Gifted Students in the Regular Classroom: Their Negative Reactions to Rules, Deadlines, Repetition, and Homework and Intervention Strategies Proven to Help by Priscilla Nelson Opener

Application of Topical Information to the Field of Teaching In the Classroom – Beginning of the Year Student Preference Inventory Learning Style Inventory Multiple Intelligence Survey Left-Brain vs Right Brain Cognitive Quiz – Through Out the Year Differentiated Instruction Compacting With Co-Workers and Administrators

What is your personal definition and /or description of “gifted” and “talented”? Group Activity 1: Web Gifted and Talented

Definition and Description of Gifted and Talented The most current federal definition: The term gifted and talented when used in respect to students, children, or youth, means students, children, or youth who give evidence of high achievement capability in areas such as intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership capacity, or in specific academic fields, and who need services or activities not ordinarily provided by the school in order to fully develop those capabilities. [Title IX, Part A, Section 9101 (22)] YouTube: “What is Gifted?” by “I Am Gifted” by Miss Moore

Characteristics of Gifted Students Extraordinary quantity of information, unusual retentiveness Advanced comprehension Unusually varied interests and curiosity Unusual capacity for processing information Accelerated pace of thought processes Comprehensive synthesis Early ability to delay closure Unusual intensity; persistent goal-directed behavior Earlier development of an inner locus of control and satisfaction Strongly motivated by self-actualization needs

Gifted Students Reactions to Rules, Deadlines, Repetition, and Homework Resist doing the work, or work in a sloppy, careless manner. Rebel against routine and predictability. Ask embarrassing questions, demand good reasons for why things are done a certain way. Resist taking directions or orders. Become intolerant of imperfection in himself and in others. Refuse to conform. Resist cooperative learning. Act out or disturb others. Become the “class clown.” Become impatient when he’s not called on to recite or respond; blurt out answers without raising his hand.

Gifted Students React Negatively to Rules, Deadlines, Repetition and Homework When Their Learning Needs Are Not Met Gifted Students Need: To be exposed to new and challenging information; to acquire early mastery of foundational skills; to have fewer repetitions of foundational skills To be given access to challenging curriculum and intellectual peers; provide choices and products that require advanced analytic or critical thinking skills To be exposed to varied subjects and concerns; to be allowed to pursue individual ideas as far as interest takes them To be exposed to ideas at many levels and in large variety To be exposed to ideas at rates appropriate to individual pace of learning-often accelerated

Gifted Students React Negatively to Rules, Deadlines, Repetition and Homework When Their Learning Needs Are Not Met Gifted Students Need: To be allowed a longer incubation time for ideas To be allowed to pursue idea and integrate new ideas without forced closure or products demanded To pursue inquiries beyond allotted time spans; to set and evaluate priorities To clarify personal priorities among conflicting values; to confront and interact with the value system of others To be given opportunities to follow divergent paths and pursue strong interests Group Activity 2: Handout Work With a Partner

Strategies to Help Teachers Learn More About Their Students and How They Learn Best Student Preference Inventory – Finds a person’s likes, interests, hobbies, etc. Learning Style Inventory – Finds a person’s best or most preferred way of learning Auditory, Visual, Tactile-Kinesthetic Multiple Intelligence Survey – Finds a person’s strongest area(s) of abilities Verbal-Linguistic, Logical-Mathematical, Spatial, Musical, Interpersonal, Bodily-Kinesthetic, Intrapersonal, Naturalistic, and Existential Left-Brain vs Right Brain Cognitive Quiz – Examines which hemisphere is most dominant in guiding how a person thinks, what he believes, and the choices he makes

Differentiated Instruction Definition: Giving students different tasks and activities that best fit their learning styles, strengths, and interests to help ensure that real learning and meaningful experiences take place 5 Components of Differentiated Instruction Content: What skill or concept is taught Process: How the content is taught Product: the Way Understanding of the content and process is Demonstrated Environment: Setting and working conditions in which learning takes place Assessment: Method used to document mastery

Compacting Definition: Condensing the amount of work or activities to the least amount needed for a student to show successful skill or concept mastery which in turn allows that student to move on to “choice time” which involves more personal, meaningful, and challenging curriculum extension activities the students can choose to complete independently

Compacting 5 Steps to Successful Compacting Identify the learning objectives or standards all students must learn. Offer a pretest opportunity to volunteers who think they may have already mastered the content, OR plan an alternate route through the content for those who can reach mastery in less time than the rest of their peers. Plan and offer extension activities for those who are successful with compacting. Eliminate all drill, practice, review or preparation for state or standardized tests for students who have already mastered the objectives or standards covered on such materials. Keep accurate records of students’ compacting activities.

Other Elements of Compacting Compactor: a record keeping form Most Difficult First: a strategy that targets those highly capable learners that don’t require as much practice as some of their peers to master a skill. Pretests for Volunteers: a strategy that targets those learners who think the can show that they have already mastered the skill that is about to be taught. Learning Contracts: a strategy that targets those learners who score 80% or higher on the pretest allowing them the opportunity to work through the chapter more independently. Examples

Other Elements of Compacting Study Guide: allows gifted students to work on alternate activities in greater depth of exploration – Independent Study Agreement: covers both the learning conditions and the working conditions of the students’ independent studies. – Extension Menu (Tic-Tac-Toe): contains topics for students to choose from to study in depth and later give a report on – Evaluation Contract: consists of the chosen extension project, grade choice and criteria to earn that grade, level of Bloom’s Taxonomy, and student’s and teacher’s signatures – Product Choices Chart: used to choose a way to demonstrate the or represent the data the students have found or learned – Daily Log of Extension Work: used as a portfolio record sheet as well as a motivator for gifted underachievers who have trouble completing long-term assignments Examples

Conclusion By Using Differentiated Instruction and Compacting the Curriculum… “Students who have been going through the motions become actively engaged in learning. Messy, careless students start paying attention to the quality of their work. Bored, unmotivated students wake up and want to learn. You, their teacher, delight in observing these changes, and parents are thrilled that you’re offering their kids appropriate learning opportunities” (Winebrenner 2001).

References Clark, B. (2013). Growing up gifted: Developing the potential of children at school and at home. (8 th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, Merrell/Prentice Hall. Davis, G., Rimm, S., & Siegle, D. (2011). Education of the gifted and talented. (6 th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Winebrenner, S. (2001). Teaching gifted kids in the regular classroom: Strategies and techniques every teacher can use to meet the academic needs of the gifted & talented. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing, Inc. [Internet Resources]