The tool or the teacher?

Galitis I. (2007). The right tool for the job? Use of the Multiple Intelligences and Bloom's Taxonomy grid. Australasian Journal of Gifted Education; v.16 n.1 p.12-19; June 2007. Retrieved from ISSN: 1323-9686. (cited 06 Mar 10).

This article asks if the implementation of Gardners multiple intelligences into classroom practice is addressing the needs of gifted and talented students. 16 teachers from a metropolitan Victorian primary school were found to have rigid beliefs on gifted and talented education. It is suggested that these held beliefs could have resulted in the non-impact of Gardners multiple intelligences model on improving outcomes for gifted and talented students.

ICM in Australian class

Henderson, L. (2004). Unleashing talent: an examination of VanTassel-Baska's integrated curriculum model, Post-Script; v.5 n.1 p.54-73; September 2004. Retrieved from www.edfac.unimelb.edu.au/insight/pscript.shtml ISSN 1444-383X. (cited 06 Mar 10).

This study looked at the results of one inclusive year 3 class for one term within a small independent Melbourne school, whose teacher and researcher for the purpose of the study used concept based teaching rather than topic based. Ten of the seventeen students had been identified as gifted, and three with learning disorders. The studies goal was to discover if this model was effective for all class members. Findings were that the program did encourage higher order thinking skills that led to improvement in writing and literary interpretation skills in all class members. Questions raised asked if these findings would be consistent across a wider field. This article is important since it presents a model that can be introduced into all classrooms without the need for establishing specialised programs.

Gross on ability grouping

Gross, M.U.M., (2000). To group or not to group: is that the question?

Vision; v.16 n.1 p.18-26; April 2000.

As director of GERRIC at the university of NSW, Miraca Gross, strongly argues for ability-grouped education for academically gifted students. Gross lists advantages and disadvantages of ability grouping, addresses myths surrounding ability grouping and cites studies that show improved self-esteem in students when enrolled in selective schools or classes. Gross argues that age grouping is a relatively new phenomenon that is based on flawed assumptions that age is related to development, citing five research examples that reinforce her position.

