Myths Surrounding The Education Of Gifted Students

Public education in America aims to benefit communities by teaching the democratic principles and common values of society through equal opportunities for learning. The education system in the United Sates has created unbiased processes which are open to all individuals and give them a chance (Dai, 2013): equal opportunities do not create equal outcomes. Conflict theory views education in capitalist society as a means of maintaining social inequality and preserving the economic, and political power for the dominant population; the underlying hidden curriculum serves to indoctrinate the accession of working classes into the lower positions in society (Turner, 1975). The struggle for power, wealth, and excellence has been built into the public institutions of capitalist society, and continue to maintain disparity between the classes (Collins, 1971).

In 2015, I wrote about my personal philosophy of the gifted learner. I stated in my paper that, “Giftedness is not a one, set definition. The definition of gifted must encompass intellect, ability, creative talent as well as emotional awareness. It cannot be micro-managed and be a “one size fits all” definition” (Dauber, 2015). People, who are gifted, need differentiation and opportunity to express, demonstrate and show their giftedness. Educators must be able to provide opportunities for the gifted learner to express his/her abilities and/or talents. Gifted students learn differently and require special educational experiences in order to grow academically and achieve their highest potential. Therefore, the education field must be able to understand not only the cognitive side of a gifted learner but the affective or social/emotional aspects too.

Typically gifted and talented programs are intended to challenge fast pace learners and recognize their special abilities, however the innocuous separation between peers can prevent other students’ talents from being acknowledged and advanced. While the gifted and talented students are applauded for their intellectual capabilities and natural talents, other students are labeled as average or less skilled. Placement into these programs are rooted from the results of standardized testing, which students and teachers spend a great amount of time preparing for. Preparation for these exams alter the curriculum and objective for learning all together. Some education systems seem to focus more on teaching to test rather than teaching to educate. In Cathy Davidson essay, “Project Classroom Makeover,” she explores how there should be more emphases on the relevance, relationship and rigor in the classroom and how this can teach students more efficiently and improve our school. Within the past 15 years, advancements in technology alone theoretically have created new prospective ways of learning, therefore standardized testing may be an inadequate method of testing students’ talents and abilities. Because each student’s future is so heavily weighted on their performance throughout grade school, education systems should have a well-rounded system in place that allows students to support and learn from each other rather than creating a divide between the strong versus the poor test

Principle 1: High-Quality Curriculum for Gifted Learners Uses a Conceptual Approach to Organize or Explore Content that is Discipline Based and Integrative

I agree with Worrell’s (2013) statement. We should be asking and assessing not only if the student is gifted, but how are they gifted? As Worrell point out “most gifted and talented programs in elementary and middle school involved a broad range of enrichment activities, which may have no relationship to the talents of the students in the program” (Worrell, p. 140). Many students are placed in a “one size fits all” G & T program, and are not gaining the special instruction and

As professionals in the field of gifted education, it is our responsibility to educate the whole child in a balanced and appropriate manner so that our students are able not only to identify their unique gifts and talents but also to utilize them to reach their full potential without losing themselves in the

Ohio now requires school district to test students to see how gifted they are, and to notify parents that there students are talented and gifted, but does not require that school districts do anything to enhance or accelerate that child’s education. The state would never consider doing this to a child in special education, but it is well accepted in gifted education.

The public school system in urban districts is in need of a great reform (Moon 2016). The teachers in collaboration with the school administration are struggling to identify strategies to use in increasing student achievement. In order to meet the needs of all of their students, the schools have been examining their classroom instructional practices to identify opportunities to implement gifted educational strategies. In my school district, there is only one program benefiting from the gifted education program. The program currently focuses on grades 2-8. However, there is a need to expand the program in other elementary schools as well as the high schools.

Though there were many interviews ranging from elementary to high school teachers who teach gifted children, I chose to reflect on the elementary teacher. I thought this information was the most beneficial to me since I am in an elementary school. The elementary gifted teacher gave me a lot of insight about many of my students and what to expect in their future. The gifted program in the elementary school is from first through fifth grades. Many students are not tested in kindergarten because they want to make sure the giftedness is truly there not just high achieving tendencies. Some students may test at the end of their kindergarten year, but they do not start being served in the gifted program until first grade.

This study is important because it looks first hand at what is causing gifted underachievers to not meet their potential and it also focuses on a group that is often left out from gifted underachievement studies: college students. Underachievement is a colossal issue because it is attributed to students not receiving the assistance and having the motivation they require to succeed. Two of the

To respect every individual’s values and beliefs, growing by achieving their potentials in an inclusive environment is the key to children’s success. Every child is born differently; I believe each child has the potential to achieve irrespective of their abilities. As Dewey argued (Nodding 1998, p.9) education has to be tailored to the needs and interests of individual children. Current educational settings have classrooms with children of various abilities. However, children are differentiated according to their ability groups in schools. Alternatively by grouping children in mixed abilities will enhance social interaction by stimulating and motivating self-esteem. In addition, social constructivists approach states if children are scaffold by more knowledgeable other the progressive learning outcomes are witnessed (Jarvis 2003, p.37). Eventually, motivating children with low abilities to interact with higher ability will gain an opportunity to learn from peer group with a sense self belongings. As supported by Mc Namara and Moreton (1998 cited Adami 2004, p.93) higher ability children peer tutoring and acting as More Knowledgeable Other to the lower ability might benefit learning for both groups. Much of my philosophy supports philosophers like Aristotle, Plato and Dewey as they supported social interaction, constructivism and creativity to shape a better citizen. As Plato’s (Nodding 1998, p.13) thought of education, that educators are capable of producing people, having

Those kids that learn faster than others need guidance. Schools with Gifted and Talented Programs have reported that 71% of students liked being able to accelerated through classes better than what they were offered before. Schools even noted saying that, “Students who are in these classes outperform non accelerates of the same age and IQ by almost a full year,”(“Gifted Education Works”). Many more states around the United States have started adding programs and extra things to their classes. Students are able to learn things in a shorter amount of time and spend less time on a specific subject then the rest of the class. For example, instead of the class taking 5 days to learn something now, the student(s) take about 3 days (“Why are Gifted...). Some states even allow schools to decide whether or not students can move up a grade in a subject such as math, reading, etc., benefitting students from

A student who gets good grades, behaves well, and excels above the academic average has in the past been considered gifted. The student who does not perform at this level is less likely to be identified and less likely to receive assistance. The term gifted was limited to academic achievement. In today’s society this definition has changed because giftedness spans to more than one area of development and achievement (Turnbull, Turnbull, Wehmeyer, & Shogren, 2013).

Mentoring is an excellent way to teach students about any subject. Whether it’s math, science, social studies, art, or literature, being a mentor is a satisfying feeling. For a mentee who struggles with particular subjects, they might want to consider getting a mentor. The biggest challenge is having a student that is gifted can be a frustrating and counterproductive use of time. Science and psychologists have studied effective ways to teach gifted students through tailored mentoring programs. They have shown to be successful, but there are a lot of questions why it is so successful. Finding the answers is beneficial to both the mentor and the mentee, so they’re on the same page.

Exceptional Education is a profession that requires a village to operate. Educators who work with exceptional children cannot do this job on their own. They need the help of parents, general educators, aides, and Para-professionals to help meet the academic and personal needs of a student. Exceptional children deserve the same respect and resources as their peers who are in a general classroom setting. Thankfully there are individuals who are willing to go above and beyond to help exceptional educators teach students who need assistance reaching their academic needs that can eventually help them become successful, independent individuals. In the education world, a unique group of individuals known as Para-professionals, help provide an equal opportunity for learning for all students.