Princess Anne Middle School

Gifted Resource Program

2015-2016Gifted Cluster Teacher Meeting

“Information Dump”&

Training Sessionon

Parallel Curriculum ModelCurriculum of Practice

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Definition of Giftedness

United States Department of Education definition of Gifted and Talented Students:

“…those who have outstanding abilities,

are capable of high performance and who

require differentiated educational

programs (beyond those normally

provided by regular school programs)

in order to realize their contribution to

self and society."2

Why Gifted Education?

• Gifted students’ unique characteristics and needs are most effectively met through specialized curriculum, instruction, pacing, and grouping arrangements. Research indicates that in order for high-end learners to reach their full potential, the regular curriculum and traditional instructional processes must be differentiated.

• Gifted students learn at a faster pace, at varying depths of understanding, and possess interest levels that are more complex than the average learner.

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PAMS GIFTED POPULATION• PAMS has the highest identified gifted

population of all regular VBPCS middle schools.

• As of August 25, 2015, PAMS gifted population (intellectual and talented) is 281 identifications/268 individuals.

• PAMS identifies ≈ 15 intellectually gifted students, 1-2 visual arts students, and 2-3 dance students each year through gifted identification testing and ODC auditions.

• There is one full-time gifted resource teacher assigned to this school.

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THE GIFTED LEARNER...• asks the questions• is highly curious• is mentally and

physically involved• has wild, silly ideas• plays around, yet

tests well• discusses in detail,

elaborates• beyond the group• shows strong

feelings and opinions

• 1-2 repetitions for mastery

• constructs abstractions

• prefers adults• draws inferences• initiates projects• is intense• creates a new

design• enjoys learning• manipulates

information• good guesser• thrives on

complexity• is keenly

observant• is highly self-

critical5

WHY CLUSTER GIFTED STUDENTS TOGETHER?

• Gifted students’ unique characteristics and needs are met most effectively through specialized curriculum, instruction, pacing, and grouping arrangements.

• Gifted students learn at a faster pace, at varying depths of understanding, and possess interest levels that are more complex than the average learner.

• Gifted students are placed with their intellectual and social peers—with more children who “think” like they do. Middle school is scary enough without being

so different! 6

“CLUSTER” VS. “ADVANCED”

• All core teams have advanced classes. The approach to the content and process is qualitatively different in the intellectual cluster classes.

• Intellectual students should be placed on cluster teams in order to receive adequate gifted services.

• We want to avoid isolates in the core content areas.

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Intellectual Cluster Groups 2015-

2016• 6th grade:

o Cobb, DeWitt, Johnson, Waltono Campbell, Piper/George,

Vinikoff, Zell• 7th grade:

o Abrams, Solheim, Hardin, Becko Marx, Trojnar, O’Malley,

Palmiere• 8th grade:

o Agami, Morgan/Cole, Zajac, Hamby

o Perry, Reyes/Morgan, Dunlo, Chapa

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Gifted art and ODC dance students are on these cores as well as the Tropics, Elements, Lynx,

Wildcats, and Synergy.

THE GIFTED RESOURCE TEACHER’S ROLE IN STUDENT SUPPORT:

• Collaborate with cluster teachers to introduce and use instructional strategies that work well with the gifted learner

• Plan and implement differentiated curriculum, resources, and instruction

• Offer enrichment activities• Meet with individuals or small groups• Advocate• Work with parents

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YOU! ME!

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES AND MODELS

• Kaplan’s Depth and Complexity and Content Imperatives

• Creative Problem Solving• Habits of Mind• Concept-Based Instruction• Differentiated Instruction• Parallel Curriculum Model• Curriculum Compacting

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HABITS OF MIND• Persisting• Managing Impulsivity• Listening with

understanding and empathy

• Thinking flexibly• Thinking about

thinking• Striving for accuracy• Questioning and

posing problems• Applying past

knowledge to new situations

• Thinking and communicating with clarity and precision

• Gathering data through all senses

• Creating, imagining, innovating

• Responding with wonderment and awe

• Taking responsible risks

• Finding humor• Thinking

interdependently• Remaining open to

continuous learningCosta, Arthur & Kallick, Bena (2000) 11

Gifted Benchmarks

• Worthy horizons for gifted learners, especially, but appropriate for all learners

• Should be incorporated into unit planning for intellectual cluster groups

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is ODC Dance Day

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Thursday

Active art students are full-time at VBMS. No art students leave PAMS for any gifted art instruction.

Please follow up with the ODC Dance students for their plans for getting and completing their work. Please help me and get the kids to be very specific!

Gifted Identification Screenings

for PAMS 2015-2016

Testing for Gifted Identification is scheduled for the following dates:

January 12, 2016February 9, 2016 (KLMS testing only)May 11, 2016

Paperwork is due two weeks prior to the testing date to Ms. Jennings (w/ a cc to me). All paperwork is to be submitted electronically. Don’t print until you get the “go-ahead” to do so. 14

Communication and Support

• The gifted resource teacher designs newsletters, web site, program pamphlets, gifted listserv email notices, a blog, and other methods to communicate with parents and the community.

• The GRT also attends parent-teacher conferences for gifted students. Please make sure you alert the GRT for any conference with the parent of a gifted student.

