Gifted and Talented Learners :Macleans Primary School - September 1st, 2009 Gifted and Talented Learners Establishing the groundwork for future effective provision


Slide 2:concept - what is a gifted student? characteristics- what are they like? identification methods - how do I find one? programme provision - what do I do with them when I find one?


Myths :Gifted students are a homogeneous group, all high achievers. Gifted students do not need help. If they are really gifted, they can manage on their own. Gifted students have fewer problems than others because their intelligence and abilities somehow exempt them from the hassles of daily life. The future of a gifted student is assured: a world of opportunities lies before the student. Gifted students are self-directed; they know where they are heading. The social and emotional development of the gifted student is at the same level as his or her intellectual development. Gifted students are nerds and have no social skills. The primary value of the gifted student lies in his or her brain power. The gifted student's family always prizes his or her abilities. Gifted students need to serve as examples to others and they should always assume extra responsibility. Gifted students make everyone else smarter. Gifted students can accomplish anything they put their minds to. All they have to do is apply themselves. Gifted students are naturally creative and do not need encouragement. Gifted children are easy to raise and a welcome addition to any classroom. Myths


Truths :Gifted students are often perfectionistic and idealistic. They may equate achievement and grades with self-esteem and self-worth, which sometimes leads to fear of failure and interferes with achievement. Gifted students may experience heightened sensitivity to their own expectations and those of others, resulting in guilt over achievements or grades perceived to be low. Gifted students are asynchronous. Their chronological age, social, physical, emotional, and intellectual development may all be at different levels. For example, a 5-year-old may be able to read and comprehend a third-grade book but may not be able to write legibly. Some gifted children are "mappers" (sequential learners), while others are "leapers" (spatial learners). Leapers may not know how they got a "right answer." Mappers may get lost in the steps leading to the right answer. Gifted students may be so far ahead of their chronological age mates that they know more than half the curriculum before the school year begins! Their boredom can result in low achievement and misbehaviour. Gifted children are problem solvers. They benefit from working on open-ended, interdisciplinary problems; for example, how to solve a shortage of community resources. Gifted students often refuse to work for the sake of work. Gifted students often think abstractly and with such complexity that they may need help with concrete study- and test-taking skills. They may not be able to select one answer in a multiple choice question because they see how all the answers might be correct. Gifted students who do well in school may define success as getting an "A" and failure as any grade less than an "A." By early adolescence they may be unwilling to try anything where they are not certain of guaranteed success. Adapted from College Planning for Gifted Students, 2nd edition, by Sandra Berger. Truths


Who are the gifted? :A gifted person is someone who shows, or has the potential for showing, an exceptional level of performance in one or more areas of expression. The term, giftedness, provides a general reference to this spectrum of abilities without being specific or dependent on a single measure or index. It is generally recognized that approximately 5% of the student population are considered gifted. Who are the gifted?


Who are the gifted?When establishing a definition we need to consider :Becoming increasingly broad (not just academic) Reflects the diversity of abilities in society Incorporates multicultural values Interrelated with concept, characteristics, identification and programmes Who are the gifted?When establishing a definition we need to consider


Conceptual Models of Giftedness and Talent. :Gagne – “The Differentiated Model of Giftedness & Talent” Renzulli – Three-Ring Conception of Giftedness Sternberg – Pentagonal Theory of Giftedness Taylor – Multiple Talent Totem Poles Gardner – Multiple Intelligences Conceptual Models of Giftedness and Talent.


