Navigating the Educational Journey : The Student at School is the Child at Home

1. Navigating the Educational Journey: The Student at School is the Child at Home December 4, 2010

2. NAGC’s Teacher Resource Specialist Jeff Danielianjdanielian@nagc.org

4. “A community is like a ship; everyone ought to be prepared to take the helm.” -Henrik Ibsen “A ship in port is safe, but that's not what ships are built for.” -Grace Hopper “It is not the ship so much as the skillful sailing that assures the prosperous voyage.”-George William Curtis “I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship.” -Louisa May Alcott

5. In which direction are we moving in American Education? … THIS WEEK WE TOOK A TEST TO SEE IF WE’RE READY FOR THE TEST THAT TESTS OUR TEST SKILLS… … Wait until KINDERGARTEN

6. “Who are we?” We are Teachers We are Parents

7. Gifted and Talented Education Something That Connects Us All

8. From the pages of: “Our Nation’s schools continue to cut crucial programs, budgets, and staff. They are underfunded, neglected, and forced to “work with what they have.” While there are a few governmental programs supporting school improvement and innovation, the advocacy, support, and overall exposure and funding of these programs is overshadowed by the immediate need to improve the economy.”

11. The Fordham Report

12. From The Report • Most teachers believe that academically advanced students are not a high priority at their schools. They think that these students are bored, underserved, and unlikely to get the curriculum enrichment and resources that high achievers need. • Teachers want these advanced (some say “gifted” or “gifted and talented”) students to move up the list of education priorities because they see in their own classrooms youngsters whose considerable talents are not adequately challenged or fully utilized. • The narrowing of the gap during the NCLB era is largely due to a significant improvement in the performance of low achievers and smaller gains by high achievers.

13. From the Teacher Survey • Fewer than one in four teachers (23%) say that the needs of advanced students are a top priority at their schools. • More than seven in ten teachers (73%) agree that “too often, the brightest students are bored and under-challenged in school. • Teachers feel bad when they see talent going to waste.  • “There is no real gifted curriculum,” said one teacher. “It’s up to the teacher to come up with it.” • The vast majority of teachers (90%) favors “having more professional development for teachers to develop skills for teaching advanced kids.” • Differentiated instruction—the strategy whereby teachers adjust their material and presentation to the diverse array of academic abilities within a given classroom—is tricky to implement, according to teachers.

14. From the pages of: “Sometimes all that is needed to open a line of communication is a simple step back, allowing the situation to come into focus.”

15. Differing Perspectives Teacher Parent In 3 short years, I’ve watched my son morph from being so excited about school that he could hardly sleep at night, to a child who practically has to be dragged from the house to the school bus. He’s obviously so unhappy…and only in the third grade. I don’t even know how to begin to sort out what’s happening and I don’t want to be “one of those moms” who bothers the teacher but, at this rate (if he gets his way), my boy will be a fourth grade dropout! • I am a fourth grade teacher, just completing a second year of teaching. I’m struggling with thoughts of “where I went wrong” with respect to some of my students. Several seemed bored, but one student really sticks in my mind –– she gradually stopped participating; even in subjects I thought she would enjoy. The quality of her homework slipped, and, by the end of the year, she had become pretty much a loner…withdrawn from friends.

16. different roles different information • School policies • Curriculum & content • Teaching methods • Peer interactions • Classroom organization • Developmental guidelines • Child’s interests • Life experiences • Strengths & weaknesses • Abilities • Attitudes • Hopes & dreams PARENTS TEACHERS Robin Schader, 1999 Rschader@mac.com

17. Making a Difference Share information and ideas about encouraging and supporting a child’s good learning. • School policies • Curriculum & content • Teaching methods • Peer interactions • Classroom organization • Developmental guidelines • Child’s interests • Life experiences • Strengths & weaknesses • Abilities • Attitudes • Hopes & dreams

18. From the pages of: “The monotony of daily classes is lost when students are allowed to discover who they are as individuals.”

19. Common Attributes of Giftedness • motivation • communication skills • well-developed memory • insight • imagination/creativity • advanced ability to deal with symbol systems • advanced interests • problem-solving ability • inquiry • reasoning • sense of humor Frasier & Passow4

20. Cognitive (Thinking) Characteristics • Retention of large quantities of information • Advanced comprehension • Varied interests and high curiosity • High level of language development and verbal ability • Unusual capacity for processing information • Accelerated pace of thought processes • Comprehensive synthesis of ideas • Ability to generate original ideas and solutions • Capacity to integrate ideas and disciplines • Early differential patterns for thought processing • Evaluative approach towards self and others Persistent and goal-directed behavior

21. Affective (Feeling) Characteristics • Large accumulation of information about emotions • Unusual sensitivity to the feelings of others • Keen sense of humor • Heightened self awareness, feelings of being different • Idealism and sense of justice • Inner locus of control • Unusual emotional depth and intensity • High expectations of self/others • Perfectionism • Strong need for consistency between values/actions • Advanced levels of moral judgment

22. Physical (Sensation) Characteristics • Heightened sensory awareness • Unusual discrepancy between physical and intellectual development • Low tolerance for lag between their standards and their athletic skills

23. Intuitive Characteristics • Early involvement and concern for intuitive knowing • Open to intuitive experiences • Creativity apparent in all areas of endeavor • Ability to predict • Interest in future

24. Societal Characteristics • Strongly motivated by self-actualization needs • Advanced capacity for conceptualizing and solving societal problems • Leadership • Involvement with the meta-needs of society (i.e., justice, truth, beauty)

25. From the pages of: “Students should never think of themselves as failures, but should look for skills to improve.” “Education, much like life, is an ever changing process. Failure, as a variable, always comes into play.”

