7. models of curriculum differentiation workbook -...

© State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2006

Gifted and Talented

Models of curriculum differentiation

Workbook

GAT Unit 2 Curriculum K-12


Further information on curriculum differentiation and the models for curriculum modification may be obtained from:

• The NSW Department of Education Gifted and Talented Unit’s web site at Curriculum K-12 website at http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/policies/gats/index.htm

• the Gifted education professional learning package developed by the Department of Education, Science and Training at http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/school_education/publications_resources/profiles/gifted_education_professional_development_package.htm

Disclaimer

The material in this booklet consists of extracts and every effort has been made to acknowledge copyright. If there are any omissions please contact the Gifted and Talented Unit on telephone (02) 9886 7743. Some of the views expressed herein may not necessarily represent the views of the NSW Department of Education and Training.



Relating models of gifted educational practice to the NSW model of pedagogy

Quality Teaching Model:

Intellectual quality

Deep knowledge

Deep understanding

Problematic knowledge

Higher-order thinking

Metalanguage

Substantive communication

Quality learning environment

Explicit quality criteria

Engagement

High expectations

Social support

Students’ self-regulation

Student direction

Significance

Background knowledge

Cultural knowledge

Knowledge integration

Inclusivity

Connectedness

Narrative



Gifted and Talented

Writing a unit of work

2007

Anderson / Krathwohl Revised taxonomy of

educational objectives



BLOOM’S TAXONOMY OF EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES AND INFORMATION SKILLS Objectives Processes Outcomes Information skills

KNOWLEDGE specifics ways and means of

dealing with specifics universals and

abstractions in a field

define recognise recall identify label understand examine show collect list

labels names facts definitions concepts

define locate

COMPREHENSION translation interpretation extrapolation

translate interpret explain describe summarise demonstrate

argument explanation description summary

define locate select present organise

APPLICATION use of abstractions

in specific and concrete situations

apply solve experiment demonstrate construct show make illustrate record

diagram illustration collection map puzzle model report photograph lesson

select organise present

ANALYSIS elements relationships organisational

principles

connect relate differentiate classify arrange group interpret organise categorise take apart compare dissect investigate separate

graph questionnaire category survey chart outline diagram conclusion list plan summary

locate select present

SYNTHESIS unique

communication plan of operation set of abstract

relations

design redesign combine consolidate add to compose hypothesise construct translate imagine invent create infer produce predict

poem project design brief formula invention story solution machine film program product

select organise present

EVALUATION judgements in terms

of internal evidence judgements in terms

of external evidence

interpret assess judge criticise decide discuss verify dispute choose

opinion judgement recommendation verdict conclusion evaluation investigation editorial

evaluate

(Bonanno & Todd, [?] Reproduced with permission)



Revised Taxonomy of Educational Objectives*

Cognitive Process Dimension This revised Bloom’s Taxonomy will assist

you as you work to improve instruction to ensure that

standards, lessons, and assessments are aligned.

lessons are cognitively rich. instructional opportunities are not missed.

1. Remember: retrieving relevant knowledge from long- term memory

1. Recognizing 2. Recalling

2. Understand: determining the meaning of instructional messages

1. Interpreting 2. Exemplifying 3. Classifying 4. Summarizing 5. Inferring 6. Comparing 7. Explaining

3. Apply: carrying out or using a procedure in a given situation

1. Executing 2. Implementing

4. Analyse: Breaking material into its constituent parts and detecting how the parts relate to one another and to an overall structure or purpose

1. Differentiating 2. Organizing 3. Attributing

5. Evaluate: making judgements based on criteria and standards

1. Checking 2. Critiquing

6. Create: putting elements together to form a novel, coherent whole or make an original product

1. Generating 2. Planning 3. Producing

A. Factual Knowledge: basic elements that students must know to be acquainted with a discipline or solve a problem in it a. Knowledge of terminology b. Knowledge of specific details and elements

