Growing Gifts and Talents: How do we recognize and foster Gifts and Talents?

1. Growing Gifts and Talents: How do we recognize and foster Gifts and Talents? WDM ELP Team Professional Development ELP 101 Milburn, 2015

3. Greetings! The "how" thinker gets problems solved effectively because he wastes no time with futile "ifs" but goes right to work on the creative "how." Norman Vincent Peale Milburn, 2015

4. Definition Iowa Code 257.44   Gifted and talented children defined "Gifted and talented children" are those identified as possessing outstanding abilities who are capable of high performance. Gifted and talented children are children who require appropriate instruction and educational services commensurate with their abilities and needs beyond those provided by the regular school program. Milburn, 2015

5. Definition Iowa Code 257.44   Gifted and talented children defined • Gifted and talented children include those children with demonstrated achievement or potential ability, or both, in any of the following areas or in combination: • General intellectual ability. • 2. Creative thinking. • 3. Leadership ability. • 4. Visual and performing arts ability. • 5. Specific ability aptitude. Milburn, 2015

6. Definition National Association for Gifted Children [NAGC] (2010)“Gifted individuals are those who demonstrate outstanding levels of aptitude (defined as an exceptional ability to reason and learn) or competence (documented performance or achievement in top 10% or rarer) in one or more domains. Domains include any structured area of activity with its own symbol system (e.g., mathematics, music, language) and/or set of sensorimotor skills (e.g., painting, dance, sports).” Milburn, 2015

7. "To give a fair chance to potential creativity is a matter of life and death to any society." Arnold Toynbee Milburn, 2015

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9. MYTHS Milburn, 2015

10. So I Have this student… • who may fit the definition; • who doesn’t have the ELP flag in Infinite Campus; • who may need more than classroom differentiation. What do I do? Milburn, 2015

11. Nomination for Screening • For information, please visit: http://www.wdmcs.org/academics/talented-and-gifted/student-screening/ • To nominate, contact your building’s ELP teacher or ELP Coordinator, Kristine Milburn. • Fill out Teacher Inventory (online or paper form). Milburn, 2015

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15. What does WDMCS Screen & Serve? • General Intellectual Ability • Specific Academic Ability in one or more core content areas • Creative Thinking Ability • Visual or Performing Arts Ability in music and art • Leadership Milburn, 2015

16. WDMCS MTSS

17. What Do I Do if My Student already know it? Think different work NOTmore work! Milburn, 2015

18. Common Mistakes • Asking gifted students to serve as tutors for students who are struggling. • Giving gifted students more work when they finish early. • Only allowing gifted students to move ahead when they complete the grade/age designed work assignments with 100% accuracy. For more information, visit “Tips for Teachers: Successful Strategies for Teaching Gifted Students”: http://www.davidsongifted.org/db/Articles_id_10075.aspx Milburn, 2015

19. What Do I Do if My Students already know it? (select options) • A Few Options… • Ability Grouping/Cluster Grouping • Differentiation • Curriculum Compacting • Learning Contracts • Enrichment • Acceleration • Honors Program • Pull-out Program • Special Schools/Programs Milburn, 2015

20. Ability/Cluster Grouping Cluster grouping is a form of ability/readiness grouping in which a small group (typically 4-8) identified gifted students is intentionally clustered in a mixed-ability classroom with a teacher who has the desire and expertise to provide a supportive and challenging environment for this population of learners For more information, visit NAGC’s position statement on grouping: https://goo.gl/fH5qnT Milburn, 2015

21. Differentiation CONTENT PROCESS PRODUCT LEARNING ENVIRONMENT Milburn, 2015

22. Differentiation Teachers who practice differentiation in the classroom may: • Design lessons based on students’ learning styles. • Group students by shared interest, topic or ability for assignments. • Assess students’ learning using formative assessment. • Manage the classroom to create a safe and supportive environment. • Continually assess and adjust lesson content to meet students’ needs. Milburn, 2015

23. Bloom's Taxonomy Verbs When developing curriculum for your class, keep this list nearby. This will help you determine the level of response you are anticipating from your students.

24. Curriculum Compacting Curriculum Compacting is a three-step processimplemented by the teacher for one or more students who have mastered portions of the essential curriculum: • Pre-assesswhat a student knows about content/skills to be studied • Modify learning activitiesso that student only receives instruction about what he/she does not already know • Provide alternate learning activitiesthat offer acceleration or meaningful and challenging enrichment For more information, visit http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/sem/semart08.html Milburn, 2015

25. Learning Contracts Learning Contracts are agreements between students and teachers that grant the student certain freedoms and choices about completing tasks, yet require the student to meet certain specifications. • Learning Contracts should be used to manage flexible groups based on the results of pre-assessment. • Learning Contracts enable the teacher to provide direct instruction to one group while individuals or small groups work independently. For more information, visit http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/siegle/tag/digests/e524.html Milburn, 2015

26. Enrichment Enrichment provides in-depth learning experiences that enhance the curriculum and are based upon individual student strengths, interests, and needs. • Seminars • Independent projects • Alternative assignments • Outside of the classroom For curriculum enrichment resources, visit http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/curriculum_resources.htm Milburn, 2015

28. Acceleration Acceleration occurs when students move through traditional curriculum at rates faster than typical. Among the many forms of acceleration are grade-skipping, early entrance to kindergarten or college, dual-credit courses such as Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs and subject-based acceleration (e.g., when a seventh-grade student takes pre-calculus). • A Nation Empowered (NEW) • A Nation Deceived (ORIGINAL) For more information, visit http://www.accelerationinstitute.org/ Milburn, 2015

29. HONORS Program Honors Designation • Successful completion of the following classes at Valley, including senior exhibition, will result in the Valley High School Honors Designation on the Valley diploma at graduation. Up to five elective credits may be transferred in from other institutions if the courses are not offered at Valley High School. • For more information, visit http://goo.gl/sW7QGo Milburn, 2015

30. PULL-OUT Program ELP/Honors Seminar At VSW and VHS, students may choose to enroll in the Extended Learning class, which is structured around the Autonomous Learner Model designed by George Betts. This model is based on five areas: Seminars, Enrichments, In-Depth Projects, Orientation, and Individual Growth. The Honors class at Valley High School overlaps with the ELP class, although Honors students will additionally be working toward the Senior Honors project/exhibit. Milburn, 2015

31. SPECIAL SCHOOLS/PROGRAMS • WDMCS Scholars Designation • Central Academy • Internships • Belin Blank Summer Programs • Northwestern’s Center for Talent Development • Stanford’s EPGY • Summer Institutes around the nation/world Hoagies Gifted Page has an extensive list of opportunities: • Gifted Schools: http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/schools.htm • Saturday and Summer: http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/summer.htm Milburn, 2015