Monday, October 30, 2006
Lesson 8 Independent Project
Congratulations. you have completed a basic instuctional program leading to yor ability to plan a unit of instruction or do further research into gifted education.
If you have been keeping track of the hours you have spent, you know how many hours you still need to complete the 45 hours which will equal a 3 credit recertification course.
Plan your project and budget your time to include the planning, implementing, and evaluating of your project to complete the course. (If you want to continue with independent work beyond the 45 hours, go back to the Recertification Committee and sign up for a second course.)
I am available to talk over your project before you begin. Send me a brief sketch of what you plan to do. It should be in an area of concern to you, and should benefit the students with which you work.
Here are some guidelines about some of the topics you might choose:
THE FIVE MAJOR AREAS OF CONCERN
You might select for your independent project an area of interest from the five below.
1. IDENTIFICATION PROCEDURES
Topics might include:
Smart Girls
Artistic Intelligences
Indications of Giftedness in Young Children
Risk Factors for GT
2. CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION
Topics might include:
Pull out programs
Individualized programs
Regional Programs
Thematic Study
3. ADMINISTRATION AND CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
Topics might include:
Individualizing Student work in the classroom
Staffing
Funding
4. STAFF DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Topics might include:
Keeping all staff up to date
Inclusion of the Community in Learning
Mentorships
Service Projects in the Community
5. EVALUATION OF STUDENT GROWTH AND PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS
Topics might include:
Pre and Post Tests
Portfolio Development
Program Evaluation
Measuring Student Achievement
If you have been keeping track of the hours you have spent, you know how many hours you still need to complete the 45 hours which will equal a 3 credit recertification course.
Plan your project and budget your time to include the planning, implementing, and evaluating of your project to complete the course. (If you want to continue with independent work beyond the 45 hours, go back to the Recertification Committee and sign up for a second course.)
I am available to talk over your project before you begin. Send me a brief sketch of what you plan to do. It should be in an area of concern to you, and should benefit the students with which you work.
Here are some guidelines about some of the topics you might choose:
THE FIVE MAJOR AREAS OF CONCERN
You might select for your independent project an area of interest from the five below.
1. IDENTIFICATION PROCEDURES
Topics might include:
Smart Girls
Artistic Intelligences
Indications of Giftedness in Young Children
Risk Factors for GT
2. CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION
Topics might include:
Pull out programs
Individualized programs
Regional Programs
Thematic Study
3. ADMINISTRATION AND CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
Topics might include:
Individualizing Student work in the classroom
Staffing
Funding
4. STAFF DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Topics might include:
Keeping all staff up to date
Inclusion of the Community in Learning
Mentorships
Service Projects in the Community
5. EVALUATION OF STUDENT GROWTH AND PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS
Topics might include:
Pre and Post Tests
Portfolio Development
Program Evaluation
Measuring Student Achievement
# posted by MSAD 48 Gifted and Talented Program @ 1:02 PM
Gt Course Lesson 6 Resources in GT Ed
GT Course Lesson 6
What do the scholars tell us about the gifted and gifted learning?
There are many resources available on line and in periodicals.
On the district website on Gifted and Talented Education you will find the list of resources , most of which are housed at Somerset School in the GT Office, and are available for borrowing. There is also a reference to other websites worth visiting.
The district subscribes to “The Gifted Child Monthly”. Back issues of the magazine are useful for research about various aspects of gifted education since each issue focuses on a topic. For example, one issue might focus on math programs, one on the affective domain, one on theater, one on reading, etc.
For your assignment, review some of the district’s resources on gifted education. Browse through several of the back issues of the magazine, “Gifted Child Monthly”. I’m sure you will find topics of interest.
Select one of the articles you think has information you can share with someone else you know who could use this information. Write a synopsis of this article, giving proper attribution, so that we can post your synopsis on the blog. Copy your synopsis and give it to the person(s) you feel might benefit from this information.
What do the scholars tell us about the gifted and gifted learning?
There are many resources available on line and in periodicals.
On the district website on Gifted and Talented Education you will find the list of resources , most of which are housed at Somerset School in the GT Office, and are available for borrowing. There is also a reference to other websites worth visiting.
The district subscribes to “The Gifted Child Monthly”. Back issues of the magazine are useful for research about various aspects of gifted education since each issue focuses on a topic. For example, one issue might focus on math programs, one on the affective domain, one on theater, one on reading, etc.
For your assignment, review some of the district’s resources on gifted education. Browse through several of the back issues of the magazine, “Gifted Child Monthly”. I’m sure you will find topics of interest.
Select one of the articles you think has information you can share with someone else you know who could use this information. Write a synopsis of this article, giving proper attribution, so that we can post your synopsis on the blog. Copy your synopsis and give it to the person(s) you feel might benefit from this information.
# posted by MSAD 48 Gifted and Talented Program @ 1:00 PM
D Mendell's Response to Lesson 3 Motivation
Motivation and the Gifted Student
Don Mendell Oct. 17, 2006
The myths and stereotypes about gifted children make about as much sense as those regarding the mentally retarded. Each is based on a kernel of a fact that will ring fairly true to the lazy or ignorant. They will appeal to those who do not wish to spend the time getting to know individuals. As a mental health professional, I am keenly aware of the seductive nature of the over-generalization that can accompany diagnosis. This happens among professionals as well as in the lay population where grouping individuals according to some social problem or emotional malady is often seen as therapeutic, when it can reinforce to the child that those "in the know" are clueless. I am not big on divorce groups, groups of bully victims or bullies, anger management groups, grief groups, gay affirmation groups, etc. And when I do conduct such aggregates, I try to validate the concerns expressed by those who may feel unfairly characterized by such a grouping.
This is not to say that it isn't helpful to know that we are not alone in a particular struggle. It certainly can comfort one to feel some commonality of striving. AA, Upward Bound, MADD, SADD, even Jenny Craig, can attest to the power of "we will overcome"--and powerful it is. However, something has to happen in addition to, and possibly, outside of the safety zone of the therapized community to spark the significant, functional growth that motivates individuals toward maximum potential. This involves a person connecting to the world around them in a spiritual sense that can complement the physical and cognitive processes that are more readily understood in our culture. Understanding motivation in a higher sense means looking past the basic and toward the altruistic. A motivated gifted person will seek to validate the dignity of humanity.
Michelangelo can be an example of giftedness that sought the higher power in order to put meaning to the suffering of mankind. Motivation came to him and worked through his gift. If the statue "David" or the "Pieta'" doesn't communicate something about beauty and human dignity, I'm not sure what does. To be driven to passionate undertakings is the nature of being "touched" by the divine. Johan S. Bach created musical compositions that are both sublimely simple and interwoven in complexity at the same time, as he sought to glorify God for mankind.
Can we assist the gifted learner to find the mojo? I believe so. "Removing roadblocks" is the work of educators, parents and counselors when it comes to all students. It is even more critical to assist those at either end of the "Bell Curve." Providing a supportive learning environment with appropriate curriculum, courses and materials is essential. Building relationships that model decency and validate dignity is important. Encouraging spiritual growth is also a "roadblock remover." Some of these strategies are simple, while others involve reaching out to the student as a fellow human on a pilgrimage that will give meaning to our lives.
I'm not sure that this approach is unique to the identified "gifted" individual, but can help any young person find their gift. I feel this way when a former student comes to me to discuss success in college, or raising a happy family. One young woman that I have proctored in her college program is working very hard to found a girl's home that will specialize in eating disorders. Her motivation has grown out of a spiritual awakening that has shown her a pathway toward service to her fellow man. Always having been withdrawing, she is now reaching out to others.
Don Mendell Oct. 17, 2006
The myths and stereotypes about gifted children make about as much sense as those regarding the mentally retarded. Each is based on a kernel of a fact that will ring fairly true to the lazy or ignorant. They will appeal to those who do not wish to spend the time getting to know individuals. As a mental health professional, I am keenly aware of the seductive nature of the over-generalization that can accompany diagnosis. This happens among professionals as well as in the lay population where grouping individuals according to some social problem or emotional malady is often seen as therapeutic, when it can reinforce to the child that those "in the know" are clueless. I am not big on divorce groups, groups of bully victims or bullies, anger management groups, grief groups, gay affirmation groups, etc. And when I do conduct such aggregates, I try to validate the concerns expressed by those who may feel unfairly characterized by such a grouping.
This is not to say that it isn't helpful to know that we are not alone in a particular struggle. It certainly can comfort one to feel some commonality of striving. AA, Upward Bound, MADD, SADD, even Jenny Craig, can attest to the power of "we will overcome"--and powerful it is. However, something has to happen in addition to, and possibly, outside of the safety zone of the therapized community to spark the significant, functional growth that motivates individuals toward maximum potential. This involves a person connecting to the world around them in a spiritual sense that can complement the physical and cognitive processes that are more readily understood in our culture. Understanding motivation in a higher sense means looking past the basic and toward the altruistic. A motivated gifted person will seek to validate the dignity of humanity.
Michelangelo can be an example of giftedness that sought the higher power in order to put meaning to the suffering of mankind. Motivation came to him and worked through his gift. If the statue "David" or the "Pieta'" doesn't communicate something about beauty and human dignity, I'm not sure what does. To be driven to passionate undertakings is the nature of being "touched" by the divine. Johan S. Bach created musical compositions that are both sublimely simple and interwoven in complexity at the same time, as he sought to glorify God for mankind.
Can we assist the gifted learner to find the mojo? I believe so. "Removing roadblocks" is the work of educators, parents and counselors when it comes to all students. It is even more critical to assist those at either end of the "Bell Curve." Providing a supportive learning environment with appropriate curriculum, courses and materials is essential. Building relationships that model decency and validate dignity is important. Encouraging spiritual growth is also a "roadblock remover." Some of these strategies are simple, while others involve reaching out to the student as a fellow human on a pilgrimage that will give meaning to our lives.
I'm not sure that this approach is unique to the identified "gifted" individual, but can help any young person find their gift. I feel this way when a former student comes to me to discuss success in college, or raising a happy family. One young woman that I have proctored in her college program is working very hard to found a girl's home that will specialize in eating disorders. Her motivation has grown out of a spiritual awakening that has shown her a pathway toward service to her fellow man. Always having been withdrawing, she is now reaching out to others.
# posted by MSAD 48 Gifted and Talented Program @ 12:45 PM
Don Mendell's response to Lesson 2
It seems that gifted kids are skipping steps in the learning process as we know it. But it is likely that a "perfect storm" of nature and nurture is in play. A child that seizes a concept out of the billions of points of stimuli, and the brain quickly erects a servicable scaffolding for the absorbtion of ideas that relate to the schema, no matter how remotely. Meanwhile "regular folks" continue to trial-and-error their way, picking through the vast piles of seemingly random ideas to find occasional tidbits for developing an ability.
The gifted child in a physiological sense probably has a portion of the brain that is unusually large or over-developed in some manner. I say "probably" because we really haven't discovered specific neuron clusters (brain formations) that are directly responsible for particular skills, not to mention excelling in those skills to the degree that we consider gifted. I do not doubt that someday we will know alot more about the biological differences that are likely causal to childhood giftedness. I am theorizing that whatever brain advantage one may have toward genius, there must also be some nurturing, igniting or corroberating environmental and experiencial factors present.
