The Alabama Association for Gifted Children (AAGC) is pleased to offer our Parent Webinar Series presented virtually. We feature local and national speakers to help you understand, support, and advocate for your gifted children.
Schedule for the 2024-2025 Parent Webinar Series can be found here
Parent Webinar Series
Tuesday, October 15, 2024, 6:00 pm CT
Trying to Fill the Black Hole: How to Parent Gifted Children
"Oh you’re so lucky, you have a gifted child!” If only it was that simple. There are many wonderful things about raising a gifted/2e child, and there are many difficult (if not impossible) things as well. This session will focus on strategies in communication, emotional regulation, executive functioning support, and psychoeducation that will empower all members of the family to communicate more effectively and from a place of knowledge, which should lead to enhanced workability and empathy. Additionally, this session will offer several theoretical role-play activities where parents can see their own roles in the challenges that naturally arise when parenting a neurodivergent.
Meet Dr. Matt Zakreski
Matthew “Dr. Matt” Zakreski, PsyD is a high energy, creative clinical psychologist and professional speaker who utilizes an eclectic approach to meet the specific needs of his neurodivergent clients. He is proud to serve the Gifted community as a consultant, a professor, an author, and a researcher. He has spoken hundreds of times all over the world about supporting neurodivergent kids. Dr. Zakreski is a member of Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG), the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), the New Jersey Association for Gifted Children (NJAGC), and Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Education (PAGE). Dr. Zakreski graduated from Widener University’s Institute for Graduate Clinical Psychology (IGCP) in 2016. He is the co-founder of The Neurodiversity Collective: https://www.theneurodiversitycollective.com/
Recording Link: https://vimeo.com/1021938639?share=copy
Password: ParentConference2024
Tuesday, September 10, 2024, 6:00 pm CT
Giftedness and the Importance of Social & Emotional Learning
Giftedness is beyond an I.Q. score! Our gifted learners have great potential, but often have factors that get in the way of their success. Join us as we look into the gifted child’s brain! We will see how it functions and how it never completely fits into a box. We will discuss sensitivities, asynchronous development, perfectionism, and more. You will leave with a better understanding of your child as well as a few strategies to support them socially, emotionally, and academically. .
Adam Laningham is the author of several books and has over 20 years of experiencein the field of education. Adam was recognized as the Arizona Gifted Teacher of the Year, he has taught at several schools in multiple grade levels, created and facilitated numerous gifted programs, and served as a district manager coordinating programs for over 6,000 gifted students.
Adam is the founder and owner of Bright Child Books, The Gifted Collective, and Gifted Microschool. He is also an international speaker, consultant, the current President of Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted, a member of AAGT’s Advisory Council, a founding member of Callisto (supporting gifted foster youth), and an advisor for CogAT Riverside Insights.
Webinar Recording is here: https://vimeo.com/1012427146?share=copy
PASSWORD: SEPT2024PARENT
Parent Webinar Series
April 9, 2024, 6:00 pm CT
Media, media, everywhere: How to help your child navigate the media they are consuming and creating
Children are inundated with media every day. We'll examine how parents can help teach their children media literacy, which is examining the different types of media consumed, understanding the messages conveyed, and understanding why the media was created. PBS LearningMedia offers several resources to help parents understand the world of media literacy and how to look at media critically. Parents will leave with a better understanding of how to help their children navigate what they are seeing and what they are creating.
Meet Tracey Carter
After teaching for 17 years, Tracey Carter began working in the educationdepartment at Alabama Public Television. She is an education specialist at APT and works primarily with those involved in K-12 education. While in the classroom, Tracey was a middle school Gifted Specialist and Language Arts teacher. She is also the mom of two boys who are identified as gifted. One is a freshman in high school and the other is a freshman in college. She lives in Shelby County with her husband, two boys, and two dogs.
Also, stay tuned for a special guest, Tammie Stewart, from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. She will speak on scholarships for gifted students.
