Queensland Association for Gifted and Talented Children QAGTC Inc. - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Queensland Association for Gifted and Talented Children

QAGTC Inc.

• An association of volunteers (parents, teachers and wider

community) dedicated to supporting gifted children in

• Queensland. Any adult can join. Your help is welcome.
• Download membership form at qagtc.org.au

Plan for this half of the presentation...

What is Giftedness? - What’s Blocking You? - Myths about Giftedness - Myths about Teachers - Talking to the Teachers -

Gifted children have high ability

• We all need to know some:
• Definitions
• Models
• Identification methods
• For example:
• 2004 Framework for Gifted Education:

– Guidelines for Acceleration

• QAGTC Strategies and Indicators
• Sayler Gifted and Talented Checklists for Parents and Teachers

• Mildly (basically) gifted

115-129 (1:6-1:40)

• Moderately gifted

130-144 (1:40-1:1000)

• Highly gifted

145-159 (1:1000-1:10,000)

• Exceptionally gifted

160-179 (1:10,000-1:1mill.)

• Profoundly gifted

180+ (<1:1million) Gross (2000), Silverman (1989), et al

900 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Year

95% 80% 50% 20% 5%

Reading distribu.ons (NAPLAN) 5% 5%

• Gifted students need:
• Acceleration
• Ability grouping
• Individual education programs

What’s blocking you?

Brainstorm time

“What is stopping your child from receiving the

education they need?”

General Attitudes?

First, a person’s self-perception as gifted significantly predicted attitudes toward gifted education in one of the reviewed studies (Michener, 1980), suggesting that those who perceive themselves as academically gifted or who have gifted friends and family tend to harbor more positive attitudes toward the gifted. In addition, contact with gifted children, past participation in a gifted program, the presence of a gifted program in the participant’s school, and perceived knowledge of giftedness were statistically significant predictors of attitudes toward the gifted in the majority of studies that included these variables (Bégin & Gagné, 1994a, 1994b).

What’s blocking you?

What do parents see? What do teachers see? What do administrators see? What do kids see?

What’s blocking you?

What do parents see? What do teachers see? What do administrators see? What do kids see?

Harry Potter Early Reader Genius

What’s blocking you?

What do parents see? What do teachers see? What do administrators see? What do kids see?

Do you think dinosaurs used Grammar?

What’s blocking you?

What do parents see? What do teachers see? What do administrators see? What do kids see?

But why?? but why? but why? but why?

What’s blocking you?

What do parents see? What do teachers see? What do administrators see? What do kids see?

Blowfly in a Bottle

What’s blocking you?

Saunders, J (1986)

Talks too much above the heads of age peers

Tunnel vision - resistance to interruption

Inaccuracy , sloppiness Escape into fantasy Inability to accept help Critical attitude towards others Resistance to simple solutions

What’s blocking you?

Saunders, J (1986)

Talks too much above the heads of age peers

Tunnel vision - resistance to interruption

Long attention span Inaccuracy , sloppiness Escape into fantasy Inability to accept help Critical attitude towards others Resistance to simple solutions

What’s blocking you?

Saunders, J (1986)

Talks too much above the heads of age peers

Tunnel vision - resistance to interruption

Long attention span Inaccuracy , sloppiness Escape into fantasy Inability to accept help Critical attitude towards others Critical Thinker Resistance to simple solutions

What’s blocking you?

Saunders, J (1986)

Talks too much above the heads of age peers

Tunnel vision - resistance to interruption

Long attention span Inaccuracy , sloppiness Escape into fantasy Creativity Inability to accept help Critical attitude towards others Critical Thinker Resistance to simple solutions

What’s blocking you?

Saunders, J (1986)

Talks too much above the heads of age peers

Tunnel vision - resistance to interruption

Long attention span Inaccuracy , sloppiness Escape into fantasy Creativity Inability to accept help Critical attitude towards others Critical Thinker Resistance to simple solutions Preference for complexity

What’s blocking you?

Saunders, J (1986)

Talks too much above the heads of age peers

Tunnel vision - resistance to interruption

Long attention span Inaccuracy , sloppiness Rapid learning Escape into fantasy Creativity Inability to accept help Critical attitude towards others Critical Thinker Resistance to simple solutions Preference for complexity

What’s blocking you?

