Traits Of Gifted Learners

If you first read about the incorporation of Bloom's Taxonomy on gifted education curriculums and then look at the traits of gifted students, trends and similarities begin to emerge.

The following are traits given to describe gifted learners from the Gifted Development Center. Following this link will give their actual scale used in identifying children as gifted.

Traits of gifted learners:

• Good thinker who reasons well
• Learns quickly
• Has an extensive vocabulary
• Excellent memory
• Long attention span for subject in which they are interested
• Sensitive
• Shows compassion
• Often are perfectionists
• Intense at times
• Morally sensitive
• Strong curiosities
• Perseverant in interests
• High degree of energy
• Often prefers to engage with adults
• Wide range of interests
• Good sense of humor
• Early or avid reader
• Concerned with justive and fairness
• Mature judgement at times
• Good observer
• Vivid imagination
• Very creative
• Tends to question authority
• Has facility with numbers
• Good at jigsaw puzzles

Immediately links can be seen between these traits and the curriculum and program options discussed elsewhere. Gifted students are going to be more drawn towards assignments where they get to use higher level orders of thinking. These assignments will include directions with the following words: Synthesize, Arrange, Blend, Create, Deduce, Devise, Organize, Plan, Present, Rearrange, Rewrite.

The Link Among Intelligence, Giftedness, and Identification

There is an inevitable link among intelligence, giftedness, and identification.


When I think about these three words I immediately put them in an order of variance from more concrete to more vague. In this spectrum I would place them as follows:

More Concrete

intelligence

identification

giftedness

More Vague

Is it any wonder why there is such controversy concerning gifted education when it is difficult to even define giftedness? When learning about the identification procedures for gifted education, it is easy to play devil's advocate and to question the methods used. "How do you show creativity?" "How can a student who gets poor grades be gifted?" "Shouldn't gifted students be excellent readers?"

The links among intelligence, giftedness, and identification are inevitable. Giftedness is a reflection of intelligence and identification is a a natural progression from giftedness. I believe that if the vagueness seen in identification and giftedness can be clarified, then gifted education will benefit.

Curriculum For Gifted Students

In addition to program modifications and additions for gifted learners, differentiating in the curriculum is necessary as well.

One caveat for curriculum differentiating is taking care not to give gifted students extra work. The modifications made on the curriculum should be to make their work more exciting and intriguing to them. It should not be the goal of the teacher to keep gifted students busier for a longer period of time by giving them 'more' work.

When making modifications to the curriculum for gifted students, I think that a teacher should first consult Bloom's Taxonomy to see where on there the assignment falls.

Each level of Bloom's Taxonomy is linked to certain verbs that can help for creating curriculum for gifted students.

Remembering:

Acquire, Define, Distinguish, Draw, Find, Label, List, Match, Read, Record

Understanding:

Compare, Demonstrate, Differentiate, Fill in, Find, Group, Outline, Predict, Represent, Trace

Applying:

Convert, Demonstrate, Differentiate between, Discover, Discuss, Examine, Experiment, Prepare, Produce, Record

Analyzing:

Classify, Determine, Discriminate, Form generalizations, Put into categories, Illustrate, Select, Survey, Take apart, Transform

Evaluating:

Argue, Award, Critique, Defend, Interpret, Judge, Measure, Select, Test, Verify

Creating:

Synthesize, Arrange, Blend, Create, Deduce, Devise, Organize, Plan, Present, Rearrange, Rewrite

Assignments should be built upon the lowest level of remembering, and then, as the needs warrant, the higher levels should be incorporated in order to make appropriate assignments in the curriculum for gifted students.

Nature Of Giftedness

Related to intelligence, giftedness is an above-average ability or aptitude for learning and thinking. Oftentimes, young people with gifted intelligence have an asynchronous growth process between cognitive and physical growth. I liken this to the well-known story of the tortoise and the hare where a gifted child's mind is moving at the speed of the hare while their physical growth moves at a slower pace likened to the tortoise.


I think that what makes the nature of giftedness so ambiguous and questionable to some people, is that it requires an identification process. Seeing and proving giftedness may seem arbitrary to doubtful people. As I have recently learned, the process by which schools and educators identify students as gifted can be very vague. Students can be identified as gifted in a number of different ways that may never be the same for each child.

In my own prior experiences, those students labeled as "gifted" were the ones who were in the accelerated classes and who generally earned above-average grades in school. Giftedness, though, can be apparent in many different areas of a academia as well as in the performing arts and sports. Defining giftedness when considering its broadness becomes and almost impossible feat. Only with increased knowledge and awareness of truly gifted individuals can we begin to appropriately define what giftedness may be in the realm of intelligence.