Vimeo Link: https://vimeo.com/935475589?share=copy
Password: AAGCParentWeb42024
Parent Webinar Series
January 9, 2024, 6:00 pm CT
Family Passion Projects: An Opportunity to Learn, Grown, and Serve Together
Are you looking for ways to engage your gifted child and cultivate their passion for learning? Do you want to find meaningful ways to bond as a family while making a positive impact in your community? “Family Passion Projects” is a workshop that will show you how to use the 6 P’s of Genius Hour framework to work on passion projects together.
During this workshop, you’ll learn how to implement the Genius Hour framework at home, including how to identify your child’s passions and interests, plan and pitch project ideas, develop the project, and present the work. You’ll also discover how this approach can help your child practice life-ready skills and experience productive struggle in a supportive and collaborative environment. We’ll explore how passion projects can benefit the community and how to make a postive impact through your family’s work. You’ll leave with practical ideas for how to create meaningful learning experiences at home, strengthen your family bond, and encourage your gifted child to pursue their interest and make a difference in the world.
This workshop will give you ideas, tools and strategies that you need to learn how to inspire your gifted child to reach their full potential through passional-driven learning and service to others.
Meet Andi McNair
Andi McNair-Andi was a classroom teacher for 16 years before pursuing her passion to change education by sharing practical ways to engage and empower this generation of learners. She is currently a digital innovation specialist at ESC Region 12 in Waco, Texas. Andi is passionate about using meaningful technology in the classroom and finding innovative ways to engage today’s learners. She believes that the students that we are educating today are unique and we must be creative in our teaching strategies. Andi was named one of the Top People in Education to Watch in 2016 by the Academy of Education Arts and Sciences. Andi has published Genius Hour: Passion Projects that Ignite Innovation and Student Inquiry, A Meaningful Mess: A Teacher's Guide to Student-Driven Classrooms, Authentic Learning, Student Empowerment, and Keeping It All Together Without Losing Your Mind, and Ready-to-Use Resources for Genius Hour in the Classroom: Taking Passion Projects to the Next Level. She absolutely loves sharing her passion for innovative education with other educators who want more for their students.
Zoom Recording here - https://vimeo.com/903917561?share=copy
Password: AAGCPar24AMCNair
AAGC Conference Parent Night Webinar
October 12, 2023, 6:00 pm CT via Zoom
Gifted & Struggling: Emotional Support for Gifted & 2e Learners
Supporting our gifted learners emotionally is vital to their well-being and success. Gifted children are more than just high test scores or advanced academics, their unique sensitivities and asynchronous brain development put them under a great deal of pressure. Brain research is continuing to show us the exceptionality of gifted brain development as well as the effects of trauma. It is especially important to understand this for our gifted and 2e population as many of these children are already struggling socially, emotionally, and academically. This presentation will help participants better understand these learners as well as provide practical strategies to support them.
Meet Adam Laningham
Adam C Laningham, author of Gifted Children & How Trauma Impacts Them, and the Gifted & Struggling Series, has over 20 years of experience in the field of education. Adam was recognized as the Arizona Gifted Teacher of the Year, he has taught at several schools in multiple grade levels, created and facilitated numerous gifted programs, and served as a district manager coordinating programs for over 6000 gifted students.Adam has served on the Board of Directors for the Arizona Association for Gifted & Talented, is currently the President Elect of SENG - Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted, he is a founding member of Callisto (supporting gifted foster youth), and an advisor for CogAT Riverside Insights. As founder and owner of Bright Child AZ, & The Gifted Collective, Adam is an international speaker, consultant, and gifted advocate.
Recording Link: https://vimeo.com/876009491?share=copy
Password: 2023ConfPArentNiight
Parent Webinar
September 12, 2023, 6:00 pm CT
Understanding What Giftedness Is, What It Isn't, and How We Can Serve Them Well
Gifted children have unique needs that often require special attention and support. As a parent, it can be challenging to understand what giftedness is, what it isn't, and how to best partner with schools to serve them well.
In this workshop, we'll explore the characteristics of gifted children, the myths and misconceptions surrounding giftedness, and practical strategies for nurturing their growth and development. We'll also delve into the concept of productive struggle and why it's essential for gifted learners to experience it.
