Foundations and Instructional Strategies
The second and third classes of the 4-course licensure sequence are titled Foundations of Gifted Education and Instructional Practices. In these classes, I was able to better understand the identification and service process more holistically- from the planning and implementation of program and curriculum models, to assessing and screening, to identification, to instructional strategies that properly target the unique needs of the gifted learner. Through digging deeper into each of these components, I am better able to understand the complexity involved in ensuring that our gifted learners are being served with the highest quality programming and instruction possible, just as they deserve. Carol Tomlinson writes, "Curriculum and instruction that are important, focused, engaging, demanding, and scaffolded give students lofty things to do, establish an environment crafted on relationships and procedures that maximize the likelihood of success, tap into what matters to the learner, and build bridges between today's realities and the vision of tomorrow's success"(2003, p. 66). This, in a nutshell, is what I have strived to demonstrate below- that everything from the screening process of gifted education to the instructional strategies utilized there within is ultimately about understanding and meeting the needs of each individual learner via relationship building. Identification processes, curriculum, and instruction that are solely focused on pedagogy with no regards to learners as individuals with unique needs has failed miserably and will never succeed at creating lifelong learners.
In this product, multiple screening and assessment instruments were utilized and analyzed, showcasing a strong understanding of proper usages of multiple screening and assessment instruments, as well as an ability to select the best instruments for usage in particular scenarios and circcumstances.
This product, created in collaboration with classmate Haley Bair, showcases my knowledge of several of the program models frequently used in gifted education. It also showcases my ability to analyze a county's AIG Plan and demographics, and then make a recommendation regarding the changes that may need to be made in order to help the county best meet the needs of it gifted learners. This product showcases my ability to be involved in gifted education on a district-level, creating positive change for learners across the district rather than just at the school level.
This product was created in order to showcase my understanding of curriculum models and ability to make recommendations to the proper personnel regarding the adoption of a new curriculum model. This involves having a solid understanding of multiple curriculum models, as well as a solid understanding of the current practices of the district in order to make a recommendation for improvement that stands a chance of being considered by district personnel. This product is also a showcase of my belief in the importance of being an advocate for students and teachers alike, through being involved in the decision-making processes of the district.
This product showcases my usage of an instructional strategy which works especially well in meeting the needs of gifted learners- a GRASPS. Students are required to think critically about a real-life situation and then create the requested product. Also included is a DAP Tool, a form of rubric which helps to ensure continuity between products when assessing, as well as giving the teacher flexibility to match the readiness level of the student with the assessment criteria.
This product showcases my usage of two more instructional strategies which work especially well in meeting the needs of gifted learners- tiered assignments and a RAFT. Both strategies work well in helping teachers ensure that instruction is differentiated properly for all learners. The RAFT is also effective in allowing learners choice in their products, which is especially appealing and engaging for gifted learners!
This product is a unit overview of a unit on Text Structure. Sample lessons are provided within the product. However, the primary purpose of this product is to showcase my ability to utilize assessments effectively from pre-assessment to post-assessment, and formative assessments throughout. One of the greatest strengths of this product is my ability to engage gifted learners through allowing student choice where possible, and assessments that involve "real-world" tasks and require them to think outside of the box.
This video, created in collaboration with classmates Haley Bair and Casey O'Brien, is designed to explain the research behind one of six guidelines for meeting the needs of gifted and talented students, as put forth by Karen B. Rogers of the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, after completing a meta-analysis of research on grouping practices. This product showcases my ability to share research and best practices in an engaging and "teacher-friendly" way which can be easily understood and then translated to implementation in the classroom.