Talent development is a comprehensive philosophy that enhances student competence through aligned identification, curriculum, and support. It reframes giftedness as potential nurtured into skills. Various models, such as Gagné’s and Renzulli’s, focus on developing talents over time. Talent development helps schools to create inclusive pathways and prioritize equity to foster all students’ growth, including that of the gifted.
Tag Archives: Talent Development
Gifted Delivery of Services: Schoolwide Enrichment Model
The Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM), created by Renzulli and Reis, promotes talent development for all students, not just the gifted. It includes three enrichment types: exposure to new ideas, skill-building activities, and self-directed projects. SEM fosters equity and expands opportunities for diverse learners, enhancing engagement and support in education, all while supporting gifted students.
What Future Aviators Teach Us About How Talent Grows
Today I got to watch one of my Gifted & Talent Development Resource Teachers defend her dissertation (she passed!). Her dissertation explored the talent development journeys of students preparing for careers in aviation. Grounded in Gagne’s Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent (DMGT), her work examined how real learners move from early interest to emergingContinue reading “What Future Aviators Teach Us About How Talent Grows”
#NAGC25: Session Reviews Wrap-Up
Wow! I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed going through all of my notes from the 2025 NAGC Annual Convention to create the 12 session reviews I’ve been posting for the past 2 weeks or so. Writing them brought everything I learned at the convention into clear focus, and this process helped me decideContinue reading “#NAGC25: Session Reviews Wrap-Up”
#NAGC25 Session Overview: Leveraging Talent Development to Identify Underrepresented Gifted Learners
This year at NAGC25, I had the privilege of presenting alongside Dr. Kimberly Beckerdite from Newport News Public Schools (VA) and Esther Gencheva from Baltimore City Public Schools (MD) on a topic that is both urgent and energizing: how intentional Talent Development practices can expand access to gifted services for students who are too oftenContinue reading “#NAGC25 Session Overview: Leveraging Talent Development to Identify Underrepresented Gifted Learners”
#NAGC25 Session Review: Excellence and Innovation in Secondary Gifted Education
Felicia Dixon, PhD (Ball State University) and Todd Kettler, PhD (Baylor University) started this session with a reminder: in our work with gifted adolescents, our role is not to teach students what to think, but how to think. To help achieve this goal, Dr. Kettler offered a bold redefinition of secondary gifted education due toContinue reading “#NAGC25 Session Review: Excellence and Innovation in Secondary Gifted Education”
#NAGC25 Session Review- Building Collaboration and Buy-In: Talent Development Services that Leverage MTSS
Presented by Susan Corwith, PhD and Eric Calvert, EdD, from the Northwestern University Center for Talent Development One of the biggest challenges in gifted education is not simply designing strong services- it’s building the shared understanding and buy-in needed to make those services work. This session offered a powerful, practical roadmap for aligning Talent DevelopmentContinue reading “#NAGC25 Session Review- Building Collaboration and Buy-In: Talent Development Services that Leverage MTSS”
Bonus Idea #6 for Summer Thinking Activities: Gifted Kids and Hobbies
Hello, and welcome to the sixth and final article in my bonus series of, “How to keep your Gifted Kid Thinking all Summer.” I’m so glad you dropped in on this article! Let’s dive in! What do the following items have in common: crocheting, baseball card collecting, rock collecting, playing guitar, or baking? Do youContinue reading “Bonus Idea #6 for Summer Thinking Activities: Gifted Kids and Hobbies”
Bonus Idea #5 for Summer Thinking Activities: Volunteering for Gifted Kids
Volunteering, often overlooked as a summer activity, is beneficial for children, especially gifted ones. It fosters leadership, learning, and fulfillment. Engaging in age-appropriate service activities, such as helping shelters or organizing community projects, can make volunteering accessible to younger kids. Involving them early can enhance their development and commitment.
Bonus Idea #4 for Summer Thinking Activities: Field Trip Fridays for Gifted Kids
Hello, again, and welcome back! Today, I’m writing about my 4th bonus idea to extend my article from last summer that I reposted a few days ago: My Favorite Things: Fun Summertime Activities to Challenge Gifted Kids. When my two oldest boys were young, I was a Gifted Resource Teacher, so I had every summerContinue reading “Bonus Idea #4 for Summer Thinking Activities: Field Trip Fridays for Gifted Kids”
Teaching for Talent 