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The Catalyst Page 1 Fall 2016
Fall is my favorite season, but I am looking forward to trading in my sweaters and
boots for flip flops and shorts next week… I hope I will see many of you at the NAGC
Annual Convention in Florida next week. In this pre-convention issue, we have a list of
the strands for the Professional Development Network; as a reviewer for our network, I
can vouch for the great sessions that we are offering– there were so many excellent
proposals to read, it is unfortunate we couldn’t include more. In addition to our fabu-
lous strands, please consider attending the Professional Development Network Meet-
ing at 9:15 on Friday in Sierra 2. We will have the honor of presenting the PD Network
Award to Robin Weidemueller for her submission, Gifted Educational Specialist Prep. I
am also pleased to invite you to an Organic Storytelling session, “Hearing Between the
Lines”, provided by Gail Herman in the Networking Niche on Friday at 3pm. Gail is
graciously donating her time and talent, and will be accepting donations for the Pro-
fessional Development Network’s Javits-Frasier Scholarship Fund. If you won’t be at
the convention but are interested in becoming more active in the Professional Develop-
ment Network, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me, or any of the leadership team!
The Catalyst The N a t i ona l Asso c i a t i on f o r G i f t ed Ch i l d r en
P r o f e s s i o n a l D e v e l o p m e n t N e t w o r k N e w s l e t t e r
V o l u m e 5 N u m b e r 2 F a l l 2 0 1 6
In This Issue Page
From Where I Sit … by Dr. Angela Novak 1
Feature Article: Tapping Students Gifted in Leadership Ability by Dr. Alan E. Nelson 2
Professional Development Network Award 7
NAGC Professional Development Sessions 8
About the Professional Development Network 10
From the Editor by Dr. Katie D. Lewis 10
Professional Development Network Leadership 11
From Where I Sit … by Angela Novak
The Catalyst Page 2 Spring 2016
In 1972, the Marland Report included “leadership ability” in its definition of gifted
and talented. Unfortunately, this domain has been all but forgotten as academic, athletic,
artistic and creativity gifts have driven the GT community and schools. What most educa-
tors fail to realize is that this oversight not only impedes these unique students, but also
the teachers trying to conduct civil classrooms conducive for learning. Teachers can learn
to identify students likely to possess organizational leadership aptitude and tap into their
social influence for the benefit of all.
Leader Aversive Classrooms
The typical classroom in America is leader-averse. The reasons for this are three-fold.
First, the structure of public and most private education requires one teacher to over-
see 20-40 students at a time. The sheer ratio requires a certain level of conformity, rub-
bing against the style of most natural leaders who are by nature non-conforming. Budding
leaders exercising their natural yet unvarnished abilities often get labeled “trouble mak-
ers” or their social strengths are depreciated within the classroom community, forcing
them to mask their aptitudes. There’s only room for one boss and it’s not going to be a stu-
dent.
Secondly, most teachers and administrators are trained in pedagogy and manage-
ment, not organizational leading. This latter skill set is strategically different from former
two. The adage, “it takes one to know one” fits here in that those gifted in teaching and
administrating often overlook those gifted in leadership ability and/or understand how to
channel their energies constructively. A common misperception we’ve noticed among edu-
cators is they sometimes confuse high academic students with leaders, when in reality the
best academic performers often lack the type of social intelligence required to gain the re-
spect from peers in terms of organizing them. While leaders are generally above average
IQ, they are not necessarily the top grade achievers. Thus, GT programs should be over-
looked for leader pools, but since gifts are domain specific, some of your C-students are far
more apt to be influential CEOs than those with perfect GPAs.
Tapping Students Gifted in Leadership Ability
by Alan E. Nelson, Ed.D.
The Catalyst Page 3 Fall 2016
Thirdly, most principals and teachers are so overwhelmed with a plethora of oth-
er tasks that adding yet one more component to their frenetic plate-spinning doesn’t
seem possible. This article itself will be overlooked by a majority of educators who feel
inundated by the tyranny of the urgent or who don’t have time to read about a non-
academic topic like organizational leadership. Plus, you can’t teach soft skills in the
classroom. They’re experience oriented, requiring project based learning for the most
part. Yet our work the last decade in identifying and developing 10-18 year olds gifted
in leadership ability, has taught us a lot about how schools can use these natural influ-
encers to improve school climate that research shows increases academic achievement.
Benefits of Leader Development
Before discussing a few ideas on creating leader-friendly classrooms and schools,
let’s look at two primary benefits that might help motivate your staff to seriously con-
sider adjusting their standard operating procedures.
One benefit is that when you identify and develop the natural influencers, you
will likely reduce the amount of classroom disruptions, often significantly. Think of a
class as a micro-community, where you have student equivalents of mayors, teachers,
counselors, athletes, artists and accountants. In a class of thirty, three to five are apt to
control more than half of the social influence. This is not right or wrong, it just is. De-
pending on the self-discipline, emotional intelligence, and character of these young lead-
ers, you’ll have more or less fires to attend. Tap this potential positively and you use
these students’ influence as an asset. Some of those with frequent flyer miles to the
principal’s office will grow up to be the most influential people in your community,
hopefully because of and not in spite of their school experience.
A second benefit is your school can legitimately say that it recognizes what the
US Department of Education and numerous other educational agencies have recognized
is a unique ability. By legitimately identifying and using these students even informal-
ly, you can expand the development of the whole child to include those who typically
won’t be affirmed for these gifts until much later in life.
The Catalyst Page 4 Spring 2016
Ideas for Creating Leader Friendly Classes
Here are three keys for creating leader-friendly classrooms.
Identify students with leadership aptitude. Educators possessing an aptitude for
leading are more apt to see this potential in their students. There are other
natural ways to determine the small percent who manage a majority of the or-
ganizational influence in a classroom, cafeteria, or school campus. Here is a
bullet list. Consider a student and rate each on a 1-5 Likert scale, one being
none or non-existent to five being strong and consistent.
The student is followed by peers. Don’t confuse a strong-willed or individu-
ally disruptive child with a leader. The key of leading is always a matter
of who and how many are following and to what degree.
Adults tend to select this student for roles of governance. This may be coach-
es, teachers, children’s pastors, etc. One exception is that sometimes
teachers select whistle blowers who are not necessarily leaders, if s/he
has to leave the room. While teachers are not apt to leave the class un-
der the authority of a negative leader, some of these students are very
capable influencers.
The student has the ability to “steal” attention of colleagues from adults. A
comment, spontaneous joke, or physical movement that distracts more
than two or three surrounding students is usually a sign of a leader.
This ability is typically considered problematic for many teachers.
The student tends to be goal oriented and organizational (though not neces-
sarily organized). Leaders are rarely lazy, video gamesmen, or lack am-
bition. They are higher energy individuals who busy themselves with
mental if not physical projects.
Students tend to talk about this individual and/or notice when
s/he is absent or not involved. While popularity is not nec-
essarily the same as leadership, leaders tend to be more
popular and got more than their share of attention.
The Catalyst Page 5 Fall 2016
For a more thorough measurement tool, we’ve developed the Social In-
fluence Survey that looks at 25-observable behaviors and estimates
leadership aptitude. It is available online and free of charge at
www.kidlead.com. Parents can take this for their children get an auto-
mated tabulation along with a key that explains the specific behavior in
how it relates to leadership, so if you want to see the results on the child
you respond about, click the parent button in the form.
