2. THE GIFTED CHILD
Hoagies’ Gifted Education Page” writes the following for parents…
No individual
can be more exhilarating
or more frustrating.
The parents and teachers who deal with these
wonderful children
can often be described in a this single word -
Exhausted!
3. …
The gifted child can speak as an adult one
minute, comparing the emotional relationships in
Les Mis with relationships in her own life, or
discussing potential conflicts between evolution and
the bible, and in the next minute throw an
impressive tantrum because she didn't get what
she wanted... right now!
She can have you in awe of her theories on
accelerated space travel, or pulling your hair out
in frustration over her argumentative refusal to do
her part in everyday chores.
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/parents.htm
4. AND THE FOLLOWING FOR EDUCATORS…
Teachers of the gifted are faced with many issues.
Is the gifted child identified appropriately?
How can I best serve him?
What are her greatest needs?
What teaching techniques have been shown to work, or to fail, for
gifted children?
What techniques are best for the individual gifted children I have before
me this day, this week, this year?
How can I teach these gifted children and still give my best to the rest
of my classroom, especially my low-testing kids?
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/educators.htm
5. BUT THE BIG QUESTION IS…
What to teachers, parents, students and the
communities know about “Giftedness” anyway?
So, let’s do a KWL!
6. WHAT DO WE KNOW?
The National Association of Gifted Children
7. GIFTED SURVEY QUESTION BANK DEVELOPED FROM HTTP://WWW.NAGC.ORG
AWZETTLER 07.12.2013
visited the National
Association for Gifted
Children,
developed a bank of
questions based on the
QA sections for parents
and teachers, the gifted
myths, and national
standards for the
gifted, then
organized my questions
into categories.
Identification Process
Gifted Defined
Curriculum and
Instruction
Specific Teacher
Knowledge
General Public
Knowledge
In order to find out what is known
about “giftedness,” I…
Question Categories
8. IDENTIFICATION PROCESS
My district uses a multi-criteria approach in
identifying children who are gifted and talented
I know the procedures for nominating children for
gifted and talented programs
Students are placed in gifted programs based on
need, rather than availability
Diversity and social-emotional needs are not
considered when evaluating a student for
giftedness
My district uses a multi-criteria approach in
identifying children who are gifted and talented
9. GIFTED DEFINED
I know the definition of “gifted” according to
my district and state guidelines
Students who earn poor grades are not
gifted
Gifted students are happy, popular, and well
adjusted in school
Gifted and talented students may come from
low-socioeconomic backgrounds
Gifted and talented students learn differently
than other students
All Children are gifted
Children with learning disabilities cannot be
gifted
10. CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION
My child’s teachers calibrate curriculum and instruction to his/her abilities and interests
rather than his/her age
My child’s teachers adjust instruction based on what s/he already know to ensure that
s/he may learn something new every day
My child’s teachers provide a challenging curriculum
My child’s teachers understand gifted learner differences
My child’s teachers provide opportunities for my child to work with other advanced
students
My child demonstrates continuous progress
My child demonstrated confidence
My child demonstrates achievement at the level at which s/he is capable
Teachers at my school differentiate instruction, so gifted children do not need
special services.
Acceleration means: “students who finish their work early are given opportunities
to go on to the next lesson”
Acceleration, curriculum compacting, grouping, pullout, and differentiation are all
strategies used when working with gifted children
AP classes can take the place of a gifted program
My school offers a variety of services, programs, and options for gifted services
11. TEACHER KNOWLEDGE
I know –
1) the procedures for how to determine children’s
present level ability,
2) how to nominate children for gifted/talented
programs, and
3) which support services are available for gifted and
talented children
I know the district policies for acceleration
strategies k-12
Gifted students can be accelerated by subject
grade level and/or entire grade level in my district
Free professional development courses for working
with gifted children are available in my district for
district employees
12. GENERAL PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE
Creativity cannot be taught
There are National Stands for Gifted programming
Gifted students are able to do fine on their own and do not need extra help
Gifted students make everyone else in the class smarter by providing a role model or a challenge
Decisions about gifted children and gifted education are made primarily at the local and state levels
because the federal government does not fund or require gifted education service
Gifted education requires an abundance of resources.