B. Conceptual knowledge: the interrelationships among the basic elements within a larger structure that enable them to function together a. Knowledge of classification b. Knowledge of principles and

generalizations c. Knowledge of theories, models and

structures

C. Procedural knowledge: how to do something: methods of inquiry, and criteria for using skills, algorithms, techniques and methods a. Knowledge of subject specific skills and

algorithms b. Knowledge of techniques and methods c. Knowledge of criteria for determining when

to use appropriate procedures

D. Metacognitive knowledge: knowledge of cognition in general as well as awareness of one’s own cognition

a. Strategic knowledge b. Cognitive tasks, including appropriate

contextual and conditional knowledge c. Self-knowledge

* Adapted from L. W. Anderson, D. R. Krathwohl et al. (Eds.). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: A revision of Bloom’s educational objectives. © 2001; published by Allyn and Bacon, Boston, MA © 2001 by Pearson Education; Published online by Education Queensland by permission of the publisher

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Gifted and Talented Education

Differentiating the curriculum for Stage 4 English students: Anderson-Krathwohl revised taxonomy of learning objectives

Exposing the news



The Anderson-Krathwohl revised taxonomy of learning, teaching and assessing

The taxonomy of educational objectives developed by Benjamin Bloom and his associates (1956) has been well-known to teachers for many years. His hierarchical model for categorising levels of abstraction or complexity of mental skills has provided a focus for teachers differentiating the curriculum for the cognitive domain.

A revision of Bloom’s taxonomy undertaken during the 1990s (Anderson et al., 2001) presents changes in terminology and structure that are consistent in describing the thinking skills and instructional approaches employed in teaching increasingly complex cognitive processes.

The revised taxonomy is divided into two key dimensions: the Knowledge dimension and the Cognitive process dimension.

The Knowledge dimension is subdivided into four major types: factual knowledge, conceptual knowledge, procedural knowledge and metacognitive knowledge. The elements of the Cognitive process dimension need to be considered in conjunction with the elements in the Knowledge dimension. The interrelationship between the kinds of knowledge to be learned (the demands of elements such as content or an understanding of the individual’s learning) and the various levels of difficulty or complexity required in the thinking processes must be addressed. This framework will help teachers to develop units of work that engage and challenge gifted and talented students.

Anderson et al. (2001) present this interrelationship in the following way: The knowledge dimension

The cognitive process dimension Remember Understand

Apply

Analyse

Evaluate

Create

Factual knowledge: the basic knowledge of the discipline or field

Conceptual knowledge: the interrelationships among basic elements within the larger structure

Procedural knowledge: how to do something, techniques or methods of inquiry

X

Meta-cognitive knowledge: knowledge of general cognition and own cognition



Teachers may use this grid to plan units with specific learning goals. For example, students may be required to identify how different writers develop tension in their genre, expressed by an X on the table.

An understanding of the Cognitive process dimension of Anderson et al.’s revised taxonomy appears in the table below: Cognitive process dimension

Definition Process Question/activity stems

Remember Retrieve relevant information

Locate knowledge, recollect

Identify, retrieve, recognise, list, recall, describe, name, locate

Understand Construct meaning from oral, written and graphic communication

Interpret, abstract, exemplify, classify, summarise, infer, compare, explain

Demonstrate, explain, interpret, illustrate, categorise, relate, summarise, infer, construct, describe, contrast, translate

Apply Carry out or use a procedure in a given situation

Execute, implement. Use information from one situation in a familiar or different situation

Apply, implement, execute, illustrate, develop, consider, plan, construct, solve, show, demonstrate

Analyse Break material into its constituent parts and determine the relationship between each of these components and their relationship to the whole

Differentiate, organise, attribute

Integrate, discriminate, select, compare, analyse, classify, distinguish, recognise, explain, relate, identify, describe how, connect, investigate

Evaluate Make judgements based on criteria and standards

Check, critique Justify, determine, propose, suggest, construct, develop, imagine, produce, predict.