teaching strategies for G&T

A Guide in Developing Strategies

Characteristics	Learning Needs / Skills to be Provided	Strategies
Self motivation or intense application to high interest task. Capacity for independent work.	Research and study skills. Independent learning skills. Use of self-pacing materials.	Encouragement of self-direction - management of time, resources, self-organisation. Time and opportunity to pursue interests independently. Teaching of tools of inquiry to facilitate independent investigations. Use of contract systems, guidelines, learning centres. Provision of a knowledge of resources and their availability; show multiple ways of recording and presenting information. Flexibility of working space and timetabling.
High standards and goals.	Setting of realistic goals. Acceptance of mistakes. Group Skills. Exposure to people who may act as models.	Encouragement of intellectual risk-taking. Provision of co-operative learning strategies in small groups. Teaching of social skills. Explanation of multiple ways of recording and presenting information to encourage expression through a variety of modalities. Use of higher level thinking processes, e.g. Bloom's Taxonomy. Grouping with "like" peers, cluster groups, mentors. Access to products of high quality.
An evaluative approach and a concern with moral issues/judgments.	Exposure to the views, abilities and needs of others. Problem-solving skills in the affective domain; inquiry skills.	Provision of discussion opportunities with adults and "like" peers, as well as with children of varying abilities. Discussion of values, moral philosophical issues; role play and use of problem-solving process, e.g., Creative Problem Solving Steps (Parnes), Taba's Induction Thinking Model (form concepts, interpret data, infer, predict, hypothesise, explain/support, hypothesise, verify). Investigations, research.
Quick mastery and retention of information.	Use of self-pacing, self-selection. Allow rapid movement through the basic information stage. Early mastery of basic skills.	Provision for non-graded, flexibly organised instruction. Use of appropriate transition policies between levels of schooling. Opportunity for discovery learning. Use of higher level thinking skills and accelerated or advanced content.
High level of verbal ability and advanced vocabulary. Keen sense of humour. Reads extensively at higher level of difficulty and conceptualisation.	Exploration of language structures. Higher level comprehension skills. Verbal sharing of ideas. Opportunity to "play with language". Exposure to wide variety of reading materials - fiction and non fiction.	Opportunity for small group discussions, perhaps using novels as a basis. Exposure to other languages. Study of humour in language. Use of reading materials to develop creative and critical thinking skills. Production of a range of literary materials by the children at appropriate level of ability. Using books which deal with advanced or abstract concepts, e.g. heroism, time, change friendship. Developing understanding of plot, characterisation, theme, author strategies and style.
Wide general knowledge. Advanced interest in one or more fields.	Integrated approach to curriculum. Exposure to wide variety of subjects, materials and resources. Research and study skills. Opportunity to follow through interest.	Contact with experts, opportunity to work in specialised setting related to field of interest. Development of mentor relationship. Development of real investigations/products in field of interest. Participation in electives, cluster groups. Use of Renzulli's Enrichment Triad Model for conceptual framework. Variety of approaches to thinking, investigating, problem-solving.
Thinks rapidly with advanced understanding. Ability to abstract and reason critically from holistic perspective.	Advanced and more complex thinking skills, e.g. analysis, synthesis, evaluation, hypothesis testing. Integrated approach to curriculum. Inquiry Skills.	A variety of approaches to teaching thinking skills, investigating, and problem-solving, e.g. Society in View, Taba teaching strategies, Bloom's Taxonomy, creative problem-solving. First hand investigations of real issues/problems, development of real outcomes/products. Use of Enrichment Triad Model as conceptual framework. Encouragement of self selection of issues.
Is curious; seeks solutions in creative and inventive ways. Interested in "adult" issues.	Open-endedness. Creative and critical thinking skills. Multiple approaches to problem-solving. Encouragement to express ideas and attitudes.	Encouragement of creative processes - flexibility, originality, fluency, elaboration, curiosity, complexity, risk-talking, imagination. Teaching of creative techniques, e.g. brainstorming, creative problem-solving. Provision of open-ended situations and tasks. Provision of meaningful involvement in "real world" issues and problems.
Capacity for leadership. Is sensitive and intuitive towards others; has sense of justice and values.	Group membership skills, leadership skills.	Provision of affective and values learning using current social and other problems. Opportunities to develop qualities of leadership and to demonstrate them. Use of co-operative learning strategies to develop group membership social skills.

From: Children with Special Abilities Ministry of Education and Training, Victoria. QAGTC inc. 1993

How to identify a G&T student

http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/policies/gats/assets/pdf/polsuppid.pdf

This document above is designed to assist teachers with the identification of G&T students.

Below is the web address for the Queensland Association for gifted & Talented Children. It contains literature on how to identify G&T students as well as relevant literature, government policies and useful websites.

http://www.qagtc.org.au/free-info-and-resources

characteristics of G&T

• learns rapidly and quickly grasps new concepts
• has an excellent memory
• is creative or imaginative, e.g. produces many ideas or is highly original
• is independent - may prefer to work alone
• has a keen sense of humour
• may be highly motivated, particularly in self-selected tasks
• has unusual or advanced interests
• demonstrates exceptional critical thinking skills or problem-solving ability
• may have superior leadership and interpersonal skills
• frequently asks in-depth, probing questions
• may demonstrate a high degree of social responsibility or moral reasoning
• possesses a large, advanced vocabulary
• has superior insight and the ability to draw inferences or is intuitive
• is an advanced reader either in English or in the home language.

taken from: http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/learning/k-6assessments/oc_character.php

Intellectual traits Personality traits

Exceptional reasoning ability

Intellectual curiosity

Rapid learning rate

Facility for abstraction

Complex thought processes

Vivid imagination

Early moral concern

Passion for learning

Powers of concentration

Analytical thinking

Divergent thinking/creativity

Keen sense of justice

Capacity for reflection

Insightful

Need to understand

Need for mental stimulation

Perfectionism

Need for precision/logic

Excellent sense of humour

Sensitivity/empathy

Intensity

Perseverance

Acute self-awareness

Nonconformity

Questioning rules/authority

Tendency to introversion

In addition there are some negative traits;

• stubbornness

• non participation in class activities

• uncooperativeness

• cynicism

• sloppiness and disorganisation

• a tendency to question authority

• emotional frustration

• absentmindedness

• low interest in detail.

