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The consequences of failing to meet the needs of gifted and high-potential students.
UnderachievementLoss Of Interest in School
Academic FailureSocial Isolation
Lack of MotivationBoredom
Mis-DiagnosisMisunderstanding of Self
Pressure to be good at Everything
For The Individual For the Entire PopulationAchievement Gap
Less Identified Students
Loss of Social CapitolPropagation of Myths Test-Driven Academics
Watered Down Curricula
Lack of Creative Producers
Decrease in Global Competitiveness
Social and Emotional Issues Facing Gifted Adolescents
• Underachievement• Bullying
• Peer / Family (Relations/Pressure)• Identity Formation• 2E (ADHD/ODD/LD)
• Sensitivity/Over excitability• School Climate• Stereotyping
• Sibling Differences • Multicultural
• Low SES• Perfectionism
• Sports vs. Smarts
“The journey is difficult, immense. We will travel as far as we can, but we cannot in one lifetime see all that we would like to see or to learn all that we hunger to know.”
- Loren Eiseley
“Dreams begin at home or in the classroom.”
The Child
The Student
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• Interests
• Life experiences
• Strengths & weaknesses
• Abilities
• Attitudes
• Hopes & dreams
• Adhere to School policies
• Take part in Curriculum & content
• Exposure to a variety of Teaching methods
• Multitude of Peer interactions
• Classroom “Time”
• Development
We, as educators and parents:
Need to be attentive in our attempts to pass on the knowledge that we have, the events we have experienced, and the personal stories we have.
Need to expose our students to the global community, which is quite larger than the neighborhoods, the towns, or even the states where the students live.
Need to teach the skills used for problem solving, decision making, and creative production in our classrooms.
Must not forget that our students our humans, living on this earth, sharing resources and interacting with each other on a social level.
Conversations @ School
Has your child asked for assistance from a member of the faculty?
Let your child know that each of his/her teachers cares about their learning.
Have them make an appointment to see a teacher, or simply stop them before or after class, or in the hall.
Have you contacted your child’s teacher? Most importantly, make “them” aware of what you
observe at home. After all the child you send is the student they see.
Conversations @ Home
Have you talked about classroom activity or homework with your child?
If you’re encountering resistance from your child, find out why.
Is it the sheer volume of work?
Is it the level of difficulty?
Is it a matter of clearly defined expectations?
Are you asking to see their work too often?
Answers to these questions can serve
as a basis for a conversation with the teacher.
Interests
What are they and how to find out?
The Interest-a-Lyzerdeveloped by Joseph Renzullihttp://www.gifted.uconn.edu
An important tool.
Can be adapted in a variety of ways, for a variety of populations, to gather focused or diverse data and information.
Interest-A-Lyzer Family of Instruments: A Manual for Teachers
“If it is skills you are evaluating, give them choice of content.
If it is content, give them choice of product.”
The Content / Skill Connection
• If understanding of content is your main goal try to offer a variety of product choices so students can exhibit the common principles and concepts though an interest area of their choosing.
• If skills acquisition is your main goal, try to offer a wide open selection of content choices so students can exhibit skills through an interest area of their choosing.
Assessments Along the Way
• Calendars• Planning Sheets• Reality Checks• Note Sheets
• Research Portfolios• Scattered Due dates
• Rough Draft Submissions• Faculty Sign-ups / Consults
More responsibility on the student!
“Educators and Parents can only guide children in the right direction, offering suggestions and ideas along the way.
The rest is up to them.”
Creativity
“Jane Raph – An inspiring Teacher in my masters degree program at Rutgers University asked me to read a pre- publication manuscript of this book. By the time I finished I was hooked on the subject of creativity and wanted to study it more than anything else I was doing. This led to a lifelong interest in creativity and related cognitive processes.”
JSR
The High IQ SubjectMr. Smith is on his way home from a successful business trip. He is very happy and he is thinking about his wonderful family and how glad he will be to see them again. He can picture it, about an hour from now, his plane landing at the airport and Mrs. Smith and their three children all there welcoming him home again.
