Underrepresented populations - groups traditionally excluded from gifted education services, including gifted girls, ethnic and cultural minorities, economically disadvantaged students, kids who misbehave, and those with learning differences. Perfectionism - having exceedingly high (often impossible) expectations about how one can or should perform academically or in other areas. Precocity - means knowing ahead of time. Precocious readers, for example, read sooner than expected…but not all precocious readers go on to become gifted learners. Conversely, not all those who go on to gifted-level achievement are early readers. Problem-based learning - an instructional method that compels students to think critically, analytically, and cooperatively, individually or in groups, toward finding solutions to real-world problems or imaginary scenarios (based in truth) using appropriate learning resources. Mentorship - the one-on-one learning relationship between a student and an expert in a specific topic or discipline. The mentor supports and guides the student to develop in that area of interest. 9. References Teaching Students who are Gifted and Talented: Programming for students with special needs series. Alberta Learning, Binder 7. 2000. Smutny, J.F., Walker, S. Y., Mechtroth, E.A. (1997). Teaching Young Gifted Children in the Regular Classroom: Identifying, Nurturing, and Challenging Age 4-9. Free Spirit Publishing, Minneapolis). Matthews, D.J., Foster, J.F. (2009), Being Smart about Gifted Education: A Guidebook for Educators and Parents. Scottsdale, AZ: Great Potential Press. Policy and implementation strategies for the education of gifted and talented students, revised 2004. Curriculum differentiation. State of NSW, Department of Education and Training, Curriculum K-12 Directorate, 2004
reproduce them. principles. Encourages broader reading. Learning Centres Provide stations or collections of materials learners use to explore topics or practise skills. Provides study in greater breadth and depth on interesting and important topics. Ensure learning-centre tasks that require transformation and application. Build in student choice, rather than requiring all students do all tasks at all centres. Monitor what students do and learn at centres. Draws on and develops advanced thinking, reading, research and technology skills. Allows for independence. Mentorships/ Apprenticeships Student works with a resource teacher, media specialist, parent volunteer or community member to develop a project. Helps students develop skills of production in a field and career awareness. Match the mentor with student’s talent/interest area. Document agreements concerning roles, goals and progress for mentor, student, teacher and parent. Allows students to work on expert-level problems and tasks in relevant context. Allows adult-level conversation. Introduces student to meaningful yardsticks of performance. Draws on creativity. Contracts/ Management Plans Establishes an agreement between student and teacher outlining arrangements for agreed-upon tasks and methods of completion. Focus the contract on concepts, themes or problems and integrate basic skills into required projects or products. Establish clear and rigorous rules and standards for success in writing at the outset. Eliminates need for unnecessary skills work and places skills in relevant, high-interest tasks. Allows for independent, advanced, extended study on topics of interest, to generalize, make connections and be original. Appendix E – Learning Plan Samples Adapted from The Cluster Grouping Handbook: A School wide Model by Susan Winebrenner, M.S., and Dina Brulles, Ph.D.
Appendix H - Common Characteristics of Gifted Learners Intellectual and personality characteristics of gifted students Intellectual characteristics Exceptional reasoning ability Intellectual curiosity Rapid learning rate Facility for abstraction Complex thought processes Vivid imagination Early moral concern Passion for learning Powers of concentration Analytical thinking Divergent thinking/creativity Keen sense of justice Capacity for reflection Personality Insightful Need to understand Need for mental stimulation Perfectionism Need for precision/logic Excellent sense of humour Sensitivity/empathy Intensity Perseverance Acute self-awareness Nonconformity Questioning rules/authority Tendency to introversion Silverman, 1993 Bright Child Gifted and Talented Learner Knows the answer Asks the questions Is interested Is highly curious Is attentive Is mentally and physically involved Has good ideas Has wild, silly ideas Works hard Plays around, yet tests well Answers the questions Discusses in detail, elaborates Top group Beyond the group Listens with interest Shows strong feelings and opinions Learns with ease Already knows 6-8 repetitions for mastery 1-2 repetitions for mastery Understands ideas Constructs abstractions Enjoys peers Prefers adults Grasps the meaning Draws inferences Completes assignments Initiates projects Is receptive Is intense Copies accurately Creates a new design Enjoys school Enjoys learning Absorbs information Manipulates information Technician Inventor Good memorizer Good guesser Enjoys straightforward, sequential presentation Thrives on complexity Is alert Is keenly observant Is pleased with own learning Is highly self-critical *1989 by Challenge, Used by permission of Modern Curriculum Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Elementary. Source: Education Service Center – Texas Education Agency Staff Development Module