EDUCATIONAL FORUM: MAR. 17, 2013
WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY 9:50 am – 4 pm
Wesleyan University Pre-College Study – Scholar Search Associates
PRESENTATION SCHEDULE
9:50 – 10:00 – Welcome and Guide to Forum
Presenters: Sheryl Culotta, Jennifer Curran, Wesleyan Pre-College Study; Patsy Kumekawa, Scholar Search Associates
PRESENTATIONS
10:00 – 11:00 a. The Gifted Adolescent –Sometimes Impulsive, Maddening, Ever Developing
"What are they saying?" "What do they mean?" “What are they doing?" If you have ever asked these questions, then you likely have wondered just what is going on with your
adolescent son or daughter. Girls and boys may well develop differently, but adolescent development, particularly among the gifted, can challenge us all. Are developmental
experiences in this day and age specific to those gifted members of this “Generation Y”, or are they endemic as “rites of passages” that all generations experience? Discover
how the adolescent brain changes and develops, and then translate this knowledge into a better understanding of why your son or daughter might seem … different, now!
Presenter: Noel Garrett, Ph.D., Visiting Lecturer, Wesleyan Graduate Liberal Studies, former Dean for the Class of 2015, Wesleyan University, Wesleyan University Pre-College Study
b. Global Competency Through Intercultural Learning
Everyone, from U.S. Department of Education administrators, to educators, to overseas travelers, would agree that foreign study or sustained experience in another culture
widens awareness and enables understanding and effective communication skills. And although being immersed in a land or community with unfamiliar customs or language is
not always easy, most would argue strenuously that the experience is well worth the challenge. How do intercultural exchanges transform perspective? What should you look
for in an intercultural program to become globally competent in the 21st century? Come discuss these issues and more with someone in the know
Presenter: Debra Woolley, Director of Marketing, AFS-USA
11:00 – 12:00 a. Beyond Grades, Rubrics, Extra Credit & Contracts: How to Motivate Your Talented & Gifted Child
Talented children are accustomed to competitive environments – the ones that pressure students to be the best and to win accolades and prizes. This discussion will look at
ways to shift from a competitive learning environment, which is all too readily quantifiable in recognizing achievement, to a healthier creative model that supports motivation
and comfort. How can a learning environment support and augment intellectual strength effectively with social and collaborative opportunities that foster comfort, camaraderie
and excellence?
Presenter: Diane Cook, English Chair, Cheshire Academy (CT), Director, Access Cheshire
b. Early College Alternatives
Curiosity and the desire to learn can be sustained throughout one's formal educational experience. For some in high school, early college alternatives can provide not only the
advanced course material but also a suitable learning environment that can spark intellectual and emotional growth. The director of admission of the institution that was the
first in the country to be devoted to early college will explore three kinds of early college models and the kind of students who most benefit from this experience. Then hear a
panel of students speak about their experiences starting college after 10th or 11th grades.
Presenter: Joel Pitt, Assistant Director of Admission, with students, Bard College at Simon’s Rock (MA)
12:00 – 1:00 ---------------------
LUNCH BREAK
food trucks available, families welcome to meet one another
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Tour of Wesleyan University
1:00 – 2:00 a. Demystifying Admission and the Application Process at Highly Selective Colleges
With all the hoopla accorded to "getting in" to a selective college, it is hard to separate fact from fiction. When do you need to start preparing for college? What happens behind
closed doors when admission committees review applications? How does it all work? What do colleges really look for? Find out and come away reassured from one of the
deans of admission at WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY.
Presenter: Nancy Hargrave Meislahn, Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, Wesleyan University
b. Acquiring the Skills of Fulfilled and Successful People
As traditional schools focus on delivering academic content, the formal development of character strengths, through enhancing self-knowledge, creativity and leadership, may
be ignored. Yet, addressing successfully today’s global complexity and competitiveness requires positive personal qualities as much as it does a firm foundation of knowledge.
Strengthening character, as research has shown, can be accomplished through the development of certain skills - skills that have proven to be useful in one’s fulfillment
through adulthood. Learn about these skills and obtain a toolkit that you, as parent or teen, may apply as you chart a path through high school, the college application, and
beyond.