Saunders, J (1986)

Talks too much above the heads of age peers Verbal proficiency

Tunnel vision - resistance to interruption

Long attention span Inaccuracy , sloppiness Rapid learning Escape into fantasy Creativity Inability to accept help Critical attitude towards others Critical Thinker Resistance to simple solutions Preference for complexity

What’s blocking you?

Saunders, J (1986)

Talks too much above the heads of age peers Verbal proficiency

Tunnel vision - resistance to interruption

Long attention span Inaccuracy , sloppiness Rapid learning Escape into fantasy Creativity Inability to accept help INDEPENDENT LEARNER Critical attitude towards others Critical Thinker Resistance to simple solutions Preference for complexity

Myths about Giftedness

Myths about Giftedness

All children are gifted All parents think their children are gifted We don’t have gifted children in this school

Myths about Giftedness

We don’t I.D. and pull out kids in this school - that’s

elitist

We’ve arranged extension for her before school and at

lunchtimes

When they complete their normal work properly, they

can do the extension work

Myths about Giftedness

When these so-called gifted kids level out, you’ll

realise it was a mistake to accelerate them

“Please remove all advanced material for this child’s

reach at home.”

“Your child is gifted”...”I can’t help”...”gifted is not

a priority”...

Myths about Giftedness

There is no time available for gifted education.

Myths about Teachers

Stuff that “some people” (not you) believe

Talking to the Teachers

Myths about Teachers

Primary teachers love kids Secondary teachers love their subject Uni lecturers love themselves

Talking to the Teachers

Make an appointment Consider going to the teacher together Think through what you want to say

Choose your words carefully Don’t expect the teacher to do all the work Be diplomatic, tactful and respectful

Talking to the Teachers

Focus on what you need Don’t forget to listen

Talking to the Teachers

Bring your sense of humour If your meeting isn’t the success you hoped for - get

help.

Talking to the Teachers

Summing up

Why do we need to meet? Preparation - Ask them as well! Objectives - Always make it about the student Setting the scene - hold back the big guns Taking notes - deciding actions Prep for next meeting - call a week ahead

Mantra Magic

Mantra Magic

I am the primary educator of my child Aim for the stars but enjoy the moon Teachers love kids Kids see (and hear) everything Peace is a choice not a right

Questions?..........

General questions For detailed advice:

secretary@qagtc.org.au

Plan for this presentation...

What is a good school? How do we measure and evaluate a good school? What do gifted children need? What can schools offer? What do schools promise / sell? Talking to the Teachers Mantra Magic

How do we measure / evaluate?

Your school Article 21-22 June, 2014 The weekend Australian

ICSEA scores (index of community socio-educational advantage)

The Nation’s Top 100 Primary / Secondary etc..

NAPLAN scores OP Scores

OP1s , OP1-5 , OP 1-15 , %of QCE etc

IB Scores

How do we measure OP?

OP Scores Individual subject grade (VHA – VLA) QCS testing results (A – E)

Not individual but group –

Best 20 semester grades (moderated scores)

What do gifted children need?

Your school Article 21-22 June, 2014 The weekend Australian

ICSEA scores (index of community socio-educational advantage)

NAPLAN scores OP Scores IB Scores

What do some parents use to compare?

Subjective Choices Article August, 2008 Brisbane’s Child

Gender imbalance Focus on infractions and conformity

Primary School - starts Secondary School - finishes Post school - the prize

What do schools promise?

Good teachers and good results Great NAPLAN results OPs that are better than the competition QCEs that offer variety Smiley, happy young kids with hats and unlimited

potential

Pressure to get in quick before the opportunity goes Part scholarships to attract good NAPLAN and OPs

What do gifted children need?

Someone with the bigger picture

What do gifted children need?

Someone to polish the edges whilst maximising the

carats

What do gifted children need?

Schools that will provide an opportunity for working

at their own level with peers and teachers who will support this journey

Primary – competitions, variety, acceleration, extra

curricular activities, challenge, “in-class” educational matching, ability grouping, mentoring, flexibility without penalty

Secondary – the same

What can happen from choices?