My Thoughts

Before beginning this course on gifted education, I honestly had no idea that it was not offered in all schools. I was in the Gifted and Talented Program (G/T), as it is called in Fauquier County, VA, from early elementary school until late high school when I had moved past its offerings and into the Advanced Placement classes. My sister was also in the program and had many of the same teachers that I did.

I think we were both lucky to have gone to school in an area where gifted education is deemed important enough to have in the schools. She and I have talked about our G/T experiences recently and only have positive things to say about them.

Some of my friends are extremely intelligent and display creativity that astounds me, yet they grew up in areas where gifted education was not offered. I never thought I would be the type of person to say, "I want to live where there are good schools," but after learning more about gifted education, I would consider living in an area with a gifted program a priority.

Lesson Plans

I found some great sites with lesson plans that can be used in gifted classrooms.

Here are some links:

Lesson Plans and Resources

• I especially like the lesson plan on entomology for elementary school. In this lesson, the students begin by being introduced to basic facts about butterflies and then, under the guidance of their teacher, they begin to use different types and levels of thinking in relation to the subject of butterflies. This type of activity should engage many students at once, which is ideal for a class with students of different levels.

Lesson Planet

• This is an extensive database of lessons for all grade and ability levels. Unfortunately, the number of lesson plans for high school are at zero, but reading through some of the lower grade level plans gave me ideas that could be modified for upper level grades and classes.

Lesson Tutor

• Lesson Tutor, while not as extensive as the others, provides an easy to navigate list of included lesson plans. I was surprised to see an inclusion of lesson plans concerning music, but was slightly disappointed that they are not aimed towards gifted students.

Center For Gifted Education

The Center for Gifted Education is located at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA.

Their Mission Statement is as follows:

Mission Statement The Center for Gifted Education is a learning community that values and fosters the talent development process of individuals over the lifespan.
Goal #1 To provide graduate education programs and opportunities for individuals interested in teaching gifted students and/or assuming administrative and leadership positions in the field of gifted education.
Goal #2 To provide selected programs and services for precollegiate learners and their families.
Goal #3 To develop, field-test, and disseminate curriculum in relevant content areas at appropriate developmental levels.
Goal #4 To conduct research and evaluation for dissemination to relevant audiences and for data-based decision-making.
Goal #5 To provide professional development to promote leadership and exemplary practice.

Mary Baldwin Collge- Program For The Exceptionally Gifted

This program, at Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Virginia, is designed forgirls ages 12-16 who have not graduated from high school. The group of roughly 30 students attends college classes and earns college credit to be applied to their bachelor degrees.

The program was founded in 1985 with 11 students and has become a well-known alternative to traditional high school education for those students considered gifted. The Program for the Exceptionally Gifted (PEG) sends out around 10,000 informational packets to 7th graders who have shown a high level of academic achievement while other participants find out about the program on their own either through guidance counselers or their own research.

Some critiques of the program include the fact that the young students are not always properly counseled for their transition into the working world at such a young age.

Tannenbaum

I find Abraham J. Tannenbaum's thoughts on giftedness to be very interesting. In his stating that a person must be an adult to reach giftedness, I can't help but to think of myself. I was identified as gifted in elementary school and I wonder now how I might display the same characteristics seen then. I am not sure I agree with Tannenbaum's theories as strongly as I do the others. I do like his thoughts on nature and nuture as this has recently been on my mind while I work on my musical prodigies project, but I think I do believe that children can be gifted and not just "potentially gifted."

Program Options For Gifted Learners

Just as students with disabilities need extra assistance in school, I believe that gifted students need modifications as well. Program options for gifted students should include, but not be limited to, the following:

• Advanced Placement classes
• Honors classes
• Gifted and Talented classes
• Computer clubs and technology added to normal classroom functions
• Extra-curricular activities such as academic teams, musical ensembles, art groups, etc.
• Grouping/Clustering in classes when appropriate and possible
• Saturday/Summer enrichment programs
• Mentorships
• Internships
• Early identification
• Performing arts options

Identifying Learners As Being Gifted

How do we defensibly identify students as being gifted?

The following is a list of characteristics of a potentially gifted student:

• Has a lot of knowledge and factual information
• Catches on quickly
• Works alone
• Is able to convey ideas
• Has a good attention span for information that is not routine or mundane
• Answers stimulating questions
• May show creativeness
• May want to disagree with the teacher or textbook
• Has a good memory
• Takes charge, but may not follow through
• Anticipates outcomes
• Is usually logical
• Possesses a special talent
• Reads at a more advanced level
• May show spontaneous outcomes or conclusions
• Gives thought-provoking responses
• Elaborate answers given
• Has perceptiveness other students lack

Mittah , Ken. (1989). Teacher pleaser or potentially gifted? Educational Impressions, Inc. Hawthorne, NJ.

