Ellen D. Fiedler, Ph.D. Wings for Education, Inc. +

Professor Emerita of Gifted Education Northeastern Illinois University

ellenfiedler@comcast.net

Presented by

A “Recipe” for Challenging Your Most Able Students

Why is differentiation a good “recipe” for meeting the needs of advanced learners in your classroom?

Differentiation to help advanced learners . . .

Avoids the pitfalls of “one-size-fits-all” teaching

Respects diversity and differences among your students

Helps your most able students to be more actively engaged in learning

Makes teaching and learning more interesting

Reflects current thinking about “best practices” in teaching

Gives your gifted students a chance to learn about conquering challenges.

A word about terminology . . .

Who are we talking about here?

“Advanced learners?”

“Academically talented”

“Gifted?”

Do these terms mean the same thing?

The term “advanced learners” and “academically talented” are usually “your most able students.” They are really a “subset” of “gifted.”

What “ingredients” can we combine to help challenge advanced learners in our classrooms?

Differentiation . . .

Goals for all students:

to make the curriculum “richer" and more meaningful

to enhance motivation

to remove artificial boundaries that otherwise prevent students from taking their educational experiences as far as they can

to develop skills in critical and creative thinking and problem solving

Goals for ANY students who have mastered the core curriculum:

to meet individual needs/respond to individual differences

to extend learning experiences beyond the core curriculum

to explore multi-faceted dimensions and nuances of the content

Goals for advanced learners: to tailor learning experiences to the characteristics that distinguish gifted students from their more typical age-mates

to provide complex and stimulating learning experiences for advanced learners who are capable of stretching well beyond the learning abilities of others

to provide appropriately-challenging work for advanced learners who can master basic skills or acquire information faster than others

More to follow …

Goals for advanced learners, continued . . .

to make use of the knowledge and broader perspectives that advanced learners often bring to the classroom

to explore the content in greater breadth and depth, going wider and deeper in order to accommodate specific interests

to provide advanced learners with opportunities to grapple with significant ideas and issues

to help advanced learners use their time productively and maximize their capabilities in relevant ways

Elements to Differentiate Curriculum & Instruction for Advanced Learners

Content

Process

Products

Learning Environment

Let’s take a look at each of these to see what you might do with them in your classroom.

Elements to Differentiate Curriculum & Instruction

CONTENT More abstract ideas

More complex and integrated topics

Greater variety of subject matter

Key concepts as an organizational framework

Studies of creative/productive people

Studies of methods used by scholars and professionals in the field.

Elements to Differentiate Curriculum & Instruction

PROCESS

Higher levels of thinking

Open-ended thinking

Inquiry or discovery learning

Expressing evidence of reasoning

Opportunities for freedom of choice

Group interaction and simulations

Higher Levels of Thinking Bloom’s Taxonomy is the easiest way to think about levels of thinking.

For advanced learners, turn this triangle upside down, with the most emphasis on “Creating”, the next on “Evaluating”, and the next on “Analyzing.”

The least amount of time & energy should be spent on the lowest levels: “Remembering”, “Understanding” & “Applying.”

Elements to Differentiate Curriculum & Instruction

PRODUCTS Involve original, detailed work

Resemble products developed by professionals in the field

Deal with real problems and real audiences

Demonstrate transformation and synthesis of information

Evaluated by self and any other appropriate audience

Using Product & Performance Options to Differentiate

“Opportunities for freedom of choice” = a key element in differentiation for advanced learners.

Offering product and/or performance options capitalizes on gifted students’ inclination to be internally motivated.

Check out this list of product ideas: Brochure

Cartoon

Chart

Collage

Comic Book/Comic Strip

Concept Map/Web

Crossword Puzzle

Diorama

Drawing

Flowchart

Game

Graph

Illustrated Booklet

Map

Mobile

Model

Mosaic

Mural

Oral Report/Presentation

Picture Postcard

Poem

Poster

PowerPoint Presentation

Radio Report

Script for Skit or Play

Song

Tableau

Time Line

Venn Diagram

Video

Elements to Differentiate Curriculum & Instruction

LEARNING ENVIRONMENT Student-centered, rather than teacher-centered

Stresses independence, rather than dependence

Open, rather than closed

Accepting, rather than judging

Complex, rather than simple

High mobility, rather than low mobility

(Note: This list of elements and ideas about them were adapted by

Dr. Ellen Fiedler from the work of Dr. C. June Maker.)