Create Put elements together to form a coherent or functional whole, reorganise elements into a new pattern or structure

Hypothesise, design, construct

Invent, propose, devise, plan, solve, produce, generate

(Adapted from Anderson et al., 2001)

In order to differentiate the curriculum for mixed-ability classes, teachers could develop activities encompassing the full range of cognitive processes for all types of knowledge. While work involving knowledge with lower cognitive demands may be presented to gifted and talented students from time to time, they should primarily be engaged in the more complex processes of analysing, evaluating and creating. They should also be learning how to think about the learning process, e.g. developing an understanding of and an increased capacity for their own problem-solving strategies.

Programming in English provides many opportunities for gifted and talented students to demonstrate unusual and creative responses. Characteristics of the gifted such as:



• a facility for abstraction • an ability to engage in complex thought processes • a capacity for dual processing • advanced levels of moral judgement • a sense of justice • strong feelings and opinions and • the presence of a sense of humour

are all supported in a unit such as this one.

Implementation of the English Years 7-10 Syllabus is supported by the unit Exposing the news that was developed by Richmond River High School. While this unit provides some opportunities for extending gifted students, the following sample demonstrates some ways in which the existing unit may be further differentiated to cater to the needs of students gifted in English. It would not be expected that all elements from the model would be completed in any single topic. Rather, these are ideas for illustration and consideration. They might also be developed in conjunction with approaches from other models for differentiating the curriculum (see the online sample for curriculum differentiation using the Williams (1993) model). Importantly, gifted students need to be provided with opportunities for choice, flexibility and variety in their learning.

Outcomes Stage 4

5 A student makes informed language choices to shape meaning with accuracy, clarity and coherence

7 A student thinks critically and interpretively about information, ideas and arguments to respond to and compose texts

9 A student demonstrates understanding that texts express views of their broadening world and their relationships within it

Students learn to: 9.4 explore the role of ‘story’ in shaping their experience of, response to

and composition of texts

Students learn about: 9.10 narrative technique in film-making and in the media, including their

use in news and current affairs reporting 9.11 film and media techniques used in representing people, places and

events



BLOOM’S MODIFICATION MATRIX TOPIC: Exposing the news Target group: Year 7

CONTENT MODIFICATION PROCESS MODIFICATION

Week 1 Introducing the news

Week 2 Television news

Week 3 Newspapers

Week 4 Radio shock jocks

Week 5/6 News on the web

ANALYSE

Conduct a survey with your classmates to determine when and why they might follow the news. What conclusions might you draw?

What were the key attributes of reporter Andrew Olle? How are these significant in the creation of the lectures in his name?

Draw a Venn diagram that compares and contrasts the functions of our local and national daily newspapers.

Compare a cartoon and article covering the same topic of questionable practices by our radio shock jocks. Are these viewpoints valid?

Categorise the items that appear on the opening pages of two Internet news sites, one of which is Australian, the other an overseas site in a language you understand. Analyse the findings. Comment on reasons for the two most predominant categories.

EVALUATE

In a report assess the degree of influence of a newspaper editor. Consider placement of items within the paper and the editorial item.

Investigate the content of television current affairs programs. What is their capacity as a forum for delivering in-depth news?

Choose your own medium to report on the following: Is it more important for the media to connect with its audience or simply to deliver the facts?

Organise a “Hypothetical” panel discussion on the value of icons in the media. Who would you include on the panel and why?

Evaluate the Sydney Morning Herald’s summary of the previous day’s most read Internet items in terms of what this tells us about its readership.

CREATE

Construct a database of cross-media ownership in Australia. What conclusions can you draw and what are the implications of your findings?

In a role play present an account of one incident that illustrates different approaches of reporters from the ABC, SBS and a commercial television station.

In groups, produce a monthly newspaper for your suburb/town.

Create your own cartoon that demonstrates your understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of this style of broadcasting.

