Curriculum for Gifted Students

Curriculum for Gifted Students Component 6 of the Competencies Collaboration SEVA Council of Gifted Administrators

Table of Contents • Regulations • Mistaken beliefs • Characteristics vs. curriculum • How is gifted curriculum different? • Depth, breadth, complexity • Thinking strategies • Differentiation • Comments about creativity • Problem-based learning • Enrichment • Importance of choice • Supporting non-verbal strengths • Independent studies • Supporting mandated curricula • NAGC standards Trillium

From the Virginia Regulations Governing Educational Services For Gifted Students • “Appropriately differentiated curriculum and instruction" means curriculum and instruction adapted or modified to accommodate the accelerated learning aptitudes of identified students in their areas of strength. Such curriculum and instructional strategies provide accelerated and enrichment opportunities that recognize gifted students' needs for • advanced content and pacing of instruction; • original research or production; • problem finding and solving; • higher level thinking that leads to the generation of products; and • a focus on issues, themes, and ideas within and across areas of study.

From the Regulations, cont. • Such curriculum and instruction are offered continuously and sequentially to support the achievement of student outcomes, and provide support necessary for these students to work at increasing levels of complexity that differ significantly from those of their age-level peers. • 8VAC20-40-20 Lady’s slipper

Mistaken Beliefs about Curriculum for Gifted Learners(Joyce VanTassel-Baska) • Differentiated curriculum for the gifted means anything that is new or different from what is provided to everyone else. • No, all students can benefit from new ideas and new instructional approaches. • All experiences provided for gifted students must be creative and focused on process. Open-ended activities and creative thinking are ends in themselves. • Gifted students need core content with an interdisciplinary approach. Creativity and problem solving should be applied in the context of the content.

Mistaken Beliefs about Curriculum for Gifted Learners, cont.(Joyce VanTassel-Baska) • There is one best curriculum model for all gifted students. • Gifted students need multiple resources, units of study, and courses at multiple levels. Gifted students have many learning styles, needs, and interests. • Acceleration is harmful for social reasons and because it leaves gaps in knowledge. • Research supports acceleration as one of the best options for gifted students. Eastern red columbine

How are gifted characteristics related to gifted curriculum?(Joyce VanTassel-Baska)

How are gifted characteristics related to gifted curriculum? cont.(Joyce VanTassel-Baska)

Can all students benefit from an enriched, complex curriculum, with opportunities for choice? Of course! All curricula should be interesting and challenging, and provide thought-provoking questions. However, not all students learn at the same pace or need the same kind of assignments to ensure learning. Students should be neither bored nor frustrated, so adaptations need to be made. The next four slides show how a curriculum suitable for gifted learners is different from a traditional curriculum. Think about what you taught last week, and see where your own lessons fall on the continuum.

Curriculum ContentTraditional Gifted

Instructional Delivery of CurriculumTraditional Gifted

Assessment of UnderstandingTraditional Gifted

Meeting the Regulations:Advanced content and pacing of instruction • Evidence in the classroom: • Pre-assessments to determine prior knowledge • Groups or individuals working on different levels of assignments • Above grade-level materials and resources • Rapid movement through pacing guide for some students • Collaboration with teachers at higher grade levels to schedule students in above-grade level classes • Questions to consider: • How do you already incorporate this in your instruction? • How will you try to increase this for your gifted students? • What barriers or impediments do you foresee? • How do you propose to overcome those barriers?

Meeting the Regulations:Original research or production • Evidence in the classroom: • High level products, documentation in learning logs/journals • Rubrics for evaluating research and original products • Time allotted for independent work/research • Wide variety of materials/technology available for research • Real world connections and audiences for products and problem solutions • Questions to consider: • How do you already incorporate this in your instruction? • How will you try to increase this for your gifted students? • What barriers or impediments do you foresee? • How do you propose to overcome those barriers?

Meeting the Regulations:Problem finding and solving • Evidence in the classroom: • Clear, current real world connectionsand applications are apparent • Use of graphics such as KWL or “Need to Know” charts • Alternate assessments/rubrics for evaluating solutions to problems and assessing student learning • Real world audiences for solutions/recommendations for problems • Questions to consider: • How do you already incorporate this in your instruction? • How will you try to increase this for your gifted students? • What barriers or impediments do you foresee? • How do you propose to overcome those barriers?