(Silverman, 1993 p. 53)

Taken from: http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/policies/gats/assets/pdf/polsuppparent.pdf , pp.6-7

G&T support services

There are many support services for parents and teachers of G&T students.

Gerric can be found at the UNSW and provides programs and advice for academically gifted children.

There is a NSW Association for Gifted and talented Children which has a canberra branch. Google their website for all sorts of useful information, such as education policies, discussion groups, lectures and talks for both teachers and parents. they also produce a journal called: Gifted.

Qualitative research on Underachievers

Listening to Able Underachievers Creating Opportunities for Change by Micheal Pomerantz and Kathryn Anne Pomerantz (2002) interviews teenagers who are Able Underachievers. They claim up to 50% of gifted students work four or five years below their ability (p.1)

The interview contained 36 questions; five on curriculum, two on attributes, eight on influences, eight on self, and thirteen on interventions. Outcomes of these interviews enabled groups to be organised that described the reasons for underachievement

• communication and relationships
• teaching and learning
• personal and emotional factors

Communication and relationships in chapter 2

A list of questions to elicit prior knowledge, to raise expectations, to stimulate higher order thinking, to encourage creativity, to develop weak areas, to clarify pupils needs, and to encourage self-reflection are provided on p.28 are a good resource for helping students break through student barriers.

Teaching and learning

A reoccurring theme were comments of less talking and more doing. As I am reading I am hearing within the answers given a desire for hands on practical learning that is open ended and creative. In addition these students were able to identify boredom but had no measures to cure it, this was the same with studying, they could identify that they needed to but were mostly unable to find solutions or strategies to deal with it.

DeBono's Multiple Intelligence's and Blooms taxonomy are recommended strategies given in this chapter.

personal and emotional needs

Staff stress was seen to impact on student teacher relationships and in turn the motivation of the student. Access to mentors can assist motivation of these students and help to give them a more positive attitude to learning, but overall recognition of non literacy and numeracy success should encourage a greater positive attitude to schooling. Underachievers want to feel they are being heard and be good role models for inclusivity. Where unique and creative learning is appreciated.

In the chapter on UNDERACHIEVEMENT

Still looking at Thomson's book, Supporting gifted & Talented pupils in the secondary school, this post specifically relates to the underachieving student.

My research has primarily focused on how to teach G&T students in the regular classroom because this is the most common form of education these students face. Gross, the director of UNSW GERRIC (see earlier post) argues strongly for streamed class for G&T students to counter the prevalence on underachievement going on in our education system, among other reasons of course. For many reasons, that I wont go into here, this is not the education most G&T students receive. Hence my interest in what we can do for these students.

A significant problem is underachievement. There are many reasons for this, Thomson notes three; disability or disadvantage, a desire to fit in with peers, and low self-esteem. these result in negative characteristics such as poor study habits and academic avoidance behaviours. (p.17)

Thomson lists the characteristics of underachieving G&T students (p.18),

• a very high IQ but low self-esteem
• poor work habits and unfinished tasks
• an apparent inability to concentrate
• lack of effort in some work but an intense interest in one area
• a skill deficit in one area or subject
• a negative attitude towards self and age peers
• demonstrations of emotional frustration
• failure to respond to stimulation

they can also

• reject set tasks
• not co-operate
• disrupt others or alienate themselves

OR

• prefer to work alone and communicate little
• daydream and produce little to no work
• have little or no concern about their attitude or behaviour

Thomson also provides strategies to address underachievement which she has taken from Gross (2001)

1. Direct praise: let the student know you are aware they could do better and suggest improvements
2. development of study and planning skills: students can rely on their excellent memory and have therefore not developed planning and study skills, this becomes a problem as the student moves up the grade levels particularly in secondary school
3. Use positive NOT sarcastic comments or negative comments: these students can be very sensitive to external criticism, they need to feel they you will not remove support. Be prepared to admit your own mistakes as a form of modelling
4. Look at the curriculum: can it be improved to keep students interest and create a more stimulating learning environment

On page 21 there is an excellent checklist for teachers to use in identifying underachieving behaviour, followed up by some case studies.

supporting G&T pupils in the 2nd school

supporting G&T pupils in the 2nd school by Moira Thomson, is a book written in 2006 that describes how to identify gifted and talented students, how to make provisions for them in your classroom and outlines specific educational teaching strategies.