By understanding the concept of productive struggle, parents can help their gifted children to develop a growth mindset and become more resilient in the face of challenges. We'll discuss how to foster a healthy relationship with failure and how to help your child develop the skills they need to navigate difficulties and setbacks.
Finally, we'll talk about how to effectively communicate with schools to advocate for your child's needs and collaborate in their education. You'll leave with a better understanding of how to support your child's strengths and challenges, and how to work together with schools to create an environment that fosters their intellectual and emotional growth.
Andi was a classroom teacher for 16 years before pursuing her passion tochange education by sharing practical ways to engage and empower this generation of learners. She is currently a digital innovation specialist at ESC Region 12 in Waco, Texas. Andi is passionate about using meaningful technology in the classroom and finding innovative ways to engage today’s learners. She believes that the students that we are educating today are unique and we must be creative in our teaching strategies. Andi was named one of the Top People in Education to Watch in 2016 by the Academy of Education Arts and Sciences. Andi has published Genius Hour: Passion Projects that Ignite Innovation and Student Inquiry, A Meaningful Mess: A Teacher's Guide to Student-Driven Classrooms, Authentic Learning, Student Empowerment, and Keeping It All Together Without Losing Your Mind, and Ready-to-Use Resources for Genius Hour in the Classroom: Taking Passion Projects to the Next Level. She absolutely loves sharing her passion for innovative education with other educators that want more for their students.
Parent Webinar
Link: https://vimeo.com/865618871?
Password: AAGC-Parent923
Interpreter
Link: https://vimeo.com/865618998?
Password: AAGC-Parent923
Parent Webinar Series
April 11, 2023, 6:00 pm CT
Discover the Best Summer Camps for Gifted Students:
A Guide for Parents
Parents of gifted students, we've got some amazing summer camp options for you! Join us as you hear about these fantastic opportunities! Let your child explore their academic interests at Indian Springs School, or dive into the wonders of naturalscience at the Cook Museum. For the aspiring engineers, University of Alabama-Huntsville has a wide range of camps to choose. For the marine biologists in the making, check out the Dauphin Island Sea Lab! Plus, don't forget to keep their creativity flowing with the Chicken Coop Art Club's online subscription. The possibilities are endless - make this a summer to remember!
Recording link:
https://vimeo.com/817701794?share=copy
Password: Parent4-2023
Camp Links
Indian Springs: https://www.indiansprings.org/academics/summer-programs
UAH College of Engineering: https://www.uah.edu/eng/summer-camps
Cook Museum: https://www.cookmuseum.org/calendar/phantastic-phenomena-multi-day-camp-5-days/
https://www.cookmuseum.org/public-programs/public-camps/
Dauphin Island Sea Lab: https://www.disl.edu/dhp/summer-camps/
Chicken Coop Club: https://www.chickencoopclub.com/
Additional Camps mentioned at the end of the presentation
Camp McDowell Youth Folk School: https://campmcdowell.org/upcoming-events/youth-folk-camp
Drone Academy: https://southernresearch.org/stem-drone-academy/
Instead of the flyer, here is the web page link to
Summer Magic Camp: https://alabamaacademyofmagic.square.site/
Just Start Entrepreneurship Camp
https://www.troy.edu/community-outreach/idea-bank/entrepreneurship-summer-camp.html
PD Webinar Series and Parent Webinar
February 21, 2023, 6:00 pm CT
Mental Health and Well-being: Dispelling Myths About Gifted Learners
Young exceptional students exhibit a startling depth and sensitivity in their emotions. Contrary to popular opinion, some aspects of a gifted child's giftedness may affect or magnify their experience with mental health issues. In addition to debunking common myths about the capacity of gifted students to manage their complex emotional nuances and sensitivity, this session will go through techniques that may encourage healthy growth and mental well-being.
Dr. Sherrionda H. Crawford is a Professor of School and Clinical Mental Health Counseling in the Division of Counseling, Rehabilitation & Interpreter Training at Troy University. She is a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC), credentialed as a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor (LPC-S) in Georgia and Alabama, and a Certified School Counselor in the state of Alabama. Before becoming a professor at Troy University, she provided valuable counseling services to children and adults in clinical and school counseling settings. Dr. Crawford actively volunteers for the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) as a scholarship reviewer and mentor. Her research interests include trends in school counseling to include interpersonal violence and suicide prevention across the lifespan and skill acquisition for counselors-in-training.
