1. Gifted Education: Matching Instruction with Needs
Chapter 1
Gifted Education:
Matching Instruction with Needs

2. Rationale for Gifted Education
Society Reactions
Will they make it on their own?
“Sounds of Silence”
Changes in Attitudes
Equity versus Excellence
Response to Criticisms
Drop-out rates
A Nation At Risk
Benefits to teachers and other students

3. History of Giftedness and Gifted Education
Over the Centuries
Sparta’s athleticism
Athen’s disregard of social class
Rome’s education of both genders
China’s child prodigies and education for all
Japan’s social segregation of opportunities
Renaissance’s appreciation for creativity

4. History of Giftedness and Gifted Education
In America
Sparse in early America
Changes in 1920’s and 1930’s
In Europe
Streaming (aka Ability Grouping)
Reaction against class structures

5. Contemporary History of Gifted Education
Sir Francis Galton
Heredity
Alfred Binet
Standardized Tests
Lewis Terman
Longitudinal Study of Gifted Children
Leta Hollingworth
Nurturing Talent

6. Contemporary History of Gifted Education
Sputnik
Shock to America
Call for better programming
Debate over IQ
The Bell Curve
Mental Chronometry
Robert Sternberg
Successful Intelligence

7. Gifted Education in the 21st Century
National Excellence: A Case for Developing America’s Talent
Variability of gifted programming by state
Status of gifted education across the world

8. National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented
Joseph Renzulli, founder
Distribute “consumer-oriented” research concerning gifted education
Funded through Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Education Act

9. Ability Grouping Debate
Types of Ability Grouping
Homogeneous
Heterogeneous
Between-Class Grouping (i.e., Tracking)
Cross-Grade Grouping (i.e., Joplin Plan)
Within-Class Grouping

10. Ability Grouping Debate
Jeanie Oaks- Against Ability Grouping
Tracking is:
Ineffective
Discriminatory
Unfair in Principle
Research Concerning Ability Grouping
Raises achievement of high ability students
Does not lower achievement of low/average ability students
Raises self-esteem of lower ability students

11. No Child Left Behind Focus on lowest performing groups
Resulted in gains in math and reading scores
Lessened gap for racial minority groups
No gains (and less funding) for high-ability students

12. World Competition for STEM Fields
“America Competes Act”
Thinking Skills
Critical Thinking
Problem Solving
Also includes emphasis on foreign languages

13. Definitions of Giftedness
Concerns about Definitions of Giftedness
Federal Definitions
Marland Report (1979)
Revised Definitions
Variability Across States

14. Explanations and Interpretations of Giftedness and Intelligence
Five Categories of Definitions (Stankowski, 1978)
After-the-fact Definitions IQ
Percentages
Talent
Creativity

15. Explanations and Interpretations of Giftedness and Intelligence
Renzulli’s Three Ring Model
Above-average Ability
Task Commitment
Creativity
Gifted behaviors versus Giftedness
Not necessarily strong in all three areas

16. Explanations and Interpretations of Giftedness and Intelligence
Gange’s DMTG Model
Gifts (natural abilities)
Talents (specific skills)
Influencing Factors
Personal
Environment
Chance

17. Explanations and Interpretations of Giftedness and Intelligence
Tannenbaum’s Who, What, and How of Giftedness
Taxonomy of Giftedness
A producer of thoughts creatively or proficiently
A producer of tangibles creatively or proficiently
A performer of staged artistry creatively or proficiently
A performer of human services creatively or proficiently
Five Interweaving Factors
A superior general intellect
Strong special aptitudes
Supportive nonintellective traits
A challenging and supportive environment
Chance

18. Explanations and Interpretations of Giftedness and Intelligence
Taylor’s Talent Totem Poles
Academic
Productive Thinking
Communicating
Forecasting
Decision Making
Planning
Implementing
Human Relations
Discerning Opportunities

19. Explanations and Interpretations of Giftedness and Intelligence
Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences
Linguistic
Logical-Mathematical
Spatial
Musical
Bodily-Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalist

20. Explanations and Interpretations of Giftedness and Intelligence
Emotional Intelligence/Giftedness
Too high empathy
A strong sense of moral justice (ideals, beliefs)
A lively imagination
Overexcitability,
High sensuality
Intensely positive and negative emotional feelings

21. Explanations and Interpretations of Giftedness and Intelligence
Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory
Analytic
Synthetic
Practical
Balance of the three to achieve giftedness
Implicit theory of giftedness

22. Explanations and Interpretations of Giftedness and Intelligence
Hierarchy of Intelligence
Top Level: general intelligence g
Middle Level: broad factors
verbal, spatial, etc.
Bottom Level: specific abilities
reading decoding, expressional fluency, etc.

23. Explanations and Interpretations of Giftedness and Intelligence
Thinking Dispositions (Ritchart, 2001)
Creative Thinking
Critical Thinking
Reflective Thinking
Thinking dispositions comprise intellectual character

24. Summarizing the Research
The needs of the gifted are generally not met in America’s classrooms
Homogeneous grouping is good for gifted students
Acceleration increases achievement for gifted students
Enrichment increases achievement
Classroom teachers can learn to differentiate for gifted learners
Gifted education pedagogy can reverse underachievement (especially among under-represented populations)
Some gifted education pedagogy can benefit all students
Gifted students with learning disabilities who are not identified suffer emotional stress
Gifted programs benefit students long-term (i.e., college aspirations, career goals, and motivation)

25. Looking Towards the Future
Talent Development vs. Gifted Education
Agenda for Adminstrators and Teachers
VanTassel-Baska, 2007