Design a web page (or site) for publishing news from your school.



(Adapted from Anderson et al. 2001)

Activity 1 Types of knowledge

Cognitive processes Remember

Understand

Apply

Analyse

Evaluate

Create

Factual

Conceptual

Procedural

Meta-cognitive



References

Anderson, L. W., Krathwohl, D. R., Airasian, P.W., Cruikshank, K. A., Mayer, R. E., Pintrich, P. R., Raths, J. & Wittrock, M. C. (Eds.). (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: A revision of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives. New York: Longman.

Gross, M. U. M., Sleap, B. & Pretorius, M. (1999). Gifted students in secondary schools: Differentiating the curriculum. Sydney: University of New South Wales, GERRIC (Gifted Education Research, Resource and Information Centre).

Pohl, M. (2002). Infusing thinking into the middle years. Highett, Vic.: Hawker Brownlow Education.



Gifted and Talented


2007

The Maker model



Models of curriculum differentiation workshop

Maker model scaffold

Content Process

Product Learning environment



The Maker model Maker (1982) describes the ways in which curriculum modifications can be made to content, process, product and the learning environment.

Content modifications for gifted students should be: • abstract, complex, varied • involve issues of organisation, study of people, methods of inquiry.

Process modifications for gifted students should: • involve higher-order thinking processes • promote creative and critical thinking • require problem solving • involve group interaction • have variable levels of pacing • allow for debriefing of the process • involve open-endedness • include freedom of choice.

Product modifications for gifted students should: • involve real-world problems • be for real-world audiences • require real deadlines • require transformations of learning • involve appropriate assessment and evaluation • involve extended or accelerated outcomes.

Learning environment modifications for gifted students should: • be flexible and open • encourage independent and intrinsic learning • be accepting and non-judgemental • encourage complex and abstract thought.

(Adapted from MacLeod, B. (2005). Module 5 – Curriculum differentiation for gifted students. In S. Bailey (Ed.), Gifted and talented education professional learning package for teachers. Sydney: Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training and University of New South Wales, GERRIC (Gifted Education Research, Resource and Information Centre).



Table : Maker model -– modifications

Content modifications Abstraction (The focus of discussions, presentations and reading materials should be on abstract concepts, themes and theories)

Going beyond the facts

Complexity (Complexity is determined by examining the number and difficulty of concepts and disciplines that must be understood or integrated)

Dealing with greater breadth and depth

Variety (Students can work on different aspects of a broad theme and in their areas of interest)

Exposure to new ideas or content

Organisation (Content is organised around key concepts or abstract ideas)

Selecting new arrangements of content

Study of people (Students research the lives of creative and productive individuals)

Relating content to humans

Methods of inquiry (Students study the methods of inquiry used in different disciplines)

Relating content to the methods used in a particular field



Process modifications Higher-order thinking skills (Instructional methods should stress the use rather than the acquisition of information)

Using questions from the analysis, synthesis and evaluation area of Bloom’s taxonomy

Open-ended processing (Questions are provocative in that they stimulate further thinking and research into a topic)

Encouraging divergent thinking

Discovery (Activities stimulate inductive reasoning to find patterns and underlying principles)

Inquiry approach to determine own conclusions

Proof and reasoning (Students are required to explain the reasoning that led to their conclusions. Students learn about other students’ approaches and learn to evaluate reasoning processes)

Required to give reasons, substantiate conclusions

Freedom of choice (Choice of activities can be motivating and independent learning can meet the gifted student’s preference for self-regulation. Some students need support to become independent learners)

Opportunities for self-directed learning

Group interactions of like-ability peers (Structured and unstructured activities should be provided to enable both intellectual and socio-affective goals)

Group problem solving

Product modifications Real-world problems (Products should address problems that are meaningful to the students)

Investigating real-life problems

Real audiences (Gifted students are not developing products that are evaluated only by the teacher)

Products for evaluation by teachers, peers, community, particular readership

Evaluations (Gifted students’ products should be evaluated by appropriate audiences, their peers and themselves)

Teacher assessment & student evaluation using pre-established criteria

Transformation (Original work is produced when students are engaged in higher-order thinking)

Practical uses for what is learned

(Adapted from Gross, Sleap & Pretorius, 1999)



The Greenhouse effect

Content modifications Abstraction

Going beyond the facts. Dealing with abstract concepts and generalisations. What are the implications of globalisation for greenhouse?

