gifted and talented students
Gifted students are those who have the potential to be distinctly above average in one or more domains/areas of human performance. Talent is the superior mastery and development of skills and/or knowledge in at least one domain/field placing the student in the top 10% of their peers within that area of human performance (Gagné 2008).
how do we differentiate for these students?
• Differentiation of Content (what is taught), Process (how it is taught) and Product (how students demonstrate their knowledge)
(Geisler et al. 2009; Tomlinson 2004).
For example, for G&T students the teacher may provide content that is appropriate to their level (such as, providing a Year 4 student with Year 5 level fractions themed around dinosaurs; content), at a rate appropriate to the student(s) (over one mathematics lessons) with activities that are tiered to their level (process) and allow them to demonstrate their knowledge based on their strengths (product) (e.g., role play or writing).
• When creating all tasks, to ensure G&T students have been catered for, the tasks should involve Higher Order Thinking Skills not More Of The Same (HOTS not MOTS), this requires the teacher to ensure the task provided challenges the student, involving critical and creative thinking rather than more of the same work (Vialle & Rogers 2009).
E.g. asking student/s to estimate the height of the Sydney Harbour Bridge rather than providing them with more measurement questions.
• Individualised learning plans to advance or accelerate the child according to his/her needs. For example, compacting the curriculum: determining (pre-assessing) what the student already knows in order to devote time to learn new/other concepts. Additionally, Mentorships: student works with an expert in an area of passion. (Colangelo et al. 2004; Vialle & Rogers 2009).
• Enrichment involves activities that go beyond the regular curriculum (Vialle & Rogers 2009).
For example, competitions, such as tournament of the minds (TOM 2015) or real world problems. Enrichment activities are particularly effective and have been found to improve students’ creative, analytical and cognitive abilities, as well as self-esteem (Aljughaiman & Ayoub 2012; Rogers 2002).
• Extension activities involve deepening and challenging students’ current level of knowledge, for G&T students this generally involves accelerating content beyond expected stage of learning (NSW DET 2004b; Vialle & Rogers 2009).
For example, providing a student with work at a more advanced level than that expected for their age.
• Grouping Strategy: Cluster grouping is the most effective strategy for G&T students, it involves high performing students being grouped together as to provide a differentiated learning within a similar area of giftedness (such as, mathematics); however all other learning occurs as normal (Vialle & Rogers 2009).
(Geisler et al. 2009; Tomlinson 2004).
For example, for G&T students the teacher may provide content that is appropriate to their level (such as, providing a Year 4 student with Year 5 level fractions themed around dinosaurs; content), at a rate appropriate to the student(s) (over one mathematics lessons) with activities that are tiered to their level (process) and allow them to demonstrate their knowledge based on their strengths (product) (e.g., role play or writing).
• When creating all tasks, to ensure G&T students have been catered for, the tasks should involve Higher Order Thinking Skills not More Of The Same (HOTS not MOTS), this requires the teacher to ensure the task provided challenges the student, involving critical and creative thinking rather than more of the same work (Vialle & Rogers 2009).
E.g. asking student/s to estimate the height of the Sydney Harbour Bridge rather than providing them with more measurement questions.
• Individualised learning plans to advance or accelerate the child according to his/her needs. For example, compacting the curriculum: determining (pre-assessing) what the student already knows in order to devote time to learn new/other concepts. Additionally, Mentorships: student works with an expert in an area of passion. (Colangelo et al. 2004; Vialle & Rogers 2009).
• Enrichment involves activities that go beyond the regular curriculum (Vialle & Rogers 2009).
For example, competitions, such as tournament of the minds (TOM 2015) or real world problems. Enrichment activities are particularly effective and have been found to improve students’ creative, analytical and cognitive abilities, as well as self-esteem (Aljughaiman & Ayoub 2012; Rogers 2002).
• Extension activities involve deepening and challenging students’ current level of knowledge, for G&T students this generally involves accelerating content beyond expected stage of learning (NSW DET 2004b; Vialle & Rogers 2009).
For example, providing a student with work at a more advanced level than that expected for their age.
