Differentiation Approaches for
ERE Students
A Six-Hour GT Update
Today’s Objectives
 Become familiar with the new model for GT services
in Keller ISD, the Autonomous Learner Model (ALM).
 Review various differentiation strategies that can be
used with GT students, and all students, in the regular
classroom.
 Become familiar with the resources available to you
when writing differentiated lessons.
 Build a GT “toolbox” that you can use to work with
GT students next year.
Today’s Agenda
1. An Overview of GT in KISD for 11-12
2. The Autonomous Learner Model
3. GT in the Classroom
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Available Resources
Differentiated Lesson Design
Assessment and Facilitation Strategies
Course Wiki
 All information is available at:
http://giftedguide.wikispaces.com
 You will be able to access the information anytime
you need!
Disclaimer
 I am no longer a contracted employee with the
district.
 Any information I share is/was accurate as of our last
GT specialists’ meeting.
 Things can, and will, change over the summer.
Changes to the Program for 11-12
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K-2 will be served in the classroom
3-6 will continue to have an EXCEL class
7-12 will be served through pre-AP and AP courses
Reduced class time with the GT specialist
Students will continue to be clustered
District will be adopting the Autonomous Learner
Model (ALM) as it’s main model for GT instruction.
Role of the Specialist
 As of now, Marna Halloran will be the new GT
Specialist. She will be serving Trinity Meadows,
Caprock, and Eagle Ridge.
 Her role will be to provide resources and information
to classroom teachers, serve grades 3-4 in an EXCEL
pull-out class, identify new GT students through
testing, and maintain state standards for student
files. (Plus a million other things!)
FAQs
 Will there be a program for K-2 students?
 Yes, they will receive services in their regular classroom with a
teacher who has completed the 30 core hours of training.
 Will the testing windows remain the same?
 The testing windows for this year have yet to be determined.
Will there be a program for K-2 students?
 Will students see the GT specialist the same amount of
hours?
 No, due to reduced staffing, students in grades 3-4 will be
served by both the classroom teacher and the GT Specialist.
Questions?
 All of the most up-to-date information regarding the
GT program can be found on the KISD website.
 Refer parents to the district GT webpage.
 http://www.kellerisd.net/district/curriculum/Pages/Gifte
dandTalented.aspx
Autonomous Learner Model
George T. Betts & Jolene K. Kercher
An autonomous learner, by definition, is “one who
solves problems or develops new ideas through a
combination or divergent and convergent thinking
functions with minimal external guidance in selected
areas of endeavor.”
Betts & Kapp, 1981
The Basics
 Designed to meet the diverse cognitive, emotional,
and social needs of learners.
 Puts students in charge of developing and assessing
their own learning experiences.
 The goal is to produce independent, self-directed
learners.
 All learners can benefit from the ALM.
ALM Standards
 Develop more positive self concepts
 Comprehend own abilities in relationship to self and society.
 Develop skills to interact effectively with peers, siblings,
parents and other adults.
 Increase knowledge in a variety of areas.
 Develop critical and creative thinking skills.
 Develop decision-making and problem-solving skills.
ALM Standards
 Integrate activities which facilitate the cognitive,
emotional, social, and physical development of the
individual.
 Develop individual passion area(s) of learning.
 Demonstrate responsibility for own learning in and
out of the school setting.
 Ultimately become responsible, creative,
independent, life-long learners.
Basic Principles Activity
 Review the principles listed on the sheet.
 Using a scale of 1 (which indicates little use or
understanding) to 5 (which indicates thorough
understanding and consistent use), circle the
appropriate number in each box.
 Answer the questions on the Reflections Worksheet.
Definitions of the Gifted as
Autonomous Learners
 Intellectually Gifted
 Students most often found in typical gifted programs.
 Develop mass storehouses of information
 Perform exceptionally well in the first three levels of Bloom’s
(knowledge, comprehension, and application)
 Many will score 130 or above
 Thinking converges as they mature
 Are not risk takers
 Consumed with getting the “right” answer.
 Is this for a grade?
 The educational system is geared toward them.
Definitions of the Gifted as
Autonomous Learners
 Creatively Gifted
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Creative, divergent thinkers
Have acute senses of humor and intolerance for boredom
Adventurous, high-energy
Unable to stay on task; always thinking “what if?”
Don’t care about knowledge or facts; concerned with doing
things no one else has thought of.
