Challenging Gifted Students In Mixed-Ability Classrooms Susan Winebrenner Education Consulting Service, Inc. www.susanwinebrenner.com susan@susanwinebrenner.com (760) 510 0066 Presenter Susan Winebrenner
Gifted Learners Are Different Learn new material rapidly Operate at complex and abstract levels Remember what they ve learned forever Review and re-teaching unnecessary Standards may already be mastered Operate on multiple brain channels simultaneously, they can multi-task effectively Don t have to watch speaker to hear him Have passionate interests Have great fear of being imperfect Find school painful from being misunderstood
Compacting Skill Work One Lesson at a Time Most Difficult First Teach no more than 10-15 minutes, give practice assignment Allow 15-20 minutes for students to start work in class Offer to all students MOST DIFFICULT FIRST option: ANYONE WHO CAN COMPLETE THE MOST DIFFICULT PROBLEMS FIRST, NEATLY, LEGIBLY, AND WITH NO MORE THAN ONE WRONG, IS DONE PRACTICING With time they buy, they work on choice activities Help only those who begin at beginning of the assignment You correct work until model paper is found Appoint CHECKER to correct work of other volunteers Person can be the checker only once a week Collect their work; enter grades when other papers are collected
To Be a Checker.. You may be a checker only once each week You may visit any student only once during each lesson You may say only one of the following things: Continue working on the practice page Go to work on an extension activity For students who move on to an extension activity, take their paper to give to the teacher at the end of the practice period.
Pre-Test And Choose From Alternate Work Compact One Week at a Time Spelling, grammar, vocabulary, all skills Give students a brief time to examine week s content Offer pretest for volunteers at beginning of each unit Those who demonstrate mastery receive mastery grade Then do choice activities; may be assessed but not graded Favorite Activity With partner, choose alternate words; learn spelling and meaning Partners test each other; un-mastered words go to next list Other extension activities should be in same subject area but not confined to the same standards.
Compacting for Primary Students Do kid watching to find students who: catch on quickly to new material appear to already know much of the grade level standards and/or have a wide storehouse of general knowledge Always give students full credit for what they have already mastered. Do not expect them to finish the regular work before working on extension activities. If gifted students want to participate in direct instruction, keep them there. However, plan seatwork at 2 levels: grade level and advanced. Dismiss students from direct instruction by sending advanced students to tables that have the advanced tasks on them. Allow gifted students to work with each other often; assign them as discussion buddies for each other too.
Compacting for Primary Students Use Most Difficult First whenever possible. Gifted students rarely need the same amount of practice as other students. Use the Name Card or Name Stick method with the whole class. Allow plenty of time for students to read books of their own choosing. Facilitate simple independent study on topics of high interest Use available technology to challenge students
THE ESSENTIAL Rules ü Don t bother anyone ü Don t call attention to yourself ü Do the work you have selected ü Keep records of your extension activities When you follow the rules, you get to choose what to do. When you do not follow the rules, I get to choose for you.
Sample Contract Learning Contract One Chapter For: Student s Name: X Page/Concept X Page/Concept X Page/Concept Extension Options : Students keep records or activities done on each date they work on extensions. Your Idea Working Conditions Teacher s Signature: Student s Signature:
DIFFERENTIATING CONTENT THAT IS NEW TOPIC DEVELOPMENT CHART STUDY GUIDE EXTENSION MENU INDEPENDENT STUDY AGREEMENT EVALUATION CONTRACT DAILY LOG OF EXTENSION WORK
Topic Development Sheet Topic or unit to be learned: Required Standards Related Topics
Study Guide American Wars Study Guide BE PREPARED TO: 1. Discuss the political, social, and economic causes of the war. 2. Explain the basis of the economy for both sides before the war began. CHECKPOINT: : Assessment for 1 2 * Date 3. Give the meanings of all designated vocabulary words. 4. Show on a map the disputed territory before the war began, at its midpoint, and at its end. 5. Recite from memory an important speech from this particular war period on a war-related topic. Be able to explain its background and significance. CHECKPOINT: : Assessment for 1 5 * Date 6. Describe typical battle conditions experienced by soldiers and commanders. Include information about commonly used battle tactics. 7. Narrate a first-person biographical sketch of a person connected to the war effort. 8. Present a newspaper account of a non-battlefield event related to the war. 9. Describe the peace plan its location, components, and effects. 10. Summarize the implications of this war in today s time period. Hypothesize how history would have turned out differently if the other side had won. Make predictions for the decade following the war as well as for the present time. CHECKPOINT: : Final Assessment for 1 10 * Date
Present a detailed biography of an important person during the time of this conflict. Include evidence of this person s influence during the war period. American Wars Extension Menu Research the patriotic music used by both sides in the war. Point out similarities and differences. Describe how music influences patriotism in civilians and soldiers. Compare the patriotic music of this war to that of other wars. Extension Menu Locate information about the medical practices used on the battlefield and in field hospitals during this war. Include biographical information about famous medical people of that time. Discover how military people communicated with each other and with their commander-in-chief during this war. Focus on events in which poorly understood or poorly delivered communications influenced the outcome of a military effort. Student Choice Investigate battles in which creative or uncommonly used tactics were employed. OR design strategies that you think would have led to more victories and fewer casualties. Be sure to use only the technology available during that time period. Choose 25 key words from this unit. Create a document that defines each work and describes its effect on this war. Investigate other types of wars: between families, clans, children in school, mythical creatures, etc. Share information about them and include a comparison of elements found in traditional wars between countries. Create and describe alternate ways for countries to solve their problems without resorting to warfare.