Dr. Kanessa Miller Doss is an Associate Professor of Psychology and COE Director of Operations- Montgomery Campus at Troy University. She is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) and National Certified Counselor (NCC). Dr. Doss is also a certified School Counselor and School Psychologist in the state of Alabama. She has nine years of experience as a public-school educator. Dr. Doss is also a certified QPR Gatekeeper in Suicide Prevention Training instructor. She is a member and board member of several professional organizations. Her research interests are social-emotional functioning with an emphasis on school/college campus violence, bullying, school psychology advocacy, youth suicide, and accessibility issues.
Recorded Webinar Link: https://vimeo.com/805670339
Password: AAGC2023-2
Resources
PowerPoint presentation with links-
The Heart of MATTER: Understanding the Adolescent Brain
to Connect to the Heart - PART 2
Ever feel like your child isn't speaking the same language as you? Adolescence is the second greatest time of new construction in the brain. The changes that occur create uncertainty, anxiety, heightened curiosity, and a quest for independence within your child and frustration, confusion and disconnect within parents. This session will help you depersonalize adolescent responses and build strong connections to their hearts because that is what MATTERS most. The latest research will be shared and practical steps to build or rebuild your relationship with your adolescent child.
Sherri Spears M. Ed Secondary ELA, Gifted Specialist K-12
Sherri Spears lives in Chelsea, AL with her husband, Daryl, and her four children Steven(16), Annika(15), Vivi(10), and Emery(7). She is a lover of nature, animals, poetry, art, neuroscience, humor, satire, TED Talks, roller coasters, milkshakes, horror movies/stories, and a good meme. Sherri has spent 21 years as an educator teaching middle and high school students. In 2013 she accepted the Gifted Education Lead Teacher position for Shelby County Schools which has allowed her to pursue research and professional learning in educational neuroscience, adolescent brain development, trauma-informed teaching, ADHD, executive function disorder, Dyslexia, and gifted education. Her hope is that by equipping adults with a scientific understanding of the nature and needs of adolescents, classrooms and families will be transformed and positive support systems will be created in the lives of the adolescents who need trustworthy, safe, non-anxious adults to guide and support them.
https://alabamagifted.org/GEM-2023
https://padlet.com/sspears4/vdfypyh0hs9chs27
Parents Needed! Engaging in Education and Advocacy for Gifted Students
Gifted students have learning needs that require special educational considerations. While most schools recognize the special learning needs of their highly capable students, it is important for parents to engage in and advocate for educational opportunities and experiences that will maximize their child’s unique strengths. Please join us for an informative webinar sponsored by the Alabama Association for Gifted Children on Thursday, October 13 at 6:00 P.M. This session, titled Parents Needed! Engaging in Education and Advocacy for Gifted Students, is presented by Dr. Patti Wood, AAGC Board Member and consultant in academic and creative education for gifted learners. Dr. Wood will offer insights into what makes gifted children who they are, what parents can do to better understand their gifted child, and how to advocate for their child’s educational needs.
To do list for all parents/grandparents.
The Heart of MATTER: Understanding the Adolescent Brain
to Connect to the Heart - Part 1
Ever feel like your child isn't speaking the same language as you? Adolescence is the second greatest time of new construction in the brain. The changes that occur create uncertainty, anxiety, heightened curiosity, and a quest for independence within your child and frustration, confusion and disconnect within parents. This session will help you depersonalize adolescent responses and build strong connections to their hearts because that is what MATTERS most. The latest research will be shared and practical steps to build or rebuild your relationship with your adolescent child.