Learning styles

Interests

Talent dimensions

Levels of giftedness

Readiness

Hidden abilities/disabilities

Keep their individuality in mind when planning differentiation.

Understanding

Different Types of

Learners

Ways to Think about Learning Styles

Learning Modalities

Visual

Verbal

Kinesthetic

Technological

Tony Gregorc’s Learning Styles

Concrete Sequential

Concrete Random

Abstract Sequential

Abstract Random

Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences

Verbal/Linguistic

Musical/Rhythmic

Logical/Mathematical

Visual/Spatial

Bodily/Kinesthetic

Naturalist

Intrapersonal

Interpersonal

Existential

Another Way to Understand Different Types of Learners

“Order Seeker” Linear-Sequential, prefers teacher-directed lessons, needs clear info. & concrete directions, requires structure Says, “You tell me what, where, when, & how.”

“Debater” Prefers one-on-one dialog/debate, interrupts others to argue every point, wants to know why, seemingly unconvinced (but changes later to opposing point of view) Says, “Yes, but …”

“Groupie” Thinks best out loud, enjoys cooperative learning, simulations, & group projects, prefers hands-on methods Says, “Let’s see how we can do this.”

“Loner” Independent, self-directed, thinks best in isolation, gets impatient with lectures, debates, &/or group work, needs info. about ultimate goal & open access to resources. Says, “Leave me alone so I can get it done . . .”

“Cook up” “mix” “flavor”

Have your students identify their preferred learning styles for each of the content areas.

Encourage them to “taste” ` other learning styles occasionally.

Avoid the temptation to select only your own favorite learning styles for your teaching.

Assessing interests . . . Give students a chance to pursue their own interests or group them with others who share their interests

These are great ways to get them more engaged in learning.

It’s especially important for advanced learners since they tend to be more internally motivated, rather than externally driven.

You can make up your own interest survey, adapt the suggestions on my next slide, or find an interest inventory on-line to tailor to your own students.

Sample interest survey questions What books do you like to read?

What is your first choice about what to do when you have free time at home?

Who would you like to talk with if you could talk with any person from history? What questions would you like to ask that person?

Who would you like to talk with if you could talk with anyone currently living? What questions would you like to ask them?

If you could learn about anything you wanted to, what would you choose to learn about? (Be specific.)

What careers are you interested in right now? What would you like to know about working in any of those fields?

If you could interview an expert about something, what subject would you like to talk with someone about?

What else would you like your teachers to know about you?

Levels of Giftedness

Some of your advanced learners may be “mildly gifted.”

Some may be “moderately gifted.”

And, some may be “highly gifted” or even “profoundly gifted.”

Differences in students’ levels of giftedness is another reason for

differentiation!

Levels of Giftedness . . .

Level IQ Range Prevalence

Mildly Gifted 115 – 129 1:6 – 1:44

Moderately Gifted 130 – 144 1:44 – 1,000

Highly Gifted 145 – 159 1:1,000 – 1:10,000

Exceptionally Gifted 160 – 179 1:10,000 – 1:1 million

Profoundly Gifted 180+ Fewer than 1:1 million

Source: Miraca Gross (2000). Exceptionally and profoundly gifted students: An underserved population. Understanding Our Gifted, Winter 2000.

Source: Andrew S. Mahoney

Talent dimensions . . .

Some of the different ways to think about talent dimensions include:

Subject areas (Do you have a student who is a math whiz? One who writes amazing poetry? One who is a tech geek? Or ….?)

Passions (What topics will they turn any discussion into if given half a chance?)

Gardner’s “Intelligences” (Which of Gardner’s categories reflect each of your advanced learners’ strongest abilities?)

Responding to talent dimensions . . . Freedom of choice is really important:

Encourage advanced learners to focus on the aspects of your curriculum content that are most interesting to them.

Give them choices of product options for showing what they know and can do.

Limit the number of options to 3 or 4, rather than offering an extensive list.

Vary the options for different assignments.

The last alternative that you offer can be “anything else that’s comparable that you can talk me into.”

