This document discusses gifted students in foreign language classrooms. It begins by defining giftedness and how different states define it, often focusing on intellectual and academic abilities. It then discusses past and proposed paradigms for gifted education, emphasizing challenging and advancing gifted students. The remainder of the document discusses strategies for differentiating instruction for gifted students, such as tiered assignments, flexible grouping, and allowing students to work as practicing professionals. It provides examples of differentiated activities and guidance on designing curricula with high complexity and connections between disciplines.

1. Gifted Students in the
Foreign Language
Classroom
Dr. Lisa Rubenstein
October 15, 2014

2. Who is gifted?

3. Who is gifted?
Examples Rules
Picture of
Gifted Student
Non-Examples

4. Quick history
+ +

5. Previous Paradigm
Child is gifted.
Child is not
challenged.
Child gets advanced
academics.
Peters, Matthews, McBee, & McCoach (2013). Beyond Gifted Education.

6. Proposed Paradigm
Child is gifted.
Child is not
challenged.
Child gets advanced
academics.
Who cares?
Peters, Matthews, McBee, & McCoach (2013). Beyond Gifted Education.

7. Davidson Institute: http://www.davidsongifted.org/db/StatePolicy.aspx

8. Indiana: High Ability
Performs at, or shows the potential for performing at, an outstanding level of
accomplishment in at least one (1) domain when compared to other students of
the same age, experience, or environment; and is characterized by exceptional
gifts, talents, motivation, or interests.
While there are additional domains of high ability that may be served (for
example, visual and performing arts), the required domains of high ability that
Indiana schools must identify for are the General Intellectual and Specific
Academic domains. For now, the designations are for students with high ability
in Language Arts (HA-LA), students with high ability in Math (HA-Math), and
students who have high ability in both Language Arts and Math (HA – General
Intellectual).
Indiana Program Standards: http://www.doe.in.gov/sites/default/files/highability/
indiana-program-standards-high-ability-education.pdf

9. Definition
Internal Consistency
Identification
Programming

10. Language Arts
Math
General Intellectual: BOTH

11. Ability
Achievement

12. Proposed Paradigm
Child is gifted.
Child is not
challenged.
Child gets advanced
academics.
Who cares?
Peters, Matthews, McBee, & McCoach (2013). Beyond Gifted Education.

13. What is advanced academics?

14. The Integrated Continuum of Special Services
Elementary School Middle School High School
General Classroom enrichment Type I and Type II Enrichment
Within Class and
Non-Graded Cluster
Grouping by Skill Level
Enrichment Clusters
Within and Across Grade
Pull-Out Groups by Targeted
Abilities and Interest Areas
Within Grade Level and
Across Grade Level
Advanced Classes
Advanced Placement
International Baccalaureate
Honors Classes
Self-Designed Courses or
Independent Study
Curriculum Compacting, Modification, and Differentiation
Total Talent Portfolio, Individual and Small Group Advisement, and Type III Enrichment
Magnet and Charter Schools, School Within a School Special Schools
Special Enrichment Programs: Young Writers, Saturday and Summer Programs, Future
Problem Solving, Odyssey of the Mind, Math League, Science Fairs, etc.
Individual Options:
Internships — — — — — — — — Apepnrticeships — — —————— Mentorships
Acceleration Options:
Early Admissions — — Subject Acceleration — — Grade Skipping — — College Classes
Continuum of Potentials
Abilities • Interests • Learning Styles
Continuum of Performances
Academic • Creative/Productive • Leadership
Input Process Output

15. Graph Me
Reading Math Board Games Spanish Running

18. 78th
How do you know?

19. Fibonacci
51
Diophantus
55
Kovelevsky
57

20. What are the principles of
differentiation?
Can we apply it to foreign
language instruction? How?

21. Big Ideas from the Lesson
✤ Groups are flexible.
✤ All students are treated as practicing professionals.
✤ They all receive honorable tasks.
✤ Everyone can contribute to the discussion at the end.
✤ Students have an opportunity to work with others who will challenge
their thinking.
✤ Pre-assessment matched the lesson.

22. Dan Meyer

23. What can we learn from this
video?
Can we apply it to differentiation?
How?

24. Quick Strategy: Be less helpful.
✤ Think about all the scaffolding you provide.
✤ Take that scaffolding away.
✤ Provide it ONLY if they need it.

25. Designing Tiered Assignments
✤ Be clear about goals. What has to be constant? What is variable?
✤ Tier by complexity, content, process, products.
✤ Introduce all activities with equal enthusiasm.
✤ Remember different not more.
✤ Design for equally engaging and fair in terms of time expectations.
Think about the
patterns lesson.

26. Now What?
Pace of Study, Pace of Thought

27. Pace of Study, Pace of Thought

28. Now What?
Pace of Study, Pace of Thought
Tangible. Literal.
Physical Manipulation.
Symbolical. Hold in
mind.

29. Now What?
Pace of Study, Pace of Thought
Common vocabulary.
Accessible.
Combine. Complex
vocabulary.

30. Simple/Complex

31. Pace of Study, Pace of Thought

32. Now What?
Pace of Study, Pace of Thought

33. Card Game Capers
Tens Place Ones Place
Discarded Number
Goal
Make the largest number
possible by drawing
numbers 0-9 out of a bag.

34. Exploration
✤ What if you are trying to get the largest number and the first number
drawn is a 4? Where should you put it? Why?
✤ How many different two digit numbers are possible if the two digits
cannot be 0? How would you figure this out without writing every
possibility? How do you you know you have them all?

35. Hint Cards

36. Challenge Cards

37. Guiding Principles of High Ability Curriculum
✦ High levels of complexity
✦ Opportunities to act like a practicing professional
✦ Overarching concepts
✦ Connections (Interdisciplinary/Intra-disciplinary)
✦ Metacognition opportunities
✦ Student-driven projects

38. Opportunities to Act Like a Practicing
Professional
What does someone with a Ph.D. in your field do?
What questions does he/she ask?
How does he/she find answers?
Can you adjust the project for your students?

39. Opportunities to Act Like a Practicing
Professional
What else can be done with this information?
How is this useful?
Can you make it authentic?

40. TED Open Translation

41. Thank you.
lmrubenstein@bsu.edu