Turning the PAGE Podcast

The Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Education (PAGE) is a dedicated board that advocates passionately for gifted children, their parents, and the teachers who support these exceptional students. PAGE offers a wide range of professional development opportunities, including programs like Webinars, Teacher to Teacher (T2T), Parent to Parent (P2P), the PLUG course for administrators, a Help Line, as well as engaging podcast episodes on Turning the PAGE Podcast! These initiatives provide multiple pathways for advocacy, education, and growth to enhance the learning experiences of gifted students, teachers, administrators, and parents across Pennsylvania. As the proud host affiliate for the upcoming 2025 NAGC conference in Pittsburgh, all of us at PAGE are thrilled to showcase our commitment and expertise!Through our advocacy efforts, we represent gifted education interests at both the state and national legislative levels, closely monitor Pennsylvania’s regulations and compliance, and keep our members informed about important state and federal developments. As an affiliate of the national organization, NAGC, we are connected to the global gifted education community. PAGE provides essential connections to educators and advocates, collaborating with other professional learning organizations supporting affiliate chapters within school districts by training leaders and strengthening their initiatives.Meet the PAGE Board! https://www.giftedpage.org/about-us/meet-the-board/PAGE is proud of its incredible team and looks forward to welcoming you to NAGC 2025 in Pittsburgh!

 Welcome to today’s episode, where we explore the fun and exciting things to do in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, during our NAGC 2025 conference! Whether you’re a local or visiting our great city for the first time, Pittsburgh has much to offer. We are excited to share some of the best attractions and experiences with you as attendees for NAGC 2025 in this vibrant city. Enjoy a lively discussion with guests, Lacy Compton (NAGC's Director of Content and Learning), Kacey Shoupe (PAGE Administrative Director), and Melissa Survinski (PAGE Board Member) as they discuss Pittsburgh attractions such as:Phipps Conservatory and Botanical GardensHeinz History CenterAndy Warhol MuseumThe Duquesne InclineCarnegie Museum of Natural HistoryPoint State ParkHeinz FieldShopping in the 'Strip District'We look forward to welcoming you to the NAGC 2025 Conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania—the iconic Steel City, famous for its rich history and vibrant community! 

Let's explore what makes gifted education in Pennsylvania unique and how it differs from other states nationwide.Welcome to the first episode of the Turning the PAGE Podcast NAGC Conference series, launched in preparation for the 2025 NAGC Conference in Pittsburgh. In this episode, podcast guests Dr. Catherine Little (NAGC President-Elect, NAGC Board of Directors) and Dave Mendell (PAGE President) explore what makes gifted education in Pennsylvania unique and how it differs from other states nationwide.Gifted education in the U.S. varies widely due to differences in state laws, local policies, and funding, with many decisions left to local school districts. Pennsylvania, as the 2025 NAGC Conference host state, offers a distinctive model shaped by specific state regulations, identification processes, and support services. Catherine and Dave discuss how Pennsylvania defines and identifies gifted students, highlighting contrasts with the approaches of other states. They explain the range of services available and how schools tailor curriculum differentiation to meet diverse student needs.The episode also emphasizes the critical role of parents in advocating for gifted learners and directs listeners to valuable resources, including NAGC’s National Standards in Gifted and Talented Education and the State of the States reports. Catherine and Dave share how the Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Education (PAGE) actively advocates for gifted students statewide and supports ongoing collaboration among educators, families, and policymakers.Listeners will gain a comprehensive understanding of Pennsylvania’s gifted education landscape, common challenges faced by students and families, and promising trends shaping the future of gifted education in the state. Join us for this insightful conversation that sets the stage for the upcoming NAGC 2025 conference and deepens awareness of gifted education’s evolving priorities nationwide.Resources: Standards of Gifted Education Programs from NAGC: https://nagc.org/page/National-Standards-in-Gifted-and-Talented-EducationA variety of resources may be found at: https://nagc.org/page/knowledge-center

