TAGT giftED24: Full Schedule

6:00pm CST

Geeks Who Teach Trivia Night

Tuesday December 3, 2024 6:00pm - 8:00pm CST

Grab a team or join a table of your fellow peeps and trivia geeks and compete for all the glory at this fast-paced, super fun trivia night hosted by trivia master, gifted expert, and self-proclaimed geek Brian Housand. You’ll laugh, get rowdy (we hope—it’s a competition!), learn plenty of useful knowledge with which to impress your Friends-loving students, it will be totally tubular . . . just plan to join us!

Appetizers and cash bar available.

Sponsored by National Inventors Hall of Fame

Speakers

Brian Housand

Coordinator, University of North Carolina Wilmington

Dr. Brian Housand, is the coordinator of the Academically or Intellectually Gifted program at University of North Carolina Wilmington and creator of Gifted360.com. Dr. Housand earned a Ph.D. in educational psychology at the University of Connecticut with an emphasis in both gifted... Read More →

Tuesday December 3, 2024 6:00pm - 8:00pm CST
Salon E (3rd Floor)

8:00am CST

The STEAMpunks: Creating Equitable and Engaging STEAM Programs for All Students

Wednesday December 4, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CST

Salon E (3rd Floor)

Join our education team as we share the exploration of STEAM within the classroom. Learn about tools and solutions you can use district-wide to show students what’s possible and see themselves in STEAM careers. Explore STEAM stations that incorporate hands-on learning to help students develop cognitive, social, and creative skills.

Speakers

Daniel Buhrow

GT STEAM Teacher, McKinney ISD

Daniel Buhrow is a 3rd-5th grade STEAM teacher for the gifted and talented program in McKinney, Texas. He is an active presenter and instructor, advocating for GT students and instructional strategies at the elementary level. Daniel loves to incorporate LEGO Education solutions into... Read More →

Rico Sneller

GT 3-5 Teacher, McKinney ISD

A self-proclaimed nerd, Rico Sneller has been learning alongside students for over 10 years. He set his own personal Rubik's cube record, has a room in a house just for board games, and recently became a 3D printing expert. Always a passionate advocate for gifted children, Mr. Sneller... Read More →

Shana Prugh

GT 3rd-5th STEAM Teacher, McKinney ISD

Shana Prugh is proud to serve students in the McKinney ISD 3rd-5th grade gifted and talented program. Serving and advocating for neurodivergent students is where she found her true passion as an educator. Shana is dedicated to designing curriculum and bringing joyful learning opportunities... Read More →

Wednesday December 4, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CST
Salon E (3rd Floor)

Creativity and Instructional Strategies

Keyword STEM

11:00am CST

Gifted Onboarding: An Intentional Approach to Helping Gifted Learners and Their Families Understand the Gifted Journey

Wednesday December 4, 2024 11:00am - 12:00pm CST

Salon E (3rd Floor)

Imagine starting a new job and feeling a bit lost in the shuffle. What if you didn’t even know why you were there? In this session, learn how Gifted Onboarding can help gifted learners and their families understand what giftedness is, what it isn’t, and what they can expect from gifted services.

Speakers

Andi McNair

GT Specialists, ESC Region 12

Andi was a classroom teacher for 16 years before pursuing her passion to change education by sharing practical ways to engage and empower today’s learners. She is now a published author, international speaker, gifted education specialist and digital innovation specialist at ESC... Read More →

Wednesday December 4, 2024 11:00am - 12:00pm CST
Salon E (3rd Floor)

Program Options and Design

Keyword Social Emotional Needs

3:15pm CST

That’s Giftedness,Too! Practical Ways to See and Support Non-Academic Giftedness

Wednesday December 4, 2024 3:15pm - 4:15pm CST

Salon E (3rd Floor)

While traditional giftedness often focuses on academics, identifying and supporting exceptional abilities in areas such as creativity and leadership gives us the opportunity to serve every gifted learner as a unique individual. In this session, we will explore practical strategies to serve the diversity of gifts that exist in every classroom.

Speakers

Andi McNair

GT Specialists, ESC Region 12

Wednesday December 4, 2024 3:15pm - 4:15pm CST
Salon E (3rd Floor)

Identification and Assessment

4:30pm CST

Genius Hour Meetup

Wednesday December 4, 2024 4:30pm - 5:00pm CST

Salon E (3rd Floor)

Join us for a casual conversation about Genius Hour. Those that attend will be given the opportunity to ask questions, learn from others and gain new ideas for utilizing passion projects and family passion projects to serve gifted learners and support gifted families in a meaningful way.

Speakers

Andi McNair

GT Specialists, ESC Region 12

Wednesday December 4, 2024 4:30pm - 5:00pm CST
Salon E (3rd Floor)

Program Options and Design

8:00am CST

Gifted Tricks, Classroom Escape Rooms & Forensic Scenes!

Thursday December 5, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CST

Salon E (3rd Floor)

This session will explore the related strategies of Classroom Escape Rooms and Classroom Forensic Scenes. These fun and engaging exercises also develop important critical and creative thinking skills, and can be used to reinforce standard-based content. Also, (FREE!) books will be provided with ready-to-use exercises for the classroom.

