Maximizing Individual Potential: 

Conference & Annual Meeting

Saturday, March 31, 2007

The conference and annual meeting were a tremendous success!

Reach for the Stars: Maximizing Individual Potential was a celebration for parents and educators of the gifted and talented. The event drew over 50 people, indicating that concern for high ability learners is gaining momentum in Massachusetts.

Mary Beth Miotto, MD, extended a warm welcome to all. She then moderated a 60-minute panel discussion. Deborah Smith-Pressley, State Gifted and Talented Program Coordinator in the Office of School Performance Evaluation and Leadership Development shared ongoing developments from the Massachusetts Department of Education. She reported that funding for gifted and talented remained in the education budget and received a small increase. Diana Reeves brought greetings from the National Association for Gifted Education and highlighted both state and national issues. Sarah Kelly, school counselor, described social, emotional, and academic issues commonly associated with this population of children. Judy Butler, parent, shared a personal perspective with respect to education and parenting.

President Susan Dulong Langley presided over the MAGE Annual Meeting. MAGE public service awards went to Andrew Churchill, Deputy Provost Andrew Effrat, and Professor Nola Stephens all from UMass-Amherst as well as Susan Y. Wheltle from the Massachusetts Department of Education.

Board members and conference attendees chatted over a delicious lunch of sandwiches from Panera Bread Restaurant, salad and sweets. This networking lunch allowed people from similar regions to meet one another. Members of MAGE can continue these conversations on MAGE Chat.

The afternoon provided 3 different workshops. Diana Reeves presented “Understanding Learning Style: It’s How You’re Wired.” Diana described the ways in which individuals prefer to take in and output information and how this impacts personal growth. Sarah Kelley offered, “Parenting the Gifted Child –The Joys and the Challenges.” Parenting the gifted and talented child can confound even the most skilled parent! Sarah and her group discussed such issues as procrastination, perfectionism, peer relationships, and discipline. Judy Butler’s workshop, “The Education Game,” specifically addressed school experiences. Conversation about teacher-parent conferences, testing, public vs. private school, extra-curricular resources, and acceleration illustrated that parents were not alone in their search for appropriate educational opportunities for gifted and talented children.