Is a student who displays these characteristics gifted? Can this list be used as a checklist to identify students as being gifted? Unfortunately, it is not that easy to identify students as being gifted.

When identifying learners as being gifted there are many things to keep in mind. A student can not be identified from one defining characteristic and he or she can not be denied the label of being gifted for not having one defining characteristic.

A student with a poor GPA, but who has an above-average IQ and displays astounding creatively may be identified as being gifted.

A student with a perfect GPA and has been playing the piano since age 2 may not be identified as being gifted.

Each and every case up for identification must be looked at individually as the defensible reasons for labeling a learner as gifted are as varied as the students.

So how do we know if a student is indeed gifted? The following criteria should be used in the identification process:

• Ability
• Achievement
• Creativity
• Task Commitment
• Motivation
• Socio-emotional development
• Demographics
• School history
• Family background

I believe that the best method for identifying students, and the one with the most validity is that of a portfolio. When appropriate, a portfolio of what a student is capable of may provide the best evidence for giftedness.

Thinking Back

I was in many gifted classes during my K-12 years in Fauquier County. As a result of this class, I have done a lot of thinking about the types of projects and lessons my own G/T teachers provided.

I think my English 10 G/T teacher, Mrs. Madden, did an exceptional job providing our class with differentiated instruction and modified projects. She often gave us choices for projects and these choices ran such a spectrum that no matter what our interests, we could find something appropriate and exciting to do.

Another teacher I remember well is Mrs. Hall from elementary school. I still talk to her and even gave her daughter swimming lessons a few years ago. Her teaching methods really stuck with me, both as a student and as a future teacher. In 6th grade each class had to prepare for an end of the year presentation and our class, being the G/T class, got to be extremely creative in our approach. She helped to make the mundane very exciting for us.

I think I have a positive outlook on gifted education mostly because of my own experiences with the program. This class has only furthered my position on its necessity.

Read Every Other Word

Identification Of Gifted Students

Identification



"Few areas in the education of children with exceptionalities are as controversial and critical as appropriate identification of children who are gifted. The controversies involve all the pros and cons of labeling children as well as a variety of political issues. Yet, identification remains critical to ensuring that children receive the services they need to thrive in school. This digest discusses the identification of students who are gifted, the difficulties in the identification process, appropriate identification practices, and procedures that can help with identification. "


I think it is interesting that identification for gifted students is surrounded by such controversy while the identification process for special education students is generally accepted. It makes me wish for a more concrete way to identify students as being gifted.

Links

Hoagies' Gifted Education

School For The Gifted

While I am not sure I entirely 'get' this cartoon, I would venture to guess that perhaps the cartoonist is poking fun at gifted students and their lack of coordination. This is most defintely a stereotype and one I hope not too many people believe in. Being gifted has no effect on how coordinated a person is.

Student's Attention

Unfortunately, when gifted students are not kept interested in their schoolwork, they may become unmotivated and bored. It is often incorrectly believed that because a gifted student does not have trouble with the assignments, he or she does not need the attention of the instructor. In some situations, the gifted students are ignored in order for the lower ability students to receive the assistance of the teacher. Competancy and ability should not be mistaken for a lack of instruction need.

Nature Of Intelligence

What is intelligence? Dictionary.com defines it as follows:


Intelligence:

–noun

1. capacity for learning, reasoning, understanding, and similar forms of mental activity; aptitude in grasping truths, relationships, facts, meanings, etc.

2. manifestation of a high mental capacity: He writes with intelligence and wit.

3. the faculty of understanding.

4. knowledge of an event, circumstance, etc., received or imparted; news; information.

5. the gathering or distribution of information, esp. secret information.

6. Government.
a. information about an enemy or a potential enemy.
b. the evaluated conclusions drawn from such information.
c. an organization or agency engaged in gathering such information: military intelligence; naval intelligence.

7. interchange of information: They have been maintaining intelligence with foreign agents for years.

8. Christian Science. a fundamental attribute of God, or infinite Mind.

9. (often initial capital letter) an intelligent being or spirit, esp. an incorporeal one, as an angel.

So when one describes someone as "intelligent," what exactly is he or she saying? How is intelligence defined in society? When relating intelligence with cognitive ability, it becomes easier to define the abstract idea of intelligence. Reasoning, planning, thinking, solving, learning, and processing are all verbs that can be associated with intelligence. These higher levels of thinking disassociate intelligence from the mere act lof having knowledge. An individual may be "book smart," but will possibly not be described as intelligence because of his or her inability to think on higher levels.

History Of Gifted Education

History link

I believe it is important to know the process that led to gifted education today.



