Talent Development at Olde Providence Susie Miller Talent Development Teacher

Mission and Goal of Talent Development in CMS MISSION: To provide gifted students the opportunity to maximize their potential, demonstrate their motivation, and realize their contributions to self and the global community. GOAL: To support the development of a content-rich educational experience for students from all cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds throughout CMS.

THE TD PROGRAM PROVIDES RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEARNERS TO … attain levels of academic achievement consistent with their abilities engage in abstract, creative, and affective reasoning apply insightful questioning develop a capacity to see interconnections among disciplines practice self-directed learning and independent problem solving strive for self actualization maximize their leadership potential become active participants in the global community

The Catalyst Model “Gifted learners are gifted all the time” – Mary S. Landrum Therefore, gifted education is not an add on for sixty to ninety minutes a week. The focus of the Catalyst Model is to differentiate instruction for the gifted and high performing students consistently.

So how does the Catalyst Model work? The classroom teacher and TD/Catalyst teacher share responsibility for the education of gifted students The TD/Catalyst teacher attends weekly grade level planning meetings The TD/Catalyst teacher provides lessons and activities for teachers to use in the heterogeneous classroom AND/OR teaches students directly The TD/Catalyst teacher provides enrichment and acceleration for students being taught through work and assessments in the regular classroom through direct or indirect instruction

What are Direct Services?  Direct services, or “face time,” are lessons that are created and taught by the TD/Catalyst Teacher  Direct services can be “pull out” (students pulled into TD/Catalyst classroom) or “push in” (students remain with classroom teacher when TD/Catalyst teacher comes in to co-teach with classroom teacher)

What are Indirect Services?  Indirect services are lessons and activities developed by the TD/Catalyst teacher and provided to the classroom teacher during weekly team planning for him/her to use in his/her classroom  Examples are: centers, independent contracts, projects, alternative homework/classwork, lessons

What is the breakdown for direct and indirect services? ?

Why the need for direct and indirect services?  Differentiation is required in the regular classroom to provide all students with the education they need and deserve.  Since the TD/Catalyst teacher cannot see all children, all day, every day, the classroom teacher requires activities and lessons from the TD/Catalyst teacher for those students while they are in the regular classroom.  Without differentiation, everyone would move at the same pace, be evaluated in the same way, and complete the same activities – regardless of their prior knowledge or individual needs.

How do WE teach gifted and high ability learners? Focus on creative thinking, problem solving and logic Ask higher level questions during novel studies, rather than lower, “knowledge” level questions Work in abstract thinking and concepts – symbolism, themes, etc. Increase awareness of the global community through novel studies and discussion Teach problem solving strategies in math

3 rd /4 th Grade 3 rd and 4 th grade students are pulled out once a week for literacy and once a week for math Enrichment activities/projects that align with current curriculum Check planners and check my wiki Math Olympiad (4 th grade)

5 th Grade Math Olympiad Project Based Learning (PBL) “Mystery Disease” A PBL unit is specifically designed for student-centered learning of new/meaningful content in a way that requires students to interpret and analyze a complex, changing problem that requires higher level thinking.

4/5 Split Planning with Mrs. Bondurant weekly Pushing in and pulling out groups of students Math Olympiad

Questions/Contact  You may contact me at school: (980)  Or via (fastest):  Please visit my wiki regularly for updates: