Gifted and Talented

© 2013, 2009, 2006, 2003, 2000Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

William L. Heward

Exceptional ChildrenAn Introduction to Special Education

Tenth Edition

Chapter 13

Gifted and Talented

Focus Questions

How has the dynamic and evolving definition of giftedness changed the ways in which students are identified and served?

Why do students who are very capable need special education?

What provisions should and can be made to accurately identify students who are from racially, culturally, and economically different groups or who have disabilities?

How can general education classroom teachers provide curriculum and instruction at the pace, breadth, and depth needed by gifted and talented students, while meeting the needs of other students in the classroom?

13-3HewardExceptional Children, 10e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Focus Questions (cont.)

What are some strategies for differentiating curriculum for gifted and talented learners?

Should gifted students be educated with their same-age peers (in general education classes) or within heterogeneous groups of students who share similar intellectual and academic talents and interests?

Should special education for gifted and talented students be required by federal law as it is for students with disabilities?


Defining Giftedness and Talent

Federal DefinitionCompared to children of their own age the child:

• Exhibits high performance capability

• Demonstrates outstanding intellectual, creative, leadership, and/or artistic achievement

• Excels in a specific academic field

• Needs services and activities not ordinarily provided by the school to fully develop those capabilities

National Association for Gifted Children• Individuals who demonstrate outstanding levels of aptitude or

competence in one or more domain


Other Contemporary and Complementary Definitions

Renzulli’s Three-Trait definition: • Above-average general intellectual abilities

• High level of task commitment

• Creativity

Piirto’s Concept of Talent Development:• A foundation of genetic endowment

• Personality attributes

• Intelligence

• Talent in a specific domain

• Environmental influences


Other Contemporary and Complementary Definitions

(Cont.)Maker’s Problem-Solving Perspective:•High intelligence

•High creativity

•Excellent problem-solving skills

Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory of Intelligence

Gagne’s differentiated model of giftedness and talent

Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences


Characteristics The ability to rapidly acquire, retain, and use large

amounts of information

The ability to relate one idea to another

The ability to make sound judgments

Appreciate more than one and opposing points of view

The ability to perceive the operation of larger systems of knowledge that may not be recognized by the typical person

The ability to acquire and manipulate abstract symbol systems

The ability to solve problems by reframing the question and creating novel solutions


Characteristics (cont.)

Characteristics for the highly gifted-those with IQ scores 3 standard deviations or greater above the mean (IQ>145);

Intense intellectual curiosity

Fascination with words and ideas

Perfectionism

Need for precision

Learning in great intuitive leaps

Intense need for mental stimulation

Difficulty conforming to the thinking of others

Early moral and existential concern

Tendency toward introversion


Individual Differences and Creativity

Dimensions of Individual DifferencesInter-individual differencesIntra-individual differencesAsynchrony or disparate rates of skill development

Dimensions of CreativityFluencyFlexibilityNovelty/originalityElaborationSynthesizing abilityAnalyzing abilityAbility to reorganize or redefine existing ideasComplexity


Prevalence and Historical Background

Prevalence

Gifted and talented children

are found across gender, cultural, linguistic, and disability groups. Students with disabilities can also be gifted and talented.

comprise about 3-5% of the student population

Historical Background

Binet and Simon-developed means of separating groups of slow learners; Terman- translated these scales into English and refined them

The Progressive Education Movement-enrichment programs

The Marland Report-the needs of gifted and talented students

The Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Student Education Act


Identification and Assessment

Comprehensive and equitable assessment include:

•Group and individual IQ tests and achievement tests

•Portfolios

•Teacher, parent, self, and peer nomination

•Extracurricular or leisure activities

•Proficiency/state tests

•Authentic performances and/or products


Multicultural Assessment and Identification

10 Core attributes of giftedness across socioeconomic, ethnic, and racial groups:

•Communication skills•Imagination/creativity•Humor•Inquiry•Insight•Interests•Memory•Motivation•Problem solving•Reasoning


Multicultural Assessment and Identification (cont.)

