440 likes | 572 Views
Gifted and Talented Academy year 1. Session 1 September 29, 2011. http://aea11gt.pbworks.com. Look with favor upon a bold beginning. --Virgil, Roman poet. Winnie the Witch. Why do children need gifted services? Winnie the Witch Winnie on the Web She’s even on Facebook!. Agenda.
E N D
Gifted and Talented Academyyear 1 Session 1 September 29, 2011 http://aea11gt.pbworks.com
Look with favor upon a bold beginning. --Virgil, Roman poet
Winnie the Witch Why do children need gifted services? Winnie the Witch Winnie on the Web She’s even on Facebook!
Agenda • Welcome and Introductions • Web 2.0 Tools • Academy History • Goals • Norms • Iowa Code • Foundation • Home Play • Closure
Web 2.0 Tools • Wiki • Visit http://aea11gt.pbworks.com • Set up account • Create team Wiki space • Districtname_gt • iEtherPad
Introductions • Name • School • One important thing you hope to gain from the Academy
Why the Academy? • A common philosophy • A comprehensive K-12 program plan to guide programming • Teamwork • Establish importance of leadership • It will benefit kids • Sharpening focus
G/T Academy Outcomes • To deepen understanding of the components of comprehensive gifted and talented programming • To construct and/or improve a written comprehensive gifted and talented program plan • To identify and use data necessary to provide, drive, and improve gifted and talented programming • To network with other teachers of gifted in the Heartland area - and beyond
Team Role • Honor commitment to complete work between sessions • Everyone contributes • Dedication to learning • Advocacy • Promote learning of others • Be open to change
Administrator Role • Provide and protect time for team to meet • Provide access to data • Provide access to staff • Encourage and guide • Learn with teachers • Be open to change
Group Norms, Processes and Needs • Talk freely - think out loud • Freedom to change your mind • Learning for all • Share air time • Ask questions
Iowa Code, NAGC Program Standards, & PK-12 National Gifted Education Standards • Iowa Code provides requirements in law for minimum compliance (Chs. 12 & 59) • NAGC PK-12 Gifted Programming Standards provide guidance toward best practices • PK-12 National Gifted Education Standards identify essential knowledge and skills for teachers of gifted
Comprehensive Gifted and Talented Programming • Comprehensive: • Including many things • Having a wide scope or full view • Extensive; wide; large; full; compendious (dictionary.com)
So what is it? Work with your team to list the components/characteristics of comprehensive gifted and talented programming. Think: comprehensive physical, comprehensive exam
Comprehensive Gifted and Talented Programming • Includes and integrates multiple domains of giftedness • Provides multiple programming options matched to student need • Addresses both cognitive and affective needs • Is articulated K-12 • Is evolutionary in nature • Is essential to and embedded in an effective educational program • Is based on student need • Identifies children with unmet educational needs
INFRASTRUCTURE CONSENSUS IMPLEMENTATION CONSENSUS INFRASTRUCTURE CONSENSUS
Managing Complex Change Action Plan + + + + Vision Skills Incentives Resources Action Plan + + + + Skills Incentives Resources Action Plan + + + + Vision Incentives Resources Action Plan + + + + Vision Skills Resources Action Plan + + + + Vision Skills Incentives + + + + Vision Skills Incentives Resources = Change Confusion = = Anxiety = Resistance = Frustration = False Starts Adapted from Knoster, T., Villa R., & Thousand, J. (2000). A framework for thinking about systems change. In R. villa & J. Thousand (Eds.), Restructuring for caring and effective education: Piecing the puzzle together (pp. 93-128). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.
Talk in Your Team • With regard to g/t programming • which areas are strengths? • which areas need attention/work?
Survey Results • Results tabulation sheet • Hard copy or Excel sheet • Transfer numbers • Like my school = 3 • Somewhat like + = 2 • Somewhat like - = 1 • Not like my school = 0 • Totals and percentages
Survey Results • Section 1 – Vision • Section 2 – Skills • Section 3 – Incentives • Section 4 – Resources • Section 5 – Action Plan
It All Starts With… Vision Mission Beliefs
Vision • What we aspire to • Requires “stretch” Example: ITAG envisions a time when all students, including the gifted and talented, are given an appropriate educational experience that matches their abilities and potential, where they have abundant opportunities for their intellectual and creative challenge and growth, and those who work with them are effectively trained to appreciate, understand, and nurture their unique talents and needs.
