Building Capacity
All Students Access CCSS
PART FOUR
GATE STUDENTS
Differentiating CCSS For Gifted
and Advanced Learners
Kim Coons-Leonard
July 2, 2014
Desired Results
Common Core Staff Developers will analyze best
practices in differentiation for gifted and
advanced learners and begin developing a
toolbox to support implementation of these
practices in their work with teachers and
administrators.
Enduring Understanding
Rigor for all requires differentiation for some.
The Memoirs of
Jesse James
I remember all those thousands of hours
that I spent in grade school
watching the clock,
waiting for recess or lunch or to go home.
Waiting: for anything but school.
My teachers could easily have ridden with
Jesse James
For all the time they stole from me
-Richard Brautigan
Essential Questions
Rigor for all requires differentiation for some.
• Would every student want to do it?
• Should every student do it?
• Could every student do it?***
--Harry Passow
Learning Plan
How will I prepare you for the culminating task?
• Let’s get started with some research on the
gifted brain and its instructional implications…
Gifted brains are remarkably
intense and diffuse metabolizers.
• fMRIs show a brain on fire. Bright red blazes of
metabolic activity burst out all over the scan
• Each red patch represents millions of
microcombustion events in which glucose is
metabolized to provide fuel for the working
brain
• The chemical capacity of the gifted brain
helps create a more efficient response
Gifted brains are hyper-sensitive
• Not only are initial impressions especially strong, but
later recollections are often unusually intense or
vivid
• Because vivid initial impressions correlate with better
recollection, gifted brains are also characterized by
increased memory efficiency and capacity
• These memories are characterized by
multimodality—memory areas that store many
different types of memories
• This multimodality means gifted thinkers often
make connections in ways other people don’t
Implications for Instruction
“The constant repetition of the regular
classroom, so necessary for mastery
among the general population, is actually
detrimental to long-term memory storage
and retrieval for gifted students.”
--John Hopkins University study, 1993
For further information read the article
Brains on Fire at http://goo.gl/zBB3xO
Specific to math and science…
Gifted students are
significantly more
likely to retain science
and mathematics
content accurately
when taught 2-3 times
faster than “normal”
class pace.
Gifted students are
significantly more
likely to forget or
mislearn science and
mathematics content
when they must drill
and review it more
than 2-3 times.
--Dr. Karen Rogers
Ready, Set, Go!
1. Put your name at the top of the paper. List everything
you think you know about:
Differentiation for gifted and advanced learners
2. In groups of three create a new list compiling all of
your words with NO repeats.
3. Count up the total number of words on your group list.
Take it to the next level and embrace Tier 3 vocabulary
with the Gold Star Word Activity. See the info sheet.
Differentiating Curriculum for the Gifted
•
•
•
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Acceleration
Depth
Complexity
Novelty
Differentiation Feature: Acceleration
Acceleration is at the heart of GATE
differentiation. It is the use of ongoing
assessment to determine what a student
already knows in order to compact instruction
to what is not known. This in turn "buys time"
for the student to explore concepts to greater
depth and complexity.
Acceleration Applied
Assessments include:
• Pre-tests that assess material to be taught versus determining level of
readiness
• Unit, chapter, and topic post-tests as pre-tests
• Quick checks/quick writes/Entry-Exit cards
• Worksheets as a pre-assessment instead of practice
• Most Difficult First (MDF) instead of complete assignment
• KWL/Ready, Set, Go! for new content, concepts, themes
• Frayer Model for concept assessment, specific skills
Implementation:
1. Pretest student knowledge and skills on upcoming standard, topic, chapter, or
unit.
2. Compact curriculum to focus on what is not known.
3. You have bought students time for Depth, Complexity, and, Novelty of Core
Curriculum!
Acceleration Choice Pathways
at http://goo.gl/vxC00x
• Unit, chapter, and topic post-tests as pre-tests: Read the
Guidelines for Differentiating ELA and Mathematics for
Gifted and Advanced Learners
• Learn how to implement Most Difficult First (MDF)
• See examples of the Frayer Model as a pre-assessment tool
across content areas
In your CCSS lesson, unit of study, or math topic identify where
you will pre-assess. On a sticky note identify HOW students will
be pre-assessed and place onto directly onto your CCSS
document.
