Gifted and Talented Education

The best and the brightest

The definition issue

We say “gifted and talented” in one breath, and usually mean gifted

Some states, though, such as Oklahoma, have separate definitions and separate programming for students who are talented and those who are gifted

Talented have special abilities in one or two areas

The identification problem

Studies show that classroom teachers fail to identify gifted students 10 to 50 percent of the time

This is in contrast to handicapped students who are usually identified and are sometimes over-identified

Studies show that we readily identify students who present behavior problems

Who am I? (1 of 6)

Her family suggested she find work as a servant or seamstress

An editor told her she could never write any-thing with popular appeal.

Who am I? (GT#2 of 6)

He handled the violin awkwardly and preferred playing his own compositions instead of improving his technique. His teacher called him hopeless as a composer

Who am I? (GT 3 of 6)

His parents encouraged him to be an engineer.

His teachers said he had no voice at all and could not sing.

He was fired by a newspaper editor for lack of good ideas.

Who am I? (GT 5 of 6)

He didn’t speak until age 4

Didn’t read until age 7 Described as

mentally slow, unsociable, adrift in foolish dreams.

Was expelled from school.

Who am I? (6 of 6)

He cared only for dogs, shooting, and rat-catching.

He was rather below the common standard in intellect.

Why so much miss-identification?

There may be more stereotypes of giftedness than of any other exceptionality

There are a number of myths about gifted and

talented individuals. Here are some of them:

Sickly & frail from doing nothing but reading (No exercise)

Vision problems from wearing out the eyes from too much reading

Few interests other than for reading great workssuch as Plato, Descartes, etc.

Low energy level

Few friends since few people can understandthem

Risky choice for a marriage partner

Shorter life expectancy since they are sickly

The Terman Study

A longitudinal study of gifted individuals which has been going on for over 45 years shows that all of the preceding are false.

Cannonball effect--a hindrance to identification

The “cannonball effect” as it applies to gifted says that just as a cannonball cannot be deflected from its course, once fired, so the gifted cannot be deterred from their greatness. False! Environment works for or against the gifted as well as for other exceptionalities.

Areas considered in classification

Intellectual--measured by group or individual IQ tests

Creative Artistic Leadership Specific academic

fields

Group=Lorge Thorndike or Otis-Lennon tests; individual, Wechsler or Stanford-Binet

Creative--Williams or Torrance

Others--by observation

Wechsler Characteristics

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children is best known. Ages 6-16.11

Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence--ages 4 through 6.5

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale--ages 16 through 74

All have means of 100, standard deviations of 15, and standard errors of 5

Properties of tests of creativity

Divergent rather than convergent reasoning

Scoring manuals must leave provision for unconventional, inventive, “odd” answers

Creativity allows the student to get “outside the box” to find a new solution to a problem.

Artistic Abilities

Instrumental music Vocal music Drama Dance Creative writing Painting, charcoals,

drawing, sketching Computer graphics

Evolving Concepts of Intelligence

Primitive thinking--”gray matter” Charles Spearman (1863-1945) was first to

break free from the one-factor theory and, using correlation as a statistic, show a general or inherited factor, and a specific (environmental) factor

Edward L. Thorndike (1874-1949)--three kinds of intelligence--abstract, concrete, and social

Evolving Concepts 2

Louis L. Thurstone (1887-1955)--In 1933 proposed a seven factor theory of intelligence.

Joy Paul Guilford--several dates and revisions--in 1967 found 120 factors in intelligence after having begun with 90. Later found 150, then 200.

Problem--applying 200 factors in a classroom!

Evolving Concepts (3)

Howard Gardner--1989, 1993, 1998--Multiple intelligences (8).

Linguistic, Logical-mathematical, Spatial, Bodily-kinesthetic, Musical, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Naturalistic Popular since 8 types can be dealt with

for classroom planning

Suggestions for Instructing Gifted and Talented Students

1. Provide horizontal or vertical enrichment.

2. Consult with gifted and talented students regarding individual studyprojects, perhaps involving a learning contract.

3. Encourage supplementary reading and writing.

4. Foster the development of creative hobbies and interests.

5. Check into the possibility of correspondence courses or tutoring

6. Perhaps experiment with having gifted students act as tutors.

From Biehler, R. F., & Snowman, J. (1993). Psychology Applied toTeaching, 7th ed. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin.

