Giftedness
According to (Marsh, 2010) In the case of how we refer to the gifted student this term is used to refer to a student who has exceptional learning abilities or problems and requires adjustments to the curriculum to reach their potential. Gifted and talented students are most often poorly served in traditional classrooms. Renzulli (1982) notes that there are the academically gifted who score highly on tests of intelligence and the creatively gifted who solve problems in new ways. Marsh 2010 defines giftedness as a combination of three characteristics:
But François Gagné (1985) who is a leading authority on giftedness and Honorary Professor of Psychology at the Université du Québec à Montréal recognises four domains of gifted abilities on the:
According to (Marsh, 2010) In the case of how we refer to the gifted student this term is used to refer to a student who has exceptional learning abilities or problems and requires adjustments to the curriculum to reach their potential. Gifted and talented students are most often poorly served in traditional classrooms. Renzulli (1982) notes that there are the academically gifted who score highly on tests of intelligence and the creatively gifted who solve problems in new ways. Marsh 2010 defines giftedness as a combination of three characteristics:
- Above average general ability (in comparison to peers of that age group)
- High motivation to achieve in certain areas (in comparison to peers of that age group)
- High level of creativity (in comparison to peers of that age group)
But François Gagné (1985) who is a leading authority on giftedness and Honorary Professor of Psychology at the Université du Québec à Montréal recognises four domains of gifted abilities on the:
- Intellectual
- Creative
- Socio-affective
- Senori-,motor (Larkins, Lecture notes October 2012)
François Gagné (1985) diagram (taken from the Victorian Education and Training Committee Inquiry into Gifted and Talented Students 2012, p.17) provides an effective visual aid for thinking about Gifted students.
Characteristics of the special needs group which many impact on their ability to access the curriculum
According to Dr Linda Kreger Silverman, Director of the Gifted Development Centre at the Institute for the Study of Advanced Development in the United States, has identified a range of characteristics of gifted students (Refer to table below) Silverman suggests that if a child demonstrates more than three-quarters of these traits, it is likely that he or she is gifted. (Education Training Committee, June 2012, p. 4)
According to Dr Linda Kreger Silverman, Director of the Gifted Development Centre at the Institute for the Study of Advanced Development in the United States, has identified a range of characteristics of gifted students (Refer to table below) Silverman suggests that if a child demonstrates more than three-quarters of these traits, it is likely that he or she is gifted. (Education Training Committee, June 2012, p. 4)
Reasons well is a good thinker
Learns rapidly Has an extensive vocabulary Has an excellent memory Has a long attention span Sensitive Shows compassion Perfectionist tendencies |
Intense
Has mature judgement Keen observer Vivid imagination Is highly creative Tends to question authority Has faculty with numbers Good at jigsaw puzzles |
Has a high degree of energy
Prefers adult company Has a wide range of interests Has a sense of humour Early or avid reader Concerned with justice and fairness Morally sensitive Has strong curiosity Is perseverant |
The Australian Association for the Education of the Gifted and Talented, a national association representing the interests of gifted children, estimated that there are approximately 400 000 gifted children in schools across Australia. Other submissions [into the Victorian enquiry] suggested Victoria-specific figures ranging from 23 067 to 35 000, based on a presumption that 5% of the student population is gifted (Education Training Committee, June 2012, p. 6)
List of policies and legislation relevant to the Gifted student
Victoria used to have a Bright Futures policy (1995-2001) that had strategies for teachers to use in meeting the educational needs for gifted students, however this policy is no longer valid. There is also no national policy on the education of gifted and talented students, although all legislation and the Melbourne Declaration on Education Goals for Young Australians apply to the Gifted student, in particular the clauses relating to providing opportunities for all students to reach their full potential.
There have been two federal inquiries into reviews of education of gifted and talented students at a national level; one was undertaken in 1988, the other in 2001. Both reports found that the needs of many gifted and talented students were not being met and that the educational provisions in Australia at that time were not enabling gifted students to realise their full potential. Common themes in both Committees’ recommendations include:
The implications for classroom teachers of the findings of recent research about
Research from Khatena, 1978; Khatena & Fisher, 1974, Torrance, 1972, 1979 in (Schiever & Maker, 2010, p. 55) Preferences for complexity over simplicity are not as strong in younger children as it is in younger adults, but as gifted students mature, they tend to prefer complexity over simplicity in terms of learning tasks (Schiever & Maker, 2010 p.55). Research by Clark and Shore, 1998 in (Clark and Callow, 2002, p.56) has shown that gifted and talented pupils relate best to teachers who:
Strategies which would be beneficial to the students with ASDs
Giftedness is related to ability and potential for achievement, which is unlike talent because talent is linked to performance and actual achievement. Strategies that engage, and provide enrichment opportunities are most effective in being able to translate ability into achievement.
Teachers require a wide range of repertoire of teaching approaches and skills if they are to respond innovatively to the needs of the gifted learner. It is important that the teacher does not always rely on the gifted student to ‘help others’ with their work as the student is likely to tire from such a role. The teacher should strive to implement other enrichment strategies.
