WAN, Wai-Yan Sally (Pui Kiu College, Hong Kong) http://citers2012.cite.hku.hk/en/paper_512.htm

1. CITE Research Symposium 2012
15-16th June 2012
Sally Wai-Yan WAN
Website: http://sallywywan.com
Email: sallywywan@gmail.com Open ways to
extend and expand
a gifted child's
learning
experiences with
the use of web2.0
technologies

2. Outline
AIM OF PAPER
To analyze how a gifted student is mentored and guided
in the learning process with the use of Web2.0 tools
SECTIONS
1. Story about a gifted student, Jimmy
2. Insights about opportunities and challenges facing gifted children;
pedagogical designs for helping gifted children to learn
Narrative inquiry approach …

3. “Experience happens narratively... Therefore,
educational experience should be studied
narratively …[n]arrative inquiry is a way of
understanding experience. It is collaboration
between researcher and participants over time –
Simply stated ... narrative inquiry is stories lived
and told.”
(Clandinin & Connelly, 2000: 19-20)

4. STORY OF
JIMMY’S ICE
FIRE FOR
KNOWLEDGE ON
ANTARCTICA

5. Background of the story
• When?
– January 2011
– During the implementation of a trial Inquiry Learning
unit called “Antarctica Expedition” in a Grade 6 class
• Who?
– Jimmy, a gifted schoolboy with over 140IQ
• When did I know about Jimmy?
– I knew him since I was his Grade 5 class teacher

6. Background of the story
• What are the characteristics of Jimmy?
– loves new technologies and always explores new
things over the Internet
– can draw very nice pictures and used lots of new
technologies after school
– an “expert” in technological stuff
– is not popular amongst teachers and students due to
emotional “problems” and impulsivity

7. • What did I ask Jimmy to do?
– Create a “new” project based on the mainstream
project design in the unit
• Students can choose different forms to present their ways to
protect Antarctica, for example, a website, an e-poster, and
so on

8. LEARNING PHASES:
EXPLORATION – PLANNING – EXPERIMENTING –
MENTORING AND GUIDANCE –RE-CONSTRUCTING
ANTARCTICA EXPEDITION …

10. Exploration
• Asking opinions
– http://antarcticaexpedition.wikispaces.com.
• Giving suggestions
– Powerful web2.0 tool that allows updated news of
Antarctica
– Interested areas: protecting animals, exploring
plants, geological landscapes, and so on

11. Planning
• Questions for guiding Jimmy to organize the
project:
– What areas will you focus on in this webpage? Why?
How important are they to us?
– What Web2.0 technologies would you like to use in
creating the project?
– What areas will be included in the project? Why?
– What is the timeline?
– How would you assess the project? What areas
would you consider?

12. www.animalsinantarctica.wikisp​aces.com
Create a webpage
Develop own ideas
Manage the webpage
Keep updates about the topic
Post and answer the class’s questions online

13. Posting classmates’ questions

14. Posting classmates’ questions

15. Answering classmates’ questions

16. Picture gallery sharing
http://antarcticapkc.webs.com/​

17. Experimenting, mentoring and
guidance, re-constructing
• Facilitating learning processes by eliciting ideas:
– “What are the updates?”
– “What can be done to make the webpage much more
organized?”
– “How can others understand more about the topic?”

18. Experimenting, mentoring and
guidance, re-constructing
• Providing chances to share
– Introduce his learning product (i.e. a website) to the
class
– Why?
• to recognize his efforts in making a website for the class
• to let his classmates realize his strength and “include” him in
the class

19. Experimenting, mentoring and
guidance, re-constructing
• On the completion of the project, ask meta-
cognitive & reflective questions:
– “What are you happy about doing this project?”
– “What is the most challenging part when doing this
project?
– “How did you overcome it?”
– “What have you learnt?”
– “Based on your assessment criteria, what would you
rate it? Why?”

20. What did he say?
• He replied, “I love this project very much
because I could use new technologies in
producing something interesting and online stuff
allows me to have more freedom to create.
Mostly we are allowed to have our space. Only
online environment allows us to infuse our
creativity into the project. I like answering
challenging questions as asked by my
classmates. I feel very happy when I can answer
all of them.” (28th June 2011)

21. Final Say …

22. FINAL SAY: PERSONAL INSIGHTS
• Open our eyes and listen to our students with
hearts for facilitating and mentoring as lubricants
to knowledge creation
– Listening and feedback
– Sharing, supportive and rapport relationship
• Learning technologies hand in hand
– Teachers as lifelong learners and co-learners with
students
• Flexibility inside the curriculum
– “Open” space in school-based curriculum that takes
student learning into account

23. REFERENCES
• Clandinin, D.J. and Connelly, F.M. (2000).
Narrative Inquiry: Experience and Story in
Qualitative Research. San Francisco, CA:
Jossey-Bass.