Who are the gifted? How do we identify them? :The term ‘gifted and talented’ when used in respect to students, children or youth means students, children youth who give evidence of high performance capability in areas such as intellectual, creative, artistic or leadership capacity, or in specified academic fields, and who require services or activities not ordinarily provided by the school in order to fully develop such capabilities. (Javits, K 1988) Gifted and talented children, or children with special needs and abilities are people who demonstrate or have the potential to demonstrate above average abilities, creativity and task commitment. They have the potential ability to achieve new insights, knowledge and understanding beyond that which is already perceived. They may be found amongst all races and cultures, in all socio-economic groups, in both sexes and engaging in a wide variety of human activities (Porten, Renzulli, Marland and Parkyn) Gifted behaviour reflects an interaction among three basic clusters of human traits – these clusters being above average (but not necessarily high) general and/or specific ability, high levels of task commitment (motivation) and high levels of creativity. Gifted and talented children are those possessing or capable of developing this composite set of traits and applying them to any potentially valuable area of human performance (Renzulli and Reis, 1997) Who are the gifted? How do we identify them?


Characteristics of Gifted Learners :Gifted students usually Comprehend new ideas quickly. Ask probing questions that differ from their classmates in frequency and depth of understanding. Have interests that are unusual, or more like the interests of older students. (Van Tassel-Baska (98), Parke and Maker(82)) Characteristics of Gifted Learners


Slide 10:Strongly influenced by the beliefs of the school’s population. Teachers Students Parents Non-teaching staff Community Identification in a Social Context


Identification Purposes :“means to an end” To offer appropriate programmes Not to ‘label’ Collection of information for ongoing monitoring/management Identification Purposes


Effective Identification :Multi-category approach From a wide range of sources - including formal data-gathering, parent, teacher observation, rating scales, portfolios etc Responsive environment approach - embedded into everyday learning and teaching. Incorporates values of the school population Reflects the school’s definition Inclusive (not exclusive) Sensitive to minority groups Effective Identification


Possible Definition :Gifted and talented students at Macleans Primary School are those who, in relation to their age, cultural and circumstantial peers, demonstrate exceptional performance or potential in one or more of the following areas and require differentiated educational opportunities and support to meet their potential. -     Intellectual/ academic – exceptional abilities in one or more of the essential learning areas. -     Creativity – as evidenced in their abilities to problem find and problem solve and in their innovative thinking and productivity -     Expression through the visual and performing arts – music, dance, drama and visual arts -     Social/Leadership – interpersonal and intrapersonal abilities and qualities which enable them to act in leadership roles. -     Culture-specific abilities and qualities – as valued by the student’s cultural ethnic group including service, traditional arts and crafts, language abilities. Expression through physical/sport – as evidenced through sport and/or health and physical education programmes Possible Definition


Identification Guidelines :-     Regular and Ongoing -     Regularly re-evaluated -     Multi-method -     Acknowledge that giftedness is evidenced in all societal groups regardless of culture, ethnicity, socio-economic status, gender or disability -     Matched to many areas of giftedness and talent. -     Practically linked to effective programme provision -     Supported with professional development and community consultation -     Systematic, coordinated and school wide -     Cumulative data will be collected and shared as appropriate. Identification Guidelines


Common Identification Methods :Teacher observation and nomination Standardised testing Rating Scales Peer nomination Self Nomination Parent Nominations Portfolios, and work samples Common Identification Methods


Examples of Information for Identification :Standardised Measures PAT testing (above 85%) Above year PAT testing Psychological Assessment of I.Q. e.g Stanford Binet, WISC III, STAR test Burt Reading ICAS exams Running Records Competitions Observations Teacher Observation Scales – e.g. Identifying Children with Special Abilities(McAlpine & Reid, 1996) Peer nomination Self nomination Parent nomination Parent Inventory e.g. Finding Potential ( Rogers, K. 2000) Teacher Inventory e.g. Learning Strengths TILS ( Rogers,K. 2000) Teacher nomination e.g. A preliminary Checklist for Children with Special Abilities (Cathcart, 1994) Standardised Evaluations Curriculum based assessments Teacher made tests Portfolios Performances Examples of Information for Identification


ProvisionQualitative Differentiation : A continuum of Provisions for Gifted and Talented Students. (MOE,2004) :ProvisionQualitative Differentiation : A continuum of Provisions for Gifted and Talented Students. (MOE,2004)


Procedure for Provision (out of class) :Procedure for Provision (out of class)