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Meeting the Needs of Gifted Children in Vermont
Schools Suggested Strategies |
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Vermont classrooms are exciting places for children's
learning and growing.
These classrooms have made great strides in meeting the needs of
"normal" children and handicapped children. However, in every room there
are approximately 15% of children, three or four gifted youngsters, who need
special accommodations in order to be receiving an appropriate
education. Here are some
strategies that can be considered for use in a heterogeneous classroom (see references for additional, detailed information.): Acceleration - moving at
an advanced rate or to an advanced grade in one or more content areas. Bibliotherapy - using
literature to accommodate affective (emotional) needs. Cluster
grouping - four to six students of similar ability in an area are
grouped together in one class; they receive differentiated instruction. Complex
instruction - a type of cooperative group learning that is
beneficial for gifted children because the assigned tasks are complicated
enough to require the contributions of all group members. Curriculum
compacting - condensing content based on assessment of prior
knowledge; a method to buy time for independent study or other enrichment
activities. Creative
dramatics - improvisational drama and theater games promoting
creative expression and concept development. Creativity
training models - strategies for enhancing creative development (i.e.,
Talents Unlimited, Williams Creative Thinking) Differentiation - a way of looking
at classroom management, in which the teacher proactively plans and carries
out varied approaches to content, activities, and products in anticipation of
and response to student differences in readiness levels, interests, and
learning needs. It is good for
all children, including gifted children. Distance
learning - advanced courses taken via telecommunication devices. Divergent (or
varied) questioning - open-ended questioning that elicits responses at the
higher levels of Bloom's Taxonomy. Enrichment - additions
to the curriculum which enhance learning for all children by increasing the
depth and/or breadth of learning (e.g., guest speakers, artist-in-residence
programs, class trips) Experiential
learning - hands-on learning. Flexible
grouping - students working in small groups which are sometimes formed
by readiness levels, sometimes by interests, sometimes by preferred learning
modes, or sometimes by other things such as friendship groups or gender. Independent
study - opportunities to do advanced level research on an individual
basis according to interest and ability level resulting in examining real
problems leading to tangible results. Integrated /
thematic units - teaching all content around one central concept,
weaving relationships between disciplines. Junior Great
Books - shared inquiry approach to discussing works of great
literature. Learning
centers - opportunities for independent inquiry in various content
areas; centers will include books, art and writing materials, audio-visual
aids, and other resources to extend learning. Learning
styles - differences in the way children perceive and order
information we give them; accommodating these differences by modifying our
teaching style. Mentorships /
community resources - accessing local people and places to enrich learning
opportunities. New Standards
Reference Exams - testing used by Vermont to assess students’ knowledge
in an open-ended manner. Problem
solving - developing techniques for systematically solving problems
individually and in groups (e.g., Future Problem Solving, Odyssey of the
Mind, Creative Problem Solving). Subject
advancement – student advances to higher grade in specific
subject(s) in which he/she excels. Telescoping – completing
two grades in one year. Tiered
assignments – assignments that are at different readiness levels for
different groups of students.
All students have tasks on the same essential theme, and all tasks are
respectful and meaningful. Thinking
models - strategies for enhancing advanced level thinking and
questioning (i.e., Talents Unlimited, deBono CoRT). Vermont
portfolio assessment in math and writing - instruction
designed to help children produce authentic works (portfolio pieces) that
exhibit criteria as defined by assessment standards. Writing
process approach - a
process-oriented approach to teaching the language arts. Back to Meeting the Needs of Gifted Children in Vermont Schools Table of Contents E-mail questions, comments, and
suggestions for improvement to rjensen at myrealbox.com |
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