Tracey’s mission is to directly impact the lives of students by creating an environmentthat encourages high levels of problem-solving and risk-taking. Her vision is to buildsustainable programs where celebrations of intellect occur on a daily basis and childrenbecome aware of the power within themselves.With 30 years of dedicated experience in K-12 education, she brings both expertise andpassion to her mission of nurturing our brightest young minds. Her journey as anadvocate for gifted education began personally when she observed herkindergarten-age son writing solar system reports while his classmates were stillmastering basic letter and number recognition. Rather than simply identifying thiseducational gap, she committed herself to becoming part of the solution.Driven by her belief that every child deserves appropriate learning opportunities, Traceycollaborated with her school district to establish their first comprehensive policy forwhole-grade acceleration. Her academic credentials include a Master's Degreespecializing in gifted education and K-9 Certification in Gifted Education. Throughouther career, she has served in diverse roles from classroom teacher to Director of GiftedEducation, bringing a well-rounded perspective to educational leadership.Tracey's talent for program development is evident in her many successful initiatives,including a summer enrichment program serving over 600 students and a dynamic highschool robotics program. She was also instrumental in creating a robust gifted/talentedprogram that continues to thrive. For eight years, Tracey contributed her expertise as amember of the Board of Directors for the Illinois Association for Gifted Children, furtherextending her influence in the field.Beast Academy Info and Contact Information

Special Education Supervisor and PAGE Board Member Matt Levin, along with Gifted Education Coordinator Audra Golder, speaks on behalf of their collaborative school model, approaching every aspect of their administrative roles with advocacy and support for the staff and students they serve. Listen as they explore the benefits of this model while sharing their honest perspectives on its challenges. Please enjoy this 'podcast short' recording from the 2024 PAGE Conference, Gifted 24/7.

Being the parent of a gifted child can be both incredibly rewarding and incredibly challenging. From early identification to navigating advanced academics, social-emotional needs, and the college search process - the journey is full of ups, downs, and everything in between.In this episode, we sit down with Deanie Gauntlett, a parent who has experienced firsthand what it's like to raise a gifted child from elementary school all the way through college. You will also recognize Deanie as our Community & Affiliate Director of PAGE, in which she hosts the popular, P2P (Parent to Parent) webinars that support parents through a variety of topics and Q & A sessions. Deanie shares the stories through the world of Gifted with her children, describing the unique joys and struggles they've faced over the years.In her podcast session, you'll hear about the initial signs of giftedness, the process of getting her children formally identified, and the challenges of ensuring their needs were met in the classroom. Deanie discusses how she advocated for them through transitions to middle and high school, and then into college, including the social-emotional considerations they navigated as a family.The conversation also covers the college search process for a gifted student, including course selection, extracurricular involvement, and finding the right university fit. Deanie provides invaluable insights and advice for other parents embarking on a similar journey with their own gifted child.Whether you're just starting out with a young gifted learner or your child is preparing to head off to college, this episode offers a raw and honest look at one family's experiences. Listeners will come away with a deeper understanding of the realities of raising an exceptional child and strategies for supporting their unique needs across all grade levels.Deanie Gauntlett resides in Exton, PA (Downingtown Area School District) with her wonderful husband, two fantastic children, and an adorable dog. She currently works for ifm efector, inc. in Malvern, PA, and has been with them for 18 years in order fulfillment. Her work has her utilizing her technical and operational skills to help ship orders and work with customers. Ms. Gauntlett’s gifted education journey began in 2004 with the birth of her son, Daniel, and then her daughter, Abby, in 2006. From an early age, her children could read and do other things other children were not doing (like memorizing six forms of the periodic table), which led Ms. Gauntlett to look for resources for her children. She soon realized her children just needed more, and luckily, she found out about a nearby PAGE conference just in time. Ms. Gauntlett walked into the PAGE conference and begged to be let in, which PAGE happily accommodated. She then founded the Downingtown Area Gifted Education Network (Downingtowngifted.org) as an affiliate chapter of PAGE in 2013 due to attending that conference. Ms. Gauntlett has been active with PAGE, attending conferences and becoming a local expert on the Gifted Individual Education Plan, often meeting with parents to help them understand what a GIEP is and how they can best partner with their school district. DAGEN also has hosted speakers and met for monthly coffees. As part of her advocacy work, Ms. Gauntlett became interested in learning how her local school board worked and ran for school board (but lost) in 2017. Also, in 2017, Ms. Gauntlett was named the PAGE Parent of the Year for her advocacy work with parents and the local school district. Ms. Gauntlett has also led workshops on GIEPs. Ms. Gauntlett enjoys volunteering her time by answering Pennsylvania parents’ questions about gifted education on social media, such as the Hoagies Gifted Discussion Facebook group. She also volunteers with her church and her kids’ school, the University Scholars Program, part of the PA Leadership Charter School. For fun, she is an avid reader and wannabe knitter. As her children transition to college, Ms. Gauntlett is excited to join the PAGE board to represent the parent perspective. She looks forward to continuing to help parents make the best decisions for their gifted children, using her hard-won knowledge and PAGE resources.

