Differentiation for Gifted Learners – Going Beyond the Basics
By Diane Heacox, Ed.D. and Richard M. Cash, Ed.D.
Introduction
What are the challenges you have faced in meeting the needs of gifted students in your classroom?
Week 1
Chapter 1 *GIFTEDNESS DEFINED IN DIVERSE GROUPS* (p 4-13)
1. Consider the identification processes, programs, and services provided by your school/district.
Which components of the federal definition (page 4) do you believe are well served at your
campus? Which components are minimally recognized or underserved? Which components are
neither recognized nor served? The following documents will help you better understand how
the GT student population is served in the Socorro ISD.
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GT State Plan
Socorro ISD GT Plan
Year at a Glance
Identification Procedures Flowchart
Transfer Student Flowchart
GTCC Meetings
Guiding Your Gifted-Parent Meeting
GT Core Trainings
Important Dates to Remember
2. Consider the distinctions between gifts and talents defined by Gagne (pages 4-7). Do you have
experience with students who are gifted but not talented? Describe the students and their
innate abilities, attitudes, behavior, work habits, or interests that may be affecting their
performance.
Week 2
Chapter 2 *USING BRAIN RESEARCH TO IMPROVE DIFFERENTIATION* (p 14-27)
1. Create a list of at least three ways gifted students think and process information differently.
2. What is the significance of how gifted students process information, and why is it important to
provide differentiated learning experiences?
Week 3
Chapter 3 *THE COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS AND GIFTED EDUCATION* (p 28-35)
1. In what ways have standards-based education and/or the Common Core enhanced learning
experiences for gifted students? In what ways has it hindered their learning?
2. What issues or concerns need to be addressed in your school or district so that standards-based
education and/or the Common Core might better work for rather than against the learning
needs of gifted students?
Week 4
Chapter 4 *DEFENSIBLE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES* (p 36-72)
1. Note the distinctions between the different types of grouping (pages 61-68). Use the chart on
page 63 to answer the following questions:
a. Which of these practices are most frequently used in your classroom?
b. Why do you tend to employ that practice more frequently?
c. What grouping practices would you like to use more often? Why?
Week 5
Chapter 5 *CREATING AUTHENTIC HONORS COURSES* (p 73-96)
1. Define and explain how our campus does or does not address the four principles of an honors
(Pre-AP) course (pages 73-74).
Week 6
Chapter 6 *CHANGING ROLES FOR EDUCATORS OF GIFTED STUDENTS* (p 97-103)
1. What is the mindset of your students (pages 98-99).
2. Do some students have a fixed mindset? How do you know?
3. Do some students have a growth mindset? What specific examples can you give to support your
answer?
Week 7
Chapter 7 *CO-TEACHING: A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TO DIFFERENTIATION* (p 104-113)
1. Review the co-teaching questionnaire on page 106. Are there other things you would like to
know about a potential co-teacher in order to form a successful partnership?
2. Consider the variety of co-teaching strategies presented on pages 108-110. Note that they are
presented sequentially from the least to the most collaborative style. Which appeals to you the
most? Why?
3. Considering your students, which would be the most effective in addressing the learning
differences in your classroom? Why?
Week 8
Chapter 8 *UNDERSTANDING AND REVERSING UNDERACHIEVEMENT*(p114-134)
1. Consider a gifted student you view as underperforming. This may or may not be a student who
is currently in your classroom. Conduct an interview with the student, using the questions on
pages 124-125 as a guide. You may delete questions you believe to be less appropriate and add
others you’d like responses for.
2. Consider possible plans of action. Review the strategies, resources, templates, and formats
presented in Chapter 8 that can be used in establishing a plan with the student.
Week 9
Chapter 9 *ASSESSMENT AND THE GIFTED LEARNER* (p 135-161)
1. Identify which assessment formats you are using and where they fall on the TLC (Teaching and
Learning Continuum, p100 and 146). Are your assessments focused on a particular level?
2. Considering that you want to move gifted students toward greater autonomy, which strategies
should you consider and use more frequently with them?
Week 10
Chapter 10 *LEADERSHIP* (P162-179)-Chapter 11 *NEXT STEPS* (p195-199)
1. The purpose of the “Differentiated Lesson Plan” (pages 180-183) is to walk you through a
thinking process about when and how you might differentiate a lesson. Once you start thinking
with this process in mind, planning differentiated lessons comes much more quickly. It actually
becomes difficult to not consider differentiation as you ask yourself. “What am I going to do
tomorrow/next week/next month?” Describe a lesson you taught recently, considering each
component of the plan on pages 180-181 as you describe the lesson.
2. What additional ideas do you now have about how the lesson may have been differentiated?