Sarah Kasprowicz

President, Wisconsin Association for the Talented and Gifted

kasprowiczs@merton.k12.wi.us

watgpresident@gmail.com

2010-2011 DPI Gifted and Talented Grant

Roadblocks to differentiationTraining students to operate

efficiently in a differentiated classroom

Management StrategiesGrading IssuesWorking with colleagues and district

staffCommunicating with parents

•Teacher Training•Fear of chaos•Time to work with multiple groups•Student behavior•Grading practices•Others…?

Do gifted children have a right to learn something new at school every day?

Won’t they be “just fine” no matter what…?

Myths

The Successful

The Underground

The Non-Conformist

The Drop Out

The Autonomous Learner

The Double-Labeled

Dabrowski’s Overexcitabilities and Theory of Positive Disintegration

Psychomotor Sensual Intellectual Imaginational Emotional

Written by Michael Piechowski, Ph. D.

“Mellow out,” they say, to which I can only respond, “If only I could.” At birth I was crucified with this mind that has caused me considerable pain, and frustration with teachers, coaches, peers, my family, but most of all with myself.

~Carol, cover illustrator

Classroom teachers differentiate for disposition Help students with stress management. Time management: extended deadlines and one on

one help with task analysis Assistance with transitions Suggest involvement in Tae Kwon Do Discussions with student about triggers Counseling about intensity Do not attempt to “fix” the intensity. Students and parents need to accept intensity and

develop strategies to accommodate for themselves.

Classes about meeting the needs of gifted students are not required to earn a teaching license.

The vast majority of classroom teachers were not taught how to differentiate for gifted students in their university education courses.

Chapter 35: Special Ed class

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

Teachers want to help the children in their classroom.

Teachers were taught in college how to meet the needs of students with learning disabilities and why it is important.

Given the benefit of the doubt…teachers will do the same for gifted students when they are informed about gifted education.

“I Am Gifted”

Responding to Roadblocks:

•Fear of chaos

•Time to work with all students

•Student behavior.

I include differentiation as a classroom expectation on the first day of school in fifth grade.

•Read Hooray for Diffendoofer Day by Dr.Seuss and Jack Prelutsky

•Discuss the differences between Diffendoofer School and Flobbertown

Differentiation is: Fair Appropriate Up to the students to “handle” it and do

their job More interesting than Flobbertown

▪ “Class, everyone turn to page 14 number 3…”▪ Everyone on the same page, all of the time▪ No choice

Differentiation looks like: At any one time there could be students

working in any of the following situations:▪ Whole class▪ Alone at a desk▪ In the library with a partner or small group▪ At a classroom computer

ALL COMBINATIONS ARE RESPECTFUL TO EACH OTHER AND THE CLASSROOM CULTURE OF DIFFERENTIATION

Expectation of Differentiated Curriculum Fair Normal Makes sense If a student abuses the situation or can

not adjust to working in an alternate setting they can be returned to the regular class and make up what they missed.

Teach students to recognize signals and transitions

Time ManagementCalendarsWork / Project logs

Classroom ManagementAlternate project documents and work logs

are stapled to the wall or posted on my website for easy viewing and management

Students need to be respectful and not disrupt the teacher or other students

Each student knows that the class needs to be able to handle the differentiation in order for us to continue with multiple activities at once.

Students help each other and police each other to make sure no one is disruptive or causing a breakdown in the system.

If a student can’t handle it, then they return to the regular class for the current project and are given another chance to work on an alternate project next time.

The project was not a good match for the student.

The student needs more background knowledge on study skills and self-monitoring.

The partner or small group dynamics of the alternate project could not work independently. Next time the students are either placed with other partners, or the group is given more instruction on group dynamics and responsibility before proceeding with a new topic.

•Merton Community School District (Waukesha County)

•5th and 6th Grade ~ Looping•26 students•11 students on our district’s Strengths List•1 student with an IEP for a language-based learning disability•I teach all subjects except social studies ~ I switch with another teacher for science and social studies.

6th Grade Reading / Language Arts Taylor: Working on her R-Word website and

pledge campaign Henry: Working on his video blog about

skateboarding Gabby and Jorja are working on their blogs

and news articles for our district website. 21 students having literature circle meetings

with Mrs. K circulating and listening 1 student working with our LD teacher on

language arts

Interest (Taylor and Henry)Past performance on reading

assessments (Jorja and Gabby)Students are allowed to sometimes

“pass” on alternate projects

Responding to Roadblocks:

•Grading

•Fear of chaos

•Time to work with all students

•Time to do anything…anything at all!

Release Yourself!Teachers don’t need to: Fill in each space in our grade book Assign practice that some students don’t need Manage every detail Create every project Write every rubric

Collaborate with your students, another teacher or find a rubric online to use or modify to fit your purpose.

GT students will have fewer grades. GT students are excused from daily

work grades.GT students will have scores for:

Pretests Post-tests Alternate projects

Leave the excused boxes BLANK.Use different colors of ink to code

tiered assignments and projects.Use Webgrader features to assign

students to assignments and excuse students from daily work.