OP1 Creativity Friends Resilience Employability Contentment

What can happen from choices?

Frustration

What’s the “gotcha’”?

OP1

Creativity

Friends Contentment Patience Tolerance Employability

What’s the “gotcha’”?

OP1

Creativity

Friends Contentment Like minded peers Patience Tolerance Employability

What’s the “gotcha’”?

OP1

Creativity

Friends Contentment Like minded peers Patience Tolerance Employability Ability to work with non-like minded peers

What’s the “gotcha’”?

OP1

Creativity

Friends Local Culture Contentment Like minded peers Patience Tolerance Employability Ability to work with non-like minded peers

What’s the “gotcha’”?

OP1

Creativity

Friends Local Culture Contentment Like minded peers Patience Wasted time Realistic self view Tolerance Employability Ability to work with non-like minded peers

What’s the “gotcha’”?

OP1

Creativity

Potential variance in OP Friends Local Culture Contentment Like minded peers Patience Wasted time Realistic self view Tolerance Employability Ability to work with non-like minded peers

What’s the “gotcha’”?

OP1

Creativity

Potential variance in OP Friends Local Culture Contentment Like minded peers Patience Wasted time Realistic self view Tolerance Knowledge of

• thers’ problems

Employability Ability to work with non-like minded peers

What’s the “gotcha’”?

OP1 Square peg

Creativity

Potential variance in OP Friends Local Culture Contentment Like minded peers Patience Wasted time Realistic self view Tolerance Knowledge of

• thers’ problems

Employability Ability to work with non-like minded peers

Plan for this presentation...

Instant Data – Take-home messages: 1) Data analysis and whole school improvement

agenda are not gifted provisioning

2) The issue of a lack of knowledge about “what

to do” has not changed much - but there is some hope.

3)True gifted programs are called “gifted”

How much data is enough?...

NAPLAN Data indicates that there is a huge

crossover in ability across the years.

understanding and addressing the learning needs

• f our highest-performing students

Geoff N Masters

Australian Council for Educa.onal Research

• 1. failure to recognise true variability in students’

levels of capability and achievement why the learning needs of the highest- performing students in our schools are

• Hen not well addressed...

900 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Year

95% 80% 50% 20% 5%

Reading distribu.ons (NAPLAN) 5% 5%

In each year of school in Australia, the most advanced 10 per cent of students are five to six years ahead of the least advanced 10 per cent

• f students.

what is required high quality assessments to...

• establish the points that individuals have

reached in their learning

• iden.fy special strengths and talents
• assist in mee.ng unique learning needs

• 2. the delivery of the same year-level curriculum

to all students of the same age why the learning needs of the highest- performing students in our schools are

• Hen not well addressed...

curricular gap year-level curriculum

least advanced students most advanced students

curricular gap

5-6 years of school

There is anecdotal evidence that more able students are oHen not being challenged and extended by set class work. Perhaps as a result, Australia has many fewer high-achieving students than some other countries...

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Singapore Singapore Korea Korea Hong Hong Kong Kong Australia Australia

Year 4 mathema.cs (TIMSS) percentage achieving ‘Advanced’ level

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Taipei Taipei Singapore Singapore Korea Korea Australia Australia

Year 8 mathema.cs (TIMSS) percentage achieving ‘Advanced’ level

what is required teaching that is less focused on delivering ‘age-appropriate’ curricula and more focused

• n mee.ng individuals at their points of need

(ie, more personalised, targeted teaching)

• 3. the equa.ng of high grades with successful

learning why the learning needs of the highest- performing students in our schools are

• Hen not well addressed...

Many students in our schools are judged to be performing well because they achieve high grades on middling expecta.ons for children

• f their age.

what is required be[er indicators of the progress (growth) that students make in their learning, and an expecta.on that all students will make excellent year-on-year progress, regardless of their star.ng points

How much data is enough?...

NAPLAN Data indicates that there is a huge

crossover in ability across the years.

What do gifted children need?

Schools that will provide an opportunity for working

at their own level with peers and teachers who will support this journey

Primary – competitions, variety, acceleration, extra

curricular activities, challenge, “in-class” educational matching, ability grouping, mentoring, flexibility without penalty

Secondary – the same