The Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted (WATG) Podcast

Andy Moll is a Pathways teacher for the Waunakee Community School District, serving grades 5-8. Moll recently earned an award as an Outstanding Gifted and Talented Coordinator at the 2023 WATG Conference this past October in Wisconsin Dells.

Dr. Shelagh Gallagher brings her fruitful experience of over 30 years in advanced learning to the WATG Podcast. Gallagher will also be a keynote speaker at the WATG 50th Anniversary Conference in Wisconsin Dells in October. Register for the 2023 WATG Conference

Thomas B. Fordham Institute president Mike Petrilli gives a great perspective on what giftedness is and where it's going. This is a great read from Education Week that backs up what Petrilli said in the podcast interview. The Thomas B. Fordham Institute promotes educational excellence.

Lisa Van Gemert has experience in gifted education in many different facets — as a student, as a parent, as a teacher and now as a teacher's aid in helping educators. She weighs in on inclusion, poverty and how excited she is to come back to Wisconsin. I guarantee you will love this podcast. The Wisconsin Association for Gifted & Talented could not be happier to have Van Gemert as a keynote speaker for the WATG Conference. What: 50th Anniversary Conference When: Oct. 9-10, 2023 Time: 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Where: Wilderness Resort Conference Center Register here

The Wisconsin Association for Talented & Gifted traces its roots back to the 1970s. Carol Wright and Ruth Robinson explain the challenges facing the organization back then compared to today and how much of an impact gifted education has made in the state of Wisconsin. Help us celebrate our 50th Anniversary Annual Conference What: WATG Conference When: October 9-10, 2023 Where: Wilderness Resort and Convention Center, Wisconsin Dells

About Dr. Simkins: Business Administration Department Chair at Stevenson University in Stevenson, MD. Simkins is a member of Citizens Advisory Committee for Gifted and Talented Education.

Mee Xiong shares her experience growing up as an intelligent Hmong woman and what challenges and barriers she had to overcome in order to achieve goals she didn't even know existed.  About Mee: "Mee is a first generation American born Hmong from Milwaukee, WI. Her parents were one of the many Hmong who became an U.S. ally and engaged in “The Secret War”—a C.I.A. operation during the Vietnam War era. After the fall of Saigon, her parents fled from their home in Laos to Thailand and quickly found themselves as refugees. As a gifted child, Mee had difficulty relating with her peers and fitting in with Hmong cultural values, beliefs, and practices. She was constantly butting heads with her parents and was bullied by her peers. She always knew something was different about her, and thought that something was wrong with her."

About Dr. Gail Post: "My experience as a Clinical Psychologist for over 35 years has given me a comprehensive understanding of general psychotherapeutic techniques, as well as expertise in several areas of specialization. This has included work in inpatient, outpatient, college counseling and medical settings along with research and supervision. My early training was influenced by both psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral approaches, as well as a two-year post-graduate program at the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland. These varied approaches, along with training in family and group therapy, have given me an appreciation of the need for flexibility and a careful assessment of each individual's unique needs. I also have an appointment as Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine." Dr. Gail Post's website Dr. Gail Post's blog

Gifted campers will learn valuable lessons in trusting and listening to others in an incredible outdoor setting.  Register for the 2023 S.O.A.R. Summer Camp

I chatted with Colin Seale, the founder and CEO of thinkLaw. His book, "Tangible Equity: A Guide for Leveraging Student Identity, Culture and Power To Unlock Excellence In and Beyond the Classroom" will be released on May 27.  We talked about what the needs of gifted and talented children are and what accelerated education looks like moving forward.  Also, the 2022 WATG Conference is Oct. 3-4 at the Wilderness Resort in Wisconsin Dells, WI.