Good Morning!
Advanced
Academics
Middle
School
Training
Nature and
Needs of
Gifted
An Overview
August 12, 2011
Nature and Needs
Purpose:
 Provides an overview of gifted education
on the national, state, and local level.
 Cognitive, social, and emotional
characteristics common to individuals
who are gifted are identified.
 Strategies that can be used to meet the
academic needs of different categories
of students who are gifted.
What is gifted?
 Write
a definition of gifted.
 Discuss your definition with one other
person.
 Come to a consensus on a final definition.
“There is no off position
for the genius switch.”
-David Letterman
Former U. S. Commissioner of Education
Sidney P. Marland, Jr., in his August 1971
report to Congress, stated…
Children capable of high performance include
those with demonstrated achievement and/or
potential ability in any of the following areas,
singly or in combination:
1. general intellectual ability
2. specific academic aptitude
3. creative or productive thinking
4. leadership ability
5. visual or performing arts
6. psychomotor ability
Definition of gifted
 Dictionary.com

Having great special talent or ability:
 the

debut of a gifted artist
Having exceptionally high intelligence:
 gifted

children
Having or showing natural talent or
aptitude:
a
gifted musician; a gifted performance
Main Entry:
gifted
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition:
talented, intelligent
Synonyms:
able, accomplished, adroit, brilliant, capable,
class act, clever, expert, got it, have on the ball,
have smarts, have the goods, hotshot,
ingenious, mad, masterly, phenomenal,
shining at, skilled, smart
Antonyms:
dull, incapable, inept, unintelligent,untalented
Retrieved from http://thesaurus.com/browse/gifted
Terms Used for Gifted
Term
Definition
Explanation
genius
Phenomenally
gifted
Was used widely,
now exclusive
talented
A particular
strength or ability
Gifted tend to
have a wide
range of strengths
prodigy/
precocious
Advanced at an
early age,
disciplined in
study
From the Greek
“precocious”
meaning “early
cooked”
superior
Better than…
In terms of what?
What or whom is
the child superior
to?
Delivery Models Within Schools
 How
does your school serve the gifted
students? Strengths/Weaknesses




HGMS
SMS
APMS
LPMS
Dr. Ruth Heckman
 Referral
and identification of gifted
 Criteria and eligibility
 Plan B
 Procedural Safeguards
Common gifted characteristics
o Concentrated interest in specific subjects
o Has a long attention span in areas of interest
o Learns rapidly, easily and with less repetition in
specific areas
o Likes or loves one or a few areas of knowledge
o Spends time voluntarily beyond ordinary
assignments on projects of interest to him or her
o Is able to extend learning from these key areas to
various situations somewhat unrelated in orientation
o Is able to show broad perspective on one or more
subject areas
o Is able to judge own and others' relative abilities in
key areas of interest
o Seeks assistance of others beyond his or age peers
in extending knowledge in areas of interest
Problems vs. Promise
 Read
the article Gifted Learners and The
Middle School, Problems or Promise.
 Divide sections with group members.
 Complete Problems vs. Promise chart.
Typical and Atypical Child
Development of Advanced Learners
The gifted person has an “atypical development
throughout the lifespan in terms of awareness,
perceptions, emotional responses and life
experiences”. That is, the gifted person
experiences life events differently to others. They
have a different interpretation of life. They are
always different in their perceptions and
realities. Consequently, they are likely to do things
differently as well. And this applies to adults as well
as children.
Retrieved from http://www.gifted-children.com.au/definition
But there is more to giftedness than
increased cognitive ability. There is a
general heightening of senses, bringing an
acute awareness of touch, hearing, sight,
smell and taste making these children
particularly sensitive to all forms of
stimuli. There is also a complex processing
of information. The path from one point to
another is never the straightest. All
possibilities and ramifications must be
considered before action can be
taken. And the perfect response is sought –
nothing less.
Classroom difficulties










Uneven development
Peer relations
Excessive self-criticism
Perfectionism
Avoidance of risk-taking
Impatient
Resist routine
Strong willed
Disorganized
Frustrated
Possible problems related to
characteristics of advanced learners
 Divide
into groups based on subject area.
 In your group, make a list of
characteristics that seem specific to your
advanced classes.