Thomson uses Gagne's definition of gifted and talented, beginning by outlining his differentiated model of giftedness and talent, 1985, 2003a (DMGT).

Responsibility for these students says Thomson lies with the school and individual teachers.

Characteristics and behaviours such as these are a good indication of potential of G&T ( from p.10-11)

• rapid learning
• excellent memory
• outstanding problem-solving and reasoning ability
• persistent intellectual curiosity
• ability to see subtle relationships
• a wide range of interests
• mature and unusual vocabulary
• ability to sustain concentration
• responsibility and independence in classroom work
• initiative and originality
• flexible thinking
• ability to consider problems from different aspects
• observant nature and responsiveness to new ideas
• ability to communicate with adults in a mature way
• enjoyment of intellectual activities
• subtle, sometimes quirky sense of humour

Four methods of addressing the needs of a student who is gifted and/or talented are:

1. differentiation: curriculum needs to be flexible to make changes in breadth, depth and pace
2. enrichment: exploring the wider context of ideas and knowledge to understand the subject area more fully
3. acceleration: this can occur in one or more subjects
4. specialist provision: a specialist in the subject the student is excelling at is provided in or out of school

Gagne's definition of gifted and talented, 2000

'Giftedness designates the possession and use of untrained and spontaneously expressed natural abilities (called aptitudes or gifts), in at least one ability domain, to a degree that places an individual among the top 10% of age peers. Talen designates the superior mastery of systematically developed abilities (or skills) and knowledge in at least one field of human activity, to a degree that places an individual within the top 10% of age peers who are (or have been) active in that field (p.67)

Gagne, F. (2000). Understanding the complex choreography of talent development through

DMGT-based analysis. In K.A. Heller, F.J. Monks, R.J. Sternberg, & R.F. Subotnik (Eds.), International handbook of giftedness and talent (2nd ed.)(p.67)

Blooms taxonomy for extending gifted readers

Rafidi used blooms taxonomy as a way to create a differentiated curriculum with a year 9 english class. Identified gifted students were given work that focused on the upper pyramid.

An extension project involved applying Edward De Bono's six thinking hats to answer questions about a text.

The article does not discuss the initial project or what the remainder of the class were doing, only those of the three identified as gifted.

Mar k Rafidi

Shoalhaven Anglican School

Gi f t e d Ac h i e v e me n t a n d

Un d e r a c h i e v e me n t i n t h e Cl a s s r o o m

Eng l i s h i n Aus t r a l i a Vo l ume 4 3 Numbe r 2 • 2 0 0 8

some thoughts

I should clarify my reasons for researching in depth VanTassel Baska's Integrated Curriculum Model. I have for many years been following the research of Mirca Gross who is now director of GERRIC. Gross is fiercely supportive of exceleration and specialised classes for academically gifted students. But eight years since I began reading Gross's work, little has been done for most academically students and certainly to my knowledge in classrooms little has been done for creatively gifted students. The Integrated Curriculum model is a model that can work in a conservative and often stubborn environment that is the primary and secondary school system. I was interested to know whether or not this method could be applied by a classroom teacher within the constraints of curriculum reform and existing guidelines. It looks promising.

As a teacher it also looks like a method that would benefit all classroom students and thus support the move toward a fully implemented inclusive schools program. The Integrated Curriculum Model is certainly one I am eager to experiment with myself to gain first hand knowledge to its success within a classroom in the ACT. I would like to continue to research any other adaptions of this method within inclusive classrooms.

I have particular interest in its ability to teach creativity and higher order thinking.

Hopefully there is more to uncover.

NSW DET gifted and talented policy link

https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/policiesinter/category/search.do;jsessionid=996b1e21bc20f61151e2c6246ec89b1d2f63cd7223b.e34Sa3ePc30Sbi0LbxuPax0KbNeSe0;jsessionid=996b1e21bc20f61151e2c6246ec89b1d2f63cd7223b.e34Sa3ePc30Sbi0LbxuPax0KbNeSe0?level=Schools&categories=Schools%7CAccess+%26+equity%7CGifted+%26+talented

Follow this website link to find guidelines for strategies and supports, policy and implementation strategies, info on selective schools and Opportunity classes (OC).

gateways

http://www.gateways.edu.au/

gateways is an extracurricula program for gifted children in all areas, check out the website.

