Our Leadership

 

IGET-Network is an established membership organization.   Our leadership consists of members who generously volunteer their time to making the world a better place for classroom teachers, parents, communities and all others interested in the nurturing the gifts and talents of young learners. We welcome new leadership in countries lacking the resources to meet the academic and social needs of gifted and high potential learners. Our leaders report that the intrinsic rewards of supporting teachers, youth and parents are their primary motivation.  

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Joy Maria Scott-Carrol, PhD.

Professor Joy M. Scott has over 20 combined years of university teaching, research & practical experience in the field of gifted education. She is Visiting Scholar and Professor of Education in the Wits School of Education (WSoE)-University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; and IGET-Network Executive Director and co-founder. Her international teaching includes teaching a WSoE course covering the historical, philosophical and practical aspects of identifying and servicing culturally diverse gifted learners.

In addition to teaching internationally Dr. Scott’s evolving career includes full and part-time positions as a Primary School Music Teacher (6 yrs.), Contractual Family Therapist (5yrs.), College Counselor (7yrs.), College and University Professor (16 yrs.), U.S. Department of Education Grants Program Director (7yrs.) and Assistant Academic V.P. for Academic Affairs (2.5yrs). Under the direction and tutelage of Dr. Paula Olszewski-Kubilius– current CTD Director, Dr. Scott successfully implemented and managed Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development (CTD) three-year grant funded NU-Horizons Counseling Program for Economically Disadvantaged College-Bound Gifted Students. Also significant in Dr. Scott’s career is her uninterrupted study of the educational research literature on culturally diverse and economically disadvantaged gifted children. Her most recent article, “South African Educators Perspectives on Barriers to Identifying Black and Second Language Learners as Gifted” is published by the International Journal on Learning, 2008. Since 1988 she has presented topical papers in the gifted education field at national and international conferences.

Dr. Scott earned her Bachelor’s of Science degree in Psychology from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, Masters of Science in Education—Guidance Counseling from the University of Wisconsin, and Doctorate of Philosophy degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies: Higher Education Administration with elective studies in educational research methods-Loyola University, Chicago. Her doctoral dissertation entitled “The Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Career Aspirations of Undergraduate Gifted Black Students revealed astounding results—a zenith of her dedication to the gifted education field of study and practice absent the promise of accolades and recognition.

Professor Ruksana Osman PhD.

Professor Ruksana Osman is Head of the Wits School of Education (WSoE) at the University of the Witwatersrand-Johannesburg, South Africa. Prior to this appointment she also served as Department Head for the Division of Social Context /Human Development and the Department of Education (WSoE); and Head of the Department and Senior lecturer of Educational Studies at Johannesburg College of Education and Rand College of Education.

Dr. Osman earned her Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral degrees from the University of the Witwatersrand. She has published numerous articles, book chapters and recognized reports which fall broadly in the area of higher education, teacher education and education for access and equity. Her scholarly writings include topics covering scholarship in higher education and teacher education, ESL learning, adult learning and service learning in higher education, code switching among multilingual learners, prior learning in higher education and education for inclusion and diversity. She has made significant contributions at professional conferences in South Africa, Malaysia, Great Britain, India, United States, Sweden and France.

Her international affiliations include co-founder of the International Teacher-Development Network (IGET-Network); leading a large multi-year research project on Phenomenographic horizons – a collaborative study of empirical, theoretical and practical approaches to research on the issues of learning and teaching in higher education (LaTHE) with the students’ experience of learning in focus; and she is a member of an international research team that is studying the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. She is also an associate partner in a large multi year international project on prior learning.

Dr. Osman academic distinctions and awards include the Spencer Fellowship for Doctoral Studies in Education and Policy Studies, recipient of the Community Higher Education Service Partnership Best Practices in Service Learning Award, recipient of JUTA Academic Prize for the Best Academic Article in the Category “Perspectives in Higher Education. Her numerous grants include Faculty Research Promotion Grant, Grant from the Council on Higher Education, Carnegie Social Justice Grant, National Research Foundation/SIDA Links Research Grant, Claude Leon Foundation Grant and the Carnegie Time-Out Grant.

Mrs. Noële Hillen, M.S.Ed.

 

Noële Hillen was born and educated in South Africa and has been the Principal of two independent preparatory schools over the last twenty years. She was the founding Headmistress of Rand Preparatory School and remained there for five years. Rand Prep is an independent school which was opened expressly to accommodate black children as an alternative to township schooling in the apartheid era. In the course of her work there she met several struggle heroes including the legendary Walter Sisulu, Adelaide Tambo and Mpho Hani. After the first historic democratic elections in 1994, Noële began to look for a school which would be more representative of the normalizing social and political situation and she became the founding Headmistress of Beaulieu Preparatory School where she still works today.

Noële holds a Bachelor of Primary Education (1983), a Bachelor of Education (Hons) in 1998 and a Master of Education (1996) all from the University of the Witwatersrand. Noële has always been interested in multicultural education. In 2005 she met Dr. Joy Scott by chance whilst holidaying at Kruger Park in South Africa and this meeting piqued her interest in Gifted Education. Noële’s schools are both members of the largest association of independent schools in South Africa (I.S.A.S.A.) and she is a member of S.A.H.I.S.A. (South African Heads of Independent Schools Association). She has represented South African Preparatory Schools at two conferences in Australia and she chaired ISASA’s Preparatory School group for a two year term in 2005 and 2006.