Renzulli (1977) developed a triad model that involves giving the gifted student learning tasks that are open ended, getting them to do further research/investigation into a particular topic. The Cognitive apprenticeship model developed by Higgins in Eyre and McClure (2001), could also be used as a way of providing a social context for the learning in class.
As general guidelines for teaching gifted students Kerry and Kerry (1997) developed the following list of guidelines for the teacher to adopt in class:
List of support networks within the school community for gifted students
Normally the Wellbeing/Special learning coordinator is a first port of call for the teacher as well as the ASD student themselves, and parents.
List of support networks outside of the school community for gifted students
Victorian Association for gifted and talented students:
http://www.vagtc.asn.au/
The Krongold Centre Monash University
http://www.education.monash.edu.au/centres/krongold/
MENSA
http://www.mensa.org.au/
Gifted Education Research Resource Information Centre
http://gerric.arts.unsw.edu.au/
Recommendations for the future:
That the teacher implements the strategies in the strategies section and create an individual learning plan appropriate for the Gifted student to achieve.
List of policies and legislation relevant to the Gifted student
Victoria used to have a Bright Futures policy (1995-2001) that had strategies for teachers to use in meeting the educational needs for gifted students, however this policy is no longer valid. There is also no national policy on the education of gifted and talented students, although all legislation and the Melbourne Declaration on Education Goals for Young Australians apply to the Gifted student, in particular the clauses relating to providing opportunities for all students to reach their full potential.
There have been two federal inquiries into reviews of education of gifted and talented students at a national level; one was undertaken in 1988, the other in 2001. Both reports found that the needs of many gifted and talented students were not being met and that the educational provisions in Australia at that time were not enabling gifted students to realise their full potential. Common themes in both Committees’ recommendations include:
- the need to recognise the special educational needs of gifted and talented students
- the importance of teacher education and professional learning
- the necessity of targeted interventions to improve the identification of gifted students from backgrounds of educational disadvantage such as Indigenous students and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds
- the need for more research into and resources on gifted education.
The implications for classroom teachers of the findings of recent research about
Research from Khatena, 1978; Khatena & Fisher, 1974, Torrance, 1972, 1979 in (Schiever & Maker, 2010, p. 55) Preferences for complexity over simplicity are not as strong in younger children as it is in younger adults, but as gifted students mature, they tend to prefer complexity over simplicity in terms of learning tasks (Schiever & Maker, 2010 p.55). Research by Clark and Shore, 1998 in (Clark and Callow, 2002, p.56) has shown that gifted and talented pupils relate best to teachers who:
- know their subjects well
- treat them fairly
- have a sense of humour
- are enthusiastic
- teach creatively
- enjoy a challenge themselves
- and are confident socially and academically
- in general gifted and talented pupils enjoy engaging with their teachers on a person-to-person level and like to feel free to ask provocative questions as they tend to question authority and have a particularly high level of comfort interacting with adults.
Strategies which would be beneficial to the students with ASDs
Giftedness is related to ability and potential for achievement, which is unlike talent because talent is linked to performance and actual achievement. Strategies that engage, and provide enrichment opportunities are most effective in being able to translate ability into achievement.
Teachers require a wide range of repertoire of teaching approaches and skills if they are to respond innovatively to the needs of the gifted learner. It is important that the teacher does not always rely on the gifted student to ‘help others’ with their work as the student is likely to tire from such a role. The teacher should strive to implement other enrichment strategies.
Renzulli (1977) developed a triad model that involves giving the gifted student learning tasks that are open ended, getting them to do further research/investigation into a particular topic. The Cognitive apprenticeship model developed by Higgins in Eyre and McClure (2001), could also be used as a way of providing a social context for the learning in class.
As general guidelines for teaching gifted students Kerry and Kerry (1997) developed the following list of guidelines for the teacher to adopt in class:
- link back new knowledge with prior learning and within a conceptual framework
- have a variety of learning tasks that are problem posing, as well as problem solving
- get the gifted student to evaluate and compare prior and new learning and ideas with their peers
- get students to report back at the end of the lesson on main ideas learnt
- get the student to share what they are thinking as they are working through tasks this can be done in small groups, or in class. What this does is provides awareness of the students own thinking process so that when problem solving they can begin to formulate a plan rather then simply follow a trial and error process.
List of support networks within the school community for gifted students
Normally the Wellbeing/Special learning coordinator is a first port of call for the teacher as well as the ASD student themselves, and parents.
List of support networks outside of the school community for gifted students
Victorian Association for gifted and talented students:
http://www.vagtc.asn.au/
The Krongold Centre Monash University
http://www.education.monash.edu.au/centres/krongold/
MENSA
http://www.mensa.org.au/
Gifted Education Research Resource Information Centre
http://gerric.arts.unsw.edu.au/
Recommendations for the future:
That the teacher implements the strategies in the strategies section and create an individual learning plan appropriate for the Gifted student to achieve.