VAGTC/DET: Free Online Parent Q&A

Tuesday, November 9 7.30 - 9.00pm

The Victorian Association for Gifted & Talented Children (VAGTC) and the Department of Education and Training Victoria (DET) are inviting you to a free online parent Q&A panel on Tuesday 9 November 7.30 - 9.00pm with the following experts in the field of gifted education. Although this Q&A is geared to parents, educators may also wish to attend and would be made very welcome.

The expert panel consists of Dr Geraldine Townend, Dave Camilleri, Jeff Segal and Amy Horneman - please see their biographies at the end of this page.

Melbourne University Enrichment Series for Senior School Students

The new program offered by the School of Mathematics and Statistics is specifically aimed at students studying a VCE or equivalent mathematics subject. The seminars aim to demonstrate that mathematics and statistics are not only creative and engaging, but are essential as they underpin the society and world in which we live.

The next two sessions will be:

Tuesday 23 November 2021, 5–6PM

Presenter: Joyce Zhang

Title: Making Good Decisions - An Introduction to Mathematical Optimisation.

Tuesday 7 December 2021, 5–6PM

Presenter: Binzhou Xia

Title: Finding Matchings for Marriage: Can Mathematics Help to Find Your Soul Mate? An introduction to matching problems in graph theory.

If you need any further information, please either contact the outreach team on ms-outreach@ms.unimelb.edu.au.

Expert Panel for VAGTC/DET Free Online Parent Q&A

Dr Geraldine Townend

Dr Geraldine Townend is an academic at the University of New South Wales (GERRIC*) in the areas of gifted education and gifted learners with disability (also known as twice-exceptional students). Her research interests focus on supporting these students to develop their potential in education, including the development of positive academic self-concept. Geraldine conducts professional development for schools including those gifted students who are underachieving. She also provides advice for educators and families, and National and State Associations. Geraldine provides policy advice for governments and works to highlight to the public the challenges that these students face.

https://www.ada.unsw.edu.au/our-people/geraldine-townend

*GERRIC - Gifted Education Research and Resource Information Centre

Dave Camilleri

Dave Camilleri is a lecturer at The University of Melbourne’s Graduate School of Education. He has worked as a secondary school teacher and university educator for 11 years and has 16 years of experience working with adolescents in a variety of contexts. Despite leaving formal education at 16 without completing secondary school (riding a BMX was far more fun than school), Dave has successfully completed a Bachelor of Arts: Philosophy (Hon.) and Linguistics, Post Graduate Diploma of Education (Humanities & EAL), Specialist Certificate of Teaching for Graduate Researchers, Master of Arts in Philosophy (research), Master of Teaching in Thinking, Creativity, and Knowledge, and a Master of Education in Relationship Skills for Educators. Dave recently submitted his PhD investigating the relationships between engagement, creative ability, and classroom culture with a particular focus on high ability students who are disengaged from regular schooling. He was awarded the Dr Lawrie Shears Doctoral Scholarship in 2016 for outstanding PhD research. A large focus of Dave’s work is in Initial Teacher Education, specifically student engagement and wellbeing, as well as coordinating placement experiences for preservice teachers in the Master of Teaching program. Further to this, Dave has a deep interest in philosophy, critical and creative thinking, developmental psychology, and gifted and talented education. He was part of a recent Delphi Panel of experts considering the place of critical and creative thinking in the school curriculum.

Jeff Segal

Jeff is currently a leading teacher in mathematics for the Victorian High Ability Program and a trumpet teacher on the online Aeyons platform. He previously held roles as numeracy leader and specialist science teacher at Camberwell Primary School, a bilingual school where Maths and Science are taught in French. Jeff has many deep professional interests including music, LOTE, mathematics, science, autism, gifted and twice exceptional learners, and inclusive education. He enjoys facilitating professional learning in these areas. As the parent of three twice exceptional children, Jeff’s parenting and professional journeys are closely intertwined. He is excited to be participating in the upcoming DET/VAGTC parenting seminar and is looking forward to connecting with fellow panelists and parents.

Amy Horneman

Master of Arts (Applied Linguistics), Bachelor of Arts/Education (Secondary), Gifted education practitioner (Northside Christian College, Melbourne), Clinical Teaching Specialist (Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne) & VAGTC consultant/seminar presenter. Passionate about mentoring, fostering positive home-school partnerships, advocating with and for parents of gifted children and seeing all (but particularly gifted) children happy and loving learning inside and outside of school.

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