Keep a separate class list in your grade book to keep track of alternate project grades

Pretest Schedule pretests with enough time for

students to preview material. Set a percentage needed to “test out”

such as 90% or higher. Require students to do learn concepts

missed on the pretest and demonstrate acquired knowledge.

Select alternate project in accordance with interest, theme or portfolio requirements.

GT Students are used to minimal struggle. The classroom teacher can require rigor

and depth to be part of each alternate project. Include rigor in rubric design

▪ Higher level subtopics are required▪ Higher level subtopics are weighted twice▪ Include multiple higher level subtopics based on

student readiness

Inquiry Topics Chart

Based on the research of Diane HeacoxSample topic: The Rainforest

What is still unknown about the rainforest? Describe a current controversy connected to

the rainforest How has the rainforest changed over the

last 200 years? What are current theories connected to the

rainforest?

What are common assumptions about the rainforest?

Analyze connections between research in the rainforest to other scientific fields.

Identify important cause and effect relationships connected to the rainforest.

Defend a prediction you have about the future of rainforest destruction.

Communicate classroom needs to: Librarian and library staff Technology department Principal Gifted and Talented Coordinator Curriculum Coordinator Team members: There are possible

partners for your students in other homerooms

Parents

Parent / Teacher Conferences Feedback from parents on possible

interests and strengths of their child Webnotes Email Ask parents to sign proposed alternate

project descriptions, calendar, rubrics before students participate

Ask parent volunteers to work with small groups in the library or computer lab

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction includes “gifted” needs in their RtI Model

http://dpi.wi.gov/cal/gifted.html

Robinson and Kueht 2008

Universal Screening

Level

3

Level 2

Tier 2

Tier

3

In Addition InsteadDistrictCurriculum

Tier I and Level 1

“All” students experience differentiated lessons

Tier

2

Parallel Curriculum ModelNAGC Power Point from 2009

Based on the research of Sally Reis

Elements of Differentiation Higher level

questioning Choice Flexible grouping Tiered assignments Mentors (guest

readers)SEM-R Bookmarks

5-10 pointsThe questions match any book.

SEM-R Bookmarks

Describe a very important event that happened in today’s reading.

Name an adult that you know that would like this book. Explain why they would like this book.

What is the best thing the author has done so far in this book? (plot, perspective, description, conflict, setting?) Explain why you think so.

Which character in your book is the easiest to trick? Why?

Write three predictions you have for the rest of the book.

Who, in your book, would you least like to sit next to in our new seating chart today? Why?

Who, in your book, would you want to be your Face Book friend? Why?

Who, in your book, do you trust the least? Why? You have to buy a pet for the main character.

What pet would you buy them and why? Explain one way you would change the setting if

you were the author. Name one thing you thought would happen in the

book that did not happen. Who is the least important character in the book?

Why? What is one event that was unnecessary in this

book? Why?

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Craig because he does odd things.

Penny from Heaven: Uncle Angelo because he is getting drunk all the time and keeps losing his job.

The Incredible Journey: The cat because he can take stuff away from the dogs. Also he always sneaks around.

Peak: I trust Josh the least because he was climbing a mountain and got a call that his son was born. Zopa kept bugging Josh saying that it’s not good for a father to neglect his son.

Press Room website

Meet with teachers during their prep

Meet with students during the day to design alternate projects

Communicate needs to our GT Coordinator

Monitor Strengths List and match opportunities to students

Publish GT Advocate Updates

Send links Offer to

collaborate on project/rubric design

E-mails asking if teachers are concerned about students

Offer to attend parent/teacher conferences

E-mail students directly

Edmodo Groups Share

differentiated units/curriculum you are using and offer to help modify for different grade levels

Be available before or after school to share information, resources, handouts from conferences

Ask your principal to cover your class while you meet with staff or students

Teach a class in your district

Create an online class and share access with your teachers

Hire subs for collaborative planning time

A paradigm shift is needed from “pull out” to “classroom based” approach. This can take years.

University Courses District initiative CESA Conferences Consultants Twitter Skype

Responding to Roadblocks:

•Fear of chaos

•Time to work with all students

Advantage•Solves the problem of “I’m done. What do I do now?”

Resources Located: http://www.merton.k12.wi.us/faculty/KasprowiczS/fridayprojects.cfm

Leadership in the 21st Century (Power Point)

Merton Parent Night 2010-2011 Presentation

My home page with PBL Documents and links

Vertical Team Exploration of PBL

Google SitesVoice ThreadSkypeForumsWikisClassroom Blogs

The Press Room

The Merton Community School District Press Room is a district-wide

opportunity to integrate all subject areas and involve students K-8 in

promoting and publishing the work of Merton students.

Press Room Website

Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted(WATG)

National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC)

Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG)

Hoagies’ Gifted Education Page

What are your questions?

Questions? Please feel free to contact me.

Sarah KasprowiczWATG President

watgpresident@gmail.comkasprowiczs@merton.k12.wi.us