Giftedness A Learning Exceptionality If we were TV

Giftedness A Learning Exceptionality

“If we were TV sets, some of us would only get five channels. Others are wired for cable (the general population) and some of us (the gifted) are hooked up to a satellite dish. That makes these children capable of making connections that others don’t even know exist! Teaching those types of voracious minds in a regular classroom without enhancements is like feeding an elephant one blade of grass at a time. You’ll starve them. ” ~ Elizabeth Meckstroth

The Gifted Child:

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Definition: Giftedness falls under the category of Intellectual Exceptionality Ministry Definition of Giftedness: An unusually advanced degree of general intellectual ability that requires differentiated learning experiences of a depth and breadth beyond those normally provided in the regular school program to satisfy the level of educational potential indicated. (Special Education: A Guide for Educators, p. A 20)

Myths about Gifted Students: Myth: The gifted child may seem different or “odd”. Fact: Studies indicate that gifted youngsters are highly stable. In fact, teachers have often failed to identify gifted youngsters because they seem so "normal". Myth: Gifted youngsters are enthusiastic about school. Fact: While many gifted youngsters are enthusiastic about school, others are bored and some drop out. Gifted children can become frustrated, bored and turned off when they are not academically challenged. Myth: Gifted students will be successful whether or not they receive special attention. Fact: This is one of the most debilitating myths. These youngsters do need special attention and have been responsive to programs tailored to meet their needs. Unfortunately, we cannot measure the talent loss of all those students who could have developed more of their high potential if they had been given the opportunity. Gifted children need a differentiated educational approach if they are to develop their potential. Myth: Gifted students do not have learning disabilities. Fact: Some gifted students do have learning disabilities, yet are extremely capable in other areas.

Characteristics of a Gifted Learner: Advanced Cognitive Abilities: - processes and retains information quickly and easily - has unusually advanced knowledge for their age Advanced Intellectual Curiosity: - asks many questions - intensely interested in a wide variety of topics (Special Education Companion, p. 57)

Heightened Sensitivity and Creativity: - poses strong creative and imaginative abilities - has a keen sense of humour that is often off-beat - dislikes routines and drills Heightened Motivation: - shows above average ability to pay attention, to concentrate, and to retain information - tends to be a perfectionist Extended Affective Capacities: - displays evidence of uneven development of their cognitive and emotional abilities - are usually sensitive to the critical reactions and responses of others (Special Education Companion, p. 58)

Underachieving Gifted Students: “Some students who are gifted learners will downplay their talents and abilities to gain acceptance, to appear “normal” in the classroom, and to reduce the tension that their advanced capacity and abilities often create. Students who are gifted learners may also have other exceptionalities that are often unrecognized because of the giftedness, but which need to be identified. ” (Special Education Companion, p. 58)

Characteristics of underachieving gifted students: � Test performance and achievement at or below provincial standards � Frequent lack of completion, or careless completion, of daily work � Gap between quality and quantity � Difficulty following assigned tasks through to completion � Persistent dissatisfaction with work accomplished � High level of self-criticism � Tendency to be withdrawn/aggressive � Inability to function comfortably or collaboratively in a group � Indifference or negative attitude towards school � Distracted easily � Resistance to teachers’ effort to motivate or discipline � Difficulty with peer relationships ( Special Education Companion, p. 60)

I AM GIFTED video

Top Ten Things Teachers Need to Know About Gifted Students: Not all gifted students may seem smart. 2. Not all smart kids are gifted. 3. Just because the child is gifted does not mean that the child will be high performing. 4. Yes, he is smart … but he is still a child. 5. Don’t try to outthink him but be specific in your instructions. 6. Embrace the unexpected. 7. Allow creativity in routine tasks. 8. Just because a student won’t do something doesn’t mean he can’t. 9. Most parents strive to do what’s best for their child. Listen to them. 10. You won’t discover what a child can do until you give him the opportunity. 1.

