Gifted Myth #2 Debunked

Myth No. 2: Giftedness can easily be measured by intelligence tests and tests of achievement. Giftedness is difficult to measure. This is why schools and school districts try so many different ways to identify gifted students. Tests are often culturally biased and may reflect ethnicity, socioeconomic status, exposure and experiences rather than true giftedness. Other children may be gifted but are not good at taking tests. They may not score well on standardized tests but may be gifted, especially in creative and productive thinking.

While I believe that some children are easy to identify as gifted because they test well, there are those that do not and there are those who are twice exceptional and cannot do well on the most commonly used test, the CogAt. Some of the most difficult areas for me to ascertain if a child is gifted is in the arts, technology and/or leadership. I had a student who missed qualifying for gifted by one point in one area and three points in two areas, yet he was brilliant. This young man had an entrepreneurial spirit and had started his own business making over $30,000 a year profit in 7th grade. He could lead any group of students and had the uncanny ability to organize greatness. He was crushed when he did not qualify for gifted, because all of his peers were identified. As a gifted team, we made the decision to have him submit a portfolio of his leadership and business interests and we created a rubric to determine whether he should be placed in gifted classes. Luckily, all but one of our team mates thought this was a splendid answer for including these oftentimes overlooked areas of giftedness.

However, this one teammate ridiculed the process and believed that we were watering down our program by allowing students alternative pathways to gifted identification. Luckily the student was accepted into the gifted program and shined like we knew he would. He continued his business, and even expanded it during high school. By the time he graduated from high school, he had saved enough money to buy a home for cash and of course had a full ride scholarship to the University of his choice and has soared both academically and socially. For me this is the reason for gifted education: To support students in their academic and professional endeavors based on their ability. This was a win-win for the school and for the student. We did not lower our requirements for admittance, we expanded them with fidelity. Having multiple pathways to identification allows for non-traditional groups to be represented in our gifted education model.

Disrupting Class

Thinking about doing our next book study on Disrupting Class, by Clayton Christiansen. What do you think of when you think of disrupting class? Before reading this book, I would say that I pictured this:



Now I realize that it means that students are learning at their own pace, in the best modality for them. Theoretically a tailor made education.

Are we afraid to disrupt the norm in education? Or can we put our thinking hats on and disrupt the status quo of learning? Join me in the interesting conversations that will be sure to follow. We will be starting in two weeks, plenty of time for you to order your copy for your ebook or a hard copy online! Looking forward to GREAT discussions!

Differentiation Works!

Differentiation is the buzzward of the week it seems. But what is it? Everyone seems to have a different definition. I was talking with a co-worker today, and I was shocked to find out that some teachers believe that differentiation means a different lesson plan for each student. This couldn't be further from the truth.

Differentiation is simply put, a different way to meet student needs based on their unique ability level and needs.

Most teachers are already doing this. They may have a student who needs visual or auditory re-enforcement. This is a differentiation technique. The difference now is that administration wants us to document what we have done on a regular basis to show how we differentiated for the students.

Can you share your ideas on differentiation and how we must document it?

Should Gifted Kids Always Take the Hardest Classes?

I pose this question to you and I truly do not have an answer myself. I'm looking for help with forming my opinion. Should kids always take more difficult classes just because they are gifted?

For example, I have a student who is 99th percentile quantitatively. He asked me today if he could be dropped down to the regular math class. Not because he didn't understand the concepts, not because he could not keep up, but because he really just didn't want to work that hard.

Is that okay? Should we allow them to do that? What do you think? I have wondered that myself for my own children.

Book Reviews

An idea that I have seen and hope to implement next year is having students write book reviews for books that they have read. The twist is that we would video tape the review and add special effects. Students would then be able to access the review via the school server and be able to add their star rating of the book. Can you see this working in your classroom or school? Do you have any ideas that could help improve this idea?

Using Trade Books for Reading

On page 97, the author states that students should be able to bring in trade books to read for reading time. Can this be incorporated into the reading plan? If you use a system like Accelerated Reader that tests and keeps track of the books the students read teachers may not want to allow students to read books that are not AR. Do you think that this is appropriate?

Self Choice

One of the strategies for working with gifted students mentioned in the book is self choice: Having the students come up with their own ideas for projects or activities.

Would you feel comfortable doing this in the classroom?

If so, how would you integrate it into your lessons?