Complexity

Introducing greater breadth & depth. How well do we understand the mechanism of greenhouse?

Variety

Exposure to new concepts or content beyond the curriculum. To what extent is climate change proposed by various scientists?

Organisation

Rearrangement of content. New synthesis of key concepts or abstract ideas. Conduct an Internet search about the international conventions/national strategies concerning greenhouse.

Study of people

Relating content to humans. Study creative and productive individuals and how they operate. Research the views of key scientists, environmentalists, Pacific islanders etc.

Methods of inquiry

Relating content to the methods used in a particular field. Review scientific articles, international protocols, conventions, laws, strategies.



Process modifications Higher-order thinking skills

Using questions from the analysis, synthesis and evaluation area of Bloom’s taxonomy. What changes to current industrial practices and lifestyle would you recommend to minimise the greenhouse effect?

Open-ended processing

Encouraging divergent thinking. What would happen if the sea level rose by 20 metres?

Discovery

Inquiry approach to determine own conclusions Using the Internet investigate two scientific views about predictions for climate change.

Proof and reasoning

Required to give reasons, substantiate conclusions. Evaluate the validity and reliability of Internet sites.

Freedom of choice

Opportunities for self-directed learning. Students conduct Internet search, apply information skills process.

Group interactions

Group problem solving In groups prepare a debate from different nations’ point of view e.g. USA, Australia, Kiribati.



Product modifications Real-world problems

Investigating real life problems/ask provocative questions. Global warming – causes, interest groups, conflict, predictions.

Real audiences

Students develop products for evaluation by various people or groups e.g. peers, teacher, parents, Shire Council, magazine, scientific journal etc. Write a magazine article e.g. Newton about the present and future implications of global warming e.g. exposition or discussion text.

Evaluations

Teacher assessment and student evaluation using pre-established criteria

Transformations

Students encouraged to suggest practical uses for what is learned. Produce a graphic presentation e.g. PowerPoint® presentation to communicate to a lay persons’ audience predictions about greenhouse.



Activity 2

The Maker model Content modifications Abstraction

Complexity

Variety

Organisation

Study of people

Methods of inquiry

Process modifications Higher-order thinking skills

Open-ended processing

Discovery

Proof & reasoning

Freedom of choice

Group interactions

Product modifications Real-world problems

Real audiences

Evaluations

Transformations



Gifted and Talented


2007

The Williams model



The Cognitive – Affective Interaction Model for Enriching Gifted Programs Frank E. Williams (1993)

This model is based upon studies of the creative person and process. Unlike Bloom (1956) it is not a taxonomy. This model has three dimensions:

Dimension 1: This consists of subjects that comprise the school curriculum. The K-12 content is the vehicle for students to think and feel about.

Dimension 2: These comprise 18 strategies to be used by the teacher to develop student thinking and creativity.

Dimension 3: This consists of eight student processes that have been shown empirically to be involved in creative thinking.

The model has been devised to give students the opportunity for creative thinking (characterised by fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration). The teaching strategies also enable the expression of the personality factors of curiosity, imagination, risk-taking and complexity that have been identified as important for the expression of creativity.

Strategy 1 Paradoxes

At first glance this is something that appears to be counter-intuitive.

Paradoxes can be used to evaluate ideas and challenge students to reason and find proof, e.g. wildlife can only be protected in Antarctica by man’s intervention.