26. Mindset • Dr. Carol Dweck’s idea of mindset is straight forward. Those with a “fixed mindset,” she believes, are under the assumption that their talent lies in fixed traits. Instead of developing their abilities, they rely on the praise of success, without mention of the effort and hard work required, qualities possessed, and embraced by those in a “growth mindset.”

27. Vygotsky • The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), is the difference between what a learner can do without help and what he or she can do with help. • Child follows an adult's example and gradually develops the ability to do certain tasks without help or assistance. • The distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance, or in collaboration with more capable peers.

28. Dabrowski Theory of Positive Disintegration Overexcibilities (OE) Overexcitability (OE) is a higher than average capacity for experiencing internal and external stimuli. Types: psychomotor sensual imaginational intellectual emotional • A process of development involving characteristic dynamisms and some degree of awareness of development. It releases the creative powers of the individual, it enriches his psyche, and it carries his growth toward a higher level of psychological functioning.

29. From the pages of: “Educators can only guide students in the right direction, offering suggestions and ideas along the way. The rest is up to them.”

30. Multiple Intelligences (MI) • Linguistic intelligence ("word smart") • Logical-mathematical intelligence ("number/reasoning smart") • Spatial intelligence ("picture smart") • Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence ("body smart") • Musical intelligence ("music smart") • Interpersonal intelligence ("people smart") • Intrapersonal intelligence ("self smart") • Naturalist intelligence ("nature smart")

31. Art Costa’s Habits of Mind • Persisting – Do stick to it. • Communicating with clarity and precision – Be clear. • Managing impulsivity – Take your time. • Gathering data through all senses – Use your natural pathways. • Listening with understanding and empathy – Understand others. • Creating, imagining, innovating – Try a different way. • Thinking flexibly – Look at it another way. • Responding with wonderment and awe – have fun figuring it out. • Thinking about your thinking (metacognition) – Know your knowing. • Taking responsible risks – Venture out. • Striving for accuracy and precision – Find the best possible solution. • Finding humor – Laugh a little. • Questioning and problem posing – How do you know. • Thinking interdependently – Learning with others. • Applying past knowledge to new situations – Use what you learn. • Remaining open to continuous learning – Learn from experiences.

32. From the pages of: “Dreams begin at home or in the classroom.”

33. Factors contributing to Creativity Amabile: Intrinsic motivation Maslow : Self-actualization concept the creative individual continues to develop by recognizing his own potential, and the motivation comes from inner strength and confidence. • the love, satisfaction, and challenge of a particular event which directs talent.

34. aware of their own creativeness original independent willing to take risks energetic curious keen sense of humor attracted to complexity and novelty artistic open-minded need for privacy, alone time perceptive Positive Characteristics of Creativity

35. questioning rules and authority stubbornness low interest in details forgetfulness carelessness and disorganization with unimportant matters absentmindedness indifference to common conventions tendency to be emotional Negative Characteristics of Creativity

36. From the pages of: “Simply asking “How’s it going” can open up the line of communication between teacher and student.”

37. Social and Emotional Issues Facing Gifted Adolescents • Underachievement • Bullying • Peer / Family (Relations/Pressure) • Identity Formation • ADHD/ODD/LD • Sensitivity/Over excitability • School Climate • Stereotyping • Siblings • Multicultural • Low SES • Perfectionism • Sports vs. Smarts

38. Jean Peterson’s (2008) The Essential Guide to Talking with Gifted teens Minneapolis, MN Free Spirit Press

39. Edited by Maureen Neihart, Sally M. Reis, Nancy M. Robinson, & Sydney M. Moon Section I: Issues Deriving From Student Advancement Compared With Age Peers Section II: Common Areas of Psychological Response Section III: Gifted Children and Youth With Special Needs Section IV: Promising Practices and Interventions and Recommendations for Future ActionSocial and Emotional Issues: What Have We Learned and What Should We Do Now?Contributors

40. The Twice-Exceptional Learner (2E) • Frustration with inability to master certain academic skill • Learned helplessness • General lack of motivation • Disruptive classroom behavior • Perfectionism • Super sensitivity • Failure to complete assignments • Lack of organizational skills • Demonstration of poor listening and concentration skills • Deficiencies • Low self-esteem • Unrealistic self-expectations • Absence of social skills with some peers

41. From the pages of: “If it is skills you are evaluating, give them choice of content. If it is content, give them choice of product”

42. Abilities, Interests, & Learning Styles

43. Three Ring Conception Over Houndstooth Pattern

44. Renzulli “A better understanding of people who use their gifts in socially constructive ways can help us create conditions that expand the number of people who contribute to the growth of social as well as economic capital.”

45. Operation Houndstooth • Serves as the backdrop to Renzulli’s three-ring conception of giftedness. • Presents personality factors that aid in the manifestation of gifted behaviors; Above average ability, Task commitment, and Creativity. • Renzulli found that certain personality characteristics; Optimism, Courage, Romance, Sensitivity, Energy, and a Sense of destiny enhance this manifestation. • Necessary to build social capital and use it for the betterment of mankind.

47. “The journey is difficult, immense. We will travel as far as we can, but we cannot in one lifetime see all that we would like to see or to learn all that we hunger to know.” - Loren Eiseley

49. From the pages of: “The ability to identify potential, offer differentiated curriculum (process and product), and assess with individuality are three tools I continue to refine year after year.”

50. Renzulli’s Enrichment Triad Model