Volume 28 | Number 2 | November 2009

Newsletter of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children www.world-gifted.org

The 18th Conference: A Message A Stellar Success from the President Taisir Subhi Yamin

am honored to be in the position of President Iof the WCGTC and am eager to begin working with the members of the new Executive Committee towards increasing the opportunities that the World Council has to offer its members across the world. I have concluded three terms as a member of the Executive Committee. This experience has provided me with an outstanding opportunity to work with a large number of scholars and international institu- tions, and I have intentionally chosen to invest in this organization. United and reunited at the Opening Reception Gifted education is booming in different countries. It is a reflection of the growing interest in giftedness, ubsequent to the conclusion on August 7th, commendations and creativity and innovation, talent development, excel- Sreports of the conference have been received at Headquarters continu- lence in education, and expertise. Investment in ously. The essence of the consistent response is caught in remarks of the gifted education becomes a must for all nations, but following kind: such investment requires well-developed programs that concentrate on promoting productive thinking “Thanks for a great conference - best organized World Conference ever! skills, emphasize future problem solving, employ ef- CONGRATULATIONS…” fective differentiation processes, provide high-qual- “Everything was perfect.” ity provisions, administer different types of evalua- “This was my first World Conference for Gifted and Talented Children tion, and build self-confidence. and I hope to come again. Meanwhile, I will share the conference with my In order to achieve our ultimate goals, we need colleagues….Once again, thank you for the gracious and inviting way you highly qualified and competent teachers who are handled each item pertaining to the conference. It was much appreciated.” willing to serve gifted and talented children with “Just dropping a line to say thank you for a wonderful experience at high-quality programs that are designed to meet the the conference and for being patient with our application that has gone special needs of these children. To do so, we have to through ups and downs and was almost being cancelled.” invest more in educational technology. In the digital “This is a perfect moment for thanking you also for the unparalleled de- world, we are moving towards mobile teaching sign, structure, and management of the 18th World Conference.” and virtual learning environments. Investment in continued on page 3 continued on page 3