Strategy 2 Attributes

This involves the skill of analysis. Students can be asked to list the attributes or list the properties of something, e.g. what attributes would a professional person need to work in Antarctica?

Strategy 3 Analogies Students find the similarities between things and compare one thing with another, how is Antarctica like a desert?

Strategy 4 Discrepancies

Williams is referring to the exploration of deficiencies in a person’s understanding. Students should be challenged to discuss what is not known or understood. e.g. how can life survive in an extreme environment such as Antarctica?



Strategy 5 Provocative questions These are questions that require thoughtful consideration to clarify meaning or develop new knowledge. Many types of challenging questions can be posed to elicit higher–order thinking using Bloom’s taxonomy, e.g. questions that require analysis, synthesis and evaluation. For example, Antarctica is a place where people want to push the limits. Do you agree?

Strategy 6 Examples of change

Demonstrate the dynamic nature of things, make modifications or alterations, e.g. how has Antarctica changed in the last one hundred years?

Strategy 7 Examples of habit

Teach about rigidity, fixations and habit. How has man’s inability to manage local environments impacted on Antarctica?

Strategy 8 Organised random search

Given a situation or body of knowledge possibly from an historical context ask students to search for other information to answer questions such as, what would you do or what would you have done? Justify your response. What kind of holiday would you offer to tourists to Antarctica? Explain why.

Strategy 9 Skills of search

This involves searching for ways that something has been done before or searching for the current status of something. For example, looking for cause and effect, analysing results, drawing conclusions. e.g. student investigations — research one expedition to Antarctica.

Strategy 10 Tolerance for ambiguity

In other words, an observation could mean one thing or it could mean something else. Pose open–ended questions, provide situations that puzzle. This is a good technique that leads to self-directed learning. Would a holiday to Antarctica be relaxing?

Strategy 11 Intuitive expression

Being sensitive to inward hunches or nudges. Imagine you are a tour guide — what kind of risks would you need to consider?

Strategy 12 Adjustment to development

Learn from mistakes and failures. Show how failure, mistakes and accidents have led to the discovery of worthwhile things e.g. some expeditions failed — outline the reasons why at least one expedition failed. What lessons were learned from this event?



Strategy 13 Study creative people and process

Analyse the traits and characteristics of eminently creative people through biographies. Organising an expedition to Antarctica would require imagination and creativity. Read about the life of one of the Antarctic explorers — in what ways do you think he or she was creative?

Strategy 14 Evaluate situations

Evaluate solutions and answers in terms of their consequences and implications — pose the question what if? What if tourism continues to grow in Antarctica? What could happen?

Strategy 15 Creative reading skill

Students generate as many ideas as possible after reading a text — this can stimulate a student to develop new ideas.

Strategy 16 Creative listening skill

This is the skill of generating ideas by listening. After listening to an excerpt from an Antarctic expedition, students discuss what they perceive to be the hardships experienced by the expedition team.

Strategy 17 Creative writing skill

This is the skill of generating and communicating ideas through writing. It is winter in Antarctica. Imagine that you and your fellow team members have had to abandon a sinking ship and set up camp on the ice. You now need to prepare a plan for your group’s survival.

Strategy 18 Visualisation skill

Provide opportunities for students to perceive or visualise themselves in many contexts, e.g. visualise what it is like to be a penguin. Imagine that it is summertime and describe what happens in a typical day, in a penguin colony, from the perspective on one of its members.

(Williams, 1993)

Resource

The following is a useful resource to support this task:

Sturridge, C. (2002). Shackleton [videorecording]. ABC Video: [Australia].



Dimension 2 - Teacher strategies

Unit: __The ANZAC legend______________________________ Paradox National identity comes from glorious defeat or does it?

Attribute listing What is an Australian?

Analogy How is Australia Day like ANZAC Day?

Discrepancy When did Federation occur and what did it hope to achieve?

Provocative question Is ANZAC Day an appropriate symbol for a multi-cultural country?