In this episode, Lisa shares her inspirational approaches to helping gifted individuals overcome the intense feelings of perfectionism. Lisa's real-world strategies are filled with empathy and understanding as she brings her own lived experience and knowledge to the listeners with a bit of humor and heartfelt perspective.Educator, speaker, and best-selling author Lisa Van Gemert shares best practices in education with audiences around the world. Best known for her advocacy of gifted education, she has served as the expert consult to television shows including Lifetime’s "Child Genius," a popular conference speaker, and the writer of award-winning lesson plans and four books, including the Legacy Award-winning book, Perfectionism: A Practical Guide to Managing Never Good Enough. A former teacher, school administrator, and Youth & Education Ambassador for Mensa, she shares resources for educators and parents on her websites GiftedGuru.com & VocabularyLuau.com. In her free time, she is an amateur genealogist who likes nothing more than helping people connect with their families. Lisa and her husband Steve are the parents of a lot of sons and live in Arlington, Texas with their golden retriever, Brody, and an overworked robot vacuum named Filli.Lisa Van Gemert's website: https://giftedguru.comGet on the email list: https://giftedguru.com/subscribeOne-hour parent course on perfectionism: https://giftedguru.com/parent-perfectionismLiving Gifted Book:Print: https://www.amazon.com/Living-Gifted-Survive-Thrive-Giftedland/dp/1796644161Ebook:https://lisavangemert.gumroad.com/l/living-giftedPerfectionism book (print & ebook): https://www.amazon.com/Perfectionism-Practical-Guide-Managing-Enough/dp/1793867674/

The following sessions were recorded at the PAGE conference, Gifted 24/7: Sparking Creativity to Support and Advance our Gifted Kids, November 7-8th in Pittsburgh.For our first guest, you will meet Julie Skolnick, M.A., J.D., the founder of ‘With Understanding Comes Calm’. She is the author of Gifted and Distractible Understanding, Supporting, and Advocating for Your Twice Exceptional Child – a practical, research-based guide that demystifies giftedness and learning differences to help “twice exceptional” children thrive. She is also the Producer of Let’s Talk 2e conferences and a mom of 3 twice-exceptional children. Today she shares the highlights from her keynote session.Learn more: www.WithUnderstandingComesCalm.comOur second guest is Genein Letford. She is an award-winning educator, best-selling author, and international speaker on the Intercultural Creativity® and NeuroSomatic Creativity®. As a TEDx speaker and top neuro-creativity keynote speaker, she has inspired many leaders and educators to be aware that their brain influences their cultural lenses and creative abilities to produce innovative ideas for the classroom and workspace. She is the founder and Chief Creative Officer of CAFFE Strategies, LLC which trains administrators, educators, and employees to unleash their Intercultural Creativity® for themselves and in their classrooms. Today she also shares the highlights of her keynote session from the Gifted 24/7 conference.Learn more: https://geneinletford.com/