Meeting the Regulations:Higher level thinking that leads to the generation of products • Evidence in the classroom: • Use of problem-solving and creative thinking strategies such as SCAMPER, Thinking Maps, or inquiry learning • Rubrics for evaluating products that focus on learning as well as presentation • Learning logs and other opportunities for student reflection • Clear and specific learning goals for products • Questions to consider: • How do you already incorporate this in your instruction? • How will you try to increase this for your gifted students? • What barriers or impediments do you foresee? • How do you propose to overcome those barriers?

Meeting the Regulations:A focus on issues, themes, and ideas within and across areas of study • Evidence in the classroom: • Interdisciplinary approach; collaboration with other experts • Universal concepts and big ideas (“conflict”) in discussions rather than “topics” (“Prussian War,” “Romeo and Juliet”) • Objectives that reflect relationships between disciplines (e.g. science and art) • Multiple perspectives (philosophical, historical, scientific) • Questions to consider: • How do you already incorporate this in your instruction? • How will you try to increase this for your gifted students? • What barriers or impediments do you foresee? • How do you propose to overcome those barriers?

Meeting the Regulations:Increased levels of complexity • Evidence in the classroom: • Use of paradoxes, anomalies, analogies, controversies • Variety of primary sources with different points of view • Focus on abstract rather than concrete concepts • Comparative studies; in-depth analysis • Use of many variables in problems to solve • Questions to consider: • How do you already incorporate this in your instruction? • How will you try to increase this for your gifted students? • What barriers or impediments do you foresee? • How do you propose to overcome those barriers?

Depth, breadth, complexity How do you put depth, breadth, and complexity into a curriculum? What exactly does that look like? Here are some good starting points: • Increase quantities of information and resources available • Increase the range and variety of information and topics available • Make activities more complex by including comparative studies, more variables, alternate viewpoints, diverse sources, etc. • Accelerate activities from concrete to abstract (move from facts to concepts, relationships, and generalizations) • Investigate related themes or ideas from various disciplines • Explore related ethical issues • Explore anomalies and paradoxes • Increase opportunities for in-depth discussion and reflection David Harvey, 2005

Thinking strategies If you would like more assistance or support in integrating higher level thinking skills in your classroom and curriculum, consider any of the strategies below. There are abundant resources and ideas for each of these strategies on the Internet. • Bloom’s Taxonomy – for help in creating high level questions • Socratic questioning – for supporting high level discussions and inquiry • DeBono’s Thinking Hats – visual thinking strategies for problem solving • Thinking Maps – way beyond graphic organizers; good for visual/spatial learners • Debate – excellent structure for argumentative students • Shared inquiry – collaborative discussions for learning • SCAMPER – a structured approach to increasing creativity in problem solving

Differentiation • Curricula for gifted students can be differentiated through modification of content, process, product, assessment, and learning environment. • For a detailed explanation, please refer to the Differentiation Component of the Competencies Collaboration. Indian pipe

Comments about creativity Do you agree?Why? • Creativity is not an end in itself, and should not be taught in isolation; e.g. brainstorming by itself does not foster creativity. It is much more effective to teach students how to solve real problems creatively, so that there is a clear purpose for the creativity. • Creativity is about coming up with a big idea. Innovation is about executing that idea – turning it into something useful. • Creativity is not just the use of your imagination, it is the use of your imagination followed by the act of creation. • Thomas Edison famously said that genius [or invention] is “one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.” So…. Giving your students problems to solve and supporting their creative solutions to those problems is more important than teaching isolated “creativity skills.”

Problem-basedlearning (not project-based learning!) Project-based learning usually begins with an end product, or artifact, in mind. Problem-based learning begins with a real-world problem for the students to solve. EduTech Wiki

Instruction for gifted learners is inappropriate when… • …it asks them to do things they already know how to do, and then wait for others to learn how. They need to move to more advanced materials when they demonstrate competency. • …it asks them to do “more of the same stuff faster.” Reading more books that are too easy and doing more math problems that have ceased being a challenge are killers of motivation and interest. • …it cuts them loose from peers and the teacher for long periods of time. Asking a gifted student to constantly work alone ignores the need for affiliation and interaction. • …it is structured around “filling time.” It is difficult to defend such practices as having them do puzzles or classroom chores while waiting for others to finish. • …they spend substantial time in the role of tutor or “junior teacher”. • adapted from Carol Ann Tomlinson

Enrichment Providing an enriched curriculum is one effective way to differentiate for gifted students, but it needs to be structured and purposeful. The big questions to ask yourself: • What results/student outcomes do you expect to see as a result of enrichment in this particular area? Expected student outcomes must be clear. • What is the specific content that needs to be enriched? (You have to figure out what you want to teach before you can figure out how to teach it.) • How will you decide who (or what) gets to be enriched? Wild iris

Enrichment, cont.

