Developing critical, creative, and complex thinkers is the foundation for our Gifted Education middle school instructional design. Students identified as gifted learners are placed together into cluster classrooms for their core classes: language arts, social studies, science, and mathematics. Our teachers have been identified and participate in training regarding: • Nature of the gifted child • Differentiation • Underachievement and Supporting Identity Development • Intensities and AffectiveNeeds In addition to purposeful grouping, students will experience differentiated instruction that focuses on: • Pre-assessments that guide learning activities • Enhanced problem solving • Adjusting Complexity • Project-based learning • Engagement and relevance • Increasing autonomy as a developing learner Using: • Gifted education instructional strategies • Challenging and rigorous resources • Critical, creative, and complex thinking models • Real-world applications andaudiences • Academic competitions Academic Excellence: •Differentiation •Flexible Grouping •Acceleration •Challenging Curriculum Awareness & Exploration: • Building Relationships •Respecting New Ideas • Critical & Creative Thinking •Identity Development • Searching for Truths •Independence of Opinions Developmental Responsiveness: •Cognitive •Social • Physical • Affective • Ethical
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Developingcritical,creative,andcomplexthinkersisthefoundationforourGiftedEducationmiddleschoolinstructionaldesign.Studentsidentifiedasgiftedlearnersareplacedtogetherintoclusterclassroomsfortheircoreclasses:languagearts,socialstudies,science,andmathematics.Ourteachershavebeenidentifiedandparticipateintrainingregarding:• Natureofthegiftedchild• Differentiation• UnderachievementandSupportingIdentityDevelopment• IntensitiesandAffectiveNeeds
Inadditiontopurposefulgrouping,studentswillexperiencedifferentiatedinstructionthatfocuseson:• Pre-assessmentsthatguidelearningactivities• Enhancedproblemsolving• AdjustingComplexity• Project-basedlearning• Engagementandrelevance• Increasingautonomyasadevelopinglearner
Using:• Giftededucationinstructionalstrategies• Challengingandrigorousresources• Critical,creative,andcomplexthinkingmodels• Real-worldapplicationsandaudiences• Academiccompetitions
AcademicExcellence:•Differentiation•FlexibleGrouping•Acceleration•ChallengingCurriculum
Awareness&Exploration:• BuildingRelationships•RespectingNewIdeas• Critical&CreativeThinking
•IdentityDevelopment• SearchingforTruths•IndependenceofOpinions
DevelopmentalResponsiveness:•Cognitive•Social• Physical• Affective• Ethical
Definitions:Differentiation-Todifferentiateinstructionistorecognizestudents’varyingbackgroundknowledge,readiness,language,preferencesinlearningandinterests,andtoprovideappropriatelearningopportunitiesthatadjustthedepthandcomplexityoflearningstandards.Theintentofdifferentiationistomaximizeeachstudent’sgrowthandindividualsuccessbymeetingeachstudentwhereheorsheisandmovingthemforwardintheirlearning.
FlexibleGroupingisbasedonalearner’sreadiness,interests,andlearningprofilesandisaccomplishedthroughacombinationofwholegroup,smallgroup,andindependentwork.
ChallengingCurriculumcanbedefinedasincludingflexiblepacing,depthandcomplexity,choice,andincreasedstudentengagementorautonomy.
JuniorGreatBooksisapowerfulcombinationofoutstandingliteratureandinquiry-baseddiscussions,whichcombineshigherorderthinkingandcollaborativeproblemsolving.Thisprogramhelpsstudentsbecomeindependentreadersandthinkersreadyforthediversedemandsofthe21stcentury.
GiftedEducation(GE)SupportStaff:AGECoachisavailableateverymiddleschooltohelpsupportstudentsidentifiedasgiftedlearnersandfamilies.Coachescanmeetavarietyofneedssuchastransitions,underachievement,socialandemotionalaspects,relationshipbuildingandorganizationalstrategies.GiftedEducationcoachespartnerwithcounselorstosupportacademic,socialandemotionaldevelopmentofstudentsthroughoutmiddleschool.
GECoaches:
• SusanNicholas,CottageGroveMiddleSchool• AnneBleyl,LakeMiddleSchool• BrianneAnfinson,OltmanMiddleSchool• EileenMcElrath,WoodburyMiddleSchool
AnEnrichmentLeadershipTeam(ELT)isinplaceateverymiddleschooltosupportstaffinaddressingtheinstructionalneedsofgiftedlearners.AteamofteachersfromallcoreareasandtheGEcoachcompriseeachschool’sELT.
District833emphasizescriticalthinkingmodelsthroughouttheirclustercourses.AnexampleisthefollowingreasoningmodelfromWilliamandMarygiftedcurriculum.Thenexttwopageshelptocommunicatethelanguageofthemodelsyourchildwillbeusinginhis/herclusterclasses.
IntellectualStandardsClarity PrecisionAccuracy SignificanceRelevance CompletenessLogicalness Fairness
ElementsofReasoningPurpose InferencesQuestions ConceptsPoints-of-View ImplicationsInformation Assumptions
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IntellectualTraitsHumility PerseveranceEmpathy IntegrityAutonomy CourageConfidenceinReasonFair-Mindedness
Studentsidentifiedasgiftedlearnerswillbeaskedtothinkabouttheirownthinkingandengagepurposefullyintheelementsofreasoninginordertoincreasetheirintellectualcapacityandindependenceofthought.
ElementsofReasoning
Wheneverwethink,wethinkforapurposewithinapointofviewbasedonassumptionsleadingtoimplicationsandconsequences.Weuseconcepts,ideasandtheoriestointerpretdata,facts,andexperiencesinordertoanswerquestions,solveproblems,andresolveissues.Toanalyzethought,wemusttakeitapartandexamineeachoftheparts.
Purpose
HerearewhatDistrict833MiddleSchoolteachersofgiftedlearnershavetosay...“Ibelievegiftedstudentsneedacademicrigor,chancestoanalyzetheirsocialsphereandgainagreaterself-understanding.”-6thgradeteacher,WoodburyMiddleSchool
“Ibelievethatallstudents,includinggiftedstudents,willexperiencegreatersuccesswhengivenmorechoice,challengingactivities,andanenvironmentwheretheyfeelcomfortable.”-6thgradeteacher,LakeMiddleSchool
“Ibelievegiftedstudentsneedtobechallengedandgivenchoices–NOTmorehomeworktokeepthembusy.”-7thgradeteacher,CottageGroveMiddleSchool
“Ibelievegiftedstudents’potentialtogrowismorewhentheyareclusteredalltogetheraswellasbeingabletoparticipateinactivitiesthatreallypushbeyondwhattheyalreadyknowandbuildonwhattheyarecapableofknowing.”-6thgradeteacher,OltmanMiddleSchool“Ibelievegiftedstudents,likealllearners,needtofitinandfindaplacewheretheyfeelcomfortable;aplacewheretheyfeelacceptedforwhotheyareasaperson,notjustasalearner.”-7thgradeteacher,CottageGroveMiddleSchool
QuestionatIssue
PointofView
Implicationsand
ConsequencesInformation
InterpretationandInferenceAssumptions
Concepts
UpdatedJanuary2019
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