So how do I meet the needs of gifted students in a regular classroom? DIFFERENTIATION

Differentiated Instruction: Change the Pace Pre-testing: either formal or informal, to check for mastery of a unit Compact Information: students bypass previously mastered skills and content, enabling them to move through the curriculum at a level appropriate to their ability - students can “buy” time to work on independent projects that match their interests and abilities Suggested Activities: Independent Projects: the student and teacher identify a topic of interest and plan a method for the student to investigate the topic and demonstrated their learning -this allows the student to learn at his or her own pace and ability -performance tasks may focus on application of skills to content knowledge

Change the Depth and Breadth -means to provide opportunities to explore topics in greater depth and make connections between traditional subject areas Suggested Activities: Open Ended Activities: avoid setting limits on the types of responses you expect – allow for creativity (Appendix A) Tiered Activities: using several different versions of the same activity to meet the readiness level of students -though the essential skills and product remain the same, the complexity of the assignments varies depending on the needs of the each student (Education for All, p. 120 - http: //www. edu. gov. on. ca/eng/document/reports/speced/panel/speced. pdf) (Appendix B-C) Alternate Activity Menus: can be used to allow students to choose which assignments within a given topic they would like to pursue -the activities may make connections to the real world or other areas of the curriculum, or utilize technology (Appendix D) Higher-Level Thinking Questions: use Bloom’s Taxonomy to improve thinking skills (Appendix E) (Enrichment in the Classroom: How to Accommodate the Needs of Gifted Students in the Regular Classroom, Elementary

Change the Kind of Materials - select program materials to reflect the ability level of the learner yet are still age-appropriate in content Suggested Activities: Previewing Resources: primary students can assist the teacher in finding materials to read to the class while working on their critical literacy skills Checking for Understanding: allow students to enjoy books without completing long writing assignments, check for comprehension using Countdown cards, Exit Passes or a short book review Expert Learning Contracts: are agreements between a teacher and a learner to plan activities to meet the requirements of a course or module (Appendix F) Contest: make use of contests and competitions related to the course (Refer to Contests, Competitions and Challenges For Elementary & Secondary School Students – DCDSB) (Appendix G) (Enrichment in the Classroom: How to Accommodate the Needs of Gifted Students in the Regular Classroom, Elementary Enrichment Resource Teachers, LKDSB)

Other ways to differentiate: The teacher may assist the student to: - learn critical-thinking skills (i. e. developing questions, hypothesizing answers, constructing arguments, etc. ) - learn personal organization skills (i. e. time management, study and test-taking skills) - learn inquiry and research skills (i. e. planning, conducting, analysing, communicating, evaluating, presenting research) - learn interpersonal affective skills (i. e. communicating, collaborating, mentoring, leading) - learn intrapersonal affective skills (i. e. self-awareness, stress management, selfadvocacy) (Special Education Companion, p. 61 -62)

Developing the IEP: Generally the program can be described in one of two ways: 1. Subject or courses with modified expectations - the gifted student may be working on learning expectations from a different grade level (usually in language and mathematics) - as for social studies, history, geography, and science and technology, and in most secondary school courses, the number and/or the complexity of the learning expectations may be increased 2. Alternative programs - another way to organize gifted programming is to group specific skills together in an alternative program (or programs). Programs may be planned in such areas as critical thinking, problem solving, inquiry/research, and inter- and intrapersonal skills. (IEP: Resource Guide p. 27) http: //www. abcontario. ca/images/pdfs/iep_guide_rev_april_20. pdf

Resources: Apps for Gifted Students: http: //www. hoagiesgifted. org/gifted_apps. htm Websites: Professionally Speaking http: //professionallyspeaking. oct. ca/march_2012/features/teaching_the_gifted. aspx Edgo - Teacher Education Program, Foundations of Learning and Development -Students of High Ability - Gifted Education http: //www. edgo. ca/pb/wp_6 c 22 ca 72. html OTF – Ontario Teacher Federation http: //www. teachspeced. ca/giftedness ABC Ontario – The Association for Bright Children of Ontario http: //www. abcontario. ca/ * Refer to additional sheet for other helpful resources (Appendix H)