Sherri Spears M. Ed Secondary ELA, Gifted Specialist K-12, lives in Chelsea, AL with her husband, Daryl, and her four children Steven(16), Annika(15), Vivi(10), and Emery(7). She is a lover of nature, animals, poetry, art, neuroscience, humor, satire, TED Talks, roller coasters, milkshakes, horror movies/stories, and a good meme. Sherri has spent 21 years as an educator teaching middle and high school students. In 2013 she accepted the Gifted Education Lead Teacher position for Shelby County Schools which has allowed her to pursue research and professional learning in educational neuroscience, adolescent brain development, trauma-informed teaching, ADHD, executive function disorder, Dyslexia, and gifted education. Her hope is that by equipping adults with a scientific understanding of the nature and needs of adolescents, classrooms and families will be transformed and positive support systems will be created in the lives of the adolescents who need trustworthy, safe, non-anxious adults to guide and support them.
Webinar Recording at: https://vimeo.com/740029138
Simple Strategies for STEM and Enrichment at Home
Brooke Brown is a National Board Certified Early Childhood Teacher with 18 years of teaching experience in Kindergarten through third grade. She iscurrently a Gifted Resource Coordinator for early childhood students, teaching Gifted and Talented, math and literacy enrichment, and STEM. Brooke is a former district Teacher of the Year and has a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership. She creates original teaching resources as the owner of Teach Outside the Box®, is a product developer for hand2mind, and is the inventor of STEM Bins®. Brooke is passionate about STEM, coding and robotics, Makerspaces, hands-on literacy, and purposeful play for elementary students. She lives in Norman, Oklahoma with her husband, Andy, and two children, Ellie and Beau. Learn more about Brooke on teachoutsidethebox.com.
Webinar Recording: https://vimeo.com/695925919
Password: BBrown_March2022
Resources:
MI survey
http://www.ctevh.org/Conf2015/Workshops/412/412a.pdf
Lego How to Academy YouTube
https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWqC98hJ2
Stem Bins at Home
Maker Stations
https://teachoutsidethebox.com/
and Challenge Students
Kathy LeCroy, Education Specialist
Alabama Public Television
Parents and students, come explore all the free digital resources from Alabama Public Television and PBS for all grade levels and subject areas. A variety of digital resources are available for use both at school and at home. No log in required. The resources integrate with Google Classroom, Schoology, Nearpod, See Saw, Microsoft Teams, Flipgrid, PearDeck and many other tech tools. Explore the interactives, videos and so much more to enrich learning and extend content knowledge. Students can use these digital resources to research topics and design their own projects to demonstrate learning. PBS LearningMedia provides content for PreK-13+ and includes many favorite PBS programs such as: Ken Burns in the Classroom, PBS Kids collections, Nova, Nature, diversity resources, and so much more. So, if you are ready to discover and design innovative learning opportunities to challenge your children as they learn, join us to see the many resources available. https://youtu.be/KmOklIFBD1k
Parenting Gifted Kids:
Answering your most burning questions
Celi Trépanier, M.Ed., is the author of Educating Your Gifted Child: How One Public School Teacher Embraced Homeschooling, the managing author for Perspectives on Giftedness: Sound Advice from Parents and Professionals, and she writes for her own popular website, Crushing Tall Poppies. Celi serves onThe G Word film Advisory Board. As an educator, Celi has taught in public and private schools as well as in homeschool co-ops. If you ask what her most significant accomplishment is, she may think she should say being a mom to three gifted sons; ultimately, though, she’ll proclaim it to be her role as an influential gifted advocate. Recording of this webinar can be found at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVQYFgUynIs
April 13, 2021, 6:45 pm
Supporting Gifted & Talented Students through Social and Emotional Concerns
Gifted and talented students are at greater risk for experiencing social and emotional concerns. Parents, teachers, counselors and gifted students must all work together to support the special needs and aspects of gifted students in today’s educational environment. Several social and emotional problems will be highlighted, with supportive recommendations made for each.
Dr. Laura I. Hodges graduated with a BA in French, a MA degree in Counseling, both from Stephen F. Austin State University,and a PhD in Counselor Education from Sam Houston State University. She has 15 years of service in the public school setting as a teacher and school counselor. Dr. Hodges is an Alabama Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor (LPC-S), a Texas Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor (LPC-S), a National Certified Counselor (NCC), and an Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS). Her experience includes serving as a school counselor at all levels and in all sizes of school districts, from rural to urban settings. She is an Assistant Professor, School Counseling Coordinator, Clinical Coordinator for the Montgomery campus, and the EdS in School Counseling program Coordinator at Troy University.
