Professor Deborah EyreUniversity of Warwick

Curriculum based gifted education: The English Model

Effective education systems should meet the needs of all pupils, including the most able

Today’s gifted pupils are tomorrows social, intellectual, economic and cultural leaders.

Work on school improvement suggests that a focus on the gifted can help a school raise overall standards

Why Gifted Education?

Students with special talents/outstanding academic results

Students with outstanding performance

In specific domains

Exceptionally gifted students

Three-tier Implementation Mode and our Target Students

Student Category Mode

Level Three: Off-site support

Level Two: School-based pullout programmes

Level One: School-based whole-class approach

Curriculum Content Specialized Specialized

(Subject/Domain)(Subject/Domain)

General General EnrichmentEnrichment

All students

Students with special talents/outstanding academic results

Students with outstanding performance

in specific domains

Students with outstanding performance

in academic subjects

Exceptionally gifted students

What is the English Model Looking to Achieve?

• High performance and achievement• Development of expertise

• Social, moral and emotional development, including persistence, high aspirations, confidence and collaboration

A Whole School Approach to Gifted Education

• General rationale• Objectives: What the school aims to provide

through gifted education• Overall school approach• Teaching and Learning approaches, • School-wide opportunities• Beyond the school

Knowledge, skills and concepts

Domain valued behaviours (eg thinking like a ….)

Intellectual playfulness (eg breaking the domain rules)

Self-regulation and self-direction

Discussion, debate and argument around key ideas

Exposure to those with high levels of expertise in relation to existing level

Expertise development

Breadth

Depth

Pace

How is expertise developed?

Enhancing the core educational offer by adding:

Creating challenge in the primary classroom

Background theory

higher order thinking

critical thinking

reflective practice

expert practice

Lesson structure

learning objectives

lesson structure

task setting

questionning

Strategies - tool kit eg

concept mapping

hot seating

bright ideas time

thinking hats

plan/do/review

Adapted from Wilson, H (2003)

 DO:• think carefully about the purpose of the task• encourage children to suggest ways to extend their work• make sure extension conforms to the principles of good provision• try to make it manageable and interesting• include extension in your short - term planning sheets• make sure you have suitable resources

Don’t:• make extension just more practice of the same concept• make extension extra to normal class work• make extension tasks include excessive writing • use extension as away to occupy those who work quickly

Work from a difficult text or use a variety of text Enquiry based learning using a plan/do/review approach Record in an unusual way using eg using graphics Use role play to enable students to act as experts Create tasks that require investigation, problem solving, decision making Provide choice in how to handle content (or multiple pathways) Design tasks with no single correct answer Introduce technical language and advanced ideas Start with an answer and ask them to set the questions Use Bloom's top three: analysis, evaluation, synthesis Time restricted or word limited activities

Creating Challenging Tasks

Goldilocks and the Three Bears  1. Knowledge What happened in the story?

What did Goldilocks do in the Bear's home?

2. Comprehension Why did it happen that way?Why did Goldilocks like the little Bear's bed best?

3. Application What would you have done?What would have happened if Goldilocks had come to

your house?

4. Analysis Which parts did you like best?Which parts could not be true?

5. Evaluation What did you think of the story?Was Goldilocks good or bad? Why?

6. Synthesis Can you think of a different ending?Create you own Goldilocks story

Golden rules for gifted education

Create a classroom climate that supports the development of high achievement - risk taking, high flying

Approach lessons as part of apprenticeship in a subject not just learning to the knowledge and skills needed to pass the exam - a community of learners Focus on the needs of individuals, make use of their strengths and recognise their weaknesses - empowered learners

Design tasks that ensure intellectual challenge - higher order thinking

Focus on high quality teacher/pupil interaction with both teacher and pupils playing a range of roles - questioning, explaining, challenging

Precocious ability - outperforming others of similar age

Potential to climb higher than others - keeping pace with top set but will go on to achieve more highly than others

Highly conceptual, moderate skills - begins to show ability when the curriculum becomes more conceptual

Able underachievers - potentially able but underachieving

4 types of children to find …..

Particularly in early years, children who are interested in an area and actively seek to pursue it, enjoying it for its own sake (playful)

Pupils who appear to master the rules of a domain easily and can transfer their insights to new problems (precision)

Pupils who observe their own behaviour and hence utilise a greater variety of learning strategies than others (self regulation)

Pupils who exhibit any of the characteristics above plus a tendency towards non-conformity in the given domain (originality)

…. and how to spot ability through provision

Gifted Education

Traditional Models

Exclusive Identification led Ability theory Bolt-on to general education Single programme ‘Either or’ provision Concern of few teachers Provision for individuals

The English Model

Inclusive Opportunity led Expertise theory Aspect of general education Multiple elements Complementary provision Concern of all teachers System provision