Time Line of Gifted Education

• 618 B.C.- Tang Dynasty. Child prodegies summoned to the imperial court for specialized education.
• 427 B.C.- Plato. Suggested providing different education for those individuals considered gifted.
• 1868- Flexible Promotion. Plan to allow gifted students to complete school in fewer years that usual.
• 1946- Mensa. Founded.
• 1947- National Association For The Gifted. Founded.
• 1959- Association For The Gifted. Founded.
• 1958- National Defense Education Act.
• 1972- Marland Report.
• 1993- National Excellence: A Case For Developing America's Talent. Published by the Department of Education.

Good Will Hunting

Will Hunting is a gifted young man with extraordinary abilities who has yet to realize and maximize his potential and struggles with the emotional and social aspects of his life. In Good Will Hunting, written by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck and produced in 1997, Will’s intelligence is shown to be a gift, but not necessarily a remedy for other problems in his life.
Even though Will Hunting does not fit the typical stereotype of a gifted person who excels in a challenging academic institution and is bound for a great career, he does fit the stereotype that people believe he has no other problems in his life. Will’s friends and acquaintances, with the exception of his therapist, sometimes struggle with the fact that Will is not maximizing his life by using his giftedness to get a great career or to dedicate his life to research. Gerald Lambeau, the MIT professor who discovers and guides Will’s mathematical work, laments that Will is not using his intellectual greatness to do more and is at times jealous of Will’s abilities. Chuckie, Will’s best friend, at one point in the film confronts Will and tells him that his giftedness is like having a lottery ticket in life and that he needs to cash it in and get out of Boston where he is wasting his gifts. It is seemingly difficult for many of the people in Will’s life to see and understand that he has issues despite his giftedness and that being intelligent does not make for an easy life.
It is also often incorrectly thought that gifted persons do not have the same problems that regular learners do. Will is a good example of this as he was an orphan who had a terrible childhood filled with abusing foster parents. People incorrectly believe that because Will is intelligent and has a gift that he will be able to better handle other problems in his life. His girlfriend, Skylar, struggles with this as she tries to reach past Will’s intelligence to reach his emotional side, which he has problems revealing. This myth about gifted students, that they do not need additional assistance in life, shows that gifted education has a positive influence in schools and not only in academic aspects. Leta Hollingworth first showed that gifted students need social and emotional assistance in school in addition to traditional educational help (Colangelo, 2003.) Just because Will is able to solve complex mathematical theories and has what is believed to be a photographic memory, it does not mean he has the mental capacity or understanding to work through his emotional and social problems. He still needs to be taught and aided in this part of his life, but it is often incorrectly assumed that his life is easy because he is intellectually gifted. This assumption is made of many gifted individuals, yet appropriate gifted education could be what is needed to help guide troubled students with extra talents towards a better future and will enable them with the tools to deal with their problems as well as their gifts.
In determining Will Hunting’s giftedness, one can use Robert Sternberg’s five criteria that he believes must be met in order to deem a person as gifted. Will is superior relative to his peers in several academic areas most notably mathematics and comprehension. His mathematical ability shown in the film meets the second criterion of possessing a rare high-level skill in that he is able to solve theorems that had previously been incredibly difficult for even the highest of mathematicians. During the course of Good Will Hunting Will meets Sternberg’s Productivity, Demonstrable, and Value Criteria as his giftedness is realized and the various professors begin to work with him (Colangelo, 2003.) Will is shown to have a lot of potential productivity in the area of mathematics and this potential is from where much of the film’s drama comes. His mentors get frustrated as he does not live up to the potential that is shown as he demonstrates his abilities. Sternberg would identify Will Hunting as gifted based on fulfilling all five criteria as well as demonstrating giftedness from his triarchic model, which describes gifted individuals as having one or more of the following: analytic, creative, and/or practical giftedness (Colangelo, 2003.)
Will Hunting is obviously a very gifted individual whose incredible abilities in mathematics and other areas of academics ensure he can have a successful career, but he is not gifted in all areas of his life. It is incorrectly assumed that because he is intelligent, he needs no other assistance in his life, but as the film shows, he has problems like any non-gifted person does, too. Good Will Hunting is a powerful story that can be used to show how necessary gifted education is as Will might have become the classic case of someone with amazing talents who is unable to capitalize on them or is unable to work through other problems in his or her life. Luckily, in this fictional account, the gifted individual is finally given extra assistance in the form of a therapist and as a result begins to work through his problems in order to fully maximize his talents. Good Will Hunting, through its presentation of a gifted individual, shows stereotypes of such people and also gives a strong case for the field of gifted education by showing the effects both have on the main character, Will Hunting.

Colangelo, N. (Ed.). (2003). Handbook of gifted education. Boston, MA: Pearson.