Most act schools participate in this program, with teachers recommending students from their class for particular programs suited to their individual interests.

GERRIC

http://gerric.arts.unsw.edu.au/tchr.html

above is a link to the university of NSW Gerric website. It provides resources and info for parents and teachers.

Concept ICM model

1. change
2. system
3. pattern
4. cause and effect

these are the four primary concepts as per http://cfge.wm.edu/Curr_listing.html

concept themes

Under the language arts curriculum found at http://cfge.wm.edu/Curr_listing.html there are a number of units that can be purchased. Below is a list of concept topics I have retrieved from the descriptions of these units of work.

1. figurative language
2. change
3. cyclic patterns (nature, knowledge, history, human life)
4. persuasion
5. utopia
6. -isms as change agents
7. choices that lead to change

Some that have come to mind as I am reading these outlines of units that might be appropriate for art teaching in addition to those above are:

1. classification
2. elements

Maths curriculum:

1. transition between one dimension, two dimension and three dimensional tasks
2. place value
3. spatial reasoning

Science curriculum:

1. systems
2. solve this issue, real world problems
3. change

Social studies curriculum

1. interdependent systems
2. systems
3. cause and effect

There are many curriculum resources available via this website along with guides on how to use them.

I am beginning to understand how an overarching concept may be used in the classroom to design differentiated curriculum. Most units of work are open ended allowing students to apply the level of knowledge to the project given. Teacher assistance is most likely to be the primary method of delivering differentiation. Students are as a result encouraged to be self motivated.

Retrieved from the Centre for Gifted Education at the College of William and Mary, 4/7/2010

http://cfge.wm.edu/Curr_listing.html

VanTassel-Baska says...

'The first issue needing attention is that administrators need to be clearly aware of the research evidence indicating the benefits of higher level instruction and flexible delivery—not just to gifted learners, but to all learners.' p. 361

........................................

'The second comment I would make on that relates to how teachers can work within inclusion classroom settings. If teachers want to survive and have all students thrive, they’re going to have to use flexible grouping and employ differentiated materials to accomplish that end.' p. 361

.......................................

'We place some unreasonable expectations on teachers by expecting that they will have sufficient time and expertise to design and deliver quality curriculum for the full range of learners consistently and effectively.' pp. 361-2

.......................................

'Through the arts there is an opportunity for students to explore emotion, to understand their own emotions, and to understand other people’s, as well as to be able to develop ways to regulate and channel emotion in ways that will enhance and inform their cognition. I think all of those reasons support the importance of

including the arts in a curriculum for gifted students.' p.363

.......................................

'...differentiation for the gifted should begin with the core curriculum and then branch out, based on other considerations about the learner and the environment. One of the key considerations is the level of evolving ability of the student. Students can have interests at certain stages, but if their aptitude doesn’t match the interest, then they’re not going to stay motivated. If the aptitude is there but the interest isn’t there, then they’re not likely to stay motivated either, so the two really go hand in glove.' p.364

...................................

'Whenever you start to look at a different content area at a given point in time, you suddenly realize that there are different ways of conceptualizing how to transform that content understanding into a curriculum unit of study. I continue to be challenged by that. I think also that working with new groups of learners causes us to shift our lens and think about how we can either adapt, cus-tomize, or create curriculum that is more appropriate for them.' p.365

Source: Journal of Advanced Academics

January 1, 2009

The Last Word:

Always Pushing the Rock Uphill—

An Interview With Joyce VanTassel-Baska

Catherine A. Little

University of Connecticut

creativity

While looking for research about educative methods for G&T students in an inclusive classroom I came across an interesting article by Kyung Hee Kim and Joyce VanTassel-Baska titled, The Relationship Between Creativity and Behavior Problems Among Underachieving Elementary and High School Students, 2010.

They were seeking to find whether there was a link between creative potential and underachieving students. It is certainly a worthwhile read for anyone interested in gifted education. It found 'that there is a relationship between creative potential and behaviour problems for underachievers, this study also seems to suggest that creativity can be a value-added catalyst for success, compared with typical measures of academic potential.'

For artists this seems a bit of a 'der' finding. But if statistics can be gained, solutions via teaching methods developed, perhaps some change can be made within the traditionally conservative education field.