Having attended a seminar conducted by a Chicago-based brain surgeon who's name escapes me. I was interested to hear that at age 2 yrs. that children's brains are in a state of mega-adaptation which involves neuron cell migration and specialization at a frantic pace that returns to a much slower rate of growth at about 6 yrs. This doctor implored educators and parents to enrich the learning that happens to children at this stage. I came away feeling that I had been exposed to a link to understanding not only giftedness but all learning. Also, I feel that our attempts (and difficulties) in defining giftedness relate to the struggle associated with efforts to understand, break down or categorize a process that is natural to the point of being elemental.
The gifted child in a physiological sense probably has a portion of the brain that is unusually large or over-developed in some manner. I say "probably" because we really haven't discovered specific neuron clusters (brain formations) that are directly responsible for particular skills, not to mention excelling in those skills to the degree that we consider gifted. I do not doubt that someday we will know alot more about the biological differences that are likely causal to childhood giftedness. I am theorizing that whatever brain advantage one may have toward genius, there must also be some nurturing, igniting or corroberating environmental and experiencial factors present.
Having attended a seminar conducted by a Chicago-based brain surgeon who's name escapes me. I was interested to hear that at age 2 yrs. that children's brains are in a state of mega-adaptation which involves neuron cell migration and specialization at a frantic pace that returns to a much slower rate of growth at about 6 yrs. This doctor implored educators and parents to enrich the learning that happens to children at this stage. I came away feeling that I had been exposed to a link to understanding not only giftedness but all learning. Also, I feel that our attempts (and difficulties) in defining giftedness relate to the struggle associated with efforts to understand, break down or categorize a process that is natural to the point of being elemental.
K Wagner's Lesson 3 Response
Karen Wagner
Assignment 3
October 9, 2006
We can’t make blanket statements about any group of students. Some gifted kids will succeed without extra help. Some are valued primarily for their brain power. Some are more mature and stable than their peers. Some need constant challenging/prodding to achieve/exceed. Some like to help others and be seen as positive role models/helpers.
After reading the chapter in my textbook about counseling gifted kids, I can see that giftedness is but one of many issues that can place children in difficulty. The key in working with this group (and generally all others) is remembering not to make assumptions about why they are behaving in a particular way, and having enough background in understanding the issues related to giftedness to be informative and supportive. Because gifted children often have emotional and intellectual development out of synch with their physical and social development, it is important to help students, parents and teachers develop appropriate expectations, and to provide the students with plenty of scaffolding for understanding and positively developing their uniqueness.
Motivation is directly tied to the student’s self-concept. Gifted kids that feel supported, nurtured, challenged and generally happy about their talents and accepted by their peers are easily self-motivated. Gifted kids that seem unmotivated have a reason for it – which is our job to uncover. Because it could be anything from not wanting to be different to parental pressure to physical or mental illness, building relationships with gifted students is key (and again, this really applies to working with any student!). I appreciated the analogy offered in the book – something to the effect of - intelligence is the vehicle, motivation is the gas and creativity provides the direction. To further that, I can see where sometimes the tank needs refilling, or the car a jump-start!
An obvious way that gifted students can be motivated is to ensure that they are offered opportunities to pursue their passions. Perhaps less obvious is the need to ensure that these students have opportunities to pursue problem solving, risk taking and leadership activities. One assumption most of us make is that smart people naturally know how to get things done (or can figure it out) in groups. Leadership is a talent, but there are definite skills that can be taught to enhance its effectiveness. In my essay I will discuss an experience I had trying to teach leadership and “followership” skills to a group of mostly unmotivated students.
Renzulli talks about the need for gifted students to develop what he calls “social capital.” He reasons that as the next leaders of our world, these capable and creative kids need to be equipped with the ability to solve problems, make decisions, become sensitive to and aware of the needs of others and provide vision and direction. Only recently have we begun to embed such concepts in our school curriculum.
When I taught seniors in the Jobs for Maine’s Graduates program, one of the key
components of the program was helping the students organize and run a chapter of the JMG Career Association. Most of the students in JMG had never been in an organization before, or if they had, few had experienced leadership roles. Helping them in the span of a school year to not only grasp the concepts of leader- and follower- ship, but implement them successfully, was no small task. In my first year I assumed the students would all immediately “get” how to be in and run an organization. I assumed that they would all avidly listen to carefully crafted campaign speeches from those interested in being leaders. I assumed that the candidates had read the job description of the office they aspired to. And then I assumed that once elected, the officers would lead, everyone else would attend meetings, help make decisions, follow through with commitments, etc, etc. All would be hunky-dory. Well, I was wrong about all of it. Fortunately the JMG curriculum is infused with leadership building and decision-making activities. By the end of the year, I had a better understanding of what my students needed to learn before they could effectively run their Career Association.
In the second year, we started with some “unlearning” – challenging what they knew and had experienced about working as a group, team, family, etc. before. Then we began some skill building and team building. Finally we talked about the mission of JMG and how to accomplish our piece of it. This all had to happen before elections. We still ended up electing leaders based more on popularity than ability, and not everyone had internalized the lofty goals of the mission, but at least the exposure to the concepts allowed for productive de-briefing after the fact. The actual experience of running the organization was informative on every level. Students really began to grasp what leadership was and wasn’t. Investment and accountability developed for many – which was a first for a lot of the students. The process informed my teaching. At the core of building the case for leadership development (motivating) is relationship and caring about something outside one’s self-interest. Relationships developed between classmates, between class groups (committees), between the group and the leaders, between me as teacher/advisor and the group, between school administration and the organization, between the group and the greater community (through our community service activities). Students saw that as a group they had a presence, reputation and value, which began to affect many of them individually. Once they had a sense of how others viewed the group and their role in it, their self-concepts began to change, and with it came the opportunity to work toward internalizing the “social capital” part of our mission.
This was a very exciting transition to observe. Of course, not all students got there, but most at least developed a new skill set and broader awareness. Relationship building facilitated other things, from new friendships to internships and paid job opportunities, new college and career aspirations, appearance and personality changes. Hopefully we all learned that failure of a plan is yet another opportunity for learning how to get it right. Parallels with GT abound, but that’s not so surprising, given that one of the goals of JMG is to uncover hidden talents and motivate underachievers.
Assignment 3
October 9, 2006
We can’t make blanket statements about any group of students. Some gifted kids will succeed without extra help. Some are valued primarily for their brain power. Some are more mature and stable than their peers. Some need constant challenging/prodding to achieve/exceed. Some like to help others and be seen as positive role models/helpers.
After reading the chapter in my textbook about counseling gifted kids, I can see that giftedness is but one of many issues that can place children in difficulty. The key in working with this group (and generally all others) is remembering not to make assumptions about why they are behaving in a particular way, and having enough background in understanding the issues related to giftedness to be informative and supportive. Because gifted children often have emotional and intellectual development out of synch with their physical and social development, it is important to help students, parents and teachers develop appropriate expectations, and to provide the students with plenty of scaffolding for understanding and positively developing their uniqueness.
Motivation is directly tied to the student’s self-concept. Gifted kids that feel supported, nurtured, challenged and generally happy about their talents and accepted by their peers are easily self-motivated. Gifted kids that seem unmotivated have a reason for it – which is our job to uncover. Because it could be anything from not wanting to be different to parental pressure to physical or mental illness, building relationships with gifted students is key (and again, this really applies to working with any student!). I appreciated the analogy offered in the book – something to the effect of - intelligence is the vehicle, motivation is the gas and creativity provides the direction. To further that, I can see where sometimes the tank needs refilling, or the car a jump-start!
An obvious way that gifted students can be motivated is to ensure that they are offered opportunities to pursue their passions. Perhaps less obvious is the need to ensure that these students have opportunities to pursue problem solving, risk taking and leadership activities. One assumption most of us make is that smart people naturally know how to get things done (or can figure it out) in groups. Leadership is a talent, but there are definite skills that can be taught to enhance its effectiveness. In my essay I will discuss an experience I had trying to teach leadership and “followership” skills to a group of mostly unmotivated students.
Renzulli talks about the need for gifted students to develop what he calls “social capital.” He reasons that as the next leaders of our world, these capable and creative kids need to be equipped with the ability to solve problems, make decisions, become sensitive to and aware of the needs of others and provide vision and direction. Only recently have we begun to embed such concepts in our school curriculum.
When I taught seniors in the Jobs for Maine’s Graduates program, one of the key
components of the program was helping the students organize and run a chapter of the JMG Career Association. Most of the students in JMG had never been in an organization before, or if they had, few had experienced leadership roles. Helping them in the span of a school year to not only grasp the concepts of leader- and follower- ship, but implement them successfully, was no small task. In my first year I assumed the students would all immediately “get” how to be in and run an organization. I assumed that they would all avidly listen to carefully crafted campaign speeches from those interested in being leaders. I assumed that the candidates had read the job description of the office they aspired to. And then I assumed that once elected, the officers would lead, everyone else would attend meetings, help make decisions, follow through with commitments, etc, etc. All would be hunky-dory. Well, I was wrong about all of it. Fortunately the JMG curriculum is infused with leadership building and decision-making activities. By the end of the year, I had a better understanding of what my students needed to learn before they could effectively run their Career Association.
In the second year, we started with some “unlearning” – challenging what they knew and had experienced about working as a group, team, family, etc. before. Then we began some skill building and team building. Finally we talked about the mission of JMG and how to accomplish our piece of it. This all had to happen before elections. We still ended up electing leaders based more on popularity than ability, and not everyone had internalized the lofty goals of the mission, but at least the exposure to the concepts allowed for productive de-briefing after the fact. The actual experience of running the organization was informative on every level. Students really began to grasp what leadership was and wasn’t. Investment and accountability developed for many – which was a first for a lot of the students. The process informed my teaching. At the core of building the case for leadership development (motivating) is relationship and caring about something outside one’s self-interest. Relationships developed between classmates, between class groups (committees), between the group and the leaders, between me as teacher/advisor and the group, between school administration and the organization, between the group and the greater community (through our community service activities). Students saw that as a group they had a presence, reputation and value, which began to affect many of them individually. Once they had a sense of how others viewed the group and their role in it, their self-concepts began to change, and with it came the opportunity to work toward internalizing the “social capital” part of our mission.
This was a very exciting transition to observe. Of course, not all students got there, but most at least developed a new skill set and broader awareness. Relationship building facilitated other things, from new friendships to internships and paid job opportunities, new college and career aspirations, appearance and personality changes. Hopefully we all learned that failure of a plan is yet another opportunity for learning how to get it right. Parallels with GT abound, but that’s not so surprising, given that one of the goals of JMG is to uncover hidden talents and motivate underachievers.
Lesson 7 Creativity
GT Course Lesson 7
CREATIVITY
Behaviors
Given that the gifted learner has native intelligence and has developed motivation, there is a third factor that is necessary for the learner to be “gifted”, and that is creativity. The gifted person is able to synthesize experience and education in order to “think new” about the world and then is able to share that experience though creating ideas, products or performances which reveal that insight.
