Review of Class and Syllabus

1
Review of Class and Syllabus

• Syllabus
• Unit
• Activity and Assessment
• New AIG Standards

2
Chapter 1 Curriculum for the Gifted

• EQ How has curriculum for the gifted changed
  over time?

3
Thoughts to ponder

• Education continues to experience significant
  pressure for reform and curricular change.
• The power of the standards movement in respect to
  a major emphasis on school accountability for
  student learning changed curriculum.
• Practitioners of curriculum for the gifted must
  also be sensitive to the organizational structure
  of the school system.

4
Forces that Drive Curriculum

1. One of the forces is the nations concern for
   meeting future workforce needs and competing in a
   global marketplace.
2. Concerns over closing the gap between learners
   who have access to resources and those who dont.
3. Educators and researchers have called for a
   direct application of learning theory to school
   practices.
4. Three catalyst have caused changes Curriculum
   standards, High-stakes assessments, and No Child
   Left Behind
5. Many times curricular changes for gifted
   spearhead changes for all learners.

5
Curriculum Philosophy

• Curriculum as Development of Cognitive Process
• Organized around higher-level thinking skills
• Uses cognitive skills as the centerpiece of all
  learning activities
• Curriculum as Technology
• Organized around student inputs and outputs
• Assumes that curriculum standards must be
  explicit, taught to, and tested for
• Curriculum as Personal Relevance
• Organized around curriculum experiences.
• Child-centered model
• Become responsible for their own curriculum
  through contacts with a facilitator who assesses
  interest and ability
• Curriculum as Social Reconstruction
• Organized around being an agent for social change
• Promote community action programs
• Curriculum as Academic Rationalism
• Organized around the understanding of great ideas
  and an ability to analyze and synthesize past
  achievements
• Curriculum as Precursor to a Professional Career
• Organized around career education models
• Help students view curriculum as a preparation
  for their future professional work
• New conceptions of curriculum also include a
  strong emphasis on developing skills, attitude
  and traits of professionals

6
Research

• Perhaps more has been written about the efficacy
  of accelerative practices with the gifted than
  any other single educational intervention.
• There have been many work on research in the area
  of giftedness. Find a research article that
  relates to an area in gifted education that
  interest you. We will share findings next week.
• Renzulli
• Gallagher
• Stanley, Keating, and Fox
• Kaplan
• Passow and Colleagues
• Tomlinson, et al.
• VanTassel-Baska
• Sternberg

7
Curriculum Dimensions

• Content
• Emphasizes the importance of learning skills and
  concepts within a predetermined domain of inquiry
• Students are pretested and then given appropriate
  materials to master the subject area segments
  prescribed
• Process and Product
• Places heavy emphasis on learning investigatory
  skills, both scientific and social, that allow
  students to develop a high-quality product
• Consultation and independent work dominate
• Epistemological (addresses the philosophical
  problems surrounding a theory)
• Focuses on talented students understanding and
  appreciating systems of knowledge rather than
  individual elements of the system
• Role of teacher is a questioner, raising
  interpretive issues for discussion and debate

8
Contrasting Curriculum-Instructional Models for
the Gifted
Content Process and Product Concept
Differentiated features employed Advanced and accelerative In-depth and generative-creative Abstract and complex
Assessment Proficiency-based Product-based Aesthetics-based
Instruction D to P approach diagnostic- prescriptive Resource-oriented Discussion approach
Organization By intellectual content Around scientific or other process model By themes and ideas
Role of the teacher Facilitator Collaborative Socratic
9
Reflection Discussion Question

• How have changes in curriculum affected your
  teaching style? If this is your first year, what
  differences have you seen in teaching from when
  you were in school?

10
Preview

• Chapter 2 Comprehensive Curriculum for Gifted
  Learners next week
• In 3 weeks, Draft of Unit Background, Content
  Framework, and Curriculum Components Due 9/13
• Unit Background5 Describes the unit and the
  core parallel as well as an overview of the
  essential questions and lessons.
• Content Framework10 Essential questions,
  standards, and skills.
• Curriculum Components30 Includes content,
  teaching strategies, grouping strategies,
  resources, modifications for learner need (AID),
  and Final product to be assigned.