Teaching Students In An Inclusive Setting

1. Teaching Students In An Inclusive Setting Suzanne Larocque Lorraine O’Reilly

2. Welcome! So you have a gifted student in your class… Don’t panic.

3. Overview • What the Ministry says… • Who are the gifted and what do they need? • Where to start… • Program differentiation • How do I assess? • 3 BIG ideas (What do you think they are?) • Questions

4. TheMinistry Says… Giftedness is defined as “… an unusually advanced degree of general intellectual ability that requires differentiated learning experiences of a depth and breadth beyond those normally provided in the regular school program to satisfy the level of educational potential indicated.”

5. Who Are The Gifted? What Do They Need?

6. Cognitive Domain – Characteristics • COGNITIVE ABILITYPositive Aspects • learns quickly and easily when interested • processes information quickly • unusual ability to abstract & generalize • progresses at more rapid pace than peers Difficult Aspects • bored by routine and repetitive tasks • may dominate others • intolerant of those less able

7. Cognitive Domain – Characteristics • INTELLECTUAL CURIOSITYPositive Aspects • asks many questions • interested in wide variety of subjects • has high tolerance for ambiguity Difficult Aspects • pursues individual interests over class activities • impatient with details and restrictions • remains unfocused and scattered

8. Cognitive Domain- Needs • access to challenging curriculum • interact with intellectual peers • pacing work according to abilities • be allowed to solve problems in diverse, creative ways • be exposed to varied subjects and areas of interest

9. Affective Domain – Characteristics Positive Aspects • heightened self-awareness • unusually sensitive to expectations, feelings of others • strong idealism and sense for justice • leadership abilities • keen sense of humour Difficult Aspects • intolerant of those not sharing similar views • may be self-critical • high expectations – frustration, perfectionism

10. Affective Domain - Needs • learn to set realistic expectations and goals • learn self-advocacy • opportunities to study “real world” issues, generate solutions and plans of action • emotional intelligence learning

11. Where To Start…

12. First Steps • Review IEP • Conference with student • Survey strengths, needs (can be the same) and interests • How student learns best • What accommodations worked for student in the past • Plan how and when to differentiate student’s program. Include student.

13. Needs - IEP The needs of gifted students often result from their strengths. On the IEP, the strength and need may be identical. In most cases, needs do not change over time The identified exceptionality should be evident from the statement of needs Areas of need should make evident the reasons why the student requires a special education program and/or services Area of need should be drawn from the assessment data

14. Program Differentiation

15. Who? • Students formally identified through the IPR process as intellectually gifted (require IEP) • Students who have met Board criteria for giftedness but are not formally identified (require IEP) • Students who just missed meeting the gifted criteria (should have an IEP) • Students who are bright in a particular subject area (should have an IEP)

16. Why? • To assist students in reaching their full potential by matching students’ ability levels with appropriate programming • To meet the individual needs of students • To motivate and challenge students • To reduce the number of underachieving gifted students

17. When? • On a regular basis, as required • Students who are gifted or bright, are that way all the time, not just while attending specialized programs

18. How? Bloom’s Taxonomy Gifted students should be spending the majority of their time at the Applying/Application Level or above.

19. Suggestions for Evaluation (http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/researchskills/dalton.htm)

20. Kind Breadth Depth Pace Content Process Product Evaluation What?

21. Content: Kind: move from fact-concept-generalization-theory Breadth: divergent, multidisciplinary Depth: convergent, intense interest Pace: fast or slow dependent on scope and complexity Strategies:compacting, acceleration, broad-based theme, interdisciplinary study, in-depth study of topic, self-selected topic, independent projects Change ….

22. Product: based on learning styles Kind: designate audience - feelings, attitudes Breadth: advanced technical skills, creative, participatory Depth: independent, productive, creative thinking Pace: opportunities to transfers skills to new situations Examples: 3-D models Multi-media – computer presentations Oral - podcasts Change ….

23. Process: Kind: move from basic thinking skills to integrated inquiry models Breadth: complexity of thinking=multidisciplinary Depth: intensity of thinking= application of higher-order thinking, self-directing Pace: move towards independent thinking, learning Strategies:higher-order thinking, creative thinking, problem-solving skills, open-ended questioning Change ….

24. Evaluation: Kind: teacher, teacher/pupil, pupil leading to independent learner Breadth: co-evaluation Depth: self-evaluation Pace: continuous assessment/evaluation Strategies:teacher evaluation, peer evaluation, self evaluation, external evaluators, co-evaluation, criteria checklists, rating scales, rubrics, tests, inventories … Change ….

25. Guiding Principle Always remember gifted students must be evaluated against grade level expectations, even when working above and beyond.

26. First Steps • Determine student competency in subject area (i.e. pretest, demonstration of evidence). • If level 4 competency is demonstrated, this should be reflected in evaluative mark given. • Plan for differentiation with the student. • Provide assessment feedback (i.e. rubric, criteria checklists, conferencing).

27. What Students Gain… • Chance to further develop: • Critical thinking • Inquiry learning • Creativity • Project management • Team skills • Leadership • Self-esteem

28. Big Ideas • Being Gifted: It’s Not Easy! We are Not Perfect and We Don’t Know Everything! • Needs and Strengths: Can Be the Same • Being Gifted Means Different, Not More of the Same.

29. Resources - Books • Being Smart About Gifted Children (2005), Matthews, Foster, Great Potential Press Incorporated • Teaching Gifted Kids in the Regular Classroom (2001), Susan Winebrenner, Free Spirit Publishing • Teaching Young Gifted Children in the Regular Classroom (1997), Smutny, Walker, & Meckstroth, Free Spirit Publishing • The Schoolwide Enrichment Model: A How-To Guide for Educational Excellence (2nd edition) (1997), Joseph S. Renzulli & Sally M. Reis, Creative Learning Press • When Gifted Kids Don’t have All the Answers (2002), Jim Delisle, Judy Galbraith, Free Spirit Publishing

30. Resources - Journals Journal for the Education of the Gifted. The official quarterly publication for The Association of the Gifted (a division of the Council for Exceptional Children). Gifted Child Today. Quarterly publication for parents, teachers and professionals interested in gifted education. The National Voice for Kids: Creative Kids. Quarterly magazine showcasing student work.

31. Resources - Websites http://www.abcontario.ca/ The Association for Bright Children of Ontario is an all-volunteer, provincially incorporated support and advocacy group to support parents of bright and gifted children. http://www.nagc.org/ NAGC (National Association of Gifted Children) is an American resource that supports gifted education and explains what's at stake if high-potential learners are not challenged and encouraged. http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/researchskills/dalton.htm This site provides suggestions of questions to ask & potential activities.

32. “Give me an education that fits my needs, and you give me a chance to change the world!”