EduExchange: Is there such a thing as a gifted child?

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Please join the Caribbean Partners for Educational Progress (CoP) and Guest Moderator Mrs. Joan Ernandez for an EduExchange on gifted children. To join this discussion, click "Sign in to join the discussion" button to the right and sign in with your CoP account. Please email the Facilitator with any questions about registration or participation in the EduExchange.

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Welcome
Day 1 January 28, 2014 Defining Giftedness
Day 2 January 29, 2014 Identification of Giftedness
Day 3 January 30, 2014 Treatment of Giftedness

While many students develop at a pace that the education system expects and are adequately challenged by the planned curricula for their age group, there are those who exceed these expectations and earn recognition for advanced academic skills early. Cases such as 10 year old Gianluca Webster who earned a grade one in CSEC Human and Social biology and 12 year old Kutu Ra who passed 6 subjects at the CSEC level brings into sharp focus the case of the gifted child. During this EduExchange, we will examine the issue of giftedness with specific focus on the identification and education of gifted students within the regular school system.  

Of gifts and talents: What is your position?
09:23 AM|Joan_Ernandez| Last comment by Mara P. Hill
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How do we identify giftedness?
10:58 AM|Joan_Ernandez| Last comment by Pauline M. Bain
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Comments (4)

Joyce Campbell's picture
Joyce Campbell
Thu, 2014-01-30 21:38

The gifted child and all other children on the bell curve have multiple intelligences. Gardner(1983) outlined these intelligences and we have become familiar with the MI theory through his research. The exceptional skills and aptitudes when innate are often met with much acclaim. However there are so many others that have latent talents that emerge only when time, resources,teachers and Master Teachers skilled in the appropriate pedagogy are invested in them.

When struggling third graders,who perform one to five years below grade level, move up one to two grade levels after five weeks of intense, structured instruction, appropriate nutrition, counseling and guidance and opportunities to socialize appropriately, one can only imagine what gifts , talents and exceptionalities could be unearthed among all our average and below students if the resources , support and intensity of instruction and teacher supervision is sustained and expanded on for the entire year .

vaburke's picture
vaburke
Sat, 2014-04-05 08:07

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What is giftedness?Do you have a child in your class who that displays one or more of these:·         Enjoys learning·         Extrapolates knowledge to new situation, goes beyond what is taught.·         Advance interest·         High concentration, long attention span·         Actively shares information, directs, leads, eager to be involved·         Has an excellent sense of humor·         Independent, self-directed, works alone·         A perfectionist.These are some of the signs of giftedness. In every classroom there is a little one that displays at least one of these characteristic.Gifted students are in every classroom. There are from every culture and socioeconomic background. Sometimes these children are over looked by the teacher and not much is done for them. But these students are entitled to special education. They must be educated based on their needs, intellectual abilities and not just by age or grade. In catering for these students and meeting the needs of students in the regular classroom; the teacher can use differentiate, grouping (by ability and interest) cooperative learning groups, and enrichment, curriculum compacting, acceleration etc. to meet the needs of gifted child. Gone by are the day when we classify those children as "rude" research have shown that those children need special education and I believe that all teachers must be educated to deal with them. When next you come across a student that is bored with routine task and refuse to do rote learning task/ homework,move into another topic while you are stuck teaching one that he thinks is boring, disagrees vocially with his peers and the teacher. And if he makes jokes  or puns at inappropriate times then you are looking at agifted child. What we need to do is to embrace the concept of giftedness in our children and be prepared to handle the challenges. Because they are here and they need  that special education.

sfdole's picture
sfdole
Mon, 2016-02-29 15:51

Global Education Review has announced a call for proposals for a special issue on gifted education. Proposals are due by May 1, 2016. For more information see http://ger.mercy.edu/index.php/ger/announcement/view/17 or email Dr. Sharon Dole at dole@email.wcu.edu 

sfdole's picture
sfdole
Mon, 2016-02-29 15:51

Global Education Review has announced a call for proposals for a special issue on gifted education. Proposals are due by May 1, 2016. For more information see http://ger.mercy.edu/index.php/ger/announcement/view/17 or email Dr. Sharon Dole at dole@email.wcu.edu