Understanding Students Understanding Students Who are Gifted and Who are Gifted and TalentedTalentedED 222 Spring 2011

Duo: The True Story of a Duo: The True Story of a Gifted Child with Down Gifted Child with Down SyndromeSyndromehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v

=dFJ1-Tctd7Q&feature=relatedA 1996 independent film starring

Stephane Gimmsz. First film featuring a lead actor

with Down SyndormeWon the Martin Scorsese and the

Warner Bros. Picture Film Award.

Twice-ExceptionalTwice-ExceptionalGallagher coined the term to

refer to students who were both gifted and have a disabilities.

We have been aware of twice-exceptional students for about 30 years.

At-risk because they are hidden from the general population because of their environment

Providing ServicesProviding Services• Currently, 28 states have law

requiring schools to provide gifted and talented education; only 6 states have full funding

• Most states defined giftedness based on the Javits Gifted and Talented Act

• IDEA does not require states to provide services

• More girls that boys• Underrepresentation of students

from diverse backgrounds, low SES, and with other disabilities

Gagne’s “Differentiated Gagne’s “Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Model of Giftedness and Talent”Talent”We cannot become talented

unless we were first gifted, or almost so…

Six component process◦Giftedness◦Chance*◦Environmental catalyst*◦Intrapersonal catalyst*◦Learning/practice◦Talent

Gardner’s Multiple Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Intelligence

MusicalBodily-kinestheticLogical-

mathematicalLinguistic

SpatialInterpersonalIntrapersonalNaturalist

•Attitudes toward learning rather than a process•Hard to identify because no one test measures

Describing the Describing the CharacteristicsCharacteristicsHigh general intellectSpecific academic aptitudeCreativityLeadership abilityTalents in visual and performing

artsSocial and emotional characteristicsOrigin: Interaction between nature

and nurture

Social and Emotional Social and Emotional IssuesIssuesIsolationPerfectionism (healthy and

unhealthy)◦Overlaping behaviors: depression, a

nagging, “I Should” feeling, shame/guilt, face-saving, shyness/procrastination, self-deprecation

UnderachievementDepression

Evaluating StudentsEvaluating StudentsIQ testsBright: 115-129, or one in six (84th

percentile)Moderately gifted: 130-144, or 1 in 50 (98th -

99.8th percentile)Highly gifted: 145-159, or 1 in 1000 (99.8th

percentile)Exceptionally gifted: 160-174, or 1 in 30,000

(99.997th percentile)Profoundly gifted: 175+, or 1 in 3 million

(99.99997th percentile)

Evaluating StudentsEvaluating StudentsChallenges identifying students

from diverse backgroundsUse multiple means of

measurement◦Multiple Intelligences

DISCOVER

◦Creativity assessments Torrance Test of Creative Thinking

Thinking Creatively with Words Thinking Creatively with Pictures

Partnering for SpEd and Partnering for SpEd and Related ServicesRelated ServicesDifferentiated InstructionPartnerships

Determining Supplementary Determining Supplementary Aids and ServicesAids and Services• Acceleration–Students move more rapidly through

the curriculum–May include “skipping” classes or

grades• Compact the curriculum–Assess part of the curriculum already

mastered–Teacher only teaches curriculum not

already mastered–May start by doing most difficult work

first

Planning Universally Planning Universally Designed Learning and Other Designed Learning and Other Educational NeedsEducational Needs• Curriculum extension– Expand the breadth and depth

• Cognitive taxonomies (Bloom)–Move students up to more complex tasks

• Autonomous learning model– Explore what it means to be gifted– Explore what intelligence and creativity mean– Explore aspects of their personal/social

development– Teach organizational skills– Engage in self-directed study about topics of

interest– Teach the importance of autonomous life-long

learning

Service OptionsService OptionsCluster groupingAll-school enrichment programsAccelerative methodMagnet schools, charter schools,

self-contained classes, special day schools, residential schools

Measuring Student Measuring Student ProgressProgressProgress in the general education

curriculum◦Some evaluation responsibility on the

studentProduct evaluationProcess evaluation

◦Reflective assessmentProgress is addressing other

educational needs◦Learning contracts

Making Accommodations and Making Accommodations and AssessmentsAssessmentsUsually do not need

accommodation unless they also have a disability

May feel added pressure to perform well

SAT and ACT may feel extreme pressure, especially if competing for scholarships

Test taking techniques to help lower test anxiety