Prompt: Picture of a Man On An Airplane
The High Creative Subject
Prompt: Picture of a Man On An Airplane
This man is flying back from Reno where he has just won a divorce from his wife, He couldn't’t stand to live with her anymore, he told the judge, because she wore so much cold cream on her face at night that her head would skid across the pillow and hit him in the head. He is now contemplating a new skid-proof cream.
Positive Characteristics of Creativity
• aware of their own creativeness
• original• independent• willing to take risks• energetic• curious• keen sense of
humor
• attracted to complexity and novelty
• artistic• open-minded• need for privacy,
alone time• perceptive
Negative Characteristics of Creativity
• questioning rules and authority
• stubbornness • low interest in
details• forgetfulness• carelessness and
disorganization with unimportant matters
• absentmindedness• indifference to
common conventions
• tendency to be emotional
Creative Thinking Fluency – the production of a great number of
ideas
Flexibility – producing a variety of categories of ideas.
Originality – production of ideas that are unique or unusual.
Elaboration – production of ideas that display detail or enrichment..
Creative Problem Solving
The CPS technique encourages students to answer, consider alternatives, and create solutions to problems by formulating an action plan.
In 1977, Bob Eberle rearranged some common divergent thinking questions into the acronym “SCAMPER” to help students create new ideas by systematically modifying something already existing.
“SCAMPER”
Students list the attribute of two or more related topics in order to create a new product, story, etc.
Morphological Matrix
Classroom ImplicationsMany Routes and Considerations
Strategies: Scamper, CPS, and Morph Matrix
1. Sketches and possible images of your product, wrapped and unwrapped.Appeals to the Artists and Photographers!
2. A written description of your product, with a special emphasis on descriptive words.Appeals to the Writers!
3. Complete advertising plan, including marketing information and print and/or media ad example.Appeals to the Artist, the “Business Person” and the voice talent and possible Videographers!
4. Consumer trial data or comments based about the areas listed in #’s 1-3. Appeals to the Scientists and Public Speakers (My follow-up would include a presentation to me in class)
Rubrics, Comments,
Support and
Alternative Assessment
Alternative Assessment
Any form of measuring what students know and are able to do other than traditional standardized tests.
Alternative forms of assessment include portfolios that are collections of students' work over time, performance-based assessments, and other means of testing students such as open-ended essays with no single correct answer, and project work that involves collaboration with peers.
Authentic Learning: Projects with a Focus
Research Papers Collections of Artwork Newspaper Editorials
Lesson Plans for a Classroom Pamphlets or PowerPoints
Oral Presentations Films, Videos, Photo Stories, and Podcasts
Awards & Contests Photographic Collections
Essays Poem Collections
Evaluating Authentic Learning
In order to ensure a careful evaluation of the authentic learning process in your classroom, carefully crafted rubrics are a must.
In my years of teaching I have come to embrace rubrics, using them every chance I get.
Rubrics offer students a glimpse into how they will be assessed and allow for a range of comments concerning effort, creativity, skill acquisition, and demonstration of ability.
Students are able to see areas of strength while focusing on areas needing improvement.
Areas of Information on a Rubric
1. The Criteria, or skill areas to be evaluated.
2. The Descriptors of these criteria, longer statements about each criterion.
3. The Levels of Performance, that illustrate the highest and lowest levels of understanding.
4. Comments
Criteria To Be Evaluated• METHODOLOGICAL SKILLS -displays correct format in field
notes-field notes are organized -field notes are correctly labeled, containing sketches and relevant information
• CONNECTIONS WITH NATURE -understandings and essential questions are addressed -product displays sense of connection with nature
• • SENSE OF PERSONAL VOICE -student understands voice-
student was able to find his/her voice-voice was evident-voice was unique and genuine
• PRODUCT COMPLETION -directions and outline was followed -regular consultations were made between teacher and student -work was completed with a high amount of creativity, task commitment, and ability
• AUDIENCE FINDING AND ACCEPTANCE -audience was located -audience was contacted-presentation planned -audience acceptance and evaluation
Descriptors for Criteria
Rubric Levels of Performance
I do not use the words Excellent, Good, Fair, and Poor for levels of performance.
I relate them to the subject or discipline.
