TAG TALK
​Speaker Series
TAG TALK is a FREE quarterly speaker series for the 2021-22 school year.  Noted speakers on topics of interest for both educators and parents will present virtually.
  • August 19 - Dina Brulles, Ph.D., Co-Author of Helping All Gifted Children Learn, and the Naglieri Ability Test - Verbal ​​
  • November 18 - Emily Kircher Morris, Author of Teaching Twice Exceptional Students, and Raising Twice Exceptional Children ​
  • ​​​February 17 - Angela Allen, Oregon State TAG Specialist
  • May 19 - Austina De Bonte, Educational Consultant at Smart is not Easy​ 

May 19, 2022​

  • 4:30 to 6:30pm
Topic
  • Smart is not Easy: What Research Says About Gifted Students
    This presentation will cover the latest research and neuroscience about highly capable learners, informing the most pressing concerns students are facing at home well as in the classroom. We’ll discuss the social-emotional characteristics of gifted learners, ranging from perfectionism and twice exceptionality to grit and executive function difficulties, as well as the recent neuroscience that is helping explain where these characteristics may be originating, giving us big insights on how best to support students. We’ll also touch on the most important considerations for equitable identification of highly capable students, and why universal screening is not just a good idea, but a social justice issue.
 Austina De Bonte is a consultant at Smart is not Easy, LLC (www.smartisnoteasy.com). Since 2012, Austina has also served as President and Past President of the Northwest Gifted Child Association (www.nwgca.org), the Washington State support and advocacy non-profit for families with gifted children. She also serves as co-President of the Washington Coalition for Gifted Education (www.wacoalition.com) A dynamic and engaging presenter, Austina speaks regularly at conferences, as well as conducts parent education talks and professional development workshops for educators about the unique social and emotional development of highly capable (HiCap) or “gifted” children. She also works with school district teams to develop and fine-tune their HiCap program models, especially concerning equitable identification strategies. Austina's signature style combines her experience as a parent and parent coach along with synthesized research, current district practices across Washington State, and cutting edge neuroscience. She specializes in helping families get to the root cause of their kids’ challenges, looking beyond the usual suspects. Austina received the "People to Watch" Award from Variations 2e magazine in 2020, and has won 3 Outstanding Advocate awards from the PTA. Austina has a Masters degree from MIT, and did her thesis work in the MIT Media Lab's Epistemology and Learning Group, where Lego Mindstorms was invented. Austina is a certified SENG Model Parent Group facilitator. Austina is currently a doctoral student at Bridges Graduate School. Contact Austina at austina@smartisnoteasy.com 
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