Mission/Philosophy Answers the questions • What is our purpose? • Why does the program(ming) exist? What it does • Creates cohesiveness, commitment, and understanding • Gives meaning to our work • Choosing how we’ll work • What work we choose to do --Conzemius & O’Neill, 2002
Belief Statements & Core Values Beliefs: an expression of what we believe to be true Core Values: absolute commitments that translate into behaviors Example: Belief: gifted kids learn best in the company of intellectual peers Core Value: commitment to provide grouping arrangements that promote new learning for gifted kids
Sample M/V/B • Waukee • What is important for your work? • Critical to connect ELP m/v/b to larger district view
Traits • Comprehensiveness • Rationale • Consistency • Clarity --Purcell & Eckert, 2006
Victory Circle • Three years from now, the DE awards your district the “Outstanding GT Program” distinction for the state. • What would we see, hear, experience, etc. that would give credence to the award? GilbertBooneNewton Woodward-GrangerColo-Nesco
Creating Stretch • What aspects of your victory are worthy of achieving but would require significant stretch? • Consider these ideas to help you write a statement of vision.
S-W-O-R Analysis • What are the strengths in our school that would help us achieve our victory? • What weaknesses do we need to overcome? • What opportunities exist if we achieve our victory? • What risks do we face along the way?
Assumptions • What assumptions do you hold about gifted children? (+ or -) • What assumptions do classroom teachers, administrators, and parents in your district/building hold? GilbertBooneNewton Woodward-GrangerColo-Nesco
Putting It All Together… Consider • desired state (victory) • components requiring stretch • current state (S-W-O-R) • assumptions which drive beliefs Create a draft of your vision, mission/philosophy, and beliefs.
Sample Vision • Waukee – “New learning all day every day for each identified gifted child.” Consider: In what ways will vision impact programming?
Sample Mission/Philosophy The mission of the Iowa Talented and Gifted Association is to recognize, support, and respect the unique and diverse needs of talented and gifted learners through ADVOCACY: by encouraging informed educational professionals, parents, policy makers, and all other stakeholders to take appropriate action for the benefit of talented and gifted learners. EDUCATION: by strengthening and encouraging the recognition and implementation of practices that support identification of talented and gifted learners and accommodation of the social, emotional, and intellectual levels. NETWORKING:by increasing opportunities for collaboration and cooperation among all stakeholders with the goal of advancing the abilities and developing the potential of talented and gifted learners.
Evaluating Your Mission/Philosophy Rate your mission/philosophy with regard to • Comprehensiveness • Rationale • Consistency • Clarity
Sample Academically talented children in Jonesville may possess characteristics that necessitate qualitatively different instruction. Our program is designed to provide the atmosphere for stimulating above-average-ability students. --Purcell & Eckert, 2006
Sample Academically talented children in Jonesville may possess characteristics that necessitate qualitatively different instruction. Our program is designed to provide the atmosphere for stimulating above-average-ability students. --Purcell & Eckert, 2006
Makeover The mission of the Jonesville School District is to ensure that each child has equal opportunity to receive a suitable program of educational experiences. The school board recognizes that some students possess, or are capable of possessing, extraordinary learning ability and/or outstanding talent. These students come from all socioeconomic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds. The school board affirms the following:
Curricular modifications as described in our comprehensive program design will occur in the regular classroom to provide continuous levels of challenge for all students, including those with unique gifts and talents. • In addition to the regular classroom, a range of instructional settings, both within the school as well as the community, will be available for specialized instruction that is integrated with the regular curriculum and the intellectual and social and emotional needs of gifted and talented children. • It is the responsibility of the school district and the larger community to ensure the following: • Ongoing identification of gifted and talented children • Provision of appropriate and systematic educational services to meet the unique learning needs of gifted and talented children. --Purcell & Eckert, 2006, p. 18-19
Building Consensus Determine • With whom you will share • How you will determine/build consensus Reflect on • How the message was received • Further work needed
Program Evaluation • Baseline data • Complete Self-Audit/Reflection section(s) • Identification • Program Goals • Bring results to next session • Basis for program goals • Means to improve programming
Home Play • Complete two sections of SA/RT • Program Goals • Identification • Share draft of Mission/Philosophy with GT Advisory, Administrative Team, and/or School Board • Get input • Get mission/philosophy approved
Next Meeting • November 29, 2011 • 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. • Heartland AEA Ames Office
Memory Mingle • How has the information you’ve engaged with so far “pushed” your thinking? • Share in triads • Identify connections and/or conclusions • Share with large group