Differentiation Features:
Depth and Complexity
Depth means to move from the known to the
unknown, from the concrete to the abstract. It is
extending learning in the core curriculum beyond the
grade-level standard.
Complexity means making connections within and
across disciplines within the grade level curriculum.
Both depth and complexity add layers to the core
curriculum.
Depth and Complexity Applied
Adding layers by (but not limited to):
• Incorporating advanced resources
• Studying a concept in multiple applications or situations
•Developing a product based on data addressing patterns and trends
•Evaluating between pros and cons
• Using multiple higher level skills
•Adding more variables to study
•Requiring multiple resources or tasks
•Evaluating and synthesizing key ideas within or across disciplines
• Examining a topic from multiple perspectives or overtime
Implementation to support the above list:
Novices: Use the Differentiator to create a layered task
Apprentices: “Frame” a task four ways
Experts: Use the CCSS-aligned Thinking Tools of Depth and
Complexity to create a layered task.
Depth and Complexity Choice Pathways
at http://goo.gl/wtvhXG
• Novices: Learn how to use the Differentiator to create a
layered task.
• Apprentices: Learn how to “frame” a task four ways and
use this technique to layer a task.
• Experts: Use Kaplan’s Thinking Tools of Depth and
Complexity to create a layered task that includes the
new CCSS-aligned icons.
In your CCSS lesson, unit of study, or math topic differentiate
a learning task using one of these strategies. Annotate your
work onto a sticky note (or use a digital frame) and place
directly onto your CCSS document.
Differentiation Feature: Novelty
Novelty as GATE differentiation means to "personalize
understanding." This happens when students are
challenged to evaluate and/or synthesize information.
Novelty at its best offers choice and addresses research
and inquiry that includes evaluation and synthesis of
information.
For the highly gifted, novelty often provides
the most meaningful learning experiences.
Novelty Applied
As with all research and inquiry, Novelty is guided by questions:
• How can knowledge in the area of study be interpreted?
• How can knowledge from this study be restated/expressed in
one’s own words?
• What type of investigation or experiment can be designed to learn
more about the area of study?
• What personal interpretation could be made from this area of
study?
Implementation:
Research as a search or investigation. Design a process that guides a
student’s ability to find information from a variety of sources and to
draw conclusions from that information.
Investigation Versus Report: What's the Difference?
Investigation
Uses information gathered through
independent/small group research to
answer an essential question and make
an analysis.
Report
Uses information gathered through
research to relate information to a topic.
Requires a written product.
Results in the creation of an original
written, visual, oral, artistic, or multimedia
project.
Involves acquisition of knowledge, simple
application, and demonstration of
Involves analysis, complex application,
comprehension.
evaluation and synthesis of information.
Inspires (for student) new ideas,
Makes plagiarism tempting.
methodologies, and perspectives.
Satisfies requirements.
Satisfies intellectual curiosity.
Generates information to be shared with
Generates findings to be shared with a
the teacher.
specific, authentic audience.
Evaluate a Research Task
Select your choice of a learning task that
involves research from a unit of study, chapter,
theme, or the 2nd grade math investigations
and use the checklist to evaluate.
Research checklist
 Uses information gathered through
research using multiple and varied
resources to answer an essential
question and make
an analysis.
 Results in the creation of an original
written, visual, oral, artistic, or
multimedia project.
 Involves analysis, complex application,
evaluation and synthesis of information.
 Inspires (for student) new ideas,
methodologies, and perspectives.
 Satisfies intellectual curiosity.
Post the checklist in your CCSS document.  Generates findings to be shared with a
specific, authentic audience.
If the task does not meet all criteria, how it
could it be revised?
Would every student want to do it?
Should every student do it?
Could every student do it?***
Our instructional response to gifted and
advanced learners:
Adjust AND Accelerate all levels of curriculum,
instruction, and assessment
With emphasis on complex and multi-faceted layers via
Depth, Complexity, and Novelty