In this session, Charlton Wolfgang shares information about opportunities for gifted learners at the Honors College at Millersville University. Charlton explores the foundation and pedagogical approach of the Honors College, while exploring how it differs from the traditional college experience. He goes on to share advice for parents and future students, as well as discuss the future initiatives of the program and upcoming offerings. This session provides many details about the outstanding education that the Honors College offers its students. https://www.millersville.edu/honorscollege/Dr. Charlton Wolfgang, the Director of MU’s Honors College as of May 12, 2023, advises and works with students in the Honors College as well as advocates for the program. Dr. Wolfgang is an Associate Professor of Gifted and STEM Education at Millersville University, where he has taught since 2015. He also serves as the coordinator of the graduate programs in Gifted Education at MU. He earned a BS in Biology from Messiah College in 1993, a teaching certificate in Secondary Education from Lebanon Valley College in 1997, a Master of Science Education from Lebanon Valley College in 2002, and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership Development and Learning Technologies from Drexel University in 2013. He also earned his Principal’s Certificate and Assistant Superintendent’s Letter of Eligibility at Drexel University. Dr. Wolfgang’s research interests, publications, and conference presentations have been related to gifted and STEM education, with a particular focus on twice-exceptional learners, the integration of technology, and the impact of the pandemic on gifted education. Dr. Wolfgang looks forward to continuing to broaden connections between students in the Honors College both on campus and in the greater community, including internationally.

In this session, Matt Levin explores the Gifted screening and evaluation process leading to the first Gifted Individualized Education Plan (GIEP) from the administrative perspective. These questions are geared toward parents and teachers who are seeking a 'back to school' refresh of these processes.Matthew (Matt) Levin is a school administrator and strong advocate for gifted education. Matt received his undergraduate degree in Psychology from The Pennsylvania State University in 1995. He completed his graduate degree in School Psychology and educational certification at Eastern University in 1999. Matt began his professional career 25 years ago as a school psychologist in the Pennsbury School District (located in Lower Bucks County). Through a number of leadership opportunities as a school psychologist, Matt became interested in gifted identification procedures and programming. After completing his administrator coursework and certification in 2019 at Immaculata University, Matt became a supervisor of special education and gifted programming at Pennsbury. For his gifted work, Matt currently provides supervision to a staff of 20 professionals supporting over 700 students in programming from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Matt’s membership affiliation with PAGE is not only linked to his profession; he is a proud parent as well. Matt resides in Jamison, PA with his wife Andrea and his sons Sean and Ryan.

Back to School Bundle episode: Dr. Gail Post shares her advice for a successful start to the school year. This episode shares Dr. Post's helpful and informative checklists that aid parents and teachers as they embark on a new year with their gifted children and students.Gail Post, Ph.D. is a Clinical Psychologist, author, and Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. In practice for over 35 years, she provides psychotherapy for gifted adults and teens, parenting consultations, and workshops for parents and schools. As the parent of two gifted children, who are now young adults, Dr. Post served as co-chair of a PAGE affiliate, which she participated in from its inception through her children’s graduation. Her writing includes hundreds of articles for online and newsletter publications, her long-standing blog, Gifted Challenges, and articles about mental health and wellbeing for Wise & Well. She has authored several book chapters, along with her recent book, The Gifted Parenting Journey: A Guide to Self-discovery and Support for Families of Gifted Children. She can be reached at www.gailpost.com.Resources:https://www.giftedpage.org/back-to-school-tips-for-young-children/https://www.giftedpage.org/back-to-school-tips-teens/https://www.giftedpage.org/back-to-school-tips-teachers/

Our next guest, Dave Mendell, Board President of PAGE, discusses many topics about our organization! Listen as he leads us through PAGE initiatives, teaching and learning opportunities, the benefits of PAGE membership, upcoming events such as the PAGE Conference, and many more topics of discussion! Dave's leadership role as President of PAGE is one of Servant Leadership (Greenleaf, 1970). It embodies serving others and leading with a motivation to see others succeed through the empowerment and organizational support that positions them for success in their roles. Dave embodies this framework and we are grateful for his leadership!

