Gifted and Talented Education Clark County School District Seigle Diagnostic Center 2625 East St. Louis Ave. Las Vegas, Nevada 89104 (702) 799-8601

Updated by Karen Powell. This PowerPoint was created for the Clark County School District by Billi Walton, Mary Greene, and Eve Jeanos. Updated by Karen Powell.

What is Gifted Education? Gifted and Talented Education, or GATE, is a program for identified students with unique academic and social needs which are not ordinarily met in a typical classroom setting. In GATE, students have the opportunity to develop their potential through curriculum designed to meet their specialized learning needs. Experiences in GATE enhance and extend concepts in the regular classroom and allow them to move beyond traditional learning.

Who are the Gifted and Talented? According to the Nevada Administrative Code, gifted and talented students demonstrate outstanding ability in one or more of the following areas: General intelligence Academic aptitude in a specific area Creative or productive thinking Leadership The visual or performing arts

In What Ways are Gifted Students Different than Other Students? Gifted children tend to be: rapid learners abstract thinkers highly curious emotionally intense challenged by difficult tasks perfectionists easily bored with routine able to discuss subjects in depth interested in areas that are unusual for their age

Why are Gifted Programs Needed? Gifted students make more progress when the curriculum, teaching methods, and materials are adapted for their needs. Challenges are needed to keep gifted students involved in learning and creating. Like other students with unique needs, gifted students will not reach their highest potential without differentiated instruction for at least part of their education.

How is the GATE Classroom Different? Content Process Product Learning Environment

Content The content covered in GATE is interdisciplinary, universal, and problem-based. Students have some input in choosing content to study.

Process GATE classes emphasize critical and creative thinking processes. GATE classes encourage student flexibility in thinking, inquiry and discovery, and student investigations. GATE teachers utilize instructional strategies which accommodate the learning styles of the gifted and talented and curriculum content.

Product GATE classes encourage students to develop creative products that demonstrate their learning. Ideally, these products will be shared with an audience beyond the classroom.

Learning Environment GATE classes provide an opportunity for independent and small group study. Students interact with their intellectual peers. Individual differences and strengths are recognized and celebrated.

How is the GATE curriculum different? The GATE program emphasizes a connection between the curriculum of general education and that of gifted education; however, the gifted education curriculum is more complex and abstract. Curriculum for gifted learners should be meaningful, relevant, and allow opportunities for real-life problem solving.

The GATE Curriculum allows students to: Explore subject matter in a global context Develop leadership skills Be a producer and a consumer of knowledge Utilize inquiry and divergent thinking Exercise creativity Employ higher level thinking skills Apply problem solving strategies Address affective as well as cognitive needs

CCSD GATE Program Instructional Model

Teaching Through Universal Concepts The Universal Concept is the catalyst for the study of a variety of themes in the GATE Program. These themes, linked by generalizations, help students understand the concept and realize its application in the real world. Examples of Universal Concepts are: Change Patterns Chaos Perception Cycles Structures Interdependence Systems

GATE Student Outcomes Students will…. Persevere when the solution to a problem is not immediately apparent. Develop strategies to decrease impulsivity. Listen to others with understanding and empathy. Practice flexibility in thinking. Develop awareness of their own thinking (metacognition). Check for accuracy and precision. Question, find problems, and seek solutions. Draw on past knowledge and apply it to new situations. Be precise in language and thought. Utilize all their senses. Demonstrate creativity through ingenuity, originality and insightfulness. Demonstrate thinking through wonderment, inquisitiveness, curiosity, and the enjoyment of problem solving.

What Instructional Strategies Challenge Gifted Students? Independent projects Interest centers or groups Flexible skills grouping Curriculum compacting Independent contracts High level questions Enrichment activities Mentorships

What are Some Misconceptions of Gifted Education? Gifted children will produce more. Gifted children learn all subjects easily. Gifted children have strengths across the curriculum. Gifted children will learn on their own. Gifted education means more products/projects. Everything comes easy for gifted children. It is easy to identify gifted students.

How Does Society Benefit From Gifted Education? Gifted students who are appropriately educated and motivated are more likely to become productive problem solvers. As adults, they become the flexible thinkers that make positive contributions to society. Society gains from the development of the talents of all of its members, whatever their gifts or strengths.

Suggestions for Parents Listen to your gifted child and engage in frequent conversations. Do what you like doing and include your child. Allow your child to make lots of decisions. Permit your child their own individuality -- every child is unique and special in his or her own way. Help your child with the need for perfectionism. Support your child’s interests. Allow your child the time to discover, to daydream, to contemplate, to create, and to have fun!

Suggestions for Teachers Present content that is related to broad-based issues, themes or problems. Integrate multiple disciplines in the area of study. Allow for the in-depth learning of a self-selected topic within the area of study. Develop independent or self-directed study skills. Focus on open-ended tasks. Develop research skills and methods. Allow students to progress quickly through already mastered curriculum. Use humor!

For every gifted child who is not allowed to reach his or her potential, there is a lost opportunity. That child might eventually have composed a concerto, found a cure for a terminal disease, or developed a formula for world peace. -- Carl Rogers

Resources Organizations Books National Association for Gifted Children 1707 L Street NW, Suite 550 Washington, D.C. 20036 (202) 786-4268 The Council for Exceptional Children 1920 Association Drive Reston, VA 20091-1589 (703) 264-9471 Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted SENG- P.O. Box 6550 Scottsdale, AZ 85261 Clark, B. (1992) Growing up Gifted Delisle, J.D. (1987) Gifted Children Speak Out Walker, Sally Yahake The Survival Guide for Parents of Gifted Kids

Internet Resources National Association for Gifted Children The NAGC is a national resource organization for teachers and parents of gifted children. www.nagc.org National Research Center for the Gifted and Talented This center is directed by Dr. Joseph S. Renzulli of the University of Connecticut. This site contains a wealth of current and reliable information on gifted education including lists of abstracts from recent NRC/GT publications, recommended videos, book resources, articles from NRC/GT newsletters, and related educational links. www.ucc.uconn.edu/~wwwgt/ The Gifted Resources Home Page Contains links to a number of online gifted resources, enrichment programs, talent searches, summer programs, and gifted mailing lists. The site serves as a convenient starting point for gifted students, their parents, and educators to access gifted resources. www.shambles.net/pages/staff.gifted/

More Internet Resources Miscellaneous Gifted Resources This wonderful resource for parents, teachers, and students contains articles on gifted education, a “Funstuff” page for kids, and suggested books, journals, and research findings on teaching gifted children. www.millville.cache.k12.ut.us/tag/index.html Creative Learning Press Provides books, materials, and other resources for educators working with gifted or specially talented students. www.creativelearningpress.com

Works Cited This PowerPoint is a copy of CCSD’s “Gifted and Talented Education Program Overview” compiled by: Billi Walton, M.Ed. Mary Greene, Ph.D. Eve Jeanos, B.A.