Build rapport with your student leaders. Once the 3-5 influencers
of each class have been identified, create relationship building
opportunities so that the teacher develops a sense of trust and
respect among the leaders, both individually as well as the se-
lect group. This can be enhanced by teaming up with other
teachers and/or the class influencers they’ve identified. A
monthly classroom lunch, after school meeting with a communi-
ty leader for mentoring, or touch base with the principal, can go
far in creating constructive communication that can be tapped
later. While leaders don’t always flock together, they do relate
to each other, so bringing them together synergizes your ability
to use their influence with the class in general. Think of it like
judo instead of karate, in that you use the energy of your poten-
tial opponent instead of trying to “punch”
back with discipline, threats, and negative
comment.
The Catalyst Page 6 Spring 2016
Develop young leaders through intentional involvement and mentoring. Leaders
are social architects. They work best in groups although they’re often fine to
be alone as well. The goal of rapport building is not to sequester them from
others but rather to build trust and alliance in order to deploy them into ser-
vice. This may be as simple as using them as team leaders for class projects,
or school-wide programs such as recycling, fundraising, room cleaning or com-
munity service. Let them gain experience leading by giving them responsibil-
ity and freedom to lead their peers in projects. The older and more confident
they become, the less control you need to provide. Chances are, you’ll see as
we have in our work with preteens over the years, that a little training and
experience go a long way in shaping the self-image and skill set of young lead-
ers. The result is giving them a 10-20 year head start in from what is tradi-
tional in our culture.
The bottom line is that educators hold a very strategic role in shaping history, not just
by educating, but also by developing those who will lead others presently and in years
to come. With a little intentional effort, teachers and administrators can create leader
friendly classrooms and schools where those often deemed as non-conformists and trou-
blemakers can use their influence in a very constructive manner.
Alan E. Nelson, Ed.D. teaches organizational behavior at the Naval Postgraduate School and Pepperdine
University. He’s also the founder of KidLead Inc., a non-profit dedicated to identifying and developing stu-
dents gifted in leadership ability through assessments and project based training curricula. He’s also the
author of a monthly newsletter on this topic and a forthcoming book titled “The O Factor.” You can contact
him at [email protected]
The Catalyst Page 7 Fall 2016
The Professional Development Network is pleased to
Congratulate Professional Development Network Award Winner
Robin Weidemueller for her submission entitled
Gifted Education Specialist Prep. The purpose of the program was to build capacity in serving gifted students in the district by highly
qualified faculty and increase the number of teachers endorsed as Gifted Specialists from zero to at
least three (one to serve each of the 3 schools in the district: elementary, middle and high) as author-
ized by the Colorado Department of Education licensure department. In addition, any teachers partici-
pating in the professional development would serve as building leaders/gifted consultants in their
buildings. The yearlong professional development would educate personnel in working with gifted stu-
dents, to better identify and provide appropriate services to meet the needs of gifted students. The
training would prepare teachers to pass the Gifted and Talented PLACE exam required for endorse-
ment. They met and exceeded their goal of training 3 specialists. They now have 5 trained specialists
to serve the region.
Please join us in congratulating Robin at the Professional
Development Network Meeting on Friday morning, 9:15 am in
Sierra 2.
The Catalyst Page 8 Spring 2016
Professional Development Sessions
Friday, November 4
All sessions last one hour
Time Presentation Title Room
8:00 Imagine Professional Development Possibilities Yucatan 3
9:15 Elevating Equity and Academic Achievement of Underrepresented Groups Through Ad- Coronado T
9:15 Imagine the Possibilities with eTips -- Make It Happen! Coronado S
9:15 Two Perspectives: Budget-Friendly Gifted Program Review and Revision Coronado C
9:30 Using Analogies for Enhancing Teachers’ Conceptual Learning in Gifted Education Profes-
sional Development
Exhibit Hall,
Roundtable
12:00 No Staff? No Budget? No Problem! Exhibit Hall
12:00 Ongoing Professional Development for Secondary Counselors: What Spokane Did When
State Regulations for Educating Highly-Capable Changed
Exhibit Hall
Poster
1:15 Advocacy and Legislative Help for Gifted Education Coronado F
1:15 Grade Acceleration 101: When and How to Do It Right! Roundtable
1:15 Guiding the Gatekeepers: Targeted Teacher Professional Development to Ensure Equity and Coronado N
2:30 Training Teachers to Overcome Bias for the Equitable Identification of Minority Gifted Stu- Coronado B
2:30 Influences on Beginning Gifted Education Teachers’ Differentiated Instructional Practices Exhibit Hall
2:30 Mission Imagined, Mission Accomplished: Providing Quality Virtual Professional Learning
for Gifted Educators
Roundtable
Exhibit Hall
3:45 Professional Development Possibilities in Action Coronado B
3:45 Exceptional You! GT Professionals Achieving National Board Certification Coronado A
3:45 Summer Enrichment Workshop: How to Craft a Standards-Based Preservice Train- Coronado M
3:45 Using Problem-Solving Style Assessments to Form Better Cooperative Groups and Improve
Learning Outcomes for Gifted Students
Roundtable
Exhibit Hall
The Professional Development Network
Meeting is Friday at 9:15 in Sierra 2!