Examples of change How would the legend be different if the troops had landed in the

right spot? Examples of habit What traditions are associated with ANZAC Day?

Organised random search

What was Australia like at the start of WW1? Would you have chosen to enlist and leave its shores?

Skills of search Find the name of one author who has studied what happened at Gallipoli. Provide a summary of his or her findings.

Tolerance for ambiguity

Wartime nurses saved humanity but were helping the war effort too. Do you agree?

Intuitive expression Pretend that you are on the beach at Gallipoli. What is racing through your mind?

Adjustment to development

How did warfare change in the twentieth century?

Study creative process In what ways do you consider that soldiers fighting in the trenches would need to be resourceful in order to survive?

Evaluate situations How could Gallipoli have been avoided?

Creative reading skills Select a book to read about the Gallipoli story and write a book review or blurb for a dust cover.

Creative listening skills Listen to a book excerpt, e.g. Simpson and the donkey: the making of a legend by Peter Cochrane (1992). Write a poem capturing the essence of the story.

Creative writing skills Write a letter home from the point of view of a soldier, nurse or photographer.

Visualisation skills Imagine you are in a trench at Gallipoli. Sketch what it looks like.

(Adapted from Gross, MacLeod, Drummond & Merrick, 2001)



Activity 3

Dimension 2 - Teacher strategies Unit: _________________________________

Paradox

Attribute listing

Analogy

Discrepancy

Provocative question

Examples of change

Examples of habit

Organised random search

Skills of search

Tolerance for ambiguity

Intuitive expression

Adjustment to development

Study creative process

Evaluate situations

Creative reading skills

Creative listening skills

Creative writing skills

Visualisation skills



Gifted and Talented


2007

The Kaplan model



The Kaplan content, process, product model The Kaplan (1993) model, like Maker (1982) also examines the differentiation of the curriculum in terms of content, process, product and learning environment. The learning experience is based on a central theme that is valuable for gifted students, as they tend to learn holistically and make connections with other knowledge skilfully. The more highly gifted do so with greater ease (Gross, 2000).

Kaplan (1979) advises that the following principles should guide curriculum decision-making for gifted and talented students. These principles are:

• a focus on major issues and concepts • an emphasis on a large knowledge base • a use of activities that illustrate how subject relate • an emphasis on in-depth research • the teaching of thinking skills • the incorporation of higher-order thinking in instruction • increased complexity and pace • a focus on student self-direction.

Content This should be related to the chosen theme. The topics within the content area should be multi-disciplinary, integrated and covered by all students. The study topics should include a time perspective.

Process This includes the types of skills that students acquire through the learning process. These are categorised in three areas: basic skills – e.g. observing, recording, analysing etc. (outcomes may be included in this list) research skills – e.g. using the information skills process, designing a research method etc. productive thinking skills – e.g. critical thinking skills, creative thinking skills.

Product Various products can be negotiated to achieve the pre-determined outcomes – e.g. oral, written, and artistic.

Learning environment The selection of the content, process and product will have an affect on the type of learning environment that develops or that the teacher influences. Several factors need to be considered:

• characteristics of the group of gifted students • students’ interests • developmental level of students • type of gifted program.



Kaplan C-P-PR GRID

Students who have achieved substantially at their stage level should have the opportunity to access outcomes at higher stages. This needs to be made explicit and written into programs.

How do we apply our knowledge of the characteristics of gifted students and our understanding of Board of Studies (BOS) syllabuses in creating appropriate programs?

The BOS syllabuses provide information about the knowledge and understanding, skills, values and attitudes that students should develop as a result of engaging in a course. The syllabuses also provide information about extension activities and optional study opportunities. It is useful to consider what the syllabus has to offer in terms of ideas for meeting the needs of gifted students.

e.g. History Stage 4 Syllabus

Rationale:

“syllabus emphasises that skills of interpretation, analysis, empathy, research and communication should be intentionally developed as students acquire knowledge and understanding. As a result, learning will be deeper, more retrievable and grounded in historical contexts”

This syllabus provides opportunities for addressing the needs of gifted students through examining differing perspectives of history, engagement in civics and citizenship education, development of research skills and the acquisition of literacy skills.