SOME QUALITIES OF THE CREATIVE INDIVIDUAL INCLUDE:
IN THE COGNITIVE DOMAIN– (About THINKING)
FLUENCY (quantity of ideas)- generation of a number of relevant responses
FLEXIBILITY ( switches easily from one idea to another) - variety of classes, ideas and approaches
ORIGINALITY ( new ideas or interpretations) –novel uses, unique solutions; clever, subtle and unusual responses
ELABORATION ( elaborate or add onto) – gives details; expands basic concept or idea
IN THE AFFECTIVE DOMAIN – ( About FEELING)
RISK-TAKING ( courageous)– tolerance for ambiguity; takes a chance; presents and defends ideas
COMPLEXITY (beyond basics)– pursues difficult tasks; seeks alternative actions; organizes
CURIOSITY ( inquisitiveness) - pursues difficult tasks, explores; does reflective thinking; follows up on hunches
IMAGINATION ( intuition)– daydreams; fantasizes; feels intuitively; pretends; wonders
POSTPONEMENT OF GRATIFICATION ( newly added)- able to work towards goals which are not immediately forthcoming
YOUR ASSIGNMENT:
In your experience you have worked with individuals who have exhibited these traits to a greater or lesser degree.
What kind of experience have you had with programs which develop the cognitive and affective domains, such as “Talents Unlimited”, “Destination Imagination”, “Future Problem Solving”, and afterschool activities such as Theater, Math Team and other group activities? Were your own children involved? Did you coach? Any of your class members involved?
Select one of the programs to describe and then tell why it is or is not a useful program for the gifted learner. How does it touch on the qualities of creativity described above? Does it have any drawbacks and restrictions which might imperil creative thinking?
Review the list above again and compare with the programs mentioned to see which is the best match for creative thinking and feeling.
CREATIVITY
Behaviors
Given that the gifted learner has native intelligence and has developed motivation, there is a third factor that is necessary for the learner to be “gifted”, and that is creativity. The gifted person is able to synthesize experience and education in order to “think new” about the world and then is able to share that experience though creating ideas, products or performances which reveal that insight.
SOME QUALITIES OF THE CREATIVE INDIVIDUAL INCLUDE:
IN THE COGNITIVE DOMAIN– (About THINKING)
FLUENCY (quantity of ideas)- generation of a number of relevant responses
FLEXIBILITY ( switches easily from one idea to another) - variety of classes, ideas and approaches
ORIGINALITY ( new ideas or interpretations) –novel uses, unique solutions; clever, subtle and unusual responses
ELABORATION ( elaborate or add onto) – gives details; expands basic concept or idea
IN THE AFFECTIVE DOMAIN – ( About FEELING)
RISK-TAKING ( courageous)– tolerance for ambiguity; takes a chance; presents and defends ideas
COMPLEXITY (beyond basics)– pursues difficult tasks; seeks alternative actions; organizes
CURIOSITY ( inquisitiveness) - pursues difficult tasks, explores; does reflective thinking; follows up on hunches
IMAGINATION ( intuition)– daydreams; fantasizes; feels intuitively; pretends; wonders
POSTPONEMENT OF GRATIFICATION ( newly added)- able to work towards goals which are not immediately forthcoming
YOUR ASSIGNMENT:
In your experience you have worked with individuals who have exhibited these traits to a greater or lesser degree.
What kind of experience have you had with programs which develop the cognitive and affective domains, such as “Talents Unlimited”, “Destination Imagination”, “Future Problem Solving”, and afterschool activities such as Theater, Math Team and other group activities? Were your own children involved? Did you coach? Any of your class members involved?
Select one of the programs to describe and then tell why it is or is not a useful program for the gifted learner. How does it touch on the qualities of creativity described above? Does it have any drawbacks and restrictions which might imperil creative thinking?
Review the list above again and compare with the programs mentioned to see which is the best match for creative thinking and feeling.
Lesson 5 Best Kind of Learning for Gifted
Gifted and Talented Course 2006 Lesson five “Best Learning for the Gifted”
GIFTED AND TALENTED PROGRAM MODELS
Looking over older information pertinent to Gifted Programs I found this list of what Gifted Programs should do:
GIFTED PROGRAMS SHOULD:
1. Build lifelong learners
2. Foster creativity
3. Build problem solving skills
4. Encourage flexibility
5. Teach knowledge acquisition skills
6. Teach for transfer
7. Use primary sources of information
8. Ask questions that have no answers
9. Accent producing, using, controlling information
10. Build self-confidence, risk-taking
11. Appreciate individual differences/creativity
12 Be taught by an individual who models these behaviors
Over the period of time since I became involved in Gifted Education the whole world of teaching and instruction has changed so that we now we plan our units with all of these mandates in mind, don’t you think/?
Here are some ideas about what type of learning is more meaningful for the gifted:
Gifted children should have ready access to the library, computers and other resource materials.
Students should be involved in independent study activities. The teacher does not dominate the classroom, but permits the students to have freedom in selecting and pursuing programs.
The major emphasis is on ideas of merit and the structure is used to enhance these ideas.
The teacher’s questions are open-ended, with an emphasis on generalization, analysis and synthesis.
The interests and abilities of the students are utilized in planning and implementation of curriculum materials.
Discussion, utilizing debate and controversial issues, is freely used in the classroom.
Appropriately advanced content is available to the students so that there can be exploration in depth.
In some schools there are planned programs especially for advanced and/or gifted learners. Think about the characteristics of gifted learners and match them up with these programs:
MENTORSHIPS
INDEPENDENT CONTRACTS, COURSES
COLLEGE COURSES
AP COURSES
PORTFOLIO CLASSES
REGIONAL PROGRAMS
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
SOLO PERFORMANCES AND ART SHOWS
LEADERSHIP ROLES
MAN, A COURSE OF STUDY
HUMANITIES
PULL-OUT PROGRAMS
You may have to do some basic research to find information about these programs. You might find other options as well.
Make a chart and fill in the reasons why these or other programs options might be more meaningful to the gifted learner:
(My chart template did not translate: My headings across the top were: 1. Characteristics of gifted learner 2. Program models and 3: Why (or why not) a good match
Then down the left side number of spaces for 8-10 selected models. Fill in the boxes.
Share this graph. It’s open-ended so you can add more when you learn more.
Share your graph with the instructor and the class. Did everyone think the same way?
GIFTED AND TALENTED PROGRAM MODELS
Looking over older information pertinent to Gifted Programs I found this list of what Gifted Programs should do:
GIFTED PROGRAMS SHOULD:
1. Build lifelong learners
2. Foster creativity
3. Build problem solving skills
4. Encourage flexibility
5. Teach knowledge acquisition skills
6. Teach for transfer
7. Use primary sources of information
8. Ask questions that have no answers
9. Accent producing, using, controlling information
10. Build self-confidence, risk-taking
11. Appreciate individual differences/creativity
12 Be taught by an individual who models these behaviors
Over the period of time since I became involved in Gifted Education the whole world of teaching and instruction has changed so that we now we plan our units with all of these mandates in mind, don’t you think/?
Here are some ideas about what type of learning is more meaningful for the gifted:
Gifted children should have ready access to the library, computers and other resource materials.
Students should be involved in independent study activities. The teacher does not dominate the classroom, but permits the students to have freedom in selecting and pursuing programs.
The major emphasis is on ideas of merit and the structure is used to enhance these ideas.
The teacher’s questions are open-ended, with an emphasis on generalization, analysis and synthesis.
The interests and abilities of the students are utilized in planning and implementation of curriculum materials.
Discussion, utilizing debate and controversial issues, is freely used in the classroom.
Appropriately advanced content is available to the students so that there can be exploration in depth.
In some schools there are planned programs especially for advanced and/or gifted learners. Think about the characteristics of gifted learners and match them up with these programs:
MENTORSHIPS
INDEPENDENT CONTRACTS, COURSES
COLLEGE COURSES
AP COURSES
PORTFOLIO CLASSES
REGIONAL PROGRAMS
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
SOLO PERFORMANCES AND ART SHOWS
LEADERSHIP ROLES
MAN, A COURSE OF STUDY
HUMANITIES
PULL-OUT PROGRAMS
You may have to do some basic research to find information about these programs. You might find other options as well.
Make a chart and fill in the reasons why these or other programs options might be more meaningful to the gifted learner:
(My chart template did not translate: My headings across the top were: 1. Characteristics of gifted learner 2. Program models and 3: Why (or why not) a good match
Then down the left side number of spaces for 8-10 selected models. Fill in the boxes.
Share this graph. It’s open-ended so you can add more when you learn more.
Share your graph with the instructor and the class. Did everyone think the same way?
Lesson 4 Intelligence
INTELLIGENCE Lesson Four
This lesson is about "Intelligence":
Answer yourself the following questions:
What is Intelligence?
How is is measured?
What is “The Theory of Multiple Intelligences”? (Howard Gardner)
What kinds of "intelligences" do schools teach to? What about the rest?
What does "intelligence " have to do with "giftedness"?
How reliable is it as a measure for giftedness?
With what kinds of intelligence tests are you familiar?
Have you ever had an intelligence test administered to yourself? Were you satisfied with the results? Haw did it make you feel?
There are on-line intelligence tests a person can take.
MSAD 48 does not rely on Intelligence alone as a measure of “Giftedness. The reasons for that include
1. Intelligence test results vary plus or minus 10 points each time they are taken. Where do you cut off a score and label the child “Gifted” or “not Gifted”?
2. Intelligence tests don’t measure attitude and drive to succeed and other behavioral factors fundamental to “Giftedness”.
3. intelligence drives the bus, but Motivation is the gas and Creativity tells the driver where to go.
The district prefers to use a triad, using three criteria:
Intelligence
Creativity
Motivation
(Future lessons will deal with Creativity and Motivation.)
In measuring aptitude for success in any GT Program, the use of an intelligence test can verify a child’s capability to function at a level beyond that of his or her peers. Normally the child in a gifted program is two developmental years ahead of peers.
The state requires us to have at least three ways to screen all students for “giftedness”:
A nationally normed test of intelligence, aptitude or achievement and at least two other forms, such as Teacher recommendations based on the characteristics of gifted learners, peer nominations, parent and teacher recommendations, self-nomination, etc.
Have you checked out the district website on Gifted and Talented lately? Read “Screening and Identification” on the web site.
When we need an IQ test score we use an easy to administer and score test called the “K-Bit”, a short form of intelligence test which tests knowledge of language and problem-solving skills based on complex design interpretation. It generally scores lower than other IQ tests, but since we have administered it to so many other students, we can reliably measure a student in terms of his peers who have taken the test. If you would like to take this test yourself, I would be glad to give it to you. It takes about 20 minutes, and anyone can be taught to administer and score it, as opposed to other IQ tests which require long training.
Your assignment:
Select at least one of the following activities to research and write about:
1. Refresh your knowledge of “Intelligence” by reading up on IQ tests or asking one of the school psychological testers to explain the differences in the kinds of tests for IQ.
2. Look at the district website re Screening and Identification to become more familiar with the screening criteria.
3. Take an online IQ test or ask me to give you the K Bit test and report how knowing the results made you feel. (Is your IQ higher or lower than you thought it was? Is that good or bad? should a student know his IQ score?
4. Howard Gardner has written extensively on Multiple Intelligences. You must have read some of his articles or books. If not, let me know and I can get you a handout.
5. Take the accompanying Multiple Intelligences Questionnaire, called “My Self Portrait”, which we give to students screened into the program. It is a tool we use to get to know more about their learning styles and interests. You can fill it out and score yourself to see where your greater interests are.