Use “curriculum compacting” to buy time for them to pursue their passions. (More about this to come . . .)

Hidden Abilities/Disabilities

economically disadvantaged

racially, culturally, & linguistically diverse

highly/profoundly gifted

underachievers

creatively gifted

gifted girls

rural/isolated gifted

visual-spatial learners

those with other exceptional educational needs (including those with learning disabilities and/or physical challenges)

Differentiation can help reveal and develop advanced learners’ hidden abilities, including gifts and talents of students with disabilities. Categories of students who may have advanced abilities that are hidden include:

“Readiness” and Instructional Grouping

Student are grouped and re-grouped based on common instructional needs.

Lessons are aimed to challenge the members of each group.

Ground rules are set ahead of time for groups to work productively.

Appropriate accountability is built-in for each group.

Documenting Readiness . . .

A wide variety of assessment tools can be used for predetermining students’ readiness levels.

Dr. Scott Peters will be providing you with a lot more information on assessment for differentiation!

Determining readiness is important for grouping, as well as for curriculum compacting.

We’ll look at curriculum compacting next.

Compacting the Curriculum: What Is It?

"Curriculum compacting" is . . . a systematic procedure for modifying or streamlining the regular curriculum.

an essential tool for teaching advanced learners.

designed to eliminate repetition of previously mastered material.

aimed at upgrading the challenge level of the regular curriculum.

a way to provide time for appropriate enrichment and/or acceleration activities.

Compacting the Curriculum: Step-by-Step

1) Defining the goals and outcomes of a particular unit or segment of instruction.

2) Determining and documenting which students have already mastered a specific set of learning outcomes or can master them in less time.

3) Offering replacement activities for material already mastered through the use of instructional options (e.g.,

acceleration, enrichment, project work) for more challenging and productive use of the student's time.

Food for Thought . . .

"Curriculum compacting might best be though of as organized common sense, because it simply recommends the natural pattern that teachers ordinarily follow when individualizing instruction, or teaching in the days before textbooks were invented. Compacting might also be thought of as the mirror image of remedial procedures that have always been used in diagnostic/prescriptive models of teaching." (Colangelo & Davis, 1997, pp. 145-146)

Teaching Advanced Learners: What does it take?

Managing Differentiation: Specific StrategiesSTART SMALL

START WITH WHAT IS

SMALL SIGNIFICANT STARTERS

PREPARING YOURSELF

PREPARING YOUR STUDENTS

INITIATE NOISE CONTROL

ESTABLISH PROCEDURES

THINK THINGS THROUGH FIRST

MANAGING GROUPS

MANAGING STUDENT WORK

MANAGING DIRECTIONS

KEEPING TRACK OF WORK

MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES FOR PRODUCTIVITY AND QUALITY

LEARNING TASK OPTIONS FOR STUDENTS

Detailed suggestions for each of these strategies for managing differentiation are posted on the conference website, along with a copy of these slides and a lot more info. about differentiation. Or, email me with your request: ellenfiedler@comcast.net .

Educators of the gifted often put it this way:

We each need to be

the

“guide on the side”

rather than “the

sage on the stage.”

To succeed in differentiation for advanced learners . . .

Some Selected Websites Dr. Carol Tomlinson’s site: http://www.caroltomlinson.com/

Offers excellent info. on differentiation.

Hoagies hhttp://www.hoagiesgifted.org/differentiation.htm This specific link will connect you with other sites + info. about everything related to the differentiation for advanced/gifted learners.

Differentiating Instruction to Promote Rigor & Engagement for Advanced & Gifted Students – Bertie Kingorehttp://www.bertiekingore.com/rigor.htm

Read this article; then browse around Dr. Kingore’s site for additional useful ideas/resources.

Davidson Gifted Database http://www.davidsongifted.org/db This is a section of the Davidson Institute website and, among other things, includes an amazing collection of articles online.

National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) http://www.nagc.org The website for NAGC, the major U.S. organization for those concerned with gifted children and their education.

Questions/comments . . .

Chicken Soup for Advanced Learners

Ellen D. Fiedler, Ph.D.

ellenfiedler@comcast.net

Email me and mention:

(or to request a copy of these slides, etc.)

(You’ll also find these slides and additional handouts on the conference website.)