[clairehickerson]

in reply to: 2.2 – Advice for Ben’s Teacher #18846

Share your advice for this teacher. What are some needs you observed in Ben? If you were Ben’s teacher, what might you do to support him?

For in class math assignments, I would tell Ben to do the most challenging problems first (typically the word problems at the end). If he can show me that he can solve those and explain his thinking, then he doesn’t have to complete all the other problems on the sheet. Then, he can go work on a research project either on his own or with the other gifted students in the class. I would also incorporate Harry Potter and fantasy elements wherever necessary to engage Ben.

[clairehickerson]

in reply to: 2.1 – Equitable Identification Methods #18845

reply to gklemm:

It is nice to hear your perspective as a private school teacher. I wonder if your school would be able to fundraise or apply for grants to supply scholarships to students who could benefit from your gifted program but can’t afford it? Another issue, as you pointed out, is transportation. Since private schools almost never have busses.

[clairehickerson]

in reply to: 2.1 – Equitable Identification Methods #18844

reply to lreay:

I am surprised that your district is only offering the nonverbal portion of the test. I would imagine that a decent percentage of gifted students would not meet the requirements to pass this way. Even gifted students whose native language is English can struggle with written communication, while their verbal communication is articulate beyond their years.

[clairehickerson]

in reply to: 2.1 – Equitable Identification Methods #18843

Share some of your thoughts about equitable identification methods. Consider how your concerns about equity in gifted education are or are not reflected in your school’s or district’s policies or practices.

As a gen ed teacher, my knowledge of the methods of the gifted test in my district are limited. I know part of it is verbal and part of it is non-verbal, but I believe it is only administered in English. I believe that students whose native language is not English are disadvantaged in being identified as potentially gifted from their teacher as well as being disadvantaged in taking an aptitude test in English. When I look at students who are in my district’s gifted program, it doesn’t look as diverse as the general school population. Educators need better PD on identifying giftedness in students of all backgrounds so that we can ensure that all students get the supports that they need to succeed to their full potential.

[clairehickerson]

in reply to: 2.1 – Quantitative vs. Qualitative Assessments #18842

Reply to ddempsy:

It is great to hear that you were able to translate the test to students’ native languages. I’m not sure that this is common practice, however, which is concerning. My hope is that we can create accomodations for these tests across the board so that students of diverse backgrounds have equal opportunities to showcase their abilities.

[clairehickerson]

in reply to: 2.1 – Quantitative vs. Qualitative Assessments #18841

What benefits and limitations do you foresee in using quantitative assessments for identification of gifted learners?
Quantitative, standardized assessments ensure that each child has an equal opportunity to showcase their abilities, without bias. These tests will be able to quantify students’ IQ and identify areas of giftedness. We know that some students get testing anxiety, which might alter their results. Also, students whose first language is not English might be at a disadvantage with this type of test.

What benefits and limitations do you foresee in using qualitative assessments for identification of gifted learners?
In my experience, students are referred to the quantitative gifted tests through their teacher, who has had months to make qualitative observations about their abilities. Without these qualitative observations and assessments, students don’t get the opportunity to test into the gifted program. However, qualitative tests alone are insufficient to truly show high IQ or areas of giftedness.

Both types of assessment need to be utilized in order to get a complete picture of the gifted child.

[clairehickerson]

in reply to: 1.5 – Gifted Education in Six Words #18840

Developing children’s cognitive, affective and psychosocial abilities

[clairehickerson]

in reply to: 1.4 – Is It a Cheetah? #18839

What are the implications of not identifying or misidentifying a gifted child?

If a gifted child is not identified, then they won’t be given the opportunity to “chase the antelope” meaning taking the resraints of a traditional education off of them in order to provide them what they need to be brilliant.

What might you add to this article as you consider underserved populations in gifted education?

I would add that children of color will be far less likely to be identified as gifted, especially if they are gifted outside of academic subjects.

How can we “remove the bars,” “broaden the enclosures,” and provide “lively, challenging mental prey” for gifted students?

We need to create better gifted programs and even gifted schools where teachers are highly trained in providing these students what they need to reach their full potential. The traditional school model is not the best environment for them, and we need to start thinking outside of the box.

[clairehickerson]

in reply to: 1.2 – Misconceptions About Gifted Education #18838

What experience have you had when advocating for the needs of gifted learners?

My gifted teaching experience is in the cluster model where I had all of the identified gifted students for my grade level in my gen ed classroom. I taught the gifted cluster without having my gifted endorsement, and just receiving a few PD sessions on gifted education through the district. I learned as the school years progressed, but I still found myself wanting better for these students. The reality is that gifted education is lacking in almost all schools, and that means that these students are often not educated adequately to meet their full potential. I now seek out opportunities to learn more about giftedness on my own time so that I can better support these students.

Is there anything which you have found to be difficult to understand or explain about the need for gifted education?

I think that people (especially educators) need to know that gifted students deserve a specialized education like students with IEPs receive. It is difficult to find challenging tasks for gifted students to do. I also find it difficult to find age appropriate books that are at their high reading levels. A third grader probably shouldn’t read a novel written for a teenager. Some of the time, the student may know more than the teacher, which makes it difficult for the teacher to challenge them.

What is the best way to dispel myths or stereotypes about gifted students?

The best way to dispel stereotypes is to provide more PD on giftedness to educators. They more they understand giftedness and what it looks like, the better they can serve these students.

[clairehickerson]

in reply to: 1.3 – Supporting Gifted Children #18837

Reply intended for 4thgradeteacher’s post

As an upper elementary teacher, I find myself a bit lost when it comes to explicitly teaching social emotional skills to this age group. I would love to have more PD on this topic to be able to deepen my knowledge, especially on how to teach gifted students these skills that some of them really struggle with.

[clairehickerson]

in reply to: 1.3 – Supporting Gifted Children #18836

Reply intended for HeatherL’s post

I really like all of your ideas for building up Aliyah’s confidence to share in class. I have implemented socratic seminar and really enjoy the discussions that it creates. It allows all students to share without the pressure of raising their hand to speak.

[clairehickerson]

in reply to: 1.3 – Supporting Gifted Children #18835

Look back at your reflection guide. What connections did you make between your reflection and the reading?

I chose to read the positive challenging gifted behaviors chart. I noticed how they put the positive behaviors next to the challenging ones. This helped me to frame my thinking around the successes and challenges that these students face and how they are so closely related. I also wonder if some teachers allow the challenging behaviors to overshadow the positive ones when observing these students.

Do Aliyah and Christopher remind you of any students in your classroom? What special support would you say your gifted students need right now?

Christopher reminds me of a few gifted students who I have taught who were very chatty and social. For those students, I often created individual or group projects for them to work on that required research, higher level thinking and then creating an end product that showcased their learning and understanding. This helped to keep them engaged and challenged while other students could focus on their work.

[Author]

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