Speakers

PBL Project

The PBL Project provides teachers with a variety of DOK 3-4 strateges (PBL scenarios, Critical/Creative Thinking exercises, Escape Rooms/Forensic Scenes, STEM Challenges, Analogies, and more).Contact: Ben BacheWebsite: https://www.pblproject.comEmail: ben@pblproject.com

Thursday December 5, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CST
Salon E (3rd Floor)

Creativity and Instructional Strategies

11:00am CST

From STEM to STEAM: Unleashing Creativity and the Arts into Your Gifted Education Lessons (Elementary)

Thursday December 5, 2024 11:00am - 12:00pm CST

Salon E (3rd Floor)

Let’s make learning more FUN! Join Little Miss Gifted, Stephanie Higgs, as she shares quick, easy, bite-sized tips to infuse elements of creativity, one of the most underutilized tools in education, into daily gifted lessons. Whether you use these as warm-ups, brain breaks, or as a way to level up gifted education instruction with arts integration, you are guaranteed to leave with strategies that you and your students will LOVE! Creativity sessions are always Little Miss Gifted’s most popular sessions, and this one is can’t-miss!

Speakers

Stephanie Higgs

Gifted Educator & Differentiation Coach, Little Miss Gifted

Stephanie Higgs, best known as @littlemissgifted on Instagram, is an award-winning, Nashville-living gifted educator and differentiation coach. Stephanie is a quick thinking, fast talking, and passionate international professional development presenter who infuses a little sparkle... Read More →

FromSTEMtoSTEAMStephanieHiggsHandout (4) pdf

Thursday December 5, 2024 11:00am - 12:00pm CST
Salon E (3rd Floor)

Differentiated Curriculum

Keyword STEM

1:30pm CST

Garbage In / Garbage Out: The Art & Craft of Engineering Better Prompts and Questions

Thursday December 5, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CST

Salon E (3rd Floor)

Whether you’re utilizing ChatGPT, Google Gemini, or any AI tool, how you craft your prompt determines your results. The same is true with questions of Google, Alexa, Siri, and even humans! Through a series of ready-to-use thought experiments you’ll learn to think like a philosopher, question like a scientist, and create like an artist – all by wielding the power of the perfect prompt!

Speakers

Brian Housand

Coordinator, University of North Carolina Wilmington

Thursday December 5, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CST
Salon E (3rd Floor)

Creativity and Instructional Strategies

Keyword AI

3:15pm CST

Get Moving with NASA Design Challenges

Thursday December 5, 2024 3:15pm - 4:15pm CST

Salon E (3rd Floor)

Over the years NASA educators have created free challenges, activities, educator guides, and even graphic novels to be used in the classroom. In this “Choose Your Own Adventure” session you will be introduced to resources tailored to your classes. This is differentiated instruction NASA style. You will be doing hands on, feet on, and who-knows-what-else on activities. So come ready to move and participate. Scaling and accommodations will be made for any adaptation you need during physical challenges.

Speakers

Steven Smith

Communications Strategist II, NASA

Steven is a Communications Strategist at Johnson Space Center in Houston. His work supports educators, inspiring the next generation from historically disenfranchised groups and helping create culturally responsive lessons that engage students previously left out of the work of NASA... Read More →

Hazards to Deep Space Astronauts Spanish pdf

Hazards to Deep Space Astronauts pdf

Thursday December 5, 2024 3:15pm - 4:15pm CST
Salon E (3rd Floor)

Creativity and Instructional Strategies

4:30pm CST

Success in Cluster Grouping: Making it Work Using Local Norms

Thursday December 5, 2024 4:30pm - 5:30pm CST

Salon E (3rd Floor)

Cluster grouping has become the de-facto method for serving gifted learners. The model, used with two additional current trends, universal testing and using building norms, completes the process of increasing inclusion in gifted services. Learn methods for developing and supporting an inclusive cluster-grouping model in any school or district.

Speakers

Kim Lansdowne

Executive Director, Herberger Young Scholars Academy

Kimberly is the founding Executive Director of the Herberger Young Scholars Academy, a distinguished secondary school catering to highly gifted students at Arizona State University.In 2023, Kimberly was honored with the Arizona Association for Gifted and Talented Lifetime Achievement... Read More →

Dr. Dina Brulles

Academic Associate, MLF Teacher's College, Arizona State University

Dina Brulles, Ph.D., is the Gifted Masters Program Coordinator at Arizona State University and the former Director of Gifted Education at Paradise Valley USD in Arizona. Dina has served as NAGC’s Governance Secretary and the board’s School District Representative. She received... Read More →

Thursday December 5, 2024 4:30pm - 5:30pm CST
Salon E (3rd Floor)

Program Options and Design

8:00am CST

Prompt Engineering for G/T Educators AND Students to Create Engaging and Complex Artifacts

Friday December 6, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CST

Salon E (3rd Floor)

Learn how to write robust prompts to create engaging G/T activities and supports. This session empowers teachers and students to craft quality prompts, resulting in detailed and complex artifacts that enhance learning and creativity. Leave with quality prompts that are tweaked to fit YOUR students.

Speakers

Bruce Ellis

Director of Professional Development, TCEA

Bruce’s versatile classroom teaching experiences lend authenticity to his workshops. His 20+ years of experience, enthusiasm for educational technology, and his hands-on approach to training have helped educators effectively utilize educational technology and improve student success... Read More →

Friday December 6, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CST
Salon E (3rd Floor)

Creativity and Instructional Strategies

Keyword AI

9:30am CST

Trials, Tribulations, & Triumphs: The Trail to Talent Development (Taylor's Version)

Friday December 6, 2024 9:30am - 10:30am CST

Salon E (3rd Floor)

Are you ready to create a "Love Story" of student success? This session is your "Blank Space" to discover how to nurture gifted learners through the lens of Taylor Swift's inspiring journey. We'll explore how to build resilience, ignite creativity, and guide students on their own paths to greatness. Leave with actionable steps to transform your classroom into a "Fearless" talent development powerhouse.

Speakers

Brian Housand

Coordinator, University of North Carolina Wilmington

Friday December 6, 2024 9:30am - 10:30am CST
Salon E (3rd Floor)

Program Options and Design