Enrichment, cont.NAGC – Carol Ann Tomlinson “Instruction for gifted learners is inappropriate when it is rooted in novel, "enriching" or piecemeal learning experiences. If a child were a very talented pianist, we would question the quality of her music teacher if the child regularly made toy pianos, read stories about peculiar happenings in the music world, and did word-search puzzles on the names of musicians. Rather, we would expect the student to work directly with the theory and performance of music in a variety of forms and at consistently escalating levels of complexity. We would expect the young pianist to be learning how a musician thinks and works, and to be developing a clear sense of her own movement toward expert-level performance in piano. Completing word-search puzzles, building musical instruments and reading about oddities in the lives of composers may be novel, may be "enriching,"(and certainly seems lacking in coherent scope and sequence, and therefore sounds piecemeal). But those things will not foster high-level talent development in music. The same hold true for math, history, science, and so on.”

Acceleration or enrichment? In some cases, enrichment may not be sufficient to meet the needs of highly advanced learners, and acceleration may be considered. There are multiple ways that acceleration can be implemented: • The student proceeds at an individualized pace with differentiated, rigorous course material • The student or group of students tests out of a unit with a high enough score on a pre-assessment (does not have to be a score of 100% correct!) • The student or group of students completes above-level coursework in the age-level classroom • The student or group of students completes one or more subjects in a higher grade-level class • The student skips a whole grade (for more information on how to determine if whole grade acceleration might be a good option for a particular student, refer to the Iowa Acceleration Scale, published by Great Potential Press)

The importance of authentic choices for students Clearly, providing students with authentic choices means more than letting them choose whether to do a diorama on desert or tundra habitats. Giving students as much input as possible and letting them make choices about how, what, and when they will learn (and what kinds of products or solutions they will create) is not only highly motivating, but also helps them take appropriate responsibility for their own education. Authentic choices can give students: • A sense of control • A sense of purpose • A sense of competence • Improved decision making skills • An increased depth of learning • Increased engagement in the learning process What choices did your students have today?

Supporting non-verbal strengths Some students are identified as gifted based on their non-verbal strengths. Their giftedness may not be evident unless the curriculum supports their particular skills. Teachers should make sure the curriculum includes opportunities for: Drawing Mapping Designing Building Engineering Experimenting Using graphic organizers Using manipulatives Making models or diagrams "The visual spatial learner thrives on complexity, yet struggles with easy material; loves difficult puzzles, but hates drill and repetition; is great at geometry and physics, but poor at phonics and spelling. She has keen visual memory, but poor auditory memory; is creative and imaginative, but inattentive in class; is a systems thinker, all the while disorganized, forgets the details. He excels in math analysis, but is poor at calculation; has high reading comprehension, but low word recognition; has an excellent sense of humor, and performs poorly on timed tests.” Linda KregerSilverman

Independent Studies Independent studies can provide opportunities for gifted students to explore in depth their own particular interests and passions, and can effectively support real world or multi-disciplinary investigations. Components of an independent study project should include: • Identifying and developing a focus • Developing skills in creative and critical thinking • Using problem-solving and decision-making strategies • Learning research skills • Developing project management strategies • Keeping learning logs • Reflecting on and evaluating the process and product • Sharing the product with an intended audience from beyond the classroom David Harvey, 2005 Don’t assume gifted students already know how to do this. You may need to teach them some investigative skills!

