A Guide for Teachers and Administrators

2. Unique Needs of Gifted Learners
0 Gifted students have different needs from their
general education peers. Some of these include:
Challenging
Learning
Situations
Cognitively
Complex Levels
of Thought
Divergent
Thought
• Problem Solving
• Decision Making
Tasks that
Require
Sustained
Concentration
Systematic
Inquiry
Integration of
Information and
Ideas
Discussions with
Intellectual
Peers
Challenge in
Areas of
Strength and
Interest
Critical Thinking
Coping with
Exceptionality
Leadership
Applying
Knowledge and
Abilities to Real
Problems

3. Appropriate Programming for
Gifted Learners
0 Thematic units of study.
0 Multiple learning
disciplines integrated
together.
0 In-depth learning about
self-selected topics of
interest.
0 Development of
independent study skills.
0 Open-ended tasks.
0 Develop research skills.
0 Integrate the basics with
higher level thinking.
0 Encourage the
development of
products that:
0 Challenge existing ideas
0 Produce new ideas
0 Use new techniques,
materials, and forms

4. Appropriate Programming for
Gifted Learners
0 Encourage the development
of self-understanding
0 Recognizing and using your
abilities
0 Becoming self-directed
(independent)
0 Appreciating likenesses and
differences between
themselves and others
0 Evaluate student outcomes by
using appropriate and
specific criteria
0 Include opportunities for
self-assessment

5. Program Outline
0 Differentiation is key when designing programs for
gifted learners.
Differentiation
Environment
Content Process
Product

6. Components of Effective
Gifted Programs
Quality
learning time
with mental
age peers
Flexibility Less repetition
Integration
Self-directed
learning
Creative
thinking and
problem
solving
Faster pace Greater depth
Increased
intensity

7. Components of Effective
Gifted Programs
0 Increased concentration
on
0 Higher level thinking skills
0 Interrelationships
between subjects
0 Nontraditional school
subjects
0 Increasing levels of
difficulty
0 In depth study, focusing on
passion areas

8. “Above all else, gifted
education programs
should develop
students who are
PRODUCERS of new
knowledge and
information rather
than just being
CONSUMERS of
existing knowledge
and information.”

9. Strength-Based Programming
0 Four components should
be given attention over
time:
1. Acceleration
2. Differentiated Content
3. Process and Product
4. Affective and Career
Guidance
0 Content options should
be matched to strengths

10. Program Options
Differentiating by Acceleration
Differentiating by Use of Complexity
Differentiating by Adding Depth
Differentiating by Providing Novelty
Differentiating Curriculum Content
Individualizing Instruction
The Power of Choice

11. Timeline
0 The EP (educational plan) team decides what services are
appropriate for students who are gifted.
0 Factors considered include:
0 Universal Screening Assessment
0 Progress Monitoring/Data Collection
0 The problem-solving teams (PST) meet to determine that
high achieving students receive the depth and complexity
of instruction necessary to meet their needs in all content
area courses.
0 An EP is created based on student strengths and
instructional decisions are made in the best interest of the
student.
0 Educational options vary according to district and school site.

12. Description of Activities
Problem-
Based
Learning
Career
Fair
Number
Talks
Genius
Hour
Literature
Circles

13. Problem Based Learning
0 The learner encounters
a real world problem
0 Students inquire about
the nature of the
problem, research it, and
use resources to acquire
relevant data
0 Teacher uses flexible
team grouping and
whole class discussion

14. Number Talks
0 Students act as teachers
as they share their own
strategies for solving
problems
0 Encourages students to
develop metacognition
and to evaluate the
efficiency of multiple
strategies
0 Student directed
learning and discussion

15. Elementary Career Fair
0 An elementary take on
internships and work study
designed for older students
0 Community professionals
present to the class about
their careers
0 Students choose a career to
pursue and create a resume
and complete a mock
interview
0 Real world learning
applications to prepare
students for their future

16. Genius Hour
0 During genius hour
students are empowered
to explore their own
passions
0 Students have a choice
in what they learn
0 The teacher provides a
set amount of time for
students to work on
their passion projects

17. Literature Circles
0 Students work with
their peers to read and
discuss books based on
their interests and levels
(differentiation)
0 Students complete jobs
and engage in
meaningful discussions
with their peers about
what they read

18. Related Resources
0 http://www.geniushour.com
0 http://www.mathperspectives.com/num_talks.html
0 http://www.litcircles.org/Overview/overview.html