Presenter: John Andrew Williams, Founder, Academic Life Coaching
EDUCATIONAL FORUM: MAR. 17, 2013
WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY 9:50 am – 4 pm
Wesleyan University Pre-College Study – Scholar Search Associates
2:00 – 3:00 a. Developing the Potential of Intellectually Curious Students in Public Schools
Public schools are under constant pressure by political interests, parents and well-meaning thinkers to subscribe to the latest theories, to address the most visible problems
and to account for a quantitative measure of success when going about the task of education. So often, the ever shifting nature of these demands dilutes the real priority of
education – that of preparing independent and collaborative learners to embrace their passions and curiosities. So how does one develop the potential of intellectually curious
students – from those who are curious to those who are exceptional - in public education nowadays? Hear a public education superintendent address and explain how this can
happen.
Presenter: Jack Cross, Superintendent of Schools, Clinton, CT
b. Developing Creativity
Everyone has the capacity to create – to take ideas, information, and/or materials and to mold them in imaginative ways. And whatever the degree of one’s inherent creativity,
everybody can extend their abilities to become richer and more productive than before. Learn about strategies and approaches that can make this happen for you. So be
prepared to invigorate your inner creativity and discover the potential for extending your horizons.
Presenter: Eric Wolf, Affiliate Director, CT Adventures in Creativity (CT Destination ImagiNation)
c. Tour of Wesleyan University
3:00 – 4:00 a. G/T in CT: Working Collaboratively with Schools to Find Creative Solutions for ALL Learners
Whether your school district does or doesn't have a formal gifted program, all children have the right to receive an appropriate education. Sometimes this means parents
undertaking an advocacy role to work with teachers, administrators, and boards of education to ensure that every child has the opportunity to learn in school every day. Learn
how the Connecticut Association for the Gifted can help in your school district and how you can make a difference, too.
Presenter: John Pellino, Vice President and President-Elect, Connecticut Association for the Gifted
b. A Conversation about Homeschooling – A Panel Discussion
Come hear from parents who homeschool their children and join in a spontaneous and open discussion about an educational option embraced by an ever-growing number of
families. Why homeschool? What approaches work? What resources are available? Pose your own questions, state your opinions, and add to what promises to be a lively and
informative conversation.
Presenters: Jean Barresi, Sheryl Culotta, Luz Shosie
Moderated by: Patsy Kumekawa, Scholar Search Associates
EDUCATIONAL FORUM: MAR. 17, 2013
WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY 9:50 am – 4 pm
Wesleyan University Pre-College Study – Scholar Search Associates
PRELIMINARY STUDENT SESSIONS AND SCHEDULE
Each student session is open to all students within 3rd-12th grades as specified; parents can attend if there is room and teachers permit.
1) Learning Creativity
Get acquainted (or reacquainted) with the creative process in this hands-on, minds-on, interactive workshop. Tap deeply into your productive thinking, decision making, communication,
collaboration, and other talents you may not have been aware of, and channel them all into a presentable solution to a challenging problem. You will come away learning something new
about your own creative capacity and appreciating the promise of your potential. (For grades: 3+, limit 30 per session)
Conducted by: TBA, CT Adventures in Creativity, (CT Destination ImagiNation)
2) Once Upon a Palette: An Art Lesson with the Florence Griswold Museum
Be a landscape artist ... like members of the Lyme Art Colony. Get a quick intro (or reminder) on form, stroke and color, grab a brush and bring your ideas to life. For first-timers to
burgeoning artists to everybody in between, discover, or rediscover, the power of creation. (For grades: 3+, limit 25 per session)
Conducted by: Julie Riggs., Museum Educator, Florence Griswold Museum (Old Lyme)
3) Laughter Mandarin Style
Enjoy an hour of Mandarin, a tonal language without verb tenses! Try developing your ear for the four tones and learn simple everyday phrases. Watch "The Happy Dumpling", and
create your own story and cartoon for the Happy Dumpling. Discover a whole new world beyond English … or Spanish, here in Connecticut. (For grades: 5-9, limit: 25 per session)
Conducted by: Jenny Wang, Access Cheshire