MY SELF-PORTRAIT
Name___________________________Date____________________
Indicate the degree to which each statement below describes you using the following scale:
O or N/A= never/does not apply to me
1=only once in a great while
2=sometimes
3= often
4=all the time
____I read lots of books for pleasure.
____I write poetry and prose in my spare time.
____I amaze my family and friends by recalling names, dates and places.
____I entertain others with my stories.
____I love listening to others talk and read.
____I can persuade others to consider my point of view.
____I figure out how I feel about things by talking about it.
_________
Verbal-Linguistic Total (of 28)
____I easily do math problems in my head.
____I like solving brain teasers.
____I reason things out logically.
____I can make my allowance last the week.
____I love reading about science and math concepts.
____I love playing chess, checkers, and other board games.
____I like using the computer at school and at home.
_________
Logical-Mathematical Total (of 28)
____I follow maps and don’t get lost.
____I draw pictures of people and scenes accurately.
____I can find our car in a crowded lot.
____I see pictures in my mind in great detail.
____I like studying art in lots of forms.
____I understand machines and how they work.
____I am acutely sensitive to color and texture.
_________
Visual-Spatial Total (of 28)
____I love to dance and learn new dances.
____I play sports.
____I look forward to exercising every day.
____I use gestures and movement when I speak.
____I prefer “messy” activities like cooking, yard work, and bike repair.
____I have good coordination.
____I sometimes sense an answer to a problem without knowing just how I got the answer.
_________
Body-Kinesthetic Total (of 28)
____I love to sing.
____I play musical instruments.
____I tap out rhythms, even when I’m not listening to music.
____I hum or whistle while I work.
____I remember the lyrics to songs.
____I need to listen to music every day.
____I am sensitive to any sort of background noise.
_________
Musical-Rhythmic Total (of 28)
____I am often asked to lead the group.
____I have a great time at parties and other social events.
____I enjoy giving advice to others.
____I am good at solving other peoples’ problems.
____I pick up on other peoples’ moods.
____I have lots of friends.
____I treasure close connections with family and friends.
_________
Interpersonal Total (of 28)
____I spend lots of time on my own interests.
____I often think about starting a business of my own some day.
____I need to find time to go off alone to think and reflect.
____I have a sense of my life very clearly.
____I examine my own feelings and motives.
____I crave “down time”.
____I listen to my own heart and mind.
_________
Intrapersonal Total (of 28)
____I spend lots of time outdoors.
____I often think about what I can do to improve the world.
____I feel most comfortable when hiking or biking through the woods.
____I have a sense of the inner life of animals.
____I like to see things grow and change with the seasons.
____I am truly alive in science class.
____I seek balance in the world.
_________
Naturalist Total (of 28)
____I often think about what my life will be like in the future.
____I enjoy planning for something I desire.
____I need to know that things will come out all right in the end.
____I can wait my turn in line without fidgeting.
____I can put aside my work when my teacher tells me it is time to go on.
____I save my money to buy the things I want.
____I use my strong sense of what’s right to help me make wise decisions.
_________
Futurist Total (of 28)
____I spend at least an hour each day playing video games
____I use a word processor to do my homework
____I collect DVD’s
____I have chat friends on line
____I do most of my school research on the net
____I utilize computer sound and graphics programs easily
____I read high tech magazines for more information on technology
________
Technology Total (of 28)
SCORES:
24-28= High Preference Levels 15-23= Moderate Preference Levels
__________________________ __________________________
__________________________ __________________________
__________________________ __________________________
__________________________ __________________________
__________________________ _______________Revised 2-13-04
This lesson is about "Intelligence":
Answer yourself the following questions:
What is Intelligence?
How is is measured?
What is “The Theory of Multiple Intelligences”? (Howard Gardner)
What kinds of "intelligences" do schools teach to? What about the rest?
What does "intelligence " have to do with "giftedness"?
How reliable is it as a measure for giftedness?
With what kinds of intelligence tests are you familiar?
Have you ever had an intelligence test administered to yourself? Were you satisfied with the results? Haw did it make you feel?
There are on-line intelligence tests a person can take.
MSAD 48 does not rely on Intelligence alone as a measure of “Giftedness. The reasons for that include
1. Intelligence test results vary plus or minus 10 points each time they are taken. Where do you cut off a score and label the child “Gifted” or “not Gifted”?
2. Intelligence tests don’t measure attitude and drive to succeed and other behavioral factors fundamental to “Giftedness”.
3. intelligence drives the bus, but Motivation is the gas and Creativity tells the driver where to go.
The district prefers to use a triad, using three criteria:
Intelligence
Creativity
Motivation
(Future lessons will deal with Creativity and Motivation.)
In measuring aptitude for success in any GT Program, the use of an intelligence test can verify a child’s capability to function at a level beyond that of his or her peers. Normally the child in a gifted program is two developmental years ahead of peers.
The state requires us to have at least three ways to screen all students for “giftedness”:
A nationally normed test of intelligence, aptitude or achievement and at least two other forms, such as Teacher recommendations based on the characteristics of gifted learners, peer nominations, parent and teacher recommendations, self-nomination, etc.
Have you checked out the district website on Gifted and Talented lately? Read “Screening and Identification” on the web site.
When we need an IQ test score we use an easy to administer and score test called the “K-Bit”, a short form of intelligence test which tests knowledge of language and problem-solving skills based on complex design interpretation. It generally scores lower than other IQ tests, but since we have administered it to so many other students, we can reliably measure a student in terms of his peers who have taken the test. If you would like to take this test yourself, I would be glad to give it to you. It takes about 20 minutes, and anyone can be taught to administer and score it, as opposed to other IQ tests which require long training.
Your assignment:
Select at least one of the following activities to research and write about:
1. Refresh your knowledge of “Intelligence” by reading up on IQ tests or asking one of the school psychological testers to explain the differences in the kinds of tests for IQ.
2. Look at the district website re Screening and Identification to become more familiar with the screening criteria.
3. Take an online IQ test or ask me to give you the K Bit test and report how knowing the results made you feel. (Is your IQ higher or lower than you thought it was? Is that good or bad? should a student know his IQ score?
4. Howard Gardner has written extensively on Multiple Intelligences. You must have read some of his articles or books. If not, let me know and I can get you a handout.
5. Take the accompanying Multiple Intelligences Questionnaire, called “My Self Portrait”, which we give to students screened into the program. It is a tool we use to get to know more about their learning styles and interests. You can fill it out and score yourself to see where your greater interests are.
MY SELF-PORTRAIT
Name___________________________Date____________________
Indicate the degree to which each statement below describes you using the following scale:
O or N/A= never/does not apply to me
1=only once in a great while
2=sometimes
3= often
4=all the time
____I read lots of books for pleasure.
____I write poetry and prose in my spare time.
____I amaze my family and friends by recalling names, dates and places.
____I entertain others with my stories.
____I love listening to others talk and read.
____I can persuade others to consider my point of view.
____I figure out how I feel about things by talking about it.
_________
Verbal-Linguistic Total (of 28)
____I easily do math problems in my head.
____I like solving brain teasers.
____I reason things out logically.
____I can make my allowance last the week.
____I love reading about science and math concepts.
____I love playing chess, checkers, and other board games.
____I like using the computer at school and at home.
_________
Logical-Mathematical Total (of 28)
____I follow maps and don’t get lost.
____I draw pictures of people and scenes accurately.
____I can find our car in a crowded lot.
____I see pictures in my mind in great detail.
____I like studying art in lots of forms.
____I understand machines and how they work.
____I am acutely sensitive to color and texture.
_________
Visual-Spatial Total (of 28)
____I love to dance and learn new dances.
____I play sports.
____I look forward to exercising every day.
____I use gestures and movement when I speak.
____I prefer “messy” activities like cooking, yard work, and bike repair.
____I have good coordination.
____I sometimes sense an answer to a problem without knowing just how I got the answer.
_________
Body-Kinesthetic Total (of 28)
____I love to sing.
____I play musical instruments.
____I tap out rhythms, even when I’m not listening to music.
____I hum or whistle while I work.
____I remember the lyrics to songs.
____I need to listen to music every day.
____I am sensitive to any sort of background noise.
_________
Musical-Rhythmic Total (of 28)
____I am often asked to lead the group.
____I have a great time at parties and other social events.
____I enjoy giving advice to others.
____I am good at solving other peoples’ problems.
____I pick up on other peoples’ moods.
____I have lots of friends.
____I treasure close connections with family and friends.
_________
Interpersonal Total (of 28)
____I spend lots of time on my own interests.
____I often think about starting a business of my own some day.
____I need to find time to go off alone to think and reflect.
____I have a sense of my life very clearly.
____I examine my own feelings and motives.
____I crave “down time”.
____I listen to my own heart and mind.
_________
Intrapersonal Total (of 28)
____I spend lots of time outdoors.
____I often think about what I can do to improve the world.
____I feel most comfortable when hiking or biking through the woods.
____I have a sense of the inner life of animals.
____I like to see things grow and change with the seasons.
____I am truly alive in science class.
____I seek balance in the world.
_________
Naturalist Total (of 28)
____I often think about what my life will be like in the future.
____I enjoy planning for something I desire.
____I need to know that things will come out all right in the end.
____I can wait my turn in line without fidgeting.
____I can put aside my work when my teacher tells me it is time to go on.
____I save my money to buy the things I want.
____I use my strong sense of what’s right to help me make wise decisions.
_________
Futurist Total (of 28)
____I spend at least an hour each day playing video games
____I use a word processor to do my homework
____I collect DVD’s
____I have chat friends on line
____I do most of my school research on the net
____I utilize computer sound and graphics programs easily
____I read high tech magazines for more information on technology
________
Technology Total (of 28)
SCORES:
24-28= High Preference Levels 15-23= Moderate Preference Levels
__________________________ __________________________
__________________________ __________________________
__________________________ __________________________
__________________________ __________________________
__________________________ _______________Revised 2-13-04
Lesson 3 The Myths of Giftedness
Lesson Three MYTHS OF GIFTEDNESS
“Early Ripe, Early Rot”
“They’ll Make it on Their Own “
MYTHS ABOUT GIFTED CHILDREN
Some common myths about gifted children:
They have everything going their way.
They can succeed without help.
Their special abilities are always recognized and praised by their families.
They are valued primarily for their brain power.
They are more stable and mature emotionally than their age peers.
They have gotten “something for nothing”.
They naturally want to be social isolates.
Myths common among parents and educators:
They are not always aware of being different unless someone tells them they are.
Their giftedness needs to be emphasized above all else.
They need constant challenge by others if they are to achieve.
They should assume extra responsibility for others.
They will reveal their giftedness – in time.
They need to be disciplined more than other children.
They should enjoy serving as “examples” for other children.
DO YOU BELIEVE ANY OF THESE MYTHS?
Gifted students always know that they never give their best. But too often they receive praise for less-than-their-best effort and they know it’s a sham. They know they are capable of better work. But they are leery about being “found out” so often that becomes a self-defeating strategy for not trying harder.
MOTIVATION
One corner of our district’s identification triad for gifted students for the program is MOTIVATION.
A student may be gifted with superior intellect, or talented in the arts, but unless the student is motivated to learn and grow, no amount of instruction will move the student forward.
There are some things to remember:
The child is a child first and goes through all the developmental, emotional and social stages of all children. Sometimes they go through faster with all that implies. But not always.
Many gifted children feel things more deeply and are affected by social issues they hear about in the news. Some carry this weight around with them.
In gifted students there may be significant reasons for the lack of motivation in addition to those mentioned in the myths above:
Others may have unreasonable expectations of her.