Advantages and Disadvantages for Acceleration for GiftedStudents

Advantages for acceleration

1. In the case of grade skipping, the challenge of working witholder, equally bright students on complex tasks keeps giftedstudents from becoming bored with school.

2. Schoolwork that matches the student’s abilities producesmore positive attitudes toward learning and subject matter.

3. By completing their education sooner, gifted and talentedindividuals can begin contributing to their chosenoccupations sooner.

Disadvantages of acceleration

1. A gifted and talented child may be able to handle theintellectual demands of acceleration but may have troublewith the social and emotional demands.

2. It is difficult to predict whether acceleration will benefit orcreate problems for a given student.

3. Less talented students of the same age lose the positiverole model that a gifted student provides.

4. Acceleration produces an undesirable sense of elitismamong gifted students.

From Kulik and Kulik, 1984

Coping Mechanisms Used by the Gifted to Avoid SocialStigma

1. Truth–“I am gifted and can do some things others can’t.”

2. Placate–“I’m gifted, but it’s no biggy and won’t be a problem.”

3. Cop-Out–“I’m gifted, and don’t like it, and can’t help it. Don’thold it against me.”

4. Cover-up–“You just think I’m gifted. I’m really not, no matterhow it looks. We won’t talk about it much.”

5. Lie–“I’m not really gifted.”

Swiatek, M. A. (1998). Helping gifted adolescents cope withsocial stigma. Gifted Child Today (1), 42-45.

Placement Options for Gifted (acceleration) 1 of 2

Early entrance--students enter elementary, middle, high school, or college earlier than their agemates.

Continuous progress. Requires individualization.

Course acceleration (subject skipping) Grade acceleration.

Placement Options for Gifted (2)

Concurrent or dual enrollment. Credit by examination (CLEP or other). Compacted courses.

Grouping options for gifted

Cross-age or multi-age grouping. But usually no more than 2-year span.

Subject grouping Part-time special class with integration Full time special class. Can go from

self-contained to self-contaminated! Magnet school.

Special courses for gifted

Honors courses. Advanced courses that focus on issues, problems, and themes not in regular education.

Advanced placement courses. Special school. Residential high school.

Enrichment techniques

Extensive use of Bloom’s taxonomy

Learning contracts Community mentors Guest speakers Internet partners Web pages and

other technology for sharing knowledge

Helping gifted girls in science

Do not overhelp young gifted girls

Encourage girls to trust their own judgement

Insist that girls use equipment

Introduce female role models

Techniques parents can use to foster creativity in gifted children

Fostering creativity (1)

Provide a working place where your child can make and leave a mess.

Try not to interrupt the child when she is deeply involved.

Provide some flexibility around rigid schedules that allow for prolonged work periods.

Fostering creativity (2)

Show you child how subjects integrate or blend together.

Show how history and science overlap and use one another’s facts.

Provide working materials such as throw-away items, left-over paint, etc.

Fostering creativity (3)

Children can plan trips and map the map, plan the food and demonstrate that they are needed family members.

Provide time for you and the child to be alone and have special activities.

Listen and encourage your child’s ideas. Provide use of the kitchen, garage, or

workshop for experiments.

Fostering creativity (4)

Go to the library often and discuss books with your child

On family trips, make time for talking about what the child observed.

“Creativity kits” are common materials in your home.

Be success oriented.

Avoid comparing children

Make the most of current interests, but keep an eye open for new interests.

Fostering creativity (5)

Encourage story-telling and imaginative games.

Listen to their ideas and show that you use those ideas

Pay attention to your child’s needs and act upon at least one each day.

Fostering creativity (6)

Provide your child with a camera, tape recorder, VTR, or other materials to record their ideas.

Introduce the ideas behind research, what is a problem, and how to go about solving it.

A final note on gifted . . .

Gifted people are still people; they need love, affection, reassurance, and attention, just as all others do.