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This will be the WIKI space where we will discuss books and other gifted and talented related material .Question #6 - I believe the portfolios would be the vital component in identifying gifted students in poverty for the following reasons: 1. It would show development over time in two crucial in identifying giftedness; critical thinking and creative thinking. 2. It would give time for the teacher to have a positive influence on the student's learning by developing background and experiences that are lacking in students from poverty. 3. Together, with teacher and parent surveys/questionnaires, the portfolio would give substance/evidence of what teachers and parents are saying in their input. 4. Likewise, it could help to support weaknesses in testing due to diminished capabilities/understandings in children from uneducated households.

Question #7 - I can and do act as a bridge for accommodating the gifted program for children from poverty by developing gifts and talents by giving multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate their talents within the curriculum during the course of daily lessons. I can and do act as a bridge by constantly teaching and modeling the value of academics and learning. I can and do act as a bridge by developing what the student doesn't bring to the learning environment by providing them with experiences on which to draw from as they become more independent learners.

Chapter #8 - What I found most informative in this chapter is that the curriculum and scope and sequences have been developed so that teachers have the information and resources or access to resources to bring our students, who are predominantl from poverty, to a competitive level as those from middle class families. Proof of this can be seen in many measures of achievement, whether it be AYP, TAKS results of TAG students, performance of pre-AP and AP students as well as enrollments in these courses, as well as enrollment and performance of students in dual credit classes. Our Brain Builder Curriculum was compiled with those children in mind as well as the knowledge that experts like Ann Wink and Jan Fall and others have brought to this district about giftedness. Teachers have been extensively trained in the concept of differentiation for the gifted learner. This is evident as you read through the Brain Builder and the resources provided therein. We are a resource rich and people rich district and have embraced Ruby Payne and Rita Pearson and now we need to walk the walk and mobilize and channel these resources in a resurgent effort to bring gifted education back to the forefront.

Chapter #9 - Scanning the information from pages 228 - 229, the discipline procedures I have used this year target the behaviors of Having trouble following directions and not paying attention. I chose these areas because these are two of the areas I have found gifted students to be weak in primarily because they prefer to focus their energies on what they are interested in rather than what they need to learn. This year was no different, but what I found with this year's class was that I need to add refusing to wait his/her turn and losing things and assignments. This year my students were so interested in what they had to say on a particular topic, it was often difficult for them to listen to what the teacher, their peers, or guest speakers were saying...........full of energy and very knowledgeable. Also, few of my students were always losing things and assignments. So, I will add these two behaviors to my repertoire next year.

Chapter #10 - The checklist on page 250 helped me to see that many of the items listed as Identified Needs of students from poverty are things that we already do or have at our campus. The single most important practice where I see an overwhelming need is parent education. We have parents who need help understanding the importance of reading to their children, understanding the value of academics and learning, the importance of personal hygiene for their children, building an amiable relationship with the school rather than an adversarial one, what is appropriate wear for coming to school. What we have are parents who are "kids" themselves trying to raise their own kids without a role model of how to do it, so they lead with their own emotions and experiences of school which, more often than not, has been a negative experience for whatever reason.