Link: https://vimeo.com/
January 12, 2021 6:30 p.m.
PICKING UP THE PIECES: Making Lemonade Out of the Lemon that was 2020
Well, 2020 happened. It felt like the world as we knew came crashing down and smashed into a million little pieces. And now, in 2021 we are picking up those pieces and trying to make sense of a new normal. But how do we move forward? Do we rebuild things in exactly the same way? Or do we use this as our opportunity to reinvent ourselves and the way that we do things. In this session for parents, teachers, and gifted kids, we will examine some strategies that we can all utilize to develop a creative and productive path forward to a great, big, beautiful tomorrow.
Brian Housand - Coordinator of theAcademically or Intellectually Gifted Program at the University of North Carolina Wilmington/Gifted 360
Brian also works as an educational consultant working with schools, districts, and educational organizations. His work focuses on the integration of technology and creativity into the learning environment. He is a self-proclaimed GEEK. working as an educational consultant with schools, districts, and educational organizations. His work focuses on the integration of technologyand creativity into the learning environment.
Brian taught 4th and 2nd grade, and then was an elementary teacher of the gifted in the Atlanta Metro Area. He earned a Masters and Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut in Gifted Education. He was a graduate research assistant at theNational Research Center on the Gifted and Talented at the University of Connecticut and worked to help develop the Schoolwide Enrichment Model Reading Framework (SEM-R). He was an Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Gifted Program at East Carolina University for 10 years. He served two terms on the Board of Directors of the National Association for Gifted Children as a Member-at-Large and served two years as the chair of the NAGC Computer and Technology Network. He co-authored Using the Schoolwide Enrichment Model with Technology with Angela Housand and Joe Renzulli. He wrote Fighting Fake News! Teaching Critical Thinking and Media Literacy in a Digital Age.
Recording link:
Password: Webinar_BHousand2021
You can also find a link to this webinar on the AAGC member's only webinar web page.
Resources
email: Brianhousand@gmail.com
Twitter: @BrianHousand
Website: Brianhousand.com
Go to website to sign up for Brian's newsletter: Inside Brian's Brain.
December 1, 2020 at 6:30 PM
*Building Executive Functioning Skills
The Absent-minded Professor is more than a funny show: it’s the reality of life for many gifted individuals. In this session we’ll explore how to help students strengthen their skills in this area. You’ll learn practical tips you can implement right away in homes and classrooms.
Lisa Van Gemert shares best practices in education with audiences around theworld. She is an expert consult to television shows including Lifetime’s "Child Genius," a writer of award-winning lesson plans, numerous articles on social psychology and pedagogy, and four books, including the award-winning Perfectionism: A Practical Guide to Managing Never Good Enough. A former teacher, school administrator, and Youth & Education Ambassador for Mensa, she shares resources for educators and parents on her websites giftedguru.com and vocabularyluau.com.
We do not have permission to record this Webinar but here is a list of resources recommended.
https://blog.giftedstudy.org/gifted-executive-functioning-skills/
https://thegraysonschool.org/executive-skills-gifted-learners/
https://drive.google.com/file/d/16DNb1D6XeaGQ_1U-3smxRB0bbPJphbDy/view
https://www.davidsongifted.org/search-database/entry/a10523
https://www.giftedguru.com/helping-students-pay-attention/
Oct 27, 2020 at 6:30 PM
Dr. Patti Wood, Professor of Curriculum and Instruction and Director of Gifted Education at Samford University, will present - "Understanding Your Gifted Child: Raising Happy and Successful Lifelong Learners"
This informative webinar will offer insights into what makes gifted children who they are and what parents can do to understand their gifted child’s educational and social needs.
This is the first in a series of webinars for parents of gifted children. Recording of this webinar can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vydMWLMMp-8&feature=youtu.be
Future webinars will be available free of charge with your paid annual AAGC membership dues of $25. You can join AAGC by clicking https://alabamagifted.org/Join-us/