A Differentiated Curriculum: Teaching Gifted and Talented in the Regular Classroom

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A Differentiated CurriculumTeaching Gifted and
Talented in the Regular Classroom

• ALLEN ISD
• Professional Development
• 2004-2005

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Gifted and Talented Students

• Gifted and talented student means a child or
  youth who performs at or shows the potential for
  performing at a remarkably high level of
  accomplishment when compared to others of the
  same age, experience, or environment and who
  exhibits high performance capability in an
  intellectual, creative, or artistic area,
  possesses an unusual capacity for leadership, or
  excels in a specific academic field.

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Who are the Gifted and Talented?

• About the top 5-10 of the total school
  population
• Often not the same as high achieving or bright
  students
• Found in all cultural groups, all races and all
  economic groups

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Gifted and Talented Services

• AIM
• Grades K-6
• Pull out program
• Integrated curriculum
• Humanities GT
• Grades 7-8
• Integrated curriculum Social Studies and English
• Phoenix
• Grades 9-12
• Classic literature with a Humanities approach

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GIFTED EDUCATION BENEFITS EVERYONE

• Methods used with gifted kids over the years is
  now considered state-of-the-art for all kids.
• Project work, providing meaningful choices for
  students, self-directed learning,
  literature-based reading, problem-based
  curriculum all were born in the gifted
  education programs.
• Many of these components are now available as
  part of the regular learning program.

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High Achiever vs. Gifted

• The high achieving child The gifted child
• Knows the answers. Asks the questions.
• Is interested. Is extremely curious.
• Pays attention. Gets involved mentally and
  physically.
• Works hard. Plays around, still gets good
  scores.
• Answers questions. Questions the answers.
• Enjoys same-age peers. Prefers adults or older
  children.
• Is good at memorizing. Is good at guessing.
• Learns easily. Is bored. Already knew
  answers.
• Listens well. Shows strong feelings and
  opinions.
• Is self-satisfied. Is highly critical of self
  (perfectionist).

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Working to Differentiate Curriculum for Students

• To make forward progress from what they know to
  what they dont yet know, students need
  compacting and differentiation.

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COMPACTING AND DIFFERENTIATION

• Compacting means condensing a semester or years
  worth of learning into a shorter time period.
• Differentiation means providing gifted students
  with different tasks and activities than their
  age peers task that lead to real learning for
  them.

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Five Steps to Successful Compacting

• Identify the learning objectives or standards all
  students must learn.
• Offer a pretest opportunity to volunteers who
  think they may have already mastered the content,
  or plan an alternate path through the content for
  those students who can learn the required
  material in less time than their age peers.
• Plan and offer curriculum extensions.
• Eliminate al drill, practice, review for students
  who have already mastered such things.
• Keep accurate records of students compacting
  activities.

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Curriculum must be Differentiated and Defensible

• Five elements of differentiation
• Content
• Process
• Product
• Environment
• Assessment

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DIFFERENTIATED CONTENT

• Content is differentiated through the use of more
  advanced, complex texts and resource materials,
  compacting, learning contracts, interdisciplinary
  learning, accelerated pacing, learning centers,
  and working with mentors.

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DIFFERENTIATED PROCESS

• It encompasses learning style considerations,
  creative and productive thinking and
  conceptualizing, focus on open-ended and
  problem-solving tasks, opportunities for
  meaningful research, and the skills to share what
  they have learned.

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DIFFERENTIATED PRODUCT

• Many gifted students choose to illustrate and
  demonstrate their understanding of the content
  and process. They often are more willing to
  produce an actual product, an exhibition,
  independent study, or performance.

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DIFFERENTIATED ENVIRONMENT

• Gifted students typically spend more time in
  independent study than their classmates. They
  thrive in a challenging atmosphere in which
  individual differences are valued and nurtured.

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DIFFERENTIATED ASSESSMENT

• Gifted learners should be encouraged to develop
  their own rubrics and other methods to assess
  their independent study projects.

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LESS IS MORE

• Teacher Input
• LESS whole-group lecturing
• LESS time preparing worksheets
• LESS rote memorization of facts and details

• Student Input
• MORE experimental, inductive, hands-on learning
• MORE reading of real texts, whole books, primary
  sources and non-fictional materials
• MORE emphasis on higher-order thinking
• MORE responsibility transferred to students for
  their work
• MORE varied and cooperative roles
• MORE heterogeneously groups classrooms where
  individualized needs are met

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Differentiating a Lesson for Gifted Student
SCAMPER

• Substitute What basic content could I replace
  with more abstract, advanced, or sophisticated
  content?
• Combine How can I combine learning with creative
  thinking to encourage originality and innovation?
• Adapt How can I adapt curriculum to accelerate
  the pace of instruction? How can I adapt
  activities to elicit high levels of performance?
• Modify How can I modify learning to provide
  greater depth and complexity?

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Differentiating a Lesson for Gifted Student
SCAMPER continued

• Put to other use How can I accelerate the pace
  of instruction so class time can be used for
  in-depth or advanced learning reflecting
  students specific interests and talents?
• Eliminate What mastered content or skills can I
  eliminate so students can focus on more advanced
  learning?
• Reverse/Rearrange How can I rearrange or
  reorganize curriculum to give students time to
  develop originals ideas?

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Differentiating a Social Studies Lesson for
Gifted Student

• 8.(2)  History. The student understands the
  causes of exploration and colonization eras. The
  student is expected to
• (B)  compare political, economic, and social
  reasons for establishment of the 13 colonies.
• 5.(1)  History. The student understands the
  causes and effects of European colonization in
  the United States. The student is expected to
• (A)  explain when, where, and why groups of
  people colonized and settled in the United States
• Analysis
• Tell similarities and differences
• Use a Venn Diagram to compare
• Compare natural resources
• Analyze social structure
• Compare lifestyles
• Conclude/infer from artifacts
• Influential persons

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Differentiating a Social Studies Lesson for
Gifted Student continued

• Synthesis
• Role playing scenario
• Establish prototype colony
• Explain using different points of view
• Create a flow chart
• Evaluation
• Justify reasons for colonization
• Significant moral developments
• Contributions of culture/customs
• Conduct a trial

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WORKS CITED

• Winebrenner, Susan. Teaching Gifted Kids in the
  Regular Classroom. Minneapolis Free Spirit
  Publishing, 2001.
• Kingore, Bertie. Integrating Thinking Practical
  Strategies Activities. Austin Professional
  Associates Publishing, 2003.