3.8.4 Learnings from a national community supporting professionals working with gifted and talented students in Aotearoa, New Zealand
Since its inception in 2009 giftEDnz, the Professional Association for Gifted Education in Aotearoa, New Zealand has rapidly become a major network base and source of support for professionals working with gifted and talented students of all ages. Within this symposium, elected board members from giftEDnz will share the strategies they employ to support professionals from all curricular sectors in their work with gifted and talented children, including a Speakers’ Bureau, biennial conferences, and Special Interest Groups. There will be a Q & A session, in which attendees can ask questions about these initiatives and the challenges we have faced.
Author(s):
Louise Tapper
louise.tapper@gmail.com
giftEDnz: The Professional Association for Gifted Education (New Zealand)
New Zealand
Louise has been an advocate and educator in gifted and talented education for almost two decades as a teacher, parent educator, writer, lecturer in gifted education and experiences of parenting gifted children, and founder and current Chair of giftEDnz: The Professional Association for Gifted Education. Louise completed her doctorate looking at the experiences of school for gifted and talented adolescents in Aotearoa New Zealand in 2014. She works currently as an independent education researcher and a contracted researcher for The Collaborative for Research and Training in Youth Health and Development, in community-based youth related projects in New Zealand
Nadine Ballam
nadine.ballam@waikato.ac.nz
giftEDnz: The Professional Association for Gifted Education (New Zealand)
New Zealand
Nadine Ballam is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education at the University of Waikato in New Zealand, and a primary trained teacher. She has recently completed her PhD, which investigated the lived experiences of gifted and talented young people from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Nadine is on the board of giftEDnz, The Professional Association for Gifted Education. She is also an Associate Editor of the Australasian Journal of Gifted Education.
Jo Dean
giftEDnz: The Professional Association for Gifted Education (New Zealand)
New Zealand
Jo Dean is currently in a Senior Tutor position at The Institute of Education, Massey University in New Zealand. She is an early childhood trained teacher and regularly works alongside teachers, young children with gifted characteristics and their parents. Jo is currently undertaking her PhD, which is investigating ‘how young children and teachers co-create meaning when art installations serve as a catalyst for aesthetic exploration’. Jo is on the board of giftEDnz, The Professional Association for Gifted Education.
Andrea Delaune
andrea.delaune@pg.canterbury.ac.nz
giftEDnz: The Professional Association for Gifted Education (New Zealand)
New Zealand
Andrea Delaune is a passionate early childhood teacher who has worked in many aspects of early childhood education, from teacher to centre manager. As an educational researcher in Early Childhood Education Andrea has recently completed a Master’s Degree in Education entitled Gifted education for infants and toddlers in Aotearoa New Zealand: An insight into exemplary practice, and is currently working towards a PhD in early childhood education. Andrea is a proud wife, and mother of two young children who inspire her to be a better educator and person every day. Andrea is currently the elected Secretary of giftEDnz.