Over time, I will be attaching images and other multimedia support for the ideas below. Be sure to check back in!
Learning Environment Differentiation
Adjusting the operation and tone of the classroom to increase opportunities for curiosity and learning, while maintaining a least-restrictive environment
G/T nature, needs, intelligences, and overexcitabilities are considered when developing routines, rules, and classroom organization. The climate of the classroom is pro-intellect and pro-inquiry.
Lessons, routines, expectations, and the classroom itself are all set up with the highest-level learner in the class in mind and scaffolded down to support all learners.
Book Clubs
Step 1: Read This --> How to Start a Book Club, by Lisa Van Gemert
Reading Recommendations for Advanced Learners
From the Texas Reading Initiative Task Force for the Education of Primary Gifted Children
Use preinstruction assessments to accurately determine students' instructional and independent levels of reading.
Use a variety of assessments beyond standardized achievement tests to document students' progress and guide instruction.
Use strategies geared to gifted students' instructional needs including curriculum compacting, advanced content, appropriate pacing, and above grade-level materials.
Focus on far greater depth and complexity.
Incorporate into reading programs rich, inviting tasks requiring spatial as well as analytical and abstract thinking.
Encourage students to develop more complex, high-level comprehension and reach advanced interpretations.
Encourage and support advanced levels of vocabulary and word study.
Promote students' research using technology to generate original investigations and advanced products.
Provide frequent opportunities for students to explore authentic text and a variety of genres.
Allow students to pursue individual interests through reading.
Provide examples of superior work in order to challenge students to ever-increasing levels of excellence.
Activities for Early Finishers
You can create physical or virtual safe spaces for students to explore, create, and expand their learning. These Low-Prep, High-Yield Strategies are a great way to get started!
Early Finisher Board
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Allow Students to Advocate for their Needs:
Advocacy Initiative: Guiding Questions, from Roberts, J.L., (2019). The primer for effective advocacy. TEMPO, XL(2), 32-37
Advocating for policy is important at the school, district, and state levels; and policies that support gifted education will be discussed. Whether we're pushing for policy additions or change, advocating for ourselves in class when we feel that our needs are not being met as students, or working on a Project Based Learning assignment that involves reaching out to community leaders to leverage positive change, effective advocacy is just as important for adults to know as kids.
Advocating for a policy change:
Why is it important to have policy?• To help us brace for any change• When leadership changes, you turn to policy• Lays a foundation• Practice is often assumed to be policy, but there’s really nothing to stand on• When striving for equity, equitable policy is powerful
What does policy do?
• Policy defines what institutions choose to do or not to do about a perceived need.
• Policy controls how resources are allocated and used in a given program area.
• Policy defines the mechanisms and system by which opportunities for targeted populations (e.g., gifted) will be offered
• Policies should be comprehensive enough to ensure adequate impetus for program development and service delivery in an area.
How do education policies impact G/T Education and the lives of gifted students?Policies determine how resources are spent.Policies protect services, eliminating the need to advocate for that service on an ongoing basis. A list of policies related to G/T:
• Acceleration
• Clustering
• G/T as part of Special Ed umbrella
• Vergils - Inverted RTI
• Advisory Council
• Identification
• 2E Children
• Narrowing the Excellence GapUnintended Consequences or Barriers• Early entrance to kindergarten
• Dual Credit Scholarships
• Limited programs
• Limiting testing to certain pops
• Inflexibility of definitions/terms/qualifications
• Age limits
• TSI Ready
• Online classes
• Grade Skipping
• Early graduation
• Limiting AP courses to Juniors & Seniors
Whether you are a student, parent, or teacher, this form is a great place to start planning your advocacy initiative.
Section 4 of the NAGC's national standards is all about the Learning Environment.
The Service Design and Curriculum and Instruction Sections of the Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted and Talented Students detail requirements for your classroom environment.
