Dr. Laurie Croft
Belin-Blank Centre- University of Iowa
Laurie Croft , PHD, is the Administrator of Professional Development at the Belin Blank International Center for Gifted Education at the University of Iowa celebrates the International Year of Giftedness & Creativity #IYGC she shares a story touching on her interests, and a brief insight into the two presentations she will be giving at the 20th World Conference in Kentucky, including one of their new on-line programs and /or opportunities for teachers to take part in Gifted specific Professional Development- and Talent Development. These programs welcome international participants with open arms. These presentations should be of great interest to Educators.
A 2011 report asking if “high flyers” maintained their “altitude” instead found that many students who should soar to the greatest heights were struggling in schools today. They evidently were not interacting with the catalysts that could help them develop their talents. Efforts to close the achievement gap were ensuring that some underperforming students had opportunities unavailable to them in the past—but do we really want to narrow or close the achievement gap by limiting the growth of our gifted students? I know I’ll be inspired and energized by the presentations at the WCGTC—and I’m looking forward to sharing two different presentations this year. The first will look at the ways gifted adolescents talk about their most influential teachers and about the traits and behaviors that serve as effective catalysts in their talent development process; gifted student descriptions of effective teachers can help us learn more about supporting the professional development of those who want to promote talent development. That brings me to the second presentation in August! The Belin-Blank Center is launching a global professional development program called the Recognition of Excellence in Talent Development—an online program of courses that can help educators to learn more about the nature and needs of gifted learners, as well as the strategies to become effective catalysts in the talent development process. I’ll share research that suggests that teacher behaviors do change as they develop their own understandings about both excellent and talent development, as well as ways this online program can develop global cohorts of colleagues. I look forward to seeing you in Louisville!
by ‘Live’ age 14- Norway
‘Come fly your Kite for Giftedness with us!!
International Year of Giftedness and Creativity 