Independent Study Agreement Independent Study Agreement for Study Guide With Extensions Menu Read each condition as your teacher reads it aloud. Write your initials beside it to show that you understand it and agree to abide by it. Learning Conditions I will learn independently all the key concepts described on the Study Guide. I will not have to do the assigned activities as long as I am working on an independent project. I will demonstrate competency with the assessments for the Study Guide content at the same time as the rest of the class. I will participate in designated whole-class activities as the teacher indicates them without arguing. I will keep a Daily Log of my progress. I will work on an independent project and complete an Evaluation Contract to describe the grade I will choose to earn. I will share a progress report about my independent project with the class or other audience by (date). My report will be 5 7 minutes long and will include a visual aid. I will prepare a question about my report to ask the class before giving my report. Working Conditions I will be present in the classroom at the beginning and end of each class period. I will not bother anyone or call attention to the fact that I am doing different work than others in the class. I will work on my project for the entire class period on designated days. I will carry this paper with me to any room in which I am working on my project, and I will return it to my classroom at the end of each session. Student s Signature: Teacher s Signature:
Evaluation Contract I am choosing a grade for my project based on these criteria. For a grade of B: 1. I will use secondary sources. This means that I will locate what information I can from several existing sources 2. I will prepare a traditional product. I will present it using a traditional reporting format. 3. I will be learning on the lower levels of Bloom s Taxonomy: Knowledge and Comprehension. This means that I will find information and be able to describe what I ve learned. For a grade of A: 1. I will use primary sources. This means that I will gather first-hand information myself through surveys, interviews, original documents, and similar methods. 2. I will produce an original type of product. I will present it to an appropriate audience using a unique format. 3. I will be learning on the higher levels of Bloom s Taxonomy: Application, Analysis, Evaluation, and/or Synthesis. This is the project I will do: This is the grade I intend to earn: Student s Signature: Teacher s Signature:
Daily Log of Extension Work Student s Name: Project Topic: Today s Date What I Plan to Do During Today s Work Period What I Actually Accomplished Today
The Compactor Joseph Renzulli and Linda Smith Student s Name: Area of Strength Documenting Mastery Alternate Activities
Compacting and Differentiation Strategies LESS PRESSURE ON PERFECTION: CONSISTENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR STRUGGLE AND CHALLENGE Students must: Know that intelligence is not diminished by struggle Value individual differences Have access to the teacher as they work on extended curriculum
Compacting and Differentiation Strategies PRE-TEST WHERE CONTENT MAY BE ALREADY MASTERED Students must: Spelling, vocabulary, handwriting, basic skills in any subject Compact regular curriculum into shorter time periods Extension activities available; grades come from regular work Some misbehaviors or careless work may indicate lack of sufficient learning challenge
Compacting and Differentiation Strategies FASTER PACING THROUGH NEW CONTENT Use of study guides and extension menus Assessments more important than daily work Ongoing projects that connect to content and student s interest ALTERNATE ACTIVITIES FOR EXTENSIONS Extensions of regular curriculum Opportunities for independent study Connection to personal interest
Compacting and Differentiation Strategies COOPERATIVE LEARNING Students experiencing differentiation work together Tutoring or helping others learn should be voluntary Avoid group grades; find other evaluation methods CLUSTER GROUPING Group gifted students together in otherwise heterogeneous classes Place with a teacher who uses gifted education strategies Expect consistent compacting and differentiation opportunities to be available to all students who meet expected criteria
BEST Professional Development BEST Learning Forever www.education.asu.edu/learningforever Michele Lefevre (602) 496-0127 learningforever@asu.edu