Identify as positive or negative.
Explain why it is a positive or negative.
Atypical Development
Development
“Solution”
may display asynchronous
development in academic
and social/emotional
development
must be provided with
appropriate and
intellectually
challenging curriculum
must be provided with
experiences that allow for
problem-centered, creative,
and critical thinking
opportunities
http://www.megt.org/MidSchoollearners.pdf
Advanced Academics
 Advanced
Academics Philosophy
To address equity and balance in the
Highlands School System, the Advanced
Academics Program firmly believes that
students with high ability require
differentiated learning experiences that will
adequately meet their needs. These
learning challenges are essential to provide
the rigor needed to prepare these students
for "life after school" and to enable them to
reach their highest potential.
The Advanced Academics Class
 Gifted


High IQ’s
Exceptionally High IQ’s
 High





achievers
bright or talented students
students that almost qualified for gifted
good test takers
superior memory
“driven” students
How do advanced learners
cope?
 Pretend
not to know as much as
you do.
 Act like a "brain" so peers leave you
alone.
 Adjust language and behavior to
disguise true abilities from your
peers.
 Avoid programs designed for
gifted/talented students.
 Be more active in community
groups where age is no object.
 Develop/excel
in talent areas outside
school setting.
 Achieve in areas at school outside
academics.
 Build more relationships with adults.
 Select programs and classes designed for
gifted/talented students.
 Make friends with other students with
exceptional talents.
 Accept and use abilities to help peers do
better in classes.
Pursuit of Excellence v. Perfectionism
Research
paper
Works hard, turns in
on time, feels good
about it
Procrastinates,
writes 3 drafts, turns
in late, not happy
with product
Taking A
Test
Takes test with
confidence, feels
good about a 96%
Studies the last
minute, nervous,
depressed after
earning a 96%
Group
Work
Enjoys working with Works alone
others, learning from because no one
others
can do it right, no
one is going to
share in the “A”
High Achieving is Not Gifted
 Traits
that COULD be gifted but ARE High
Achieving…
 Work is turned in on time
 Assignments are well developed, neat,
organized
 High grades
 School appropriate behavior
 Products surface above the typical
student
“There is no way that kid is gifted.”
“He may have been gifted in kindergarten, but he is
obviously not gifted anymore.”
“She is gifted? Then why is she failing my
math class?”
“If he is gifted, my dog is gifted.”
“There are far better students in my class
than that gifted one.”
“I know a gifted child when I see
one, and that is not one.”
Potential
• Measured on an IQ test,
administered either
individually or as a group
Performance
• Measured from results on
a state test of academic
performance and/or
report card grade
Underachieving Gifted
• Does well on achievement or intelligence tests, but performance falls far short of abilities
• Does not initiate new projects; does not find new ideas challenging (sees them as hassles)
• Can do well but is erratic; needs excessive supervision
• Is not a self-starter; does not display appropriate sense of urgency; misses deadlines
• Seems disorganized; often does not complete or turn in work
• Seldom accepts responsibility for personal failure; tends to blame others
• Starts enthusiastically, but quickly fades; promises "will do better next time"
• Unable to enjoy own successes
• Appears easily distracted when needing to do work; displays selective attention and
memory
• Minimizes future consequences
• Seems unaffected by own deficiencies and ineffectiveness
• Fakes happiness (says he, or she, is happy but really is not)
• Punishment, rewards, logic, tutoring, training or just leaving alone are ineffective
http://www.appliedmotivation.com/underachiever_profile.htm
Effective Teachers of
Advanced Learners
 Lifelong
 Open
learners
to new experiences
 Passionate
 Good
about an area of knowledge
thinkers
 Manipulate
ideas
Effective Teaching Strategies
 Strategies
for the gifted students are
appropriate for advanced learners.
 Be especially aware of your gifted
students and use proven strategies.
 Structure your class using some of these
strategies to be effective for all students.
Cluster Grouping
 Appropriate
provisions can be made
since students are with students that are
similar
 Advanced academics provides:




Differentiation
More in depth work
Advance or accelerated pace
Like minded or like-thinking students
Why group?

Students should spend the majority of their school day
with others of similar abilities and interests.

Cluster grouping of a small number of students within
an otherwise heterogeneously grouped classroom can
be considered.

Students might be offered specific group instruction
across grade levels.

Students should be given experiences involving a
variety of appropriate acceleration-based options.

Students should be given experiences which involve
various forms of enrichment.
Retrieved from http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/nrcgt/rogers.html
Outcomes Based
Definition: A model of education that
rejects the traditional focus on what the
school provides to students, in favor of
making students demonstrate that they
"know and are able to do" whatever the
required outcomes are.
Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outcome-based_education
Strategies for Success
 Pretesting
 Enriched
curriculum for all students
 Flexible scheduling
 Appropriate curriculum
 Extension of lessons
 Working with intellectual peers
 Allow progression as needed
 Choice
How do you use…
•
•
•
•
•
Flexible Scheduling
Pretesting
Enrichment
Appropriate
Curriculum
In depth study
•
•
•
•
Progression As
Needed
Work with
intellectual peers
Choice
Extension of lessons
Use of strategies in science
Use of strategies in social
studies
Use of strategies in math
Use of strategies in language
arts and reading
Top 10 events That Created
Gifted Education
 In
groups, read a section of the article The
Top Ten Event Creating Gifted Education.
 Summarize your section.
 Report on chart paper the main ideas of
the topic.
And finally…
 Complete
the survey on Beliefs and
Attitudes
 Complete evaluation
 Upcoming dates:

November- Guidance and Counseling
 Watch

Little Man Tate or Good Will Hunting
February- Creativity