 These learners may be overlooked during screening for gifted
programs.
Definitions of the Gifted as
Autonomous Learners
 Talented
 Have one specific area in which they excel
 Strong desire to devour everything about their area of
interest
 Their area of interest becomes a life-long passion
 Musicians, artists, and athletes fall under this umbrella
 Identified through observation
Definitions of the Gifted as
Autonomous Learners
 Students may have any combination of these.
 They may truly be gifted and talented. Excel in
multiple areas. Be gifted in only one area such as
math or language arts.
 The ALM allows for all of these students to be served
within the classroom. Since they design their own
learning experiences, their unique needs can be met.
Allows for more GT students and “high-achieving”
students to be served.
Profiles of Gifted Behavior
 Type I: The Successful
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Every teacher’s dream
Want to succeed
Smart, alert, eager to please
Easily identified; usually score high on IQ tests and
achievement tests
What they need…
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To be pushed/challenged beyond their comfort levels
Opportunities to think creatively and to problem solve in
situations where there isn’t one “right” answer
Activities that will let them be learners versus students
Profiles of Gifted Behavior
 Type II: The Challenging
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Generally not identified
Mostly boys
They are rebels; crave autonomy
Are not successful in the classroom
Lack “appropriate behavior”
What they need…
 A teacher who can see the “diamond in the rough” and who values
their independent thinking
 Opportunities to work with peers, so they can practice social skills
and observe work behaviors of successful students
 A teacher who will “coach” them.
Profiles of Gifted Behaviors
 Type III: The Underground
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Mostly girls
Hide their giftedness to be more socially acceptable
Value “belonging” over “intelligence”
They may want to be “popular” while others just strive to
“blend in”
 What they need…
 Teachers who encourage confidence
 Activities that allow them to become self-aware and reveal the
value of being gifted
 Leadership roles
Profiles of Gifted Behaviors
 Type IV: The Dropout
 They give up and decide to leave the system
 Crack under the pressure of unrealistic expectations
 Hate themselves, their teachers, and their parents; become
resentful of society
 What they need…
 Early intervention
 A “toolbox” of strategies to help them relax and cope with
the pressure
 Help overcoming perfectionism
Profiles of Gifted Behaviors
 Type V: The Twice Exceptional
 Receive multiple services
 Often identified as gifted during the special education
referral process
 What they need…
 Help finding their strengths and tools to cope with their
weaknesses.
Profiles of Gifted Behaviors
 Type VI: The Autonomous Learner
 Comfortable being a student and a learner
 Learn in school, but retain their individuality
 This is the end goal for all of the other types
Profiles of Gifted Behaviors
 For more information about profiles for gifted
students, please view the information at the link
below:
 http://www.alpspublishing.com/presentations/Revised_
Profiles_For_Gifted.ppt
Major Dimensions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Orientation
Individual Development
Enrichment
Seminars
In-Depth Study
The Orientation Dimension
 Teachers and administrators focus on program design and
implementation.
 Staff development opportunities are offered to teachers.
 Learners are given opportunities to determine their own
needs (learning style), the level of support they require
from teachers, and learn more about themselves in general.
 Students determine their areas of strength and weakness.
 GT students reflect on what it means to be “gifted.”
 Orientation is when ALM expectations and routines are
established.
The Individual Development
Dimension
 During individual development, learners build a
“toolbox” of skills they will use as they begin their
independent study.
 Learners are taught research basics such as notetaking and summarizing.
 They are shown how to use available technology,
computer programs, and websites.
The Enrichment Dimension
 Both the teacher and the student are responsible for
differentiation in this dimension.
 The ALM provides learners opportunities to explore
topics beyond the standard curriculum.
 The highest level of learning occurs when the learner
is allowed to explore their own passions in their own
way.
The Seminar Dimension
 In small groups, learners are given the opportunity to
research a topic and present it as a seminar to their
classmates or another audience.
 Learners assess their efforts using criteria that they
develop (may require some “coaching” for younger
students).
The In-Depth Study Dimension
 Learners pursue their own interests through longterm small group or individual in-depth study.
 Learners determine what will be learned, how it will
be learned, how it will be presented, what facilitation
is necessary, what the final product will be, and how
their efforts will be assessed.
Changing Roles
 As students progress through each dimension, the
roles that the teacher and learner play will change
accordingly.
Getting Started
 Get to know the learners in your classroom
 Use the tools in your handout.