Gail Herman’s Organic Storytelling session,
“Hearing Between the Lines” is at 3pm on
Friday at the Networking Niche. It will be a
great experience for families and educators!
The Catalyst Page 9 Fall 2016
Professional Development Sessions
Saturday, November 5
All sessions last one hour
Sunday, November 6
All sessions last one hour
Time Presentation Title Room
8:00 AM
Helping Gifted Students Reach Infinity and Beyond: Effective Collaboration Between Teachers and Counselors
Fiesta 4
9:15 AM
State and Local Policies and Practices in Gifted Education Coronado S
9:15 AM
A Nation Empowered: Professional Learning About Acceleration Is Essential Coronado D
9:15 AM
Imagine: Your Programs and Services Are Aligned to Meet the Needs of Your Gifted Stu-dents
Exhibit Hall - Roundtable
12:00 PM
Beyond the Gifted Endorsement -- Teacher Training in Gifted Education Matters! Exhibit Hall - Poster
12:00 PM
Designing Professional Learning Activities to Support Gifted Students with Disabilities for Professionals Outside Gifted Education
Exhibit Hall - Poster
12:00 PM
Gifted Education System for the Science-Gifted in South Korea Exhibit Hall - Poster
12:00 PM
HiCapPLUS/Jacob Javits Gifted and Talented Program: Professional Learning to Serve Kindergarten-Grade 12 in Washington State
Exhibit Hall - Poster
12:00 PM
Interdisciplinary PD Activities in Nontraditional Modalities: Puerto Rico's Experience Ad-vancing the Field of 2e Students
Exhibit Hall - Poster
1:15 PM
District Gifted Coordinators: Leadership for Imagining the Possibilities and Making It Happen!
Coronado A
2:30 PM
Online Professional Learning Communities -- Where Collaboration Comes True Exhibit Hall - Roundtable
2:30 Lightning Talks: Innovative and Collaborative Professional Development Exemplars Monterrey 2-3
3:45 PM
Evaluating Learning Outcomes in Gifted and Talented Programs Coronado D
Time Presentation Title Room
10:15 AM
Imagining the Possibilities: Effective Teacher Preparation in Gifted Education Coronado A
The Catalyst Page 10 Spring 2016
About the Professional Development Network
Mission Statement
The mission of the Professional Development Network is to improve the quality of personnel
preparation programs and to further the development of leadership within the field of gifted
education.
Purpose
The primary purpose of the Network is to improve the quality of services offered to the gifted/
creative/talented students through effective programs for training professionals to work with
this unique population.
Network Goals
1. synthesizing and disseminating information that will expand the knowledge base in profes-
sional teacher training for education of the gifted/ creative/talented
2. providing in-service education at the professional development level in order to encourage
and stimulate professional growth
3. serving as a public advocate of quality programs for training professionals to work with gift-
ed students or to administer programs designed to meet their special needs
4. providing and disseminating recommended standards for the development and implementa-
tion of pre- service, in-service, and graduate training opportunities in gifted education.
