Fifteen members of the 17-member board participated in the meetings.
“It is a rare opportunity to have so many national leaders presenting in one location,” said Dr. Julia Roberts, Mahurin Professor of Gifted Education at WKU and CEC-TAG President. “Certainly, it was a pleasure to have the TAG board here to present and then to conduct the business of the organization.”
The launch of a new online journal titled Teaching Special Populations of Gifted Students (TSPGS) was one of the major agenda items passed during the weekend’s meetings. Dr. Jennifer Jolly of Louisiana State University and Dr. Claire Hughes of the College of Coastal Georgia will be the co-editors of the new journal.
Speaking about the importance of this new online journal, Dr. Tracy Inman, Associate Director of The Center for Gifted Studies at WKU and CEC-TAG Webmaster, said: “Designed for educators and practitioners, this journal will be a valuable resource full of practical teaching strategies to help all students make continuous progress, especially those with multiple exceptionalities.”
The Board also discussed plans for The TAG Symposium during the CEC Conference on April 9, 2014, in Philadelphia. The Symposium will focus on the Common Core Standards and gifted children and young people.
Board members also led sessions for more than 30 educators from across the region at the 2013 TAG Fall Institute on Sept. 6 at WKU’s Carroll Knicely Conference Center.
The theme of the 2013 TAG Fall Institute was “Celebrating Diversity Among Gifted Children” with sessions that explored important issues related to diversity among gifted children. Areas of focus included diversity, twice-exceptional students, curriculum that supports diversity, and social-emotional needs.
Board members also recorded “TAG Talks” podcasts on the sessions they led during the Fall Institute. These podcasts will be available in the Members Only section onwww.cectag.org.
“Having national leaders gather at WKU is an honor,” Dr. Roberts said. “We will plan for a second Fall TAG Institute next year.
More: To view pictures from the 2013 TAG Fall Institute, visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/giftedstudieswku/sets/72157635455619342/. To view the keynotes from the 2013 TAG Fall Institute, visit http://www.youtube.com/user/giftedstudieswku.
About The Association for the Gifted: The primary purpose of The Association for the Gifted (TAG) is to promote the welfare and education of children and youth with gifts, talents, and/or high potential. TAG strives to improve educational opportunities for individuals from all diverse groups with gifts, talents, and/or high potential. TAG also sponsors and fosters activities to develop the field of gifted education, such as the dissemination of information, the conduct of research, and other scholarly investigations. TAG supports and encourages specialized professional preparation for educators of individuals with gifts, talents, and/or high potential, as well as for professional persons in related areas. TAG also works with organizations, agencies, families, or individuals whose purposes are consistent with its own.
About The Center for Gifted Studies: Located on the WKU campus, The Center for Gifted Studies has been serving children who are gifted and talented, their educators, and their parents for more than 30 years. The Center provides exciting educational opportunities for gifted young people, rigorous professional development for teachers, and support for parents of gifted young people. Under the direction of Dr. Julia Roberts, The Center has become one of the preeminent advocates for gifted education in the United States. The Center believes that when gifted young people meet their extraordinary potential, our communities, our state, our nation—even our world—become better places. That is why each school year, The Center renews its commitment to encouraging excellence by providing quality programming and resources for gifted students, their teachers, and their parents.