Essentials for Quality Gifted Education Understanding Middle School Gifted Students

Essentials for Essentials for Quality Quality

Gifted EducationGifted EducationUnderstanding Understanding

Middle School Gifted StudentsMiddle School Gifted Students

Today’s GoalsToday’s Goals

Examine the nature and needs Examine the nature and needs of gifted middle school studentsof gifted middle school students

Examine the relationship and Examine the relationship and impact of national reform impact of national reform movements on gifted middle movements on gifted middle school studentsschool students

Examine curricular and Examine curricular and instructional strategies for gifted instructional strategies for gifted studentsstudents

Essential Questions………….Essential Questions………….

In what ways are gifted students In what ways are gifted students different from typical students different from typical students during their middle school during their middle school years?years?

Why do gifted students need Why do gifted students need differentiated accommodations differentiated accommodations and services during middle and services during middle school?school?

Needs of Typical Middle Needs of Typical Middle School StudentsSchool Students Meaningful interpersonal Meaningful interpersonal

relationshipsrelationships Personal and social values systemPersonal and social values system Psychologically healthy self-esteem Psychologically healthy self-esteem

and identityand identity Increasing independence from and in Increasing independence from and in

their familiestheir families Positive role modelsPositive role models Supportive adultsSupportive adults Appropriate intellectual stimulation to Appropriate intellectual stimulation to

ensure growthensure growth

Connections………………Connections………………

Turn to your neighbor and Turn to your neighbor and discuss the following questions:discuss the following questions: What are some characteristics of What are some characteristics of

middle school “gifted” students?middle school “gifted” students? How can these characteristics How can these characteristics

have both a positive and negative have both a positive and negative side?side?

Needs of Middle School Needs of Middle School “Gifted” Students“Gifted” Students Physical Development IssuesPhysical Development Issues Social/Emotional IssuesSocial/Emotional Issues Academic and Intellectual Academic and Intellectual

IssuesIssues Family/Home RelationshipsFamily/Home Relationships

Group ActivityGroup Activity

Review the assigned material on Review the assigned material on an issue facing middle school an issue facing middle school “gifted” students.“gifted” students.

Create a 3-5 minute Create a 3-5 minute presentation to share with the presentation to share with the group regarding what you group regarding what you learned. learned.

So What?So What? Students identified what Students identified what they they think schools think schools

should do in grades 5-8:should do in grades 5-8: Encourage creativityEncourage creativity Encourage independent learningEncourage independent learning Help smart kids not to feel aloneHelp smart kids not to feel alone Make academics equally as important as sportsMake academics equally as important as sports Eliminate the “nerd” attitudeEliminate the “nerd” attitude Respect student’ learning abilitiesRespect student’ learning abilities Push students to reach their limitsPush students to reach their limits Allow students to learn at their own pace Allow students to learn at their own pace

Schatz, E., & Schuster, N. (1996). Schatz, E., & Schuster, N. (1996). Teens with Talent: Teens with Talent: Developing the Potential of the Bright, Brighter, and Developing the Potential of the Bright, Brighter, and BrightestBrightest.. Boulder, CO: Open Space Boulder, CO: Open Space Communications.Communications.

Essential Questions………….Essential Questions………….

What impact have national What impact have national reform movements had on the reform movements had on the middle school experiences and middle school experiences and the achievements of gifted the achievements of gifted students?students?

National Reform MovementsNational Reform Movements

A Nation at RiskA Nation at Risk, 1983, U.S. Commission , 1983, U.S. Commission on Excellence in Educationon Excellence in Education

No Child Left Behind ActNo Child Left Behind Act, 2001, 2001 Turning Points: Preparing American Turning Points: Preparing American

Youth for the 21Youth for the 21stst Century Century, 1989, , 1989, Carnegie Council on Adolescent Carnegie Council on Adolescent DevelopmentDevelopment

Turning Points 2000: Educating Turning Points 2000: Educating Adolescents in the 21Adolescents in the 21stst Century Century

Meeting the Needs of High Ability and Meeting the Needs of High Ability and High Potential Learners in the Middle High Potential Learners in the Middle GradesGrades, 2004, National Association for , 2004, National Association for Gifted Children and National Middle School Gifted Children and National Middle School Association.Association.

Turning Points 2000 & GiftedTurning Points 2000 & Gifted

#1 Teach a curriculum grounded #1 Teach a curriculum grounded in rigorous public academic in rigorous public academic standards that is relevant to the standards that is relevant to the concerns of adolescents and concerns of adolescents and based on how students learn based on how students learn best.best.


#2 Use instructional methods #2 Use instructional methods designed to prepare all students designed to prepare all students to achieve higher standards and to achieve higher standards and become life-long learners.become life-long learners.


#3 Staff middle schools with #3 Staff middle schools with teachers who are expert at teachers who are expert at teaching young adolescents and teaching young adolescents and engage teachers in ongoing, engage teachers in ongoing, targeted professional targeted professional development opportunities.development opportunities.


#5 Govern democratically #5 Govern democratically through direct or representative through direct or representative participation by all school staff participation by all school staff members, the adults who know members, the adults who know the students best.the students best.


#6 Provide a safe and healthy #6 Provide a safe and healthy school environment as part of school environment as part of improving academic improving academic performance and developing performance and developing caring and ethical citizens.caring and ethical citizens.


#7 Involve parents and #7 Involve parents and communities in supporting communities in supporting student learning and healthy student learning and healthy development.development.

So What?So What?

Become an advocate for the Become an advocate for the concerns and needs of gifted concerns and needs of gifted students and their families.students and their families.

Don’t allow the minimum Don’t allow the minimum competencies of NCLB and competencies of NCLB and state/local testing to limit gifted state/local testing to limit gifted students’ learning opportunities.students’ learning opportunities.

Ensure that identification and Ensure that identification and placement are equitable and placement are equitable and responsive to the needs of diverse responsive to the needs of diverse gifted students.gifted students.

Essential Questions…………Essential Questions…………

What elements should What elements should distinguish effective curricula for distinguish effective curricula for gifted students in middle gifted students in middle school?school?

What instructional strategies are What instructional strategies are most effective for gifted students most effective for gifted students in middle schools?in middle schools?

Connections………………Connections………………

Get into groups by content area.Get into groups by content area. Share examples of student Share examples of student

products or lesson plansproducts or lesson plansTHENTHEN

Complete self-analysis of core Complete self-analysis of core subject areas.subject areas.

Plan next steps. Plan next steps.

Masterful teaching is an art. We must select and combine paint colors from

the almost unlimited palette of learning outcomes, while ensuring that there is integration between the planning and selection process, the teacher’s skills,

and the learner.

ResourcesResources

Rakow, Susan. (2005). Rakow, Susan. (2005). Educating Gifted Students in Educating Gifted Students in Middle SchoolMiddle School. Waco, Texas: . Waco, Texas: Prufrock Press.Prufrock Press.

Making Middle Grades Work: Making Middle Grades Work: Site Development Workshop Site Development Workshop PlannerPlanner. (August 2007). . (August 2007). Atlanta, Georgia: Southern Atlanta, Georgia: Southern Regional Education Board.Regional Education Board.

Documents

Essentials for Quality Gifted Education Understanding Middle School Gifted Students