Areas of Focus
In-service and staff development
Leadership and administration
From The Catalyst Editor … by Katie D.
Lewis
We are looking forward to seeing everyone at NAGC! We
hope you come by the Professional Development Network
Meeting!
We love sharing exciting member news as well as upcom-
ing professional development opportunities on our Twitter
or Facebook page! I also hope you’ll consider contributing
to The Catalyst by sharing your news, writing a book re-
view, or tackling a column. Please contact me for more in-
formation at [email protected]!
The Catalyst Page 11 Fall 2016
Professional Development Network Leadership
Network Chair & Communications Chair: Dr. Angela Novak [email protected]
Angela is the Manager of Advanced and Enriched Instruction for the District of Columbia Public Schools.
She is a former teacher of gifted, general, and special education inclusion classes.
Interim Chair-Elect and Secretary: Dr. Christine Weber [email protected]
Christine is an Associate Professor of Childhood Education at the University of North Florida in-
structing teachers in strategies for conceptual teaching and learning, assessment of learning and
behavior, and gifted endorsement. She serves on the Editorial Review Board for Gifted Child Today.
In Florida, she developed and disseminated Frameworks for K-12 Gifted Learners to school dis-
tricts.
Past-Chair & Policy Chair: Dr. Connie Phelps [email protected]
Connie is Associate Professor at Emporia State University , she trains gifted program graduate students
and directs the Great Plains Center for Gifted Studies. She served as President-Elect in the Kansas As-
sociation for Gifted, Talented and Creative and taught middle school gifted students in Wichita.
Program Chair: Dr. Liz Fogarty [email protected]
Liz is Associate Professor at East Carolina University where her teaching and research focuses on pre-
paring teachers of the gifted and differentiation. She teaches both undergraduate and graduate classes
and serves on the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Association of the Gifted and Talented.
Awards Chair: Karen Brown [email protected]
Karen is the Gifted Program Mentor Paradise Valley Schools, Phoenix, Arizona. As a National Board Certi-
fied educator she works extensively with teachers in grades K-12 to ensure that the instruction and curricu-
lum provides the appropriate challenge and support for the all students. Karen teaches classes in the Gifted
Education Masters Program at ASU as well as consults with districts throughout the country.
Policy Chair: Laurie Croft [email protected]
Laurie has served as Chair of the Professional Development network and on the NAGC Program Committee. As Ad-
ministrator for Professional Development at the Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education at the University of Iowa, she
supports educators, nationally and internationally, as they advocate for gifted learners.
Membership Chair: Dr. Jason McIntosh [email protected]
Jason recently completed PhD studies at Purdue University and served as a research assistant for
the Gifted Education Resource Institute. He has an MEd in elementary education, an MAT in biolo-
gy, and is Nationally Board Certified in the area of middle childhood.
The Catalyst Editor: Dr. Katie D. Lewis [email protected]
Katie is an Assistant Professor of Curriculum & Instruction at Texas A&M International University where
her teaching and research focuses on preservice teachers. She works closely with preservice teachers com-
pleting their field experiences and student teaching.. Her main areas of research interest include un-
derrepresentation of gifted Hispanic students, teacher preparation, and writing to learn.
Social Media Coordinator: Amber Miller [email protected]
Amber has served as representative as the Kansas Association for Gifted, Talented and Creative Region 4 Representa-
tion for several terms. She has worked as a gifted facilitator at the secondary level and is currently Assistant Director for
the High Plains Educational Cooperative in Southwest Kansas.
Javits-Frasier Scholar Liaison: Dr. Dina Brulles [email protected]
Dina is the Director of Gifted Education for Paradise Valley Unified School District in Arizona. She is also
the Gifted Program Coordinator for Arizona State University where she designs and teaches graduate
courses. Dina's interests lie in gifted program development, teacher training, and serving under-
represented populations.
