Foundational/Istructional Strategies
During one of my gifted education classes I learned a lot about the screening and assessment tools that are used to identify students. Details for the identification process vary by school district, but it is important that standards outlined by NAGC and TAG are followed. "These standards include selecting technically adequate instruments, using non-biased and equitable assessments and approaches, using multiple criteria and sources, and adhering to the guidelines for interpreting assessment results as outlined by measurement experts" (Callahan & Hertberg-Davis, 2018). This presentation was created to share my experience in assessing and screening gifted students. For this assignment I had chosen and teacher nomination packet to narrow down my choices for who I would recommend for gifted education, then I administered a practice COGAT assessment to these students.
After reading about research on grouping practices conducted by Karen B. Rogers (an Assistant Professor in the Gifted and Special Education Program at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota), I was tasked to create a presentation for professional development to explain the research for one of the grouping practices. This presentation explains the research and alternative practices for following the guideline "Mixed-ability Cooperative Learning should be used sparingly for students who are gifted and talented, perhaps only for social skills development programs."
After learning about the option of accelerating gifted students, I was tasked with creating a presentation to elaborate on the following title: "The Acceleration of Students: What We Do vs. What We Know." In this presentation, I have shared what the standards for North Carolina state in regards to acceleration and then the research behind acceleration. Even though some teachers and parents may worry about the psychological outcomes of acceleration, research has shown positive academic outcomes, positive outcomes relating to pre-college experiences, and higher rates of productivity and success in their careers.
I have been able to learn about many different curriculum models for gifted education. For this assignment I was asked to dig deeper into two of the curriculum models and then choose the best curriculum model that meets our districts needs. I found that the CLEAR curriculum model was best for Wake County because “CLEAR is a framework for designing high-quality, authentic curriculum appropriate for academically diverse learners, particularly students identified as gifted and those capable of advanced work.” (Azano, Missett, Tacket, and Callahan, 2018).
Not only did I learn about the different curriculum models, but I also had the opportunity to create my own CLEAR curriculum unit. This unit includes a rationale for the unit, generalizations/critical content/key skills, what the classroom environment will include, classroom management techniques, ongoing assessments, and the unit outline.
From Lessons From Another Field: Applying Coteaching Strategies to Gifted Education, Hughes and Murawski shared the definition of co-teaching from a couple different researchers. Cook and Friend’s explanation of co-teaching is when "two or more professionals jointly deliver substantive instruction to a diverse, or blended, group of students in a single physical space" (2001, pg. 4). The five models of co-teaching, also from Cook and Friend, are lead and support, rotation teaching, simultaneous instruction, tiered instruction, and team teaching. The unit attached includes lessons that outline the content being taught, elements of creativity, how creativity will be used in the lesson, and which co-teaching model will be used.
The attached lesson shows how I can modify a lesson for a 2e student. This lessons provides enrichment opportunities for a sample fifth grade student while also providing modification based on their other needs.