Keynotes 2022

Monday, July 11th

9:00 AM EST

Joseph S Renzulli

Assessment For Learning: The Missing Element for Identifying High Potential for Enrichment Services

Sally Reis (with an introduction to Confratute pedagogy).

A brief overview of some recent work and available resources will be followed by discussing a major controversy facing the field of gifted education.  The underrepresentation of low income, minority, and dual language students has endangered the very existence of G/T programs. Strategies for addressing this challenge have been to use universal screening and local norms; however, these useful recommendations continue to focus on traditional testing procedures that measure what students already know and overlook other important traits that contribute to high levels of creative productivity. Assessment for learning examines traits such as interests, instructional preference styles, preferred modes of expression, and executive function skills. Although sometimes referred as the “soft skills,” they have gained much more attention on the parts of college admission officers and employers, especially for higher level leadership positions. Instruments that assess these traits are often completed by the students themselves; and technology and artificial intelligence now allow us to administer and analyze them with the same ease used for traditional standardized tests.

 

Tuesday, July 12th

9:00 AM EST

Erik Francis

What Exactly Is Depth of Knowledge (DOK)?

Depth of Knowledge continues to be a focus and priority in education. However, if your understanding of DOK as a concept and framework is unclear, you’re not alone. In this keynote, Erik M. Francis – author of the book Deconstructing Depth of Knowledge: A Method and Model for Deeper Teaching and Learning – will explain what exactly Depth of Knowledge is, why the DOK Wheel is inaccurate, and how to use DOK Levels to plan and provide teaching and learning experiences that are standards-based, socially and emotionally supportive, and student responsive. He will introduce the GDOKs – extended DOK levels that can be used to accelerate and enrich grade level teaching and learning experiences for gifted, talented, and twice exceptional (2e) students. He will also show how the demands and expectations of DOK teaching and learning experiences to TV game shows such as Jeopardy! and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (DOK 1), instructional TV shows such as The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross and 30 Minute Meals with Rachael Ray (DOK 2), skills-based TV competitions such as Top Chef! and LEGO Masters (DOK 3), and reality business shows such as Kitchen Nightmares and Shark Tank (DOK 4)

 

Wednesday, July 13th

9:00 AM EST

Fiona Vernal

Origin Stories: Myths, Statistics, and Zip Code Destinies

We live in a data-rich environment that projects student outcomes based on socio-economic status, zip codes, how much parents read to their children, reading proficiency at third grade, and a host of other metrics. But we also live in an environment that understands how powerful storytelling can be for students to see themselves reflected in history, to see role models who look like them, and to imagine radical and just futures. This keynote will examine the intersection of data and storytelling, using the keynoter’s personal experiences and stories, to explore how we can create new stories for our students that doesn’t consign them to destinies based on zip codes and socioeconomic data. Rather, we can craft new stories that help students imagine the futures they want.

 

Wednesday, July 13th

3:30 PM EST

Brian Housand

VOYAGE 2022: Navigating New Horizons for Gifted Education

We stand on the threshold between the past and the future, and as Confratute 2022 comes to a close, let’s assemble one last time, reflect on what we’ve learned, and chart a course ahead. We will examine ways to apply your new knowledge, offer ideas for engaging your learners through inquiry, outline opportunities for demonstrating creative-productive giftedness, and identify strategies for deepening understanding. You are at a new crossroads. Let us go boldly toward a brighter future together.