 Set up portfolios for gifted students
Where are we headed?
 http://youtu.be/Gu8Y8RcLjJA
Questions about ALM?
Resources: Your New Best
Friend
Quality Resources for GT Differentiation
Available Resources: Campus Level
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Technology
Textbooks
Books from the GT Department
Other Teachers
GT Specialist
Available Resources: District Level
 Math Task Cards (In Forethought)
 Safari Montage Live
 Coming Soon: GT curriculum for core subjects
Available Resources: Region 11
 Online databases
 Encyclopedia Britannica—reads to younger students,
so they can research too!
Available Resources: State-Wide
 GT Teacher Toolkit
 http://www.texaspsp.org/toolkit/GT_Teacher_Toolkit.ht
ml
 Texas Performance Standards Projects
 http://www.texaspsp.org/
Texas Performance Standards
Projects Activity
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Visit the TPSP website.
Explore the resources available to you.
Review at least two TPSP tasks.
At your tables, discuss the common features you
notice.
Texas Performance Standards
Projects
 The only “curriculum” mentioned in the Texas State Plan
for the Gifted.
 Teaches research skills at a variety of skill and grade levels.
 Two phases:
 Phase 1: Students explore grade-level appropriate topics
(based on TEKS). Students will develop research skills.
 Phase 2: Students apply what they have learned during the
research phase. They will create advanced level products that
are meant to be shared with an audience.
Texas Performance Standards
Projects
 Pros
 Can be used as a model for any topic
 Can be modified for other grade levels
 Ready to use!
 Cons
 Many are “bare bones” lessons.
 Can take a long time
 Difficult to do with younger students
Texas Performance Standards
Projects
 Students can reasonably complete one or two per
semester.
 EXCEL class will use the grade 3-4 tasks, so check with
the specialist before starting them.
 K-2 can use any of the tasks!
Questions About TPSP?
Differentiation by Readiness
Lessons and activities for every teacher
Novice
 Teachers who:
 Are new to differentiation, have a wide gap between their
highest and lowest students, don’t have time to devote to
differentiating for every topic.
 What you can do:
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Set up enrichment stations: analogies, logic puzzles
Start a mastery club
Add higher-level books to the classroom library
Use district resources such as GT curriculum and Math Task
cards
Competent/Proficient
 Teachers who:
 Are comfortable with differentiation, have had some
experience with it, are looking to expand their use of
differentiation strategies
 What you can do:
 TPSP’s
 ALM
 Safari Montage Live
Expert
 Teachers who:
 Have used differentiation strategies for a while, want to
integrate differentiation into every aspect of their
teaching
 What you can do:
 Layered/Tiered lessons
 Add depth and complexity through Kaplan’s Icons
Kaplan’s Icons
1. Language of the
Disciplines
2. Details
3. Patterns
4. Rules
5. Trends
6. Unanswered Questions
7. Ethics
8. Big Idea
9. Relate across Time
10. Multiple Perspectives
11. Across Disciplines
Kaplan’s Icons
 Want to know more? Visit the link below!
 http://www.byrdseed.com/introducing-depth-andcomplexity/
Kaplan’s Icons Activity
 Think of any topic, such as the popcorn example from
the link.
 Come up with a way to add depth and complexity to
the topic by using at least five of the dimensions.
 Language of the Disciplines, Details, Patterns, Rules,
Trends, Unanswered Questions, Ethics, Big Idea,
Relate Across Time, Multiple Perspectives, Across
Disciplines
Questions About Differentiation?
Putting It All Together
Finding time and integrating it into regular curriculum
Finding the Time
 Plan using VESTED
 Have students complete research and writing tasks as
part of CAFÉ or Daily 5.
 Build time into your small group or individual
conference schedule to check in with GT students on
their research projects.
Assessment
 Make kids responsible for their GT assignments
regardless of grade level.
 Hold students accountable. Remember the successful
GT profile—if there isn’t a grade tied to it, it isn’t
worth doing.
Implementation Activity
 In your groups, discuss your plans for meeting the
needs of gifted students in your class. Share your
thoughts and talk it out!
Words of Wisdom
 Avoid busy work.
 Make GT students participate.
 Don’t do what is easy, do what it right for your GT
students
Final Questions?
Lesson Planning
 Post questions on the Wiki or email me:
kimberly.fleischer@kellerisd.net