Albert Bhulana, B.Ed, B.Sc Hons

Albert spent his early childhood years at a township called Tokoza. In 1991, his family decided to move to Eden Park, South of Johannesburg, which is where he currently resides. He began his formal education at Stoneridge Primary School. In Grade 6, Albert moved to Glenview Primary School and completed his secondary education at Bracken High School. After high school, he pursued and completed a B.Ed Degree in 2007, specialising in Physical Science for Senior and FET level. In 2008, he completed a B.Sc Hons Degree, specialising in Science Education; and in 2010 enrolled for an MSc degree, also in Science Education. Albert is currently conducting the research component of his Science Education degree. All mentioned degrees were earned at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. Albert’s passion is in the gifted education field of study, and he hopes to pursue doctoral studies toward the PhD degree in Gifted Education.

Albert is currently a Grade 8 and Grade 9 Natural Science, and Grade 10 Physical Science teacher at Jeppe High School for Girls, Johannesburg, South Africa. His interest in gifted education was keenly sparked by a course he took with Professor Joy Scott at the University of the Witwatersrand in 2007. The course, Education of Culturally Diverse Learners, is currently offered as a Level I seminar through the International Gifted Education Teacher-Development Network. “I suddenly became aware of giftedness not only from an academic point of view, but culturally, and within sports as well. The theories and philosophies of gifted gave me a perspective on how I would view learners I teach” Albert’s passion about gifted education is also a result of what he knows firsthand about education practices in South Africa. “IGET-Network is important to the South African community, as there are minimal gifted programs, especially in government schools. Exposure to giftedness, would hopefully inspire teachers in South Africa, to bring a change and help nurture gifted learners to reach their full potential”

Albert is also an accomplished violinist; having performed with the East Rand Youth Orchestra at varies concerts, one in which was a Graduation Ceremony in 2010 at the Divinci Institute for Technology. He is currently pursuing a Grade 6 Violin Practical certificate, and hopes to play for the Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra in 2014.

 

Karen Bendelman, M. Ed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Karen Bendelman, M.Ed.

Associate Director,

South American Countries

Karen is originally from Uruguay, where she obtained a Bachelors degree in Educational Psychology, with a focus on learning disabilities. She became interested in gifted education while she was finishing her BA and decided to write her thesis on gifted children.

Karen moved to the US four years ago, and received a Masters in Gifted Education from the University of Connecticut, where she interacted with researchers such as Joseph Renzulli, Sally Reis and Del Siegle.

During her Masters she specialized in curriculum and professional development. She prepared workshops and gave talks to teachers and educational psychologists in Latin America and the US, on topics such as modern theories in gifted education, curriculum compacting, the project approach, perfectionism and twice exceptional students.

Karen worked in several gifted programs in the US, at the University of Illinois and in Austin, Texas. She presented part of this work in oral presentations at the National Association for Gifted Children and the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children conferences. She has recently collaborated with the University of Texas at Austin and other institutions on collecting data for large scale studies on literacy skills of elementary and middle school students.

Karen is embarking on a challenging journey: improving the state of gifted education in South America. As part of IGET-Network she will promote the training of teachers who will work with gifted children and the creation of gifted programs in South America.

 

Serefete Molosiwa, M.Ed.

Serefete Molosiwa is a Botswana citizen. She did her undergraduate studies in education in her home university -The University of Botswana (UB). She then went abroad to pursue graduate studies where she did a Masters in Education (Special Education) at the University of Manchester in England. Her focus was on learners with severe learning disabilities and intellectual disabilities. She then proceeded to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she started her PhD studies in Special Education but returned home to continue with her dissertation. While in Illinois, she concentrated on mild disabilities; especially learning disabilities.

She has not specifically worked with the gifted and talented learners but has shown interest in serving this population when she voluntarily visited the IGET-Network and contacted Dr. Joy M. Scott to find out more about what they do and how Botswana could get involved. She noticed that there were ongoing developments in the neighboring South Africa where she could learn from and collaborate with those involved.

She and Dr. Scott initiated a proposal to visit the University of Botswana (Department of Educational Foundation) to run seminars for teachers and any interested parties such as parents, but this did not succeed, which was an indication that she is striving for the development of a program on gifted education in Botswana. Of course, all the effort she made was inspired by her background as a special educator.

There have been teachers coming to study at the UB where she is now a lecturer who expressed interest in gifted education. But, since the UB Special Education Program only offers a single course that is compulsory for all special education majors, it is inadequate and she wishes more could be done to promoted gifted education. She envisages more developments in gifted education because of the impending review of the programme and the introduction of inclusive education. Through the IGET- Network, she hopes to run some workshop for the teachers and parents on aspects of gifted education. She will also conduct research on gifted education in Botswana and encourage other stakeholders to do the same.