Lack of performance may be a coping strategy to get teachers off his back.
It’s passive resistance against her parents.
It avoids risk-taking since he can always say he didn’t really want to try and thus can save his ego.
It helps gain acceptance from her less gifted peers.
It can be an expression of depression, perhaps of feeling misunderstood.
It can be away to get others to help her and give her the attention she wants.
The guidance factor in Gifted Education is extremely important. It cannot be ignored.
What types of motivational strategies do you use in your work with students? Have you found particular strategies work well with those students in the gifted category?
What have you experienced with motivation in the students with whom you work? It’s great to be able to pave the way – to remove the “roadblocks” for students so that they can go with their passions. Do you have a success story to share?
Do you have a less than success story to share?
Write a short essay based on your experience motivating the reluctant learner ( one you knew was capable of better work). Were you successful? Why? What strategies did you use – either consciously or unconsciously?
If not, why not? What were the roadblocks? What could you have done differently?
“Early Ripe, Early Rot”
“They’ll Make it on Their Own “
MYTHS ABOUT GIFTED CHILDREN
Some common myths about gifted children:
They have everything going their way.
They can succeed without help.
Their special abilities are always recognized and praised by their families.
They are valued primarily for their brain power.
They are more stable and mature emotionally than their age peers.
They have gotten “something for nothing”.
They naturally want to be social isolates.
Myths common among parents and educators:
They are not always aware of being different unless someone tells them they are.
Their giftedness needs to be emphasized above all else.
They need constant challenge by others if they are to achieve.
They should assume extra responsibility for others.
They will reveal their giftedness – in time.
They need to be disciplined more than other children.
They should enjoy serving as “examples” for other children.
DO YOU BELIEVE ANY OF THESE MYTHS?
Gifted students always know that they never give their best. But too often they receive praise for less-than-their-best effort and they know it’s a sham. They know they are capable of better work. But they are leery about being “found out” so often that becomes a self-defeating strategy for not trying harder.
MOTIVATION
One corner of our district’s identification triad for gifted students for the program is MOTIVATION.
A student may be gifted with superior intellect, or talented in the arts, but unless the student is motivated to learn and grow, no amount of instruction will move the student forward.
There are some things to remember:
The child is a child first and goes through all the developmental, emotional and social stages of all children. Sometimes they go through faster with all that implies. But not always.
Many gifted children feel things more deeply and are affected by social issues they hear about in the news. Some carry this weight around with them.
In gifted students there may be significant reasons for the lack of motivation in addition to those mentioned in the myths above:
Others may have unreasonable expectations of her.
Lack of performance may be a coping strategy to get teachers off his back.
It’s passive resistance against her parents.
It avoids risk-taking since he can always say he didn’t really want to try and thus can save his ego.
It helps gain acceptance from her less gifted peers.
It can be an expression of depression, perhaps of feeling misunderstood.
It can be away to get others to help her and give her the attention she wants.
The guidance factor in Gifted Education is extremely important. It cannot be ignored.
What types of motivational strategies do you use in your work with students? Have you found particular strategies work well with those students in the gifted category?
What have you experienced with motivation in the students with whom you work? It’s great to be able to pave the way – to remove the “roadblocks” for students so that they can go with their passions. Do you have a success story to share?
Do you have a less than success story to share?
Write a short essay based on your experience motivating the reluctant learner ( one you knew was capable of better work). Were you successful? Why? What strategies did you use – either consciously or unconsciously?
If not, why not? What were the roadblocks? What could you have done differently?
Lesson 2 Characteristics of the gifted
Characteristics of Gifted Children Lesson 1, cont.
What does a “gifted child” look like? Act like?
What are the characteristics of Gifted Children ?
High Achiever or Gifted?
Of all the children you have taught, what characteristics in a child made you think of them as “gifted”?
Second Exercise for the GT course: Read and think about all these definitions of "Gifted Children". Then write in your journal or as an essay your own idea of what constitutes a "gifted child" based on your exerperience and understanding. Do you agree or disagree with the common definitions?
Annette
Labels are unimportant until you realize that people still use them and sometimes not in the same way
ASKING "WHAT IS a gifted child?" is a good question to start with.
The label "gifted" is considered by many to be unfortunate, with its connotations of good fortune and superiority, and more significantly its implied labelling of others as "ungifted". But it has nonetheless been commonly used in academic literature and in general conversation - in the latter field it has of course been abused as well.
A definition constructed by the NSW Parents and Citizens Association and accepted by their 2000 Annual Conference expresses it this way:
"Gifted/talented children are those children who possess an untrained and spontaneously expressed natural ability in at least one ability domain significantly beyond that typically seen in children of the same age. Giftedness comes in many forms and levels. It is found in students of all socio-economic groups, and of diverse personalities and backgrounds. It can be combined with other exceptionalities/special needs such as learning disabilities, socio-economic disadvantage, geographic isolation, Aboriginality and having English as a second language."
Note the emphasis on potential rather than achievement as the defining characteristic. There may be many constraints that prevent the potential from being realized, such as those mentioned in the last sentence above. Of course, the emphasis on potential or natural ability, raises the question of how this can be detected or measured.
The United States Office of Education definition (Marland 1982) suggests gifted and talented students are those "who have outstanding abilities, are capable of high performance and who require differentiated educational programs (beyond those normally provided by regular school programs) in order to realise their contribution to self and society".
The last element, that of the need of this group of children for differentiated educational response, is of course the prime reason why gifted children need the label - it is not a label to be worn proudly as if earnt, but rather an indication of special need, even if this special need is different from those who are more often associated with the "special needs" label.
The same source suggests demonstrated achievement or potential ability can be in:
• general intellectual ability
• specific academic aptitude
• creative or productive thinking
• leadership ability
• visual and performing arts
• psychomotor abilities
This idea of different types of gifts has been developed by Howard Gardner in his theory of multiple intelligences. The key point is to realise that gifts and gifted children don't all come in the same box, their gifts and talents may be across many fields or particular to one. And gifted children can have learning difficulties or disabilities too. A child may have an extraordinary talent in reading and comprehension but need remediation in mathematics. Indeed some of the more difficult (perhaps tragic) cases of a child unable to find an educational fit occur when he or she is gifted and suffers specific learning difficulties at the same time. These Gifted Learning Disabled (GLD) children often have neither of their needs met - their erratic performance is neither superior enough or depressed enough to gain them access to special provisions that might alleviate their frustrations and often low self-esteem.
Gifted and talented students can show the same diversity of personalities and learning styles as other groups of students. They too, for example, can be inhibited and slow to respond. Some may be exceptionally or profoundly gifted in one or more areas. Consequently the "gifted" label covers a wide range of student abilities and needs and any one standard "gifted program" may well not meet a particular gifted child's needs - ideally an appropriately tailored program should start with an appraisal of the needs of that child.
Characteristics of gifted children
Often the earliest identification of gifted children takes place by simple observation of the child's behaviour by an educational professional, a parent or friend. Far from undermined by being subjective, identification by characteristic traits is generally accurate, and is less intrusive or conspicuous than other methods. It also readily allows types of giftedness to be detected, and is often valuably used with young children. Nonetheless subjective elements are certainly involved particularly in comparisons with other children of the same age.
The following lists were adapted from one compiled from various sources. Note it is not expected that any gifted child will show all the traits listed in any section.
Characteristic traits are listed by broad category of giftedness. These are:
• general intellectual ability
• specific academic aptitude
• creative thinking and production
• leadership
• psychomotor ability
• visual and performing arts
General intellectual ability
• is an avid reader
• has avid interest in science or literature
• provides very alert, rapid answers to questions
• has a wide range of interests
• is secure emotionally
• is venturesome, wanting to do new things
• tends to dominate peers or situations
• is an entrepreneur - readily makes money on various projects or activities
• needs little outside control - applies self discipline
• is resourceful - solving problems by ingenious methods
• is creative in new ideas, seeing associations, pursuing innovations
• displays a great curiosity about objects, situations or events
• has the capacity to look into things and be puzzled
• is involved with many exploratory type activities
• reveals originality in oral and written expression
• is perceptually open to his or her environment
• displays a willingness to accept complexity
• has the capacity to use knowledge and information other than to memorise
• shows superior judgement in evaluating things
• is a good guesser
• makes good grades in most subjects
• learns rapidly, easily and efficiently
• uses a lot of commonsense
• retains and uses information which has been heard or read
• uses a large number of words easily and accurately
• asks many questions of a provocative nature
• has a power of abstraction, conceptualisation and synthesis
• has an interest in cause-effect relations
• has a liking for structure, order and consistency
• has a power of concentration, an intense attention that excludes all else
• is persistent
• has a high energy level
• is independent
• is friendly and outgoing
Specific academic aptitude
• shows similar characteristics to general intellectual ability but concentrated around one or a few fields
• has a long attention span in areas of interest
• learns rapidly, easily and with less repetition in one or a few specific areas (probably not all subject areas)
• likes or loves one or a few areas of knowledge
• likes to study some subjects more than others
• spends time voluntarily beyond ordinary assignments on projects of interest to him or her
• is able to extend learning from these key areas to various situations somewhat unrelated in orientation
• is able to show broad perspective on one or more subject areas
• is able to judge own and others' relative abilities in key areas of interest
• seeks assistance of others beyond his or age peers in extending knowledge in areas of interest
Creative thinking and production
• is fluent in producing and elaborating on ideas
• makes unusual associations between remote ideas
• is flexible in thinking patterns
• senses when problems exist
• acts spontaneously, intuitively
• tolerates ambiguity and uncertainty
• senses inconsistencies and discontinuities
• readily guesses and makes hypotheses
• juggles or redefines elements of a problem or task
• can show intense concentration on a task
• retains own ideas in a discussion or collaboration
• provides mulitple solutions or responses to problems
• is uninhibited in expression, sometimes radical
• is intellectually playful, interested in fantasy, imagination
• always trying to adapt or improve things
• has a keen sense of humour, seeing humour in situations others don't
• doesn't mind being different
• doesn't accept authoritarian pronouncements without own judgement
• asks provocative questions, challenges parents, teachers, written and other authorities
• is bored with memorisation and recitation
• displays energy, somtimes disruptively
• produces unexpected, sometimes "silly" responses
• is considered, and perhaps resented, by some peers as "crazy"
• can show unusual degrees of originality, concentration and persistent hard work on projects that capture their interest and imagination
Leadership
• can stimulate and arouse others
• organises others
• recognises skills and abilities possessed by others
• interacts with others easily showing social skills
• recognises and can articulate the goals of a group
• can articulate ideas clearly
• can listen to others empathetically
• understands how people feel and how groups function
• can give directions clearly and effectively
• exercises authority reliably and responsibly
• can adopt non-leadership roles within a group
• can establish the mood of a group
• supports others in a group when appropriate
• can coordinate the work of several individuals
• is often asked for ideas and suggestions
• is looked to by others when something must be decided
Psychomotor ability
• is rhythmic
• is athletic
• likes to play physically
• has a suitable body build
• is coordinated, balanced and confident in physical activities
• is inventive in constructing or modifying games
• is energetic
• is able to understand the intellectual aspects of psychomotor activities
• demonstrates endurance, stamina and persistence in physical activities
• demonstrates prowess in physical activities common amongst age peers
Visual and performing arts
Music
• has good sense of rhythm
• is well-coordinated
• discriminates musical and other sounds well
• understands musical relationships
• enjoys musical activities and demonstrates musical feeling
• shows tonal memory
• responds readily to rhythm, melody and harmony
• uses music to express feeling or experience
• makes up original tunes
• enjoys dance and dramatic activities with musical elements
Dramatics
• demonstrates interest and enjoyment in dramatic activities
• readily shifts into role of another character, animal or object
• uses voice to reflect changes in mood
• demonstrates understanding of conflict when acting out a dramatic event
• communicates feelings by means of facial expressions, gestures and bodily movements
• enjoys evoking emotional responses from listeners
• demonstrates ability to dramatise feelings and experiences
• brings a dramatic situation to a climax with a well-timed ending when telling a story
Art
• draws a variety of objects
• puts depth into drawing, showing planning and good proportion
• treats art seriously and enjoys it
• shows originality in modes of undertaking art
• is willing to try out new materials and experiences
• pursues art in spare time
• uses art to express feelings and experiences
• is interested in other people's art, both appreciating it and criticising it
• likes to model three dimensionally with clay, soap carving, plasticine etc
Last updated: 3/8/00
Copied from website 10-6-01
LOOK FOR: What is a gifted child? | Gifted education resources index | Education index | Austega home
Inquiries regarding this page to Austega Pty Ltd ABN 99 002 361 748
Bright Child or Gifted Learner?
