Giftedness

What is giftedness?

Cognitive function (Smith, Polloway, Patton, et al. 2006, p. 254) Extraordinary quantity of information; unusual retentiveness Advanced comprehension Unusual varied interests and curiosity High level of language development High level of verbal ability Unusual capacity for processing information Accelerated pace of thought processes Comprehensive synthesis

Heightened capacity for seeing unusual and diverse relationships, integration of ideas and disciplines Ability to generate original ideas and solutions Early differential patterns for thought processing Early ability to use and form conceptual frameworks An evaluative approach toward oneself and others Unusual intensity; persistent goal-directed behaviour

Affective Function (Smith, Polloway, Patton, et al. 2006, p. 254) Large accumulation of information about emotions that have not been brought to awareness Unusual sensitivity to the expectations and feelings of others Keen sense of humour – may be gentle or hostile Heightened self-awareness, accompanied by feelings of being different Idealism and a sense of justice, which appear at an early age Early development of an inner locus of control and satisfaction Unusual emotional depth and intensity

High expectations of self and others, often leading to high levels of frustration with self, others, and situations; perfectionism Strong need for consistency between abstract values and personal actions Advanced levels of moral judgement Strongly motivated by self-actualization Advanced cognitive and affective capacity for conceptualizing and solving societal problems Leadership ability Solutions to social and environmental problems Involvement with the metaneeds of society

Physical/Sensing Function (Smith, Polloway, Patton, et al. 2006, p. 254) Unusual quantity of input from the environment through a heightened sensory awareness Unusual discrepancy between physical and intellectual development Low tolerance for the lag between their standards and their athletic skills Cartesian split – can include neglect of physical well-being and avoidance of physical activity

Intuitive function (Smith, Polloway, Patton, et al. 2006, p. 254) Early involvement and concern for intuitive knowing and metaphysical ideas and phenomena Open to experiences in this area; will experiment with psychic and metaphysical phenomena Creative approach in all areas of endeavour Ability to predict; interest in future

Does Talented and Gifted mean the same thing?

Creativity What is creativity? Can creativity be taught? Should creativity be limited to gifted students?

Renzulli’s three-ring model Creativity Task Commitment Above Average Ability

TYPE I General Exploratory Activities TYPE II Group Training Activities TYPE III Individual and Small Group Investigations of real problems Regular Curriculum Environment in general Enrichment Triad Model (Renzulli, 1977)

Schoolwide enrichment model (Renzulli & Resi, 1997) Enrichment Types I and II are good for all students so they are incorporated into every class Talent pool and other students request permission to pursue a Type III investigation

Talent Pool Identification plan (Davis & Rimm, 2006) Test score nominations Score above 92 nd percentile Teacher nominations High creativity, high motivation, unusual interests or talents, special areas of superior performance or potential Alternate pathways E.g., self-nomination, parent nomination, peer nomination, creativity test results, product evaluations Screening committee determines acceptance. Sometimes admission is on a trial basis

Special nominations To avoid biases of current teachers, the list of all students nominated is circulated to all teachers. This allows for the nomination of students not on the list. Action information nominations Used to nominate non-talent pool students for projects. Nominations are reviewed by the screening committee.

In addition, Talent Pool students receive... several types of enrichment and related services. Help identifying interests that might lead to a Type III project Curriculum compacting

What do the school boards say? Search a school board’s website for any information on gifted programs or on giftedness in general. What type of information and/or message does it provide. If no information on gifted, can you find information on another exceptionality (e.g., learning disability). If yes, what does this imply about giftedness. Discuss your findings with those at your table.

Near North District School Board Programs for Gifted Students The needs of gifted students are met within the regular classroom through a variety of modifications and accommodations as outlined on the IEP. Students are encouraged to assume leadership roles and pursue studies in more breadth and depth. Clustering for enrichment activities at the school or family of schools level may be an option.