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Gifted Resource Room

• Room 300• Numerous resources available for check-out

o bookso videoso journalso gameso resource materials

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...And the M&M jar is usually

full if you need a boost!

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Parallel Curriculum Model: Curriculum of

PracticeTraining Session 2015

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2009 Office of Gifted Education 19

Session Goals• To build an awareness of the Curriculum of

Practice in the Parallel Curriculum Model (PCM)

• To identify key features and exemplary characteristics inherent in the Curriculum of Practice

• To examine the skills, methodologies, and habits of mind that promote expertise in a discipline

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The PCM in Virginia Beach

Curriculum

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Key Components of

Comprehensive Curriculum

• content (standards)

• assessment

• introductory activities

• teaching strategies

• learning activities

• grouping strategies

• products

• resources

• extension activities

• modifications for learner needs,

including ascending intellectual

demand

From The Parallel Curriculum

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The PCM in Virginia Beach

Curriculum

2009 Office of Gifted Education 23

Opening Question

• What is the distinction between knowing and using the content of a discipline versus being a problem solver within the discipline?

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The Curriculum of Practice

The Curriculum of Practice is derived from and extends the Core Curriculum. Its purpose is to help students function with increasing skill and confidence as professionals in a discipline.

From The Parallel Curriculum

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The Curriculum of Practice asks students to:

• understand the nature of the discipline in a real world application manner

• define and assume a role of a practitioner• become problem solvers within the

discipline• understand and use the discipline as a

means of looking and making sense of the world

From The Parallel Curriculum

2009 Office of Gifted Education 26

Work with a partner and…

• read the classroom scenarios (wikispace);

• discuss the following with your partner:

1. Identify what the students are doing in each example.

2. In what ways do the teachers in each example promote the development of expertise as practitioners of the discipline?

2009 Office of Gifted Education 27

The Curriculum of Practice: Key

Features and Exemplary

Characteristics

• Inquiry is student generated or teacher constructed. • General methodologies, problem-solving skills, domain

specific skills, and thinking skills are taught to the students and then used by students in their inquiries.

• Roles are clarified by introducing students to the dispositions used by scholars in a particular discipline

• Research is conducted using resources, equipment, or tools that are used by experts in the field.

• Products resemble the work of scholars.• Audiences provide students with opportunities to share

findings and understandings.

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Focus Questions from the Curriculum of Practice

• What are the theories that govern the field of knowledge?

• How do practitioners organize their knowledge and skill in this discipline?

• How do the concepts and principles that form the framework of the discipline get translated into practice by those in the discipline?

• What are the features of routine problems in the discipline?

• How does a practitioner know which skills to use in given circumstances?

• What strategies does a practitioner use to solve nonroutine problems in the discipline?

From The Parallel Curriculum

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Focus Questions from the Curriculum of Practice

• How does a practitioner sense whether approaches and methods are effective in a given instance?

• What constitutes meaningful evidence versus less significant information in this instances?

• On what basis does a practitioner in the discipline make educated guesses?

• On what basis does a practitioner in the discipline draw conclusions?

• What are the methods used by practitioners and contributors in the field to generate new questions, new knowledge, and solve problems?

• What are indicators of quality in the field?• According to what standards does the discipline

measure success?From The Parallel Curriculum

2009 Office of Gifted Education 30

Inquiry and Research in the Disciplines

• Inquiry in history is uncovering essential understandings about the past using primary sources and in search of the truth.

• In the study of literature, questioning and discussion is about the literature but also about how to discuss the literature. Inquiry in language arts is a metacognitive process involving the selection of communication tools used in the facilitation and communication of research findings in all disciplines.

• Inquiry in mathematics involves methods of research using models, simulations, and formulas in order to problem solve and predict.

• Inquiry in science is a thoughtful and coordinated process to search out, describe, explain, and predict natural phenomena.

2009 Office of Gifted Education 31

Analysis Activity

Revisit the scenarios from The Curriculum of Practice.

Select one of the scenarios. As a group, discuss the information as it relates to the questions on the chart.

In partners or small groups, complete the chart for the other scenario.

2009 Office of Gifted Education 32

The Curriculum of PracticeWhat elements of inquiry/research skills are used by students as practitioners?

What 21st Century skills play a role in this learning experience?

History

Science

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21st Century Skills

1. critical thinking and problem-solving2. collaboration across networks and leading by

influence3. agility and adaptability4. initiative and entrepreneurialism5. effective oral and written communication6. accessing and analyzing information7. curiosity and imagination

Tony Wagner

3-2-1 Exit TicketName:_________________________________________________________________Room #:________________________________________________________________

Please tell me what you consider to be the top three needs of the PAMS gifted cluster program—and any suggestions you have (of things that would be within our control) so we can work toward excellence:

• • •

Please tell me two instructional strategies that you would like to improve using this year with your gifted students and how I can help you (e.g. Parallel Curriculum Model, Paul’s Reasoning Model, Visual Thinking Strategies, Socratic Seminar, Creative Problem Solving, Kaplan Icons, etc.):

•

•

Please tell me one characteristic of gifted learners that you specifically enjoy and why:•

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