Supporting Mandated Curricula(VA SOLs, Advanced Placement, etc.) How can you incorporate differentiated lessons for gifted students into a pre-determined curriculum that you are expected to follow closely? AP classes are already differentiated for advanced learners, right? Even in advanced or honors classes with a pre-set curriculum, there are ways to increase the rigor and complexity for gifted students: • Tiered Assignments – Give some students different learning tasks that are more complex or more challenging. • Compacted content – Based on your students’ strengths, determine which sections of the curriculum can be taught in a shortened time frame, gaining some extra time for in-depth learning on other topics. • Pre-Assessments – If the students already know most of the material to be covered, move ahead with more advanced topics.

Supporting Mandated Curricula, cont.(VA SOLs, Advanced Placement, etc.) • Flipped classroom – Flip your classroom to provide more time for class discussions on complex or advanced topics. • Questioning strategies – Add open-ended, thought-provoking questions to class discussions and exams (“Why do you think…,” “What if…,” or “How does this relate to…”) • Choice – Give students multiple, authentic options to fit their needs and interests. • Extensions – Provide opportunities for students to make real world connections, or to solve real world problems. • Cross-disciplinary connections – collaborate with other teachers to help your students see how your content relates to issues and themes in other content areas, including the arts.

National Association for Gifted Children Standards for Gifted Programming:Curriculum Planning and Instruction • Educators adapt, modify, or replace the core or standard curriculum to meet the needs of students with gifts and talents and those with special needs such as twice-exceptional, highly gifted, and English language learners. • Educators design differentiated curricula that incorporate advanced, conceptually challenging, in-depth, distinctive, and complex content for students with gifts and talents. • Educators use pre-assessments and pace instruction based on the learning rates of students with gifts and talents and accelerate and compact learning as appropriate. Think about your own curriculum and your own teaching strategies. How many of these standards do you currently meet?

National Association for Gifted Children Standards for Gifted Programming:Curriculum Planning and Instruction, cont. • Educators select, adapt, and use a repertoire of instructional strategies and materials that differentiate for students with gifts and talents and that respond to diversity. • Educators provide opportunities for students with gifts and talents to explore, develop, or research their areas of interest and/or talent. • Educators use critical-thinking strategies to meet the needs of students with gifts and talents. • Educators use creative-thinking strategies to meet the needs of students with gifts and talents. • Educators use problem-solving model strategies to meet the needs of students with gifts and talents.

National Association for Gifted Children Standards for Gifted Programming:Curriculum Planning and Instruction, cont. • Educators use inquiry models to meet the needs of students with gifts and talents. • Educators develop and use challenging, culturally responsive curriculum to engage all students with gifts and talents. • Educators integrate career exploration experiences into learning opportunities for students with gifts and talents, e.g. biography study or speakers. • Teachers and administrators demonstrate familiarity with sources for high quality resources and materials that are appropriate for learners with gifts and talents. • For more details, please see the NAGC standards at www.nagc.org How did you do? What can you still work on?

Reflection Questions • What are five things that are required for curricula for gifted students, as specified in the Regulations? • What other curriculum-related concepts do you think are important for gifted students to know and be able to do? • Which of these concepts do you think are the most important for general education students? Why? Virginia bluebells

Post-Assessment • What are three things you learned about gifted curriculum? • What are two ways you can connect these ideas and strategies to your existing instructional ideas and strategies? • What is one burning question or need that you have?

Quizlet Which of these are not real VA wildflowers? Bitter sneezeweed Love in a puff Bearded beggarticks Doll’s eyes Forkleaf toothwort Lady by the lake Hairy cat’s ear Henbit deadnettle Dutchman’s breeches Yellow fairybells Lanceleaffogfruit Wild oysterplant Obedience Squirting cucumber Sensitive briar Sidebeakpencilflower Pearly everlasting • Match the name to the native VA wildflower: Wild iris Trillium Columbine Indian pipe Bluebells Lady’s slipper What do you think? Is this valid enrichment or just random “fun”?

Resources • http://www.exquisite-minds.com/gifted-resources-lessons-and-curriculum/ • http://education.alberta.ca/media/1234009/13_ch10%20gifted.pdf • http://www.nagc.org/GiftedEducationStandards.aspx • http://www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=659 • http://www.bertiekingore.com/rigor.htm • http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/enrichment.htm • http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/visual-spatial.htm • http://www.edupic.net/va_wild.htm#wild • http://uswildflowers.com/wfquery.php?State=VA All of the common wildflower names listed on the previous slide are real flowers in Virginia. Pictures are in the uswildflowers site above.

Curriculum for Gifted Students