• Grouping Strategy: Cluster grouping is the most effective strategy for G&T students, it involves high performing students being grouped together as to provide a differentiated learning within a similar area of giftedness (such as, mathematics); however all other learning occurs as normal (Vialle & Rogers 2009).
For more information
Curriculum Support: Gifted and Talented policies
http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/policies/gats/
Gagné's Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent
http://nswagtc.org.au/images/stories/infocentre/dmgt_2.0_en_overview.pdf
http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/policies/gats/
Gagné's Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent
http://nswagtc.org.au/images/stories/infocentre/dmgt_2.0_en_overview.pdf
references
Aljughaiman, A M & Ayoub, A E A 2012, The Effect of an Enrichment Program on Developing Analytical, Creative, and Practical Abilities of Elementary Gifted Students, SAGE publications, Thousand Oaks, ProQuest database, accessed 21/3/2015.
Colangelo, N, Assouline, S G & Gross, M, 2004, A Nation Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America’s Brightest Students, Volume 1, The Templeton National Report on Acceleration, Iowa.
Gagné, F 2008, Building gifts into talents: Brief overview of the DMGT 2.0, accessed 3/8/2015, nswagtc.org.au/images/stories/infocentre/dmgt_2.0_en_overview.pdf
Geisler, J L, Hessler, T, Gardner,Ralph, I ,II & Lovelace, T S 2009, ‘Differentiated Writing Interventions for High-Achieving Urban African American Elementary Students’, Journal of Advanced Academics, vol.20, no.2, pp.214-247, ProQuest Central database, accessed 3/8/2015.
NSW DET (New South Wales Department of Education and Training) 2004a, Policy and Implementation Strategies for the Education of Gifted and Talented Students, NSW Department of Education and Training, Sydney.
NSW DET (New South Wales Department of Education and Training) 2004b, Policy and Implementation Strategies for the Education of Gifted and Talented Students: Support package differentiation, NSW Department of Education and Training, Sydney.
Reis, S M 2001, ‘Reflections on the education of gifted and talented students in the twentieth century: milestones in the development of talents and gifts in young people’, Australasian Journal of Gifted Education, vol.10 no.1 pp.15-22.
Rogers, K 2002, ‘Grouping the gifted and talented: Questions and answers’, Roeper Review, vol.24, no.3, pp.103-107, ProQuest Central database, accessed 30/3/2015.
TOM (Tournament OF the Minds) 2015, Tournament of the minds: challenging the world, accessed 25/3/2015, http://www.tom.edu.au/
Colangelo, N, Assouline, S G & Gross, M, 2004, A Nation Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America’s Brightest Students, Volume 1, The Templeton National Report on Acceleration, Iowa.
Gagné, F 2008, Building gifts into talents: Brief overview of the DMGT 2.0, accessed 3/8/2015, nswagtc.org.au/images/stories/infocentre/dmgt_2.0_en_overview.pdf
Geisler, J L, Hessler, T, Gardner,Ralph, I ,II & Lovelace, T S 2009, ‘Differentiated Writing Interventions for High-Achieving Urban African American Elementary Students’, Journal of Advanced Academics, vol.20, no.2, pp.214-247, ProQuest Central database, accessed 3/8/2015.
NSW DET (New South Wales Department of Education and Training) 2004a, Policy and Implementation Strategies for the Education of Gifted and Talented Students, NSW Department of Education and Training, Sydney.
NSW DET (New South Wales Department of Education and Training) 2004b, Policy and Implementation Strategies for the Education of Gifted and Talented Students: Support package differentiation, NSW Department of Education and Training, Sydney.
Reis, S M 2001, ‘Reflections on the education of gifted and talented students in the twentieth century: milestones in the development of talents and gifts in young people’, Australasian Journal of Gifted Education, vol.10 no.1 pp.15-22.
Rogers, K 2002, ‘Grouping the gifted and talented: Questions and answers’, Roeper Review, vol.24, no.3, pp.103-107, ProQuest Central database, accessed 30/3/2015.
TOM (Tournament OF the Minds) 2015, Tournament of the minds: challenging the world, accessed 25/3/2015, http://www.tom.edu.au/