HIGH ACHIEVER OR GIFTED STUDENT?
THE BRIGHT CHILD: WHILE THE GIFTED LEARNER:
Is interested Is highly curious
Is alert Keenly observant
Has good ideas Has wild, silly ideas
Works hard Plays around, yet tests well
Answers the questions as asked Discusses answers in detail, elaborates Grasps the meaning Draws inferences
Absorbs information Manipulates information
Good memorizer Good guesser
Listens with interest Shows strong feelings and opinions
Knows the answers Asks the questions
Is receptive Is intense
Is placed in top groups Is beyond the top groups
Learns with ease Already knows
Understands ideas Constructs abstractions
Completes assignments Initiates projects
Needs 6-8 repetitions for mastery Needs 1-2 repetitions for mastery
Enjoys peers Prefers adults
Copies accurately Creates a new design
Enjoys school Enjoys learning
Technician Inventor
Enjoys straightforward, Thrives on complexity
sequential presentation
Is pleased with own learning Is highly self-critical
A. Houston, 1-5-98
Adapted from “Challenge”, Good Apple,Inc. Issue 34, 1989, p. 4.
How do I tell if he/she’s gifted?
How do behaviors help me recognize a Gifted Child?
Do I have someone who learns the first time I tell him/her something?
Is there someone who surprises me when he/she brings in a project ?
Is there someone who always wants to comment on how this or that fact relates to something else they’ve read or seen?
Some who knows a lot about general subjects or specific categories?
Is there someone who waltzes around the room instead of walking normally?
Someone who hums all the time?
Someone who drums on the desk with a pencil or ruler or even his/her fingers?
Does someone constantly ask why? Or how?
Do you have a student who wants “to be alone” to work?
Is there someone who sees a lot of ways to do something? Who’s mind is always working?
Is there someone who doesn’t stop with the answer you expect, but adds more - either in pictures or words?
State Dept of Education Gifted and Talented
wanda.monthey@maine.gov
What is a Gifted Child? - trying to define the beast
A good question to start with. The word "gifted" has been defined differently by different academics and practitioners and is often considered by many to be an unfortunate term, but it has become generally associated with a child whose potential in one or more areas of skill would place him or her in the top 2-5% of children of the same age. Notice that this does not assume a narrow view of academic intelligence - the areas of skill can be traditionally academic, or creative, intrapersonal etc.
A United States Office of Education definition (Marland, 1982) suggests gifted and talented students are those "who have outstanding abilities, are capable of high performance and who require differentiated educational programs (beyond those normally provided by regular school programs) in order to realise their contribution to self and society".
The same source suggests demonstrated achievement or potential ability can be in:
• general intellectual ability
• specific academic aptitude
• creative or productive thinking
• leadership ability
• visual and performing arts
• psychomotor abilities
This idea of different types of gifts has been developed by Howard Gardner in his theory of multiple intelligences. The key point is to realise that gifts and gifted children don't all come in the same box, their gifts and talents may be across many fields or particular to one. And gifted children can have learning difficulties or disabilities too. A child may have an extraordinary talent in reading and comprehension but need remediation in mathematics or therapy to assist writing skills. Indeed some of the more difficult (perhaps tragic) cases of finding an educational fit for a child occurs when they are gifted and suffer specific learning difficulties at the same time. These Gifted Learning Disabled (GLD) children often have neither of their needs met - their erratic performance is neither superior enough or depressed enough for them to gain them access to special provisions that might alleviate their frustrations and often low self-esteem.
Gifted and talented students can show the same diversity of personalities and learning styles as other groups of students. They too, for example, can be inhibited and slow to respond. Some may be exceptionally or profoundly gifted in one or more areas. Consequently the "gifted" label covers a wide range of student abilities and needs and any one standard "gifted program" may well not meet a particular gifted child's needs - an appropriate program should start with an appraisal of the needs of that child.
Taking the many areas in which gifts and talents might lie into account possibly some 10-15% of the overall population could be considered "gifted" in one or more areas. Gifted children are not rare. Highly gifted children are rarer, and exceptionally and profoundly gifted children much more so - and may not have their needs adequately met even when gifted programs exist.
Identification
© NSWAGTC 2001
Recognizing the Characteristics of Gifted Children
ERIC Clearinghouse on Handicapped and Gifted Children (1985) cites three types of characteristics of gifted children: general behavioral, learning, and creative characteristics.
General Behavior Characteristics
Gifted children's behavior differs from that of their age-mates in the following ways:
• Many gifted children learn to read early, with better comprehension of the nuances of language. As much as half the gifted and talented population has learned to read before entering school.
• Gifted children often read widely, quickly, and intensely and have large vocabularies.
• Gifted children commonly learn basic skills better, more quickly, and with less practice.
• They are better able to construct and handle abstractions.
• They often pick up and interpret nonverbal cues and can draw inferences that other children need to have spelled out for them.
• They take less for granted, seeking the "hows" and "whys."
• They can work independently at an earlier age and can concentrate for longer periods.
• Their interests are both wildly eclectic and intensely focused.
• They often have seemingly boundless energy, which sometimes leads to a misdiagnosis of hyperactivity.
• They usually respond and relate well to parents, teachers, and other adults. They may prefer the company of older children and adults to that of their peers.
• They like to learn new things, are willing to examine the unusual, and are highly inquisitive.
• They tackle tasks and problems in a well-organized, goal-directed, and efficient manner.
• They exhibit an intrinsic motivation to learn, find out, or explore and are often very persistent. "I'd rather do it myself" is a common attitude.
Learning Characteristics
Gifted children are natural learners who often show many of these characteristics:
• They may show keen powers of observation and a sense of the significant; they have an eye for important details.
• They may read a great deal on their own, preferring books and magazines written for children older than they are.
• They often take great pleasure in intellectual activity.
• They have well-developed powers of abstraction, conceptualization, and synthesis.
• They readily see cause-effect relationships.
• They often display a questioning attitude and seek information for its own sake as much as for its usefulness.
• They are often skeptical, critical, and evaluative. They are quick to spot inconsistencies.
• They often have a large storehouse of information about a variety of topics, which they can recall quickly.
• They readily grasp underlying principles and can often make valid generalizations about events, people, or objects.
• They quickly perceive similarities, differences, and anomalies.
• They often attack complicated material by separating it into components and analyzing it systematically.
Creative Characteristics
Gifted children's creative abilities often set them apart from their age-mates. These characteristics may take the following forms:
• Gifted children are fluent thinkers, able to generate possibilities, consequences, or related ideas.
• They are flexible thinkers, able to use many different alternatives and approaches to problem solving.
• They are original thinkers, seeking new, unusual, or unconventional associations and combinations among items of information.
• They can also see relationships among seemingly unrelated objects, ideas, or facts.
• They are elaborate thinkers, producing new steps, ideas, responses, or other embellishments to a basic idea, situation, or problems.
• They are willing to entertain complexity and seem to thrive on problem solving.
• They are good guessers and can readily construct hypotheses or "what if" questions.
• They often are aware of their own impulsiveness and irrationality, and they show emotional sensitivity.
• They are extremely curious about objects, ideas, situations, or events.
• They often display intellectual playfulness and like to fantasize and imagine.
• They can be less intellectually inhibited than their peers are in expressing opinions and ideas, and they often disagree spiritedly with others' statements.
• They are sensitive to beauty and are attracted to aesthetic values.
What does a “gifted child” look like? Act like?
What are the characteristics of Gifted Children ?
High Achiever or Gifted?
Of all the children you have taught, what characteristics in a child made you think of them as “gifted”?
Second Exercise for the GT course: Read and think about all these definitions of "Gifted Children". Then write in your journal or as an essay your own idea of what constitutes a "gifted child" based on your exerperience and understanding. Do you agree or disagree with the common definitions?
Annette
Labels are unimportant until you realize that people still use them and sometimes not in the same way
ASKING "WHAT IS a gifted child?" is a good question to start with.
The label "gifted" is considered by many to be unfortunate, with its connotations of good fortune and superiority, and more significantly its implied labelling of others as "ungifted". But it has nonetheless been commonly used in academic literature and in general conversation - in the latter field it has of course been abused as well.
A definition constructed by the NSW Parents and Citizens Association and accepted by their 2000 Annual Conference expresses it this way:
"Gifted/talented children are those children who possess an untrained and spontaneously expressed natural ability in at least one ability domain significantly beyond that typically seen in children of the same age. Giftedness comes in many forms and levels. It is found in students of all socio-economic groups, and of diverse personalities and backgrounds. It can be combined with other exceptionalities/special needs such as learning disabilities, socio-economic disadvantage, geographic isolation, Aboriginality and having English as a second language."
Note the emphasis on potential rather than achievement as the defining characteristic. There may be many constraints that prevent the potential from being realized, such as those mentioned in the last sentence above. Of course, the emphasis on potential or natural ability, raises the question of how this can be detected or measured.
The United States Office of Education definition (Marland 1982) suggests gifted and talented students are those "who have outstanding abilities, are capable of high performance and who require differentiated educational programs (beyond those normally provided by regular school programs) in order to realise their contribution to self and society".
The last element, that of the need of this group of children for differentiated educational response, is of course the prime reason why gifted children need the label - it is not a label to be worn proudly as if earnt, but rather an indication of special need, even if this special need is different from those who are more often associated with the "special needs" label.
The same source suggests demonstrated achievement or potential ability can be in:
• general intellectual ability
• specific academic aptitude
• creative or productive thinking
• leadership ability
• visual and performing arts
• psychomotor abilities
This idea of different types of gifts has been developed by Howard Gardner in his theory of multiple intelligences. The key point is to realise that gifts and gifted children don't all come in the same box, their gifts and talents may be across many fields or particular to one. And gifted children can have learning difficulties or disabilities too. A child may have an extraordinary talent in reading and comprehension but need remediation in mathematics. Indeed some of the more difficult (perhaps tragic) cases of a child unable to find an educational fit occur when he or she is gifted and suffers specific learning difficulties at the same time. These Gifted Learning Disabled (GLD) children often have neither of their needs met - their erratic performance is neither superior enough or depressed enough to gain them access to special provisions that might alleviate their frustrations and often low self-esteem.