4) Team Problem Solving Challenge
With a minimal list of materials, get together with a team of students to generate/construct a solution to a provided challenge that trumps your opponents. Creativity, imagination, and
patience will rule the day. (For grades: 5-9, limit 25 per session)
Conducted by: Ray Cirmo, Science Chair, Cheshire Academy (CT)
5) Wei ch’i – The Game that Teaches Mastery
Are you all about strategy games? Do you lose yourself mastering puzzles and thinking through new challenges on video games, board games, and cards? Try your hand at the world's
oldest game called Wei ch'i, more commonly known as "Go". Mentioned in works by Confucius, Go originated over 4,000 years ago. It is thought to teach players about power,
governance, diplomacy and balance because the goal of the game is to extend influence without confrontation. Go is one of the four cultivated arts of a Chinese scholar, and even
detectives in modern China study Go to solve mysteries. (For grades: 5-9, limit 25 per session)
Conducted by: James Rogers, History Chair, Cheshire Academy (CT)
6) It’s Your World – Expanding Your Cultural Identity
Here’s a challenge to poke through the comforts of your “cultural” bubble and get an idea of what it is like being on the “outside”. Using basic concepts of intercultural communications,
immerse yourself in a fun exercise of confronting varying values, assumptions and expectations. Guaranteed, within an hour, you will expand your awareness of yourself and
appreciation of others and other cultures– always a good thing. Better yet, you might even get the travel bug. (For grades: 7-12, limit 25 per session)
Conducted by: Debra Woolley, Director of Marketing, AFS-USA
7) A Guide to Achieving Balance
Have you ever tried riding a bicycle with a flat tire? If you have, then you would know that aside from worrying about wrecking your tire rims, pedaling would require greater strength and
balancing would require more concentration than if the tire were properly inflated. Addressing concerns while managing priorities and achieving balance is a stressful struggle we face all
the time, whether we are on a flat-tired bike, or in school or at work. Join this session and be shown a practical and effective way to adjust the “pressure in your wheel” to keep yourself
rolling smoothly in the direction you choose. (For grades: 7+, limit 25 per session)
Conducted by: Gina Halsted and Teresa Grimaldi, Academic Life Coaches, Academic Life Coaching
8) The Teachings of the 3 Rs – Rock, R&B, and Rap!
Why should we take rock music seriously? American popular culture is one of the most visible and influential forces around the globe, and so much of it is grounded in music. Exploring
how American-based popular music - rock, rhythm and blues, and rap - work will bring us deep into the heart of America's major cultural and social developments: race relations, the
generation gap, youth counter - and sub-cultures, and more. Listen, watch, and discuss how the 3 R’s are part of the basic fabric of American life. (For grades: 8-12, limit: 25 per
session)
Conducted by: Eric Charry, Professor of Music, Wesleyan University, Wesleyan University Pre -College Study
9) Your Brain and You – A Partnership of One
The fascinating and mysterious human brain - the most complex organ in the human body, an organ that undergoes massive and surprising changes from birth to adulthood, the organ
that dictates our mental development. Delve into a discussion of the brain and YOUR brain in particular. Explore the organization of the developing brain, recognizing that the brain’s
greatest growth spurts occur between early adolescence and through the 2nd decade (your age group). Understand how these spurts can engender some of your most exasperating
experiences and how they may hold the key to your success over your next few years. (For grades: 8-12, limit 25 per session)
Conducted by: Noel Garrett, Ph.D., Visiting Lecturer, Wesleyan Graduate Liberal Studies and former Dean for the Class of 2015, Wesleyan University, Wesleyan
University Pre-College Study
10) Confronting Climate Change in the 21st Century
Human activities are rapidly increasing the concentration of our planet's greenhouse gases. Come learn about or understand better the Earth's natural climatic variation and how recent
human activities influence both the world’s climate and biota. In addition, we will discuss some common misconceptions about climate change and steps you can take to minimize your
impact on the global climate system. (For grades: 9-12, limit 25 per session)
Conducted by: Helen Poulos, Mellon Environmental Studies Program, Wesleyan University, Wesleyan University Pre-College Study