and Dr. Jean Peterson of Purdue University, respectively.  Both keynotes will be for an expanded 75 minutes and will include a wealth of valuable information.


Friday: An Update on the Latest Research in Gifted Education
Dr. Rogers will share the aspects of the field that have become increasingly clearer in terms of what we know about giftedness and gifted learners. These aspects include knowledge of teacher effectiveness, instructional management techniques, curriculum adaptation strategies, and instructional pedagogy. An extensive handout will accompany this presentation.


Saturday: Social and Emotional Issues: Essential for Advocacy
Interest in and concern about the social and emotional development of gifted children and adolescents continues to grow in the field of gifted education. Advocates for differentiated curriculum and other services for gifted students can enhance their effectiveness by making these concerns part of their arguments. Dr. Peterson will present her perspectives on pertinent issues and share strategies for general advocacy, based on her extensive work with the burden side of high ability as a teacher, counselor, and researcher and on her advocacy as both a parent and a teacher.

Featured Speaker: Dr. Anne Slanina

Dr. Anne M. Slanina has been an educator for 30 years and is an associate professor of elementary/early childhood education at Slippery Rock University.  Anne is also the author of The Adventures of Annie Mouse series of picture books, which are designed to guide social/emotional growth.  Anne holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Gifted Child Education and a Masters degree in Reading Education.  Prior to teaching in higher education, Anne taught Kindergarten, Reading K-12, and Gifted 9-12 classes throughout several Ohio schools.  She is a frequent presenter at state, national and international conferences where she enjoys interacting with her audiences, as well as entertaining them with tales of her own successes and failures.  For more information about Anne and her books, visit her website at www.anniemousebooks.com.

Join Dr. Slanina for her breakout session Guiding the Social-Emotional Needs of Gifted Children in Early and Elementary Years through Literature during the PAGE conference!