Gifted and talented students can show the same diversity of personalities and learning styles as other groups of students. They too, for example, can be inhibited and slow to respond. Some may be exceptionally or profoundly gifted in one or more areas. Consequently the "gifted" label covers a wide range of student abilities and needs and any one standard "gifted program" may well not meet a particular gifted child's needs - ideally an appropriately tailored program should start with an appraisal of the needs of that child.
Characteristics of gifted children
Often the earliest identification of gifted children takes place by simple observation of the child's behaviour by an educational professional, a parent or friend. Far from undermined by being subjective, identification by characteristic traits is generally accurate, and is less intrusive or conspicuous than other methods. It also readily allows types of giftedness to be detected, and is often valuably used with young children. Nonetheless subjective elements are certainly involved particularly in comparisons with other children of the same age.
The following lists were adapted from one compiled from various sources. Note it is not expected that any gifted child will show all the traits listed in any section.
Characteristic traits are listed by broad category of giftedness. These are:
• general intellectual ability
• specific academic aptitude
• creative thinking and production
• leadership
• psychomotor ability
• visual and performing arts
General intellectual ability
• is an avid reader
• has avid interest in science or literature
• provides very alert, rapid answers to questions
• has a wide range of interests
• is secure emotionally
• is venturesome, wanting to do new things
• tends to dominate peers or situations
• is an entrepreneur - readily makes money on various projects or activities
• needs little outside control - applies self discipline
• is resourceful - solving problems by ingenious methods
• is creative in new ideas, seeing associations, pursuing innovations
• displays a great curiosity about objects, situations or events
• has the capacity to look into things and be puzzled
• is involved with many exploratory type activities
• reveals originality in oral and written expression
• is perceptually open to his or her environment
• displays a willingness to accept complexity
• has the capacity to use knowledge and information other than to memorise
• shows superior judgement in evaluating things
• is a good guesser
• makes good grades in most subjects
• learns rapidly, easily and efficiently
• uses a lot of commonsense
• retains and uses information which has been heard or read
• uses a large number of words easily and accurately
• asks many questions of a provocative nature
• has a power of abstraction, conceptualisation and synthesis
• has an interest in cause-effect relations
• has a liking for structure, order and consistency
• has a power of concentration, an intense attention that excludes all else
• is persistent
• has a high energy level
• is independent
• is friendly and outgoing
Specific academic aptitude
• shows similar characteristics to general intellectual ability but concentrated around one or a few fields
• has a long attention span in areas of interest
• learns rapidly, easily and with less repetition in one or a few specific areas (probably not all subject areas)
• likes or loves one or a few areas of knowledge
• likes to study some subjects more than others
• spends time voluntarily beyond ordinary assignments on projects of interest to him or her
• is able to extend learning from these key areas to various situations somewhat unrelated in orientation
• is able to show broad perspective on one or more subject areas
• is able to judge own and others' relative abilities in key areas of interest
• seeks assistance of others beyond his or age peers in extending knowledge in areas of interest
Creative thinking and production
• is fluent in producing and elaborating on ideas
• makes unusual associations between remote ideas
• is flexible in thinking patterns
• senses when problems exist
• acts spontaneously, intuitively
• tolerates ambiguity and uncertainty
• senses inconsistencies and discontinuities
• readily guesses and makes hypotheses
• juggles or redefines elements of a problem or task
• can show intense concentration on a task
• retains own ideas in a discussion or collaboration
• provides mulitple solutions or responses to problems
• is uninhibited in expression, sometimes radical
• is intellectually playful, interested in fantasy, imagination
• always trying to adapt or improve things
• has a keen sense of humour, seeing humour in situations others don't
• doesn't mind being different
• doesn't accept authoritarian pronouncements without own judgement
• asks provocative questions, challenges parents, teachers, written and other authorities
• is bored with memorisation and recitation
• displays energy, somtimes disruptively
• produces unexpected, sometimes "silly" responses
• is considered, and perhaps resented, by some peers as "crazy"
• can show unusual degrees of originality, concentration and persistent hard work on projects that capture their interest and imagination
Leadership
• can stimulate and arouse others
• organises others
• recognises skills and abilities possessed by others
• interacts with others easily showing social skills
• recognises and can articulate the goals of a group
• can articulate ideas clearly
• can listen to others empathetically
• understands how people feel and how groups function
• can give directions clearly and effectively
• exercises authority reliably and responsibly
• can adopt non-leadership roles within a group
• can establish the mood of a group
• supports others in a group when appropriate
• can coordinate the work of several individuals
• is often asked for ideas and suggestions
• is looked to by others when something must be decided
Psychomotor ability
• is rhythmic
• is athletic
• likes to play physically
• has a suitable body build
• is coordinated, balanced and confident in physical activities
• is inventive in constructing or modifying games
• is energetic
• is able to understand the intellectual aspects of psychomotor activities
• demonstrates endurance, stamina and persistence in physical activities
• demonstrates prowess in physical activities common amongst age peers
Visual and performing arts
Music
• has good sense of rhythm
• is well-coordinated
• discriminates musical and other sounds well
• understands musical relationships
• enjoys musical activities and demonstrates musical feeling
• shows tonal memory
• responds readily to rhythm, melody and harmony
• uses music to express feeling or experience
• makes up original tunes
• enjoys dance and dramatic activities with musical elements
Dramatics
• demonstrates interest and enjoyment in dramatic activities
• readily shifts into role of another character, animal or object
• uses voice to reflect changes in mood
• demonstrates understanding of conflict when acting out a dramatic event
• communicates feelings by means of facial expressions, gestures and bodily movements
• enjoys evoking emotional responses from listeners
• demonstrates ability to dramatise feelings and experiences
• brings a dramatic situation to a climax with a well-timed ending when telling a story
Art
• draws a variety of objects
• puts depth into drawing, showing planning and good proportion
• treats art seriously and enjoys it
• shows originality in modes of undertaking art
• is willing to try out new materials and experiences
• pursues art in spare time
• uses art to express feelings and experiences
• is interested in other people's art, both appreciating it and criticising it
• likes to model three dimensionally with clay, soap carving, plasticine etc
Last updated: 3/8/00
Copied from website 10-6-01
LOOK FOR: What is a gifted child? | Gifted education resources index | Education index | Austega home
Inquiries regarding this page to Austega Pty Ltd ABN 99 002 361 748
Bright Child or Gifted Learner?
HIGH ACHIEVER OR GIFTED STUDENT?
THE BRIGHT CHILD: WHILE THE GIFTED LEARNER:
Is interested Is highly curious
Is alert Keenly observant
Has good ideas Has wild, silly ideas
Works hard Plays around, yet tests well
Answers the questions as asked Discusses answers in detail, elaborates Grasps the meaning Draws inferences
Absorbs information Manipulates information
Good memorizer Good guesser
Listens with interest Shows strong feelings and opinions
Knows the answers Asks the questions
Is receptive Is intense
Is placed in top groups Is beyond the top groups
Learns with ease Already knows
Understands ideas Constructs abstractions
Completes assignments Initiates projects
Needs 6-8 repetitions for mastery Needs 1-2 repetitions for mastery
Enjoys peers Prefers adults
Copies accurately Creates a new design
Enjoys school Enjoys learning
Technician Inventor
Enjoys straightforward, Thrives on complexity
sequential presentation
Is pleased with own learning Is highly self-critical
A. Houston, 1-5-98
Adapted from “Challenge”, Good Apple,Inc. Issue 34, 1989, p. 4.
How do I tell if he/she’s gifted?
How do behaviors help me recognize a Gifted Child?
Do I have someone who learns the first time I tell him/her something?
Is there someone who surprises me when he/she brings in a project ?
Is there someone who always wants to comment on how this or that fact relates to something else they’ve read or seen?
Some who knows a lot about general subjects or specific categories?
Is there someone who waltzes around the room instead of walking normally?
Someone who hums all the time?
Someone who drums on the desk with a pencil or ruler or even his/her fingers?
Does someone constantly ask why? Or how?
Do you have a student who wants “to be alone” to work?
Is there someone who sees a lot of ways to do something? Who’s mind is always working?
Is there someone who doesn’t stop with the answer you expect, but adds more - either in pictures or words?
State Dept of Education Gifted and Talented
wanda.monthey@maine.gov
What is a Gifted Child? - trying to define the beast
A good question to start with. The word "gifted" has been defined differently by different academics and practitioners and is often considered by many to be an unfortunate term, but it has become generally associated with a child whose potential in one or more areas of skill would place him or her in the top 2-5% of children of the same age. Notice that this does not assume a narrow view of academic intelligence - the areas of skill can be traditionally academic, or creative, intrapersonal etc.
A United States Office of Education definition (Marland, 1982) suggests gifted and talented students are those "who have outstanding abilities, are capable of high performance and who require differentiated educational programs (beyond those normally provided by regular school programs) in order to realise their contribution to self and society".
The same source suggests demonstrated achievement or potential ability can be in:
• general intellectual ability
• specific academic aptitude
• creative or productive thinking
• leadership ability
• visual and performing arts
• psychomotor abilities
This idea of different types of gifts has been developed by Howard Gardner in his theory of multiple intelligences. The key point is to realise that gifts and gifted children don't all come in the same box, their gifts and talents may be across many fields or particular to one. And gifted children can have learning difficulties or disabilities too. A child may have an extraordinary talent in reading and comprehension but need remediation in mathematics or therapy to assist writing skills. Indeed some of the more difficult (perhaps tragic) cases of finding an educational fit for a child occurs when they are gifted and suffer specific learning difficulties at the same time. These Gifted Learning Disabled (GLD) children often have neither of their needs met - their erratic performance is neither superior enough or depressed enough for them to gain them access to special provisions that might alleviate their frustrations and often low self-esteem.
Gifted and talented students can show the same diversity of personalities and learning styles as other groups of students. They too, for example, can be inhibited and slow to respond. Some may be exceptionally or profoundly gifted in one or more areas. Consequently the "gifted" label covers a wide range of student abilities and needs and any one standard "gifted program" may well not meet a particular gifted child's needs - an appropriate program should start with an appraisal of the needs of that child.
Taking the many areas in which gifts and talents might lie into account possibly some 10-15% of the overall population could be considered "gifted" in one or more areas. Gifted children are not rare. Highly gifted children are rarer, and exceptionally and profoundly gifted children much more so - and may not have their needs adequately met even when gifted programs exist.
Identification
© NSWAGTC 2001
Recognizing the Characteristics of Gifted Children
ERIC Clearinghouse on Handicapped and Gifted Children (1985) cites three types of characteristics of gifted children: general behavioral, learning, and creative characteristics.
General Behavior Characteristics
Gifted children's behavior differs from that of their age-mates in the following ways:
• Many gifted children learn to read early, with better comprehension of the nuances of language. As much as half the gifted and talented population has learned to read before entering school.
• Gifted children often read widely, quickly, and intensely and have large vocabularies.
• Gifted children commonly learn basic skills better, more quickly, and with less practice.
• They are better able to construct and handle abstractions.
• They often pick up and interpret nonverbal cues and can draw inferences that other children need to have spelled out for them.
• They take less for granted, seeking the "hows" and "whys."