Page  Message from the President continued The 18th Conference continued educational technology will enable us to improve the The many months of confer- quality of education, extend gifted programs, bridge ence preparations at Head- different cultures and civilizations, and foster creative quarters culminated in our productivity. having 30 boxes of prepared Gifted education is, indeed, the way of the future and conference products deliv- requires sufficient resources. It is our joint task to ered to , where, on struggle to obtain the allocation of these means, both Sunday, a hand-picked group structural and financial. The WCGTC will facilitate of volunteers, including our and encourage the use of national and international Some registration volunteers (Front) Sarah Dietrich, top-level technicians, joined standards to develop, implement, foster, and evaluate Diane Minion, Kailey Ng (Back) Susan Dueck, Annette in to stuff the bags. Setting up different types of special provisions designed to meet Greene, Carrie Minion, Mikayla Greene the registration early Monday the different special needs of the gifted and talented. morning was simplified by As President, I will work with educational systems our having generated all the and will employ advanced international expertise to badge inserts and readied the facilitate building gifted programs around the world. badges in . On the We will work to enhance the Council’s efforts to front lines were my two office provide more pathways and horizons for research and assistants—Annette Greene practice. We will need to work hard to help influence and Morna Christian—pho- educational systems and public attitudes and beliefs tographer, Allan Appel, and about gifted education in order to reach our goal of chief technician, Ben Dueck. allocating more resources and programs for the gifted From the singing of the Ca- and talented. I strongly believe in the importance of Technicians: Sheldon Kehler, Mark Dueck, Sina nadian national anthem, “O gifted education. We are, certainly, part of a potential Shahandeh, and Ben Dueck (Chief Technician) Canada,” by eight-year-old support system for general education. Hannah McKinley Brandon, As our Conference comes to an end, I have the honor at the Opening Ceremony to and pleasure of thanking my friends and colleagues the speech delivered by her who have served the WCGTC for several years in ten-year-old sister, Shane, at their terms of office. My warmest thanks go to Den- the Closing Ceremony, the Mo Tsai for his contributions as a member of the participants of the WCGTC th Executive Committee and the President of the Coun- 18 Biennial Conference cil. Many thanks also go to Sandra Kaplan for her were treated to a first-class contribution. I would also like to express my grati- event at the Sheraton Wall Centre Hotel in Vancouver, tude to the members of the Headquarters Confer- Front-line Registration Managers: Annette Greene and . ence Committee for their splendid commitment and Morna Christian professionalism in the different stages of this excep- The Opening Ceremony tional event, particularly, to Conference Chairperson, was replete with formality Cathrine Froese Klassen; Registration Chairperson, and fanfare. Greetings were Dr. Stephen Klassen; and Program Chairperson, Dr. brought by Geoff Meggs, Edna McMillan. Deputy Mayor of Vancouver, We greatly appreciate the University of Winnipeg and Dean Ken McCluskey of for hosting the Headquarters of the WCGTC and for The University of Winnipeg, providing financial support. Thanks also go to the who also received the Inter- International Centre for Innovation in Education national Creativity Award. (ICIE) for sponsoring the WCGTC journal, Gifted Edna McMillan was awarded Eight-year-old vocalist, Hannah McKinley Brandon, and Talented International (GTI). the Distinguished Service singing “Somewhere over the Rainbow” Award for her many years of In my capacity as the new President of the WCGTC, devoted service to the WCGTC. Besides the young vocalist, other enter- I thank each one of you for your continuing support. tainers included twelve-year-old flautist, Zachary Kellogg (Washington I am honored to lead this international organization state), accompanied by his father, and world-class violinist, Rosemary Sie- and pledge to you that I will serve it with high moti- mens (Vancouver), accompanied by pianist Victoria Goman (Uzbekistan). vation, commitment, and responsibility.* To the surprise and amazement of the audience, Rosemary and Zachary *Abridged version of the speech delivered at the Closing improvised two selections, never having played together before. The Le-la- th Ceremony at the 18 Biennial World Conference in la Dancers from Vancouver Island, led by George Taylor, provided not only Vancouver a glimpse into the culture of the Kwakwaka’wakw nation, but also a mes-

Page  sage revealing assessment and the identification of the gifted as he exposed their values, how non-verbal testing can serve as a reliable tool, particu- through larly as it can cross cultural and linguistic barriers. Dr. Lannie which the Kanevsky applied Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development gap between theory to differentiating learning experiences for gifted learners. and among Canadian artist and naturalist, Robert Bateman, advanced the cultures importance of exposing children to the natural world to improve was quickly their learning opportunities. These sessions provided the foun- bridged. dation for some The reception 380 presentations followed in covering all the the exhibit major themes in Flautist Zachary Kellogg and violinist Rosemary Siemens area, where gifted education. Pearson—our Platinum sponsor—and a host of exhibitors, Many participants among them many of our affiliates, were promoting their prod- took advantage ucts and benefits of membership. Jamnation, a group of instru- of the evening mentalists comprised primarily of UBC students, jazzed up the entertainment. On evening as old acquaintances were renewed and new ones were Wednesday night, made, while the Sheraton served a lavish array of hors d‘oeuvres two hundred at- represent- tendees cruised the ing four Vancouver harbour different Biennial Conference Chairperson, Cathrine Froese as the sun set over regions of Klassen the waters—an ex- Canada, perience that sup- from the plied nourishment west coast and relaxation for and the body and soul. prairies The gala dinner to the the next evening eastern The Le-La-La Dancers, with George Taylor (second from the right) offered exquisite French west-coast cuisine and Maritimes, from salmon and wild mushrooms to cassolette and a fastidious and clam chowder. and engaging The Conference, in a spacious, well-appointed venue, began presentation by a with significant pre-conference sessions, conducted by special- Dr. Den-Mo Tsai presenting the President’s Award to young NBC Vice- ists noted in their field: Dr. Ken McCluskey on ADHD, Dr. Don Dr. Stephen Klassen, Registration Chair and IT and President, Dean Treffinger on creative problem solving, Dr. Lynn Berresford Website Manager McFlicker. A gifted and Rose Blackett on assessment, and Dr. Daria Danylchuk on dancer, choreographer, producer, and director, he shared seven the transition program at the University of British Columbia. creatively composed and illustrated lessons that he had learned Featured keynote addresses drew wide appeal and interest. Dr. in Hollywood and showed how these lessons can be applied Joe Renzulli redefined the role of gifted education for the st21 to the nurturing century, highlighting the implications (sometimes uneasy) of and educating of technological advances and their impact on programming and gifted and talented service delivery. A joint keynote by Drs. McCluskey and Treffin- children. ger demonstrated The Closing Cer- how creative prob- emony included lem solving can be outgoing Presi- used to empower dent, Dr. Den-Mo students, especial- Tsai, awarding the ly at-risk students. President’s Award Dr. Jack Naglieri, to the Confer- a researcher and Ten-year-old Shane McKinley Brandon, delivering her ence Chairperson, prolific developer address at the Closing Ceremony Cathrine Froese and author of as- Klassen, and to the Registration Chairperson, Dr. Stephen sessment instru- Klassen (University of Winnipeg). Dr. Tsai also recognized key Dr. Ken McCluskey and daughter Amber, with guest ments, dispelled conference support personnel and, as his final act of duty, trans- speaker, Dean McFlicker, at the banquet many myths about

