De keynote wordt verzorgd door Dr. James T. Webb, bekend van de vele boeken over hoogbegaafdheid, waarvan enkele ook in het Nederlands vertaald zijn.

Zijn laatste boek 'Searching for Meaning' sluit aan op het thema 'betekenisvol leven' dat tijdens de conferentie centraal staat. Tijdens de keynote zal James Webb ingaan op de volgende thema's:

Many Faces of Gifted

A new definition of gifted by the National Association for Gifted Children now recognizes the upper 10% of the population in any one or more domains. More recognition is being given to levels of giftednes, educational effects on brain development, and factors that promote or inhibit talent development. This session highlights several types of gifted children and behaviors, along with behavior patterns and cultural factors, which too often result in gifted children being overlooked, not recognized or served in schools, and even mislabeled. “High achievers” and “social leaders” are likely to be identified and served, but “creative intellectuals” and “nonconformist rebels” are not. Other gifted children are never identified because they are learning disabled or because of their disadvantaged background. The needs of gifted children in five areas are described and recommendations made.

  'Accurate Assessment?'
  Bekijk Webb's video over Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnosis

Searching for Meaning: Bright Minds, Idealism, Disillusionment, and Hope

Bright minds search for meaning, are particularly likely to see opportunities and alternatives, to be concerned with fairness, and to be idealists. Yet with each passing year, they experience disillusionments, which continue into adulthood and often leads to loneliness, dissatisfaction, cynicism, burnout, and existential depression not only in adults, but also in adolescents and sometimes younger children. This session describes many less healthy ways, as well as more healthy ways, that gifted children and adults use as they try to cope with their disillusionments, and then turns the focus toward how to develop and maintain hope and life satisfaction. Practical suggestions will be offered so that educators and parents can encourage beneficial development that nurtures idealism and hope.