2009 MAGC Convention Joe Ray and Nancy Underwood September 23, 2009
2009 MAGC ConventionJoe Ray and Nancy Underwood
September 23, 2009
Example of Medallion
Example of Medallion
Definitions of “Gifted”Gifted and talented children
are those identified by professionally qualified persons who. By virtue of outstanding abilities, are capable of high performance
They require differentiated educational programs/services beyond those normally provided by regular school programs in order to realize their contributions to self & society (Marland Report, 1972)
General intellectual ability
Specific academic aptitude
Creative or productive thinking
Leadership abilityVisual and
performing artsPsychomotor ability
Definitions (continued)A gifted person is someone who shows, or has to
potential for showing, an exceptional level of performance in one or more areas of expression (NAGC)
Giftedness is asynchronous development in which advanced cognitive abilities and heightened intensity combine to create inner experiences and awareness that are qualitatively different from the normAsynchrony increases with higher intellectual capacityUniqueness of gifted renders them vulnerable and
requires modifications in parenting, teaching and counseling in order for them to develop optimally (The Columbus Group, 1991)
Definitions (continued)“Intellectually Gifted Children” shall mean
those children and youth who are found to have an exceptionally high degree on intelligence as documented through the identification process (Mississippi SDE Regs)
A student may be referred by a teacher, administrator, parent, peer, self or other person having reason to believe that the student may be intellectually gifted.
Professional School Counselor’s Role in Gifted and talented programs
Assist in identification: multiple criterionAdvocate inclusion of and participation in
activities addressing academic, career dev., and personal social needs of gifted students
Promote understanding/awareness of special concerns
Underachievement PerfectionismDepression Stress ManagementDropping out DelinquencyDifficult Peer Relations Career DevelopmentMeeting Expectations Goal Setting
Role (continued)Provide individual and group counseling as neededRecommend material and resources for gifted and
talented students in meeting personal/social needsEngaging in professional development services
through which programming for the needs of gifted and talented students are regularly upgraded
Collaborating with other school personnel to maximize opportunities for gifted and talented students
Myths about Social/EmotionalDevelopment
Gifted Students should be with students their own age
Being perfectly well-rounded is the primary goal of gifted student development
Being gifted means that things come easily; you never have to study or try hard in school
Everybody in the field of gifted education is an expert in the social/emotional development of gifted children
Parents, teachers, and administrators know what gifted students experience
Myths (continued)Being too smart in school is a problem,
especially for girlsAll kids are gifted/no kids are giftedGifted kids are like cream that rises to the
top in the classroomGifted students are so smart that they do fine
with or without special programsGifted and talented mean the same thingGiftedness is something to be jealous about
Characteristics of the Gifted that Tend to Screen Them out of Programs
Bored with routine; refuses to do rote homework
Difficult to get student to move to another topic
Self-critical, impatient with failures
Critical about self, of teachers
Often disagrees vocally with others and teachers
Makes jokes/puns at inappropriate times
Emotionally sensitive, over -reacts, gets angry easily, ready to cry when disappointed
Not interested in details; hands in messy work
Refuses to accept authority, nonconforming, stubborn
Tends to dominate others
8 Great Gripes of Gifted Kids(When Gifted Kids Don’t Have all the Answers, by Delisle and Galbraith)
No explains what being gifted is all about–it’s kept a big secret
School is too easy and too boringParents, teachers, and friends expect us to be
perfect all the timeFriends who really understand us are few and far
betweenKids often tease us about being smartWe feel overwhelmed by the number of things we
can do in lifeWe feel different and alienatedWe worry about world problems and feel helpless
to do anything about them
Asynchronous Development Differences between gifted students’
intellectual (mental) ages versus their chronological or emotional agesGifted children develop in an uneven mannerThey feel out-of-sync with age peers and 'age
appropriate curriculumInternal and external discrepancies increase
with IQGifted/special needs children develop in an
even more extremely uneven manner
Potential Problems of Gifted Students
Impatient with othersDislike basic routineEmbarrassing questionsStrong-willedResistant to directionProtests routine
practiceWorries about
humanitarian concerns (global warming)
Class clown
BossyUsing words to
manipulateIntolerantPerfectionistDepressionHyperactivityDisruptiveDisorganized/
scatteredFrustrated
Counseling Ideals for the Divergent Thinker
Be honest about complexity of issues
Emphasize desire to understand
Help child build stronger sense of self
Help child learn to listen in a focused
manner
Encourage a positive relationship
Strengths of Gifted StudentsAcquire and retain
information quicklySearch for
significance; inquisitive
Enjoy solving problems
Organize peopleLarge vocabularyKeen sense of humor
High expectationsIntense
concentrationCreativeHigh energyIndependentMany interestsEmphasize truth,
justice, and fair play
Helpful WebsitesHoagie’s Gifted Education Page
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/characteristics.htmJoy and Loss: The Emotional Lives of Gifted
Childrenhttp://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content4/
joy.loss.eq.gifted.html
Characteristics Checklist for Gifted Childrenhttp://www.austega.com/gifted/characteristics.htm
Characteristics and Behaviors of the Giftedhttp://www.ri.net/gifted_talented/character.html
Characteristics of Giftedness by Linda Silvermanhttp://www.gifteddevelopment.com/What_is_Gifted/characgt.htm