Kaplan C-P-PR GRID

Outcomes: M 4.6 describes significant features of Indigenous cultures prior to

colonisation M 4.14 creates texts using evidence to retell, describe, explain and argue

with guidance

Theme

Basic skill

Research skill

Productive skill

Product

Outcome

Change

Classifying Describing Communicating Recording Analysing

Application of the information skills process

Distinguish warranted and unwarranted conclusions Distinguish reliable and unreliable sources of information Modification – change or reformulate ideas/ problems/ solutions

(mandatory plus optional) Oral presentation Poetry Painting Research report News article Play

M 4.6 M 4.14



Articulating activity (Logical sequence of teaching this learning experience, incorporating all skills and product expectations to reflect on the ‘theme’) Context: This teaching and learning sequence is based on the time period pre–1788. Students:

a. discuss the special relationship that Aboriginal people have to the land b. describe the components of Aboriginal peoples’ education or learning c. identify how Aboriginal culture was transmitted d. specify the stages in attainment of adulthood e. describe the lifestyle of Aboriginal peoples including shelter, technology,

hunting/gathering/fishing Differentiated activities: a) How do we know the nature of Indigenous cultures that not did not leave written records prior to colonisation?

b) Outline the methods of inquiry that have been used to understand Aboriginal history. Some Aboriginal historians think that Aboriginal history should be recorded not only through oral traditions but also through the written word. Express your views in an exposition about the merits of this proposal.

c) People may have conflicting views of the history of Aboriginal people before white settlement. Discuss two different perspectives of an aspect of Aboriginal history. Why do you think different views of history can arise?

d) Consider the following statement:

All Australians have an opportunity to better understand their past and present. This understanding is a necessary part of the process of reconciliation. Explain why you agree or disagree with this statement.



Activity 4 Kaplan C-P-PR GRID

Theme

Basic skill

Research skill

Productive skill

Product

Outcome

ARTICULATING ACTIVITY (Logical sequence of teaching this learning experience, incorporating all skills and product expectations to reflect on the ‘theme’



References

Anderson, L. W., Krathwohl, D. R., Airasian, P. W., Cruikshank, K. A., Mayer, R. E., Pintrich, P. R., Raths, J. & Wittrock, M. C. (Eds.). (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: A revision of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives. New York: Longman.

Bloom, B. S. (Ed.). (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals. New York: Longmans, Green & Co.

Cochrane, P. (1992). Simpson and the donkey: The making of a legend. Melbourne: Melbourne University Press.

Gross, M. U. M., MacLeod, B., Drummond, D. & Merrick C. (2001). Gifted students in primary schools: Differentiating the curriculum. Sydney: University of New South Wales, GERRIC (Gifted Education Research, Resource and Information Centre).

Gross, M. U. M., Sleap, B. & Pretorius, M. (1999). Gifted students in secondary schools: Differentiating the curriculum. Sydney: University of New South Wales, GERRIC (Gifted Education Research, Resource and Information Centre).

Kaplan, S. N. (1993). The grid: A model to construct differentiated curriculum for the gifted. In J. S. Renzulli (Ed.), Systems and models for developing programs for the gifted and talented (pp. 180-193). Highett, Vic.: Hawker Brownlow Education.

Maker, C. J. (1982). Curriculum for the gifted. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.

Williams, F. E. (1993). The cognitive-affective interaction model for enriching gifted programs. In J. S. Renzulli (Ed.), Systems and models for developing programs for the gifted and talented (pp. 461-484). Highett, Vic.: Hawker Brownlow Education.

7. models of curriculum differentiation workbook -...

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