The Gifted Education Specialist/AIG Teacher has a unique role at each school. Although I have many responsibilities, which are explained in detail in the NC Plan and our District's Plan, I am most often known as being the AIG Teacher.
Standard Two is the driving plan behind our AIG and Nurturing Programs. I've attempted a very brief and clearly simplified summary (in red) of what Standard Two looks like at Bellamy Elementary School. Please feel free to contact me with any questions.
North Carolina AIG Program Standards
Standard 2: Differentiated Curriculum
and Instruction
The LEA employs challenging, rigorous, and
relevant curriculum and instruction K-12 to
accommodate a range of academic, intellectual,
social, and emotional needs of gifted learners.
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/academicservices/gifted/ncaig-program-standards.pdf
PRACTICES
a) Adapts the NC Standard Course of Study (SCOS) K-12,
to address a range of advanced ability levels in
language arts, mathematics, and other content areas
as appropriate through the use of differentiation
strategies, including enrichment, extension, and
acceleration. I provide AIG Intervention Classes for significantly gifted and highly motivated moderately gifted students and collaborate with teachers to differentiate curriculum, materials, and units used in the classroom setting. Please visit each class page to read about what is happening, assignments, and to access resources.
b) Employs diverse and effective instructional practices
according to students’ identified abilities, readiness,
interests, and learning profiles, to address a range of
learning needs at all grade levels. Instruction is designed and flexible groups formed based in individual student needs, abilities, interests, and motivation to ensure academic and social-emotional needs are addressed, nurtured, and challenged. Social and emotional needs of gifted students are diverse and require programming to meet ongoing and new concerns and situations. Many of my classes spring to life as a way to meet social and emotional needs of learners.
c) Selects and uses a variety of research-based
supplemental resources that augment curriculum
and instruction. AIG instruction reflects and utilizes research-based curriculum and programming including project-based learning, inquiry, experiential, classical, and independent-instructor guided projects.
d) Fosters the development of 21st century content and
skills by infusing the following at an advanced level:
• high-level content for global awareness, civic
and economic literacy, and health awareness,
• critical thinking and problem solving,
• high-level communication and collaboration,
• applied information and media literacy,
including concepts, systems, and operations in
challenging research contexts,
• creativity and innovation,
• real-world learning in local, regional, and
global contexts, and
• applied life skills for leadership, ethics,
accountability, adaptability, productivity,
responsibility, people skills, self-direction, and
social responsibility.
My goal is to collaborate with stakeholders, especially professional and academic colleagues and community groups.
e) Uses on-going assessment to differentiate classroom
curriculum and instruction. AIG students are assessed both formally and informally during all AIG Classes. Data is then used to create the most appropriate learning environment for our students.
f) Creates affective curricular and instructional
practices which support the social and emotional
needs of AIG students. AIG Classes provide a unique environment which fosters the student-mentor relationship. The classes all include social and emotional programming to best meet the needs of our gifted scholars.
g) Cultivates and develops the potential of young (K-3)
students through purposeful and intentional strategies
and differentiated curriculum and instruction. I work with our youngest students in our Nurturing Program throughout the school year. Whole-group and small group lessons and classes provide an arena for discovering potential and unique gifts and talents in our K-3 students.
h) Ensures collaboration among AIG personnel and
other professional staff, including exceptional
children’s personnel and others related to AIG
students, to develop and implement differentiated
curriculum and instruction. Our EC Professionals and Gifted Education Specialist collaborate to ensure all students' academic, social, and emotional needs are being addressed and met.
i) Develops and documents a student plan that articulates
the differentiated curriculum and instruction services
that match the identified needs of the K-12 AIG
student, such as a Differentiated Education Plan
(DEP). This document is reviewed annually with
parents/families to ensure effective programming, a
continuum of services, and support school transitions. Each identified AIG student has a unique DEP which is used to drive and direct instruction throughout the school year.