Science StudyBACKYARD NATURALIST STUDENT NATURALIST
UNIVERSITY NATURALIST EXPERT IN THE FIELD
Newspaper WritingSCHOOL NEWSPAPER
LOCAL PAPERSTATE PAPER
NATIONAL PUBLICATION
Art WorkSCHOOL WALL
LOCAL GALLERYSTATE MUSUEM
NATIONAL MUSUEM
Putting it All Together
Technology
Formative Assessment Socrative Google Forms
Screencasting Screencastomatic Camtasia Explain Everything
Electronic Note Taking Evernote
Blogging Edmodo Kidblogs Edublogs Ning Wordpress
“Just as the handyman seeks a home improvement blog for answers about a leaky pipe, or the gardener seeks out advice on planting lettuce, the educator, faced with students of high ability on a daily basis, should seek out resources for information, insight, and advice.”
A Few of My Favorite Things
OrAll the rest
• Academic Competitions—provide opportunities for the growth and development of a variety of skills (i.e., creative problem solving, critical thinking, communication, leadership, etc.) in an array of academic areas.
• Independent Study—an individual, in-depth study of a topic. Students usually work with a teacher or other adult to set an appropriate pace for covering work in the subject.
• Learning or Interest Centers—a designated area or portable center designed to enrich a student's interest in a given content area. These centers can supplement curriculum covered in the classroom, as well as provide information on a variety of topics not formally covered.
• Field Trips—a group excursion that extends learning beyond the classroom into the community allowing students to engage in firsthand observation and experimentation.
• Mentorships—an enrichment program that pairs an individual student with someone who has advanced skills and experiences in a particular discipline. This mentor can serve as an advisor, counselor, and role model to the student.
• Summer and Weekend Programs—enrichment classes or courses during the summer months. Such programs are often available through colleges and universities as well as public and private organizations
• Problem-Based Learning—type of problem solving in which students are presented with an "ill-structured" problem that resembles a real-life situation. Students are responsible for identifying additional data and resources that they need and for deciding how to present their findings and demonstrate their learning.
• Seminars—a small groups of students meet to learn more about topics that are not covered in the regular classroom or to expand on a topic that they have learned about in class.
• Tiered Assignments—assignments within the same lesson plan which are structured at varied levels of complexity, depth and abstractness to meet the need of students with diverse abilities.
• Learning Contracts—give students freedom to plan their time and yet provide guidelines for completing work responsibly.
• Curriculum Compacting—allows highly able students to "compact" or eliminate material already mastered from the curriculum, thus allowing them to complete subject material in a shorter time span.
• Flexible Pacing—students are allowed to work at the level most appropriate to their abilities.
• Self-Directed Learning—students make decisions about what they would like to learn, set goals and assume responsibility for completing their work, resolve problems that arise during the experience, and evaluate their own work.
• Learning Centers—a designated area or portable center designed to enrich a student's interest in a given content area.
“The ability to identify potential, offer differentiated curriculum (process and product), and assess with individuality are three tools I continue to refine year after year.”
NAGC Resources for Educators and Parents
Use Your Tools
For Educators and Parents
NAGC has resources to make any and all situations as comfortable as possible for all parties involved.
Teaching For High Potential
Parenting For High Potential
Connecting for High Potential
Resources for Educators
For Educators and Parents
NAGC has resources to make any and all situations as comfortable as possible for all parties involved.
Teaching For High Potential
Parenting For High Potential
Connecting for High Potential
Resources for Educators
NAGC Resources for Educators and Parents
Use Your Tools
For Educators and Parents
NAGC has resources to make any and all situations as comfortable as possible for all parties involved.
Teaching For High Potential
Parenting For High Potential
Connecting for High Potential
Resources for Educators
NAGC Resources for Educators and Parents
Use Your Tools
For Educators and Parents
NAGC has resources to make any and all situations as comfortable as possible for all parties involved.
Teaching For High Potential
Parenting For High Potential
Connecting for High Potential
Resources for Educators
NAGC Resources for Educators and Parents
Use Your Tools
The Myths
Key Reports
“Never give children a chance of imagining that anything exists in isolation. Make it plain from the very beginning that all living is relationship. Show them relationships in the woods, in the fields, in the ponds and streams, in the village and in the country around it. Rub it in..”
- Aldous Huxley
Gifted programs allow our brightest students
to achieve their true potential.
