MAGC Fall Virtual Conference
Susan Corwith, PhD
What Works and What Doesn’t? Defining High-Quality Programming in Gifted Education
Helping children identify their strengths and maximize their abilities at each stage of their talent development journey requires access to high-quality gifted education programming inside and outside of school. But what defines “high-quality programming”? What does the research demonstrate about various forms of enrichment and acceleration? This session will help participants understand the research and use the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) Gifted Programming Standards to implement best practices and guide students to programming suited to their needs.
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Susan Corwith is the director of the Center for Talent Development (CTD) at Northwestern University and an assistant professor in the School of Education and Social Policy. Her expertise is in the fields of gifted education and talent development, with an emphasis on the design, development, and evaluation of academic enrichment and acceleration programs. Dr. Corwith has written extensively about high-quality, inclusive programs and services that foster talent development and authored numerous articles and chapters on gifted programming standards, academic acceleration, and assessment and identification.
Kristin Cotts, MA-LPC
Best Practices for Social and Emotional Development in Gifted Students: Apathy, Intensity, and Everything in Between
The research in social and emotional development appears contradictory. Some studies show that gifted students are advanced. Others show that they are average or behind. And others say they are advanced but misunderstood. All of the above are true. There is so much variance in development both within and between gifted learners that any approach to social emotional developments needs to place a strong emphasis on evaluating their complex profiles. Boredom, perfectionism, emotional intensity, underachievement, and other challenges often found in gifted students will be examined through the lens of the extreme nature of giftedness. This session will help educators and parents develop tools for navigating the wild, winding journey of social and emotional development in gifted students.
​Kristin Cotts is a professional counselor, educator, writer and speaker with the Center for Identity Potential in Huntington Woods, MI, which specializes in counseling services for gifted children, adults, and families. She provides individual counseling, parent coaching, academic coaching, and executive function support. She collaborates with colleagues, individuals, families, and schools to navigate the complexity of gifted profiles. Also a professional musician, playwright, and actor, Kristin helps gifted and talented individuals to understand their variance so that they can find their fit, unlock their potential, and contribute to the world in all of their wondrous complexity. She holds an MA from Adler University in clinical mental health counseling, an MA from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in communication, and a BA from Carleton College in French. She taught French and Spanish for twelve years. She has been an educator for 25 years and has spent the past seven under the mentorship of Andy Mahoney, one of the pioneers in counseling the gifted.