AP courses are for gifted and talented students
Acceleration placement options are socially harmful for gifted students
Gifted education programs are elitist
It is important for all teachers to understand the issues in definitions, theories, and identification of gifted
and talented students, including those from diverse backgrounds
Only teachers trained in gifted education need to understand, plan, and implement a range of
evidence-based strategies for working with “gifted” children
Only teachers trained in gifted education need to recognize the learning differences, developmental
milestones, and cognitive/affective characteristics of gifted and talented students
14. SURVEY DEVELOPED ON
SURVEYMONKEY.COM
Selected ten questions
based which questions
seemed to cover
several catagories and
then
Sent the link to
teachers, students,
friends, and family,
then
From the list, I
16. IDENTIFICATION
My district uses a
multi-criteria
approach in
identifying children
who are gifted and
talented.
TRUE or FALSE
The rules for
identifying Giftedness
are state mandated.
However, “Plan B” is
in effect for most
states, offering
options for children
from low-
socioeconomic
backgrounds or
English Language
Learnings.
74%
26%
Percentage
TRUE
FALSE
18. CURRICULUMANDINSTRUCTION
Gifted students
can be accelerated
by subject grade
level and/or entire
grade level in my
district
TRUE or FALSE
This depends on the
state.
The National
Standards are only
recommendations.
74%
26%
Percentage
TRUE
FALSE
19. CURRICULUMANDINSTRUCTION
Teachers at my
school
differentiate
instruction, so
gifted children do
not need special
services
FALSE
The key is that all
gifted children need
special service
options.
It does not matter
what the teachers
are doing in the
regular education
classroom.
26%
74%
Percentage
TRUE
FALSE
20. CURRICULUMANDINSTRUCTION
Acceleration means:
“students who finish
their work early are
given opportunities to
go on to the next
lesson.”
Tricky Question…
FALSE!
The definition of Acceleration
is when students are allowed
to:
move at his/her
own pace through
individualized course
material
test out of any unit
with a high enough
score on a unit pre-
test
take above-level
coursework in the
age-level classroom
move to a higher
grade-level class for
one or more subjects
skip one or more
grades
56%
44%
Percentage
TRUE
FALSE
21. GIFTEDDEFINED
I know the
definition of
“gifted” according
to my district and
state guidelines.
TRUE OR FALSE
All teachers should
know this
information.
48%
52%
Percentage
TRUE
FALSE
22. GIFTEDDEFINED
Students who
earn poor grades
are not gifted
FALSE
Many students who
are gifted do not do
well in school for a
variety of reasons.
4%
96%
Percentage
TRUE
FALSE
24. TEACHERKNOWLEDGE
I know –
1) the
procedures
for how to
determine
children’s
present level
ability,
2) how to
nominate
children for
gifted/talente
d programs,
and
3) which
support
services are
available for
gifted and
talented
children.
TRUE OR FALSE
All educators
should know
this
information.
43%
57%
Percentage
TRUE
FALSE
25. GENERALPUBLICKNOWLEDGE
Only teachers
trained in gifted
education need to
understand, plan,
and implement a
range of
evidence-based
strategies for
working with
“gifted” children.
FALSE!
All teachers are
responsible for
knowing strategies
for working with all
children. Regular
education teachers
are required by law
to implement the
Gifted Education
Plan as written.
17%
83%
Percentage
TRUE
FALSE
27. THE LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE DEPENDS ON…
My students were completely
misinformed about all aspects of
giftedness.
My Peers (teachers) were sadly
lacking in knowledge about our
district, but othewise answered
questions knowledgably
The parents of my gifted
students answered every
question with knowledge and
accuracy
My friends and family answered
general knowledge questions
correctly, but did not know much
about teaching strategies
TEACH KIDS about “giftedness”
Inservice on District Policies on
Gifted Programming and Education
and Identification Process
Continue to have great report with
my students’ parents
Continue to publish general
information about giftedness on my
social networking and blogging
sites.
Who Answered the
Question…
ACTION PLAN