Criteria for Multicultural Assessment Identification should have the goal of inclusion rather than

exclusion

Data should be gathered from multiple sources

A combination of formal and informal testing techniques should be used

Identification procedures should begin as early as possible

Unconventional or non-traditional measures should be used

Information gathered during the identification process should be used to help determine the curriculum, programs, and services


Multicultural Assessment and Identification (cont.)

Other Means of Identification to resolve underrepresentation issues

• DISCOVER involves a series of five progressively more complex problems to solve

• Tests that do not require the use of verbal symbols (Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices test and the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test)

• The Frasier method focuses on the 10 core characteristics

• The Renzulli Revolving Door method

• The “quota” and case study methods

• The use of portfolios, performance, and dynamic assessments

• Multiple Intelligence


Identification Issues and Special Populations

Gifted and Talented Girls

Conflicts concerning role definition

Gifted and Talented Boys

Negative stereotyping for boys with talents in the arts

Low Income Gifted Students

Need increased teacher expectations and careful interpretation of test results

Gifted and Talented Students with Disabilities

Gifts and talents could be masked by their disability


Educational Approaches

The overall educational goal for gifted and talented students is the fullest possible development of every child’s demonstrated and potential abilities.

Curriculum and instruction should be appropriate, challenging, and respectful

• Possess academic rigor-increased relevance, discipline, and depth of curriculum

• Be thematic and interdisciplinary-include the structures, terminologies, and methodologies of various disciplines

• Be responsive to and respectful of gifted students’ learning characteristics-match students’ unique needs


Educational Approaches (cont.)

Curriculum for gifted students:

•Should be based on the fullest possible development of every child’s actual and potential abilities

•Feelings of self-worth, self-sufficiency, civic responsibility, and vocational and avocational competence

Differentiating the Curriculum

•Acceleration: Modifying the pace at which the student moves through the curriculum

•Enrichment: Investigating a topic of interest in greater detail


Educational Approaches (cont.)Other Methods for Differentiating Curriculum and

Instruction• Curriculum compacting: Compressing instructional content

• Tiered lessons: Different extensions of the same basic lesson for groups of students with differing abilities

• Bloom’s Taxonomy: Asking questions that require students to demonstrate different types of knowledge about a given topic

• Curriculum differentiation outside the classroom– Internships and mentor programs– Special courses– Junior great books– Summer programs– International experiences


Educational Approaches (cont.)

School-Wide Enrichment Model

•An umbrella under which many different types of enrichment services are made available

Maker’s Active Problem-Solver Model

•Role of the teacher is to facilitate high achievement by making curriculum modifications

Problem-Based Learning

•Students work cooperatively in groups to seek solutions to real-world problems


Educational Placement AlternativesAbility Grouping

• The foundation of gifted education practice.

Special schools and Special classrooms

• The primary advantage is that all curriculum and instruction could be focused on the needs of high-ability students

• Programs for gifted students often must deal with stigma of being viewed as elitist

Cluster Ability Grouping

• The top 5-8 gifted students at a given grade level are placed as a group in a general education classroom of mixed ability students

• The cluster receive specialized instructions from a teacher with training in gifted education


Educational Placement Alternatives (Cont.)

Resource room or pullout programs

• Still need to differentiate the curriculum when they are in general education classrooms

Cluster Performance Grouping

• Students are grouped within the same heterogeneous class for instruction in each subject area according to their achievement

Like-ability Cooperative Learning Groups

• The highest ability 3-4 students are grouped together and assigned a differentiated cooperative learning tasks with differentiated expected outcomes and assessment criteria

Consulting Teacher Model

• A teacher with special training may work with the general education classroom teacher

• Many schools do not have a specialist, and the general education classroom teacher is responsible for differentiating the curriculum


Continuing Challenges

Only a small percentage of gifted and talented children enjoy a differentiated curriculum and instruction• For gifted and talented children from culturally and

linguistically different backgrounds and those who live in poverty, access to high-quality differentiated curriculum is rare

The NCLB Act may not serve gifted and talented students adequately- they are often neglected in the focus to bring up the lowest-achieving students

Instilling a recognition by society in general and in policymakers in particular the need for specially designed instructions for gifted and talented student

A federal mandate to identify, fund, and serve gifted and talented children and youth has yet to be achieved


Gifted and Talented

Education

Transcript of Gifted and Talented