Edufest Special Topics – Tuesday, July 25th 4:30 to 5:45 pm

Jann Leppien

The Top Ten Skills to Cultivate in High Potential Students

The importance of intellectual talent to achievement in all professional domains is well established but less is known about other individual differences that predict success. What characteristics are important for educators to cultivate as we help highly capable students maximize their potential and realize their dreams? In this session we will rely on the research literature in the field of gifted education and psychology to discuss the top ten skills that have been identified and discuss how educators can develop these traits in their students.

Susan Wolfe

Ignite the Spirit of Exploration with National Geographic Resources, Tools, and Opportunities! 

National Geographic: where education meets exploration by bringing the wonder of the world to learners. In this session, you will be introduced to the plethora of interactive lesson plans, maps, immersive experiences, and other free resources that will transform your classroom. Learn how you can apply for the professional development opportunity of a lifetime – The Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship! The Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship is a professional development opportunity for pre-K–12 educators made possible by a partnership between Lindblad Expeditions and the National Geographic Society. Through a competitive application process, exemplary educators are selected to travel aboard a Lindblad Expeditions’ voyage for a life-changing, field-based experience. Grosvenor Teacher Fellows then transfer their onboard experience into new ways to teach students, engage colleagues, and bring new geographic awareness into their learning environments and communities.

Liz Fogarty

What Just Is Isn’t Always Justice – Critical Literacy for Gifted Learners
Sensitive to issues of social justice, gifted students can examine the author’s message or how a text positions them in order to learn about hidden racism and other injustices; a skill essential for creating democratic leaders of a global society. Session participants learn to utilize strategic questions to help gifted students develop critical literacy.

Susan Solomon

Challenge Accepted: Using Academic Competitions to Spark Engagement

This session will highlight how using academic competitions and clubs provides students with an authentic audience and the structure to make PBL engaging, enjoyable, and successful. We will explore using activities such as the Future City Engineering Competition, Odyssey of the Mind, World History Day,  NaNoWriMo, TEDEd Clubs, and more. Teachers will leave with a boatload of ideas to integrate with their own students.