Page  A Gifted Overcomer: Leland Lee

Leland Lee, with his exhibit at the 18th Biennial World Conference

Leland Lee was born on May 29, 1989, to a Taiwanese Ameri- Hundred Remarkable Kids” by the Los Angeles Times in 1999. can family in Los Angeles, California. At about 18 months of Art is not the only area in which Leland excels. As a competitive age, his parents noticed a drastic change in his behavior—from swimmer, he participated in a Special Olympics program at the an interactive, verbal child to a whiny, crying toddler who age of ten and, as his progress increased, he earned a place on threw temper tantrums for no apparent reason. Most troubling one of the city’s swim teams where he competed with regular of all, Leland stopped communicating and regressed into a swimmers. In Taiwan, in 2005, he won one gold and two silver state of non-responsiveness and reclusion. After numerous medals in a national swimming event. He also finds time to diagnostics and testing, medical experts confirmed Leland to help out in the family-owned bakery, go horseback riding, play be autistic. guitar, and sing. Leland’s parents first noticed his interest in art when he was Leland has been chosen by Lin Z. Sheng, the winner of the 1997 about four years old. Within a short time, he had produced Golden Palm Award in Cannes International Film Festival, as several hundred drawings, with no two exactly alike. It was not one of his subjects in a documentary film on autistic children, until Leland was eight, though, that his talents were noticed. entitled, “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” Among the filming sites Experts from Leland’s school district heard about his abil- for this film are the Louvre, the Museum d’Orse, and the WC- ity and evaluated him by asking him to replicate some of the GTC 18th Biennial Conference. This documentary film will be Renaissance masterpieces. He recreated them with amazing presented at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival in Taiwan in May. likeness and ease. As a consequence of Leland’s attendance at the Conference and Leland also demonstrated ability for eidetic recall by repli- his interaction with conference participants, particularly Olga cating various scenes with remarkable detail and depth. His Lockwood, he was invited to exhibit some of his artwork at ability to replicate, however, did not diminish his inventive and the official opening of Lockwood’s Mozart School of Music in creative skills. Leland expressed these skills in a personalized Vancouver at the end of September. interpretation of original art. It was an honor to have Leland and a selected exhibition of his The most remarkable aspect of Leland’s art is his unique per- artwork at the Conference. Leland is a true example of those ception of the world. What he lacks in verbal communication “gifted and talented” children who are in the hearts and minds skills, God, he says, makes up by giving him an exceptional, of the members and contributors of the WCGTC. visual acuity and vivid imagination. Leland’s accomplishments in the field of art are many. He Cathrine Froese Klassen showed his work at several art exhibitions in Southern Califor- WCGTC Executive Administrator nia and Taiwan and won numerous first-place prizes in com- petitions and festivals. He was also chosen as one of the “One

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