• They can work independently at an earlier age and can concentrate for longer periods.
• Their interests are both wildly eclectic and intensely focused.
• They often have seemingly boundless energy, which sometimes leads to a misdiagnosis of hyperactivity.
• They usually respond and relate well to parents, teachers, and other adults. They may prefer the company of older children and adults to that of their peers.
• They like to learn new things, are willing to examine the unusual, and are highly inquisitive.
• They tackle tasks and problems in a well-organized, goal-directed, and efficient manner.
• They exhibit an intrinsic motivation to learn, find out, or explore and are often very persistent. "I'd rather do it myself" is a common attitude.
Learning Characteristics
Gifted children are natural learners who often show many of these characteristics:
• They may show keen powers of observation and a sense of the significant; they have an eye for important details.
• They may read a great deal on their own, preferring books and magazines written for children older than they are.
• They often take great pleasure in intellectual activity.
• They have well-developed powers of abstraction, conceptualization, and synthesis.
• They readily see cause-effect relationships.
• They often display a questioning attitude and seek information for its own sake as much as for its usefulness.
• They are often skeptical, critical, and evaluative. They are quick to spot inconsistencies.
• They often have a large storehouse of information about a variety of topics, which they can recall quickly.
• They readily grasp underlying principles and can often make valid generalizations about events, people, or objects.
• They quickly perceive similarities, differences, and anomalies.
• They often attack complicated material by separating it into components and analyzing it systematically.
Creative Characteristics
Gifted children's creative abilities often set them apart from their age-mates. These characteristics may take the following forms:
• Gifted children are fluent thinkers, able to generate possibilities, consequences, or related ideas.
• They are flexible thinkers, able to use many different alternatives and approaches to problem solving.
• They are original thinkers, seeking new, unusual, or unconventional associations and combinations among items of information.
• They can also see relationships among seemingly unrelated objects, ideas, or facts.
• They are elaborate thinkers, producing new steps, ideas, responses, or other embellishments to a basic idea, situation, or problems.
• They are willing to entertain complexity and seem to thrive on problem solving.
• They are good guessers and can readily construct hypotheses or "what if" questions.
• They often are aware of their own impulsiveness and irrationality, and they show emotional sensitivity.
• They are extremely curious about objects, ideas, situations, or events.
• They often display intellectual playfulness and like to fantasize and imagine.
• They can be less intellectually inhibited than their peers are in expressing opinions and ideas, and they often disagree spiritedly with others' statements.
• They are sensitive to beauty and are attracted to aesthetic values.
Assignment #4
October 23, 2006
Karen Wagner
What is intelligence? I like the definition Howard Gardner gives in Intelligence Reframed, his follow up book on multiple intelligences.
Both of these scientists appreciate the complexity of intelligence, and they share the belief that cultural influences can make a critical difference in whether or not a potential intelligence is developed. Neither expresses much confidence in traditional intelligence testing methods beyond predicting how well an individual might perform in a traditional school setting, because there are so many issues that affect learning that cannot be measured on any test (though Gardner concedes that the greater a value society places on a type of intelligence, the more elaborate the steps to measure it and achieve excellence will exist). Both believe that teachers are in a good position to observe and nurture the development of intelligence.
Levine says that we not only need to have more than one way of evaluating a child, we are “morally obligated” to make sure we understand the kids who are struggling and find ways to help them rather than punish them for not learning. He suggests that really observant teachers can figure out why a child is having “output failure” based on neurodevelopment functions. If a student lacks the procedural memory, pattern recognition or spatial ability to solve a word problem, can we be more flexible in designing our tests so different kinds of minds can be successful? Is there a way we can use what we have learned about brain development and intelligences to inform our instruction for understanding the differences between kids and responding to those differences? And how do we help students mobilize and connect their intelligences with respect to their inclinations and today’s cultural preferences?
Daniel Goleman has explored emotional intelligence, and more recently “social intelligence” (which I see as elaborations on
Shifting focus a bit, I did do the K-Bit test. The score came out in the same range as my IQ measured back in grade school, which I found interesting in light of the reading I had done. Perhaps it only confirms that I have always been a strong linguistic and logical thinker; I have usually been a good tester. Completing “My Self-Portrait” confirmed this information as well, though I was surprised to have such a high body-kinesthetic score (28!). With the exception of musical and technology, all my scores were within 2-3 of one another. This balance probably reflects my age and need to have further developed some areas for continued success in personal relationships and work settings. Doesn’t everyone “layer on” things they need to know? If we all eventually learn what we need to know to be successful, how does this impact how we teach and evaluate kids in school settings? Levine suggests that we grade students only on those areas they are passionate about, letting students choose where to place emphasis. Without the pressure of a grade in a subject less compelling to a student, might they learn more?
As usual, more learning has raised more questions.
Essay as response to Assignment #4
October 23, 2006
Karen Wagner
What is intelligence? I like the definition Howard Gardner gives in Intelligence Reframed, his follow up book on multiple intelligences.
Both of these scientists appreciate the complexity of intelligence, and they share the belief that cultural influences can make a critical difference in whether or not a potential intelligence is developed. Neither expresses much confidence in traditional intelligence testing methods beyond predicting how well an individual might perform in a traditional school setting, because there are so many issues that affect learning that cannot be measured on any test (though Gardner concedes that the greater a value society places on a type of intelligence, the more elaborate the steps to measure it and achieve excellence will exist). Both believe that teachers are in a good position to observe and nurture the development of intelligence.
Levine says that we not only need to have more than one way of evaluating a child, we are “morally obligated” to make sure we understand the kids who are struggling and find ways to help them rather than punish them for not learning. He suggests that really observant teachers can figure out why a child is having “output failure” based on neurodevelopment functions. If a student lacks the procedural memory, pattern recognition or spatial ability to solve a word problem, can we be more flexible in designing our tests so different kinds of minds can be successful? Is there a way we can use what we have learned about brain development and intelligences to inform our instruction for understanding the differences between kids and responding to those differences? And how do we help students mobilize and connect their intelligences with respect to their inclinations and today’s cultural preferences?
Daniel Goleman has explored emotional intelligence, and more recently “social intelligence” (which I see as elaborations on
Shifting focus a bit, I did do the K-Bit test. The score came out in the same range as my IQ measured back in grade school, which I found interesting in light of the reading I had done. Perhaps it only confirms that I have always been a strong linguistic and logical thinker; I have usually been a good tester. Completing “My Self-Portrait” confirmed this information as well, though I was surprised to have such a high body-kinesthetic score (28!). With the exception of musical and technology, all my scores were within 2-3 of one another. This balance probably reflects my age and need to have further developed some areas for continued success in personal relationships and work settings. Doesn’t everyone “layer on” things they need to know? If we all eventually learn what we need to know to be successful, how does this impact how we teach and evaluate kids in school settings? Levine suggests that we grade students only on those areas they are passionate about, letting students choose where to place emphasis. Without the pressure of a grade in a subject less compelling to a student, might they learn more?
As usual, more learning has raised more questions.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Lesson 1 GT Course
Reflect upon your experience with students you feel are "gifted". Read the sample essay enclosed and write an essay about a gifted child you have known. This was written by a former course participant.
PROFILE OF A GIFTED CHILD
Profile of a Gifted Child
If you visited my room you would quickly notice Sally. She is very vocal and has definite opinions and ideas about things. She always has something to share with the class, or with a neighbor. She is very knowledgeable about words. If the class wants to know the definition of a word, she can usually tell them what it means and will use it in a sentence (or paragraph).
Sally has times when others would prefer not to have her around or in their group. She is the youngest of three siblings. The other two siblings are boys, and are known for their aggressive nature. What other people are doing, or saying can quickly annoy her. When in a group she likes to be in control and finds it difficult to consider other people’s ideas, therefore compromising can become an issue.
She loves to do art projects. Her work is very detailed. It usually takes her awhile to finish because everything needs to look perfect
Math and science are two other areas that interest her. She is an excellent problem solver. She has the ability to see the whole picture.
Sally is very confident in herself except when it comes to reading and writing. She has recently been tested and labeled with a learning disability. It is a type of dyslexia that has effected her phonetic development. She gets very frustrated when an activity involves writing. Her perfectionism interferes with her getting her ideas on paper because she knows that she is misspelling most of her words. At the end of this school year both her reading and writing were two benchmarks below standard.
When Sally’s world of written words opens up for her, there will be no stopping her. Some day she will be a famous architect, lawyer, doctor or what ever she wants to be. She once told me she would like to be a teacher. What a teacher she would be!
PROFILE OF A GIFTED CHILD
Profile of a Gifted Child
If you visited my room you would quickly notice Sally. She is very vocal and has definite opinions and ideas about things. She always has something to share with the class, or with a neighbor. She is very knowledgeable about words. If the class wants to know the definition of a word, she can usually tell them what it means and will use it in a sentence (or paragraph).
Sally has times when others would prefer not to have her around or in their group. She is the youngest of three siblings. The other two siblings are boys, and are known for their aggressive nature. What other people are doing, or saying can quickly annoy her. When in a group she likes to be in control and finds it difficult to consider other people’s ideas, therefore compromising can become an issue.
She loves to do art projects. Her work is very detailed. It usually takes her awhile to finish because everything needs to look perfect
Math and science are two other areas that interest her. She is an excellent problem solver. She has the ability to see the whole picture.
Sally is very confident in herself except when it comes to reading and writing. She has recently been tested and labeled with a learning disability. It is a type of dyslexia that has effected her phonetic development. She gets very frustrated when an activity involves writing. Her perfectionism interferes with her getting her ideas on paper because she knows that she is misspelling most of her words. At the end of this school year both her reading and writing were two benchmarks below standard.
When Sally’s world of written words opens up for her, there will be no stopping her. Some day she will be a famous architect, lawyer, doctor or what ever she wants to be. She once told me she would like to be a teacher. What a teacher she would be!
# posted by MSAD 48 Gifted and Talented Program @ 2:05 PM
A Basic Course in Differentiation in the Classroom
45 hours =3CEU's/class hours plus follow-up
The participant needs to go through the district's requirements for an independent study course and receive approval as part of his/her recertification plan.
Lessons are posted on this blogspot and will be completed by the participant in a timely manner on his/her own time and emailed to me.
Each lesson requires some reading and reflection. Some lessons require some research, experimentation and/or observation. Each participant will enhance an existing unit of instruction or create a new unit of instruction by planning accomodations in the classroom for the gifted learner.
The participant will respond by email (ahouston@msad48.org) and once reviewed the responses will be shared on the blog. If you are interested in signing up for this course, email me.
The participant needs to go through the district's requirements for an independent study course and receive approval as part of his/her recertification plan.
Lessons are posted on this blogspot and will be completed by the participant in a timely manner on his/her own time and emailed to me.
Each lesson requires some reading and reflection. Some lessons require some research, experimentation and/or observation. Each participant will enhance an existing unit of instruction or create a new unit of instruction by planning accomodations in the classroom for the gifted learner.
The participant will respond by email (ahouston@msad48.org) and once reviewed the responses will be shared on the blog. If you are interested in signing up for this course, email me.
# posted by MSAD 48 Gifted and Talented Program @ 1:43 PM
Welcome to GT Course #1
This is the blogsite for posting course information and lessons. Your responses should be sent directly to my email address, ahouston@msad48.org, and after I review them, your posts will appear on this blog for others to read.