In today’s podcast session, you will gain insight into how a version of the school wide enrichment model can work within a program that supports gifted students, including all levels of learners who benefit from enrichment. The Schoolwide Enrichment model was designed by Joseph Renzulli and Sally Reis. Today’s guest, Dr. Melissa Survinski shares her experience with a hybrid version of the schoolwide enrichment model. Dr. Survinski explains how the service delivery components are implemented through her district’s use of personnel and resources to support student strengths, curriculum modification, and enrichment learning techniques. She shares how this benefits her students (and teachers) greatly. For more information about the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM), please use the following reference links:The Schoolwide Enrichment Model: A focus on student strengths and interests:https://renzullilearning.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/The-Schoolwide-Enrichment-Model.pdfResearch That Supports Using the Schoolwide Enrichment Model and Extensions of Gifted Education Pedagogy to Meet the Needs of All Students: https://renzullilearning.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/SALLY-SEM-Research.pdfRenzulli Center for Creativity, Gifted Education, and Talent Development:https://gifted.uconn.edu/schoolwide-enrichment-model/

Welcome to the 'Turning the PAGE Podcast'!What is 'Gifted Burnout'?https://www.davidsongifted.org/gifted-blog/burnout-in-gifted-children/Like other experiences of burnout, gifted kid burnout is the result of long-term stress. It is often characterized by physical exhaustion, mental fatigue, and emotional detachment. It can be brought on by juggling too many roles, having little control, or having few to no breaks. Gifted kid burnout adds a new dimension to the burnout experience because of their unique neurological makeup. Their perfectionism, asynchronous development, and over-excitabilities may feed into the burnout experience in a way that increases the intensity or duration of burnout.The definition of gifted child burnout is chronic exhaustion that stems from a mismatch between the individual and their current educational environment. Gifted child burnout is often tied to an educational system that the child finds repetitive, unrewarding, without autonomy, unfair, or not aligned with their values. Gifted kids may also experience burnout due to the unique sources of stress in their lives and the expectations that come with being gifted.Signs of Burnout in Gifted Students:-Student feels cynical towards work, teachers, classmates, parents, and the whole school experience-The student is disengaging from favorite topics and interests-Student feels a sense of dread each day around going to school, clubs, or other activities-Student experiences more frequent anxiety or panic attacks-The student has a change in sleeping and eating habits-Student feels overwhelmed or helpless by small setbacks-Student has more headaches, digestive issues, or other physical ailments-Student is withdrawing from friends and family-Student is unmotivated to the point of being unable to complete chores, assignments, or social obligations-The student feels a sense of futility, hopelessness, or pessimism toward their futureOur guest today, who happens to be a highly motivated and committed senior from my district, Larsen, recounts the 'many faces' of gifted burnout.

Dr. Ann Lupkowski-Shoplik is one of the most important voices for acceleration in the education world. She shares her expert advice in this PAGE podcast. 

Dr. Sally Reis shares her valuable insight into the challenges facing gifted education and gifted learners. Her compassion and scholarship are needed now more than ever. 

Dr. Kali Fedor and Ciminy St. Clair talk about the upcoming conference, to be held November 4th & 5th in the Pittsburgh, PA area.

Lawyer and educator Colin Seale shares his passion for learning as a Keynote Speaker at our upcoming conference. Listen as he explains what it means to "think like a lawyer," and how that can have positive implications in the classroom for all children. 

 In this new podcast from PAGE, meet Bobbi Portnoy. New to the board, but not new to gifted education, Bobbi brings her experience in education and in a unique business venture to our organization. 

An Introduction to PAGE Board Member, Betsy Gustafson