Being Gifted in School

Laurence J. Coleman was a teacher who became a professor, both of which enabled him to be a perpetual student. In the course of his professional career, he was a student, a counselor, a teacher of children with varying special education labels, a professor of special education, a developer of programs, an advocate, an editor, a researcher, and an administrator. He was fortunate to have grown up in a time when he could do things that he valued. The professional activities of which Dr. Coleman was most proud was creating with colleagues from three different fields an innovative teacher preparation program made on the model of teaching as a talent; building the Summer Institute for Gifted Children in 1980, which has been "taken over" by the original students who attended it; writing a few papers that were new contributions to his field; and continuing to be excited by his work. Tracy L. Cross, Ph.D., holds an endowed chair, Jody and Layton Smith Professor of Psychology and Gifted Education, and is the executive director of the Center for Gifted Education and the Institute for Research on the Suicide of Gifted Students at William & Mary.

• Definitions and Models of Giftedness Who Are the Gifted? Definitions of Giftedness Ex Post Facto Measurable IQ Achievement Creativity Social Talent Interaction of Attributes Percentage-Type and Development Omnibus The Varieties of Giftedness Case 1: Dora—An Embarrassment of Riches Case 2: Sarah—A Discrepancy in Ability Case 3: Francine—A Talented Musician With a Moderate IQ Case 4: Edwin—A School Failure With a High IQ Case 5: Marshall—A Physically Handicapping Condition Case 6: David—Underachievement With a Tradition of Education Case 7: Dylan—A Shy Gifted Twin With Many Talents Factors That Influence Definitions of Giftedness A School-Based Conception of Giftedness Who Is Not Gifted? Are the Gifted Handicapped? Conclusion For Discussion 2. The Lives of Gifted People The Database Early Research: Portrait of a Gifted Child Issues in the Portrait of a Gifted Child Validity of the Portrait Sociocultural Environment Selection of Gifted Students Sex Differences Stability of IQ Socioeconomic Status and Ethnic Issues Special Abilities and IQ Emotional Stability The Creatively Gifted The Gifted as Adults Definitions A Brief Sketch Sources of Life Satisfaction Career Choices and Accomplishments Career Portraits Predictors of Adult Accomplishment The Nonmodal Gifted Conclusion For Discussion 3. Identifying the Gifted Universal Assumptions Procedural Concerns Measurement Who Controls the Process? Types of Measurement Typical Identification Systems: A Summary and Critique Identifying the Nonmodal Gifted Child: A Continuing Dilemma Gifted Disabled 9 Culturally Different Gifted Solutions for Identifying Nonmodal Gifted Children Summary of Identification of the Nonmodal Gifted Special Issues in Identification Identifying Nonacademic Ability Motivation and Identification Early Identification Interrelationship Between Abilities and Identification Secondary School Identification What Identification Cannot Do For Teachers Why Do Children Get Missed? Conclusion For Discussion Families: Guidance Considerations General Familial Descriptors Familial Patterns of Behavior Family Member Concerns Special Problems for Parents Child-Rearing Problems The Parent/School Relationship General Principles Family Relations With the School The Teacher and Frequently Asked Questions by Parents How Can We Tell Whether Our Child Is Gifted? What Can We Do to Help Our Child Develop? What Should We Do at Home to Promote Giftedness? What Do Those Test Scores Mean? Why Isn’t Our Child Well-Rounded? Should We Accelerate Our Child? For Discussion 5. Coping With Giftedness: Guidance and Counseling Considerations Defining the Territory Sources of Conflict in the Lives of Gifted Children 164 General Mixed Messages Gifted-Role Messages Gender-Role Messages Summary Traits and Guidance Problems: An Interactive View Managing Identity Stigma of Giftedness The Teacher’s Reaction On-Grade Behavior Working With the Teacher Problems for Special Groups Culturally Diverse Gifted Gifted Women Gifted Students With Disabilities Special-Ability Gifted Strategies Used in the Process of Managing Identity The Continuum of Visibility Successful Strategies: Implications for Guidance Underachievement: An Unsuccessful Strategy? Developmental Models and Guidance The Place of Models The Universal Developmental Model The Behavioral-Cognitive Model The Domain-Specific Developmental Model Incorporating the Models in a Guidance Program A Program of Guidance Notes on Problem Behaviors Conclusion For Discussion 6. Creativity: Psychology, Development, and Teaching Definitions of Creativity Classifying Definitions A Working Definition The Basic Questions The Question of Measurement The Question of Intelligence and Creativity A Question of Process The Creative Process and Development The Trait Approach and Development The Process Approach and Development Cultural/Historical Conditions and Development The Question of Education: Teaching for Creativity Theory as an Organizing Principle The Nature of the Evidence Materials and Programs Summary Conclusion For Discussion 7. Administrative Arrangements, Program Prototypes, and the Teacher Challenges the Gifted Present to the School Three Models Variables Relevant to Program Planning Enrichment Acceleration Special Grouping in Settings Combining the Variables The Acceleration–Enrichment Controversy Common Premises in Program Planning Some Typical Program Options Out-of-School Special Schools Early Admission Grade Skipping Grade Telescoping Subject-Specific Acceleration 22 Accelerated Enrichment Classes Special Course Enrichment Individualized Approaches: Independent Study, Tutoring, and Mentoring Mainstreaming and Inclusion Evaluating Programs Selecting Personnel: Teachers and Mentors Attributes of a Teacher Challenges Confronting Teachers of the Gifted Attributes of Mentors Examples of Successful Programs The Roeper School The Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) The Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and the Humanities Talent Searches: The Center for Talented Youth Centerville City Schools The International Baccalaureate of North America (IBNA) Conclusion For Discussion 8. Curriculum Theory and Practice The Purpose of Schooling What Is a Differentiated Curriculum? Real Differences? Quantitative or Qualitative Differences? Models Used for Curriculum Building Direct Models Indirect Models The Discipline-Specific Curriculum Model Comparing the Models Unanswered Questions An Idealized Curriculum? Conclusion For Discussion 9. Teaching Theory Principles of Teaching Content-Related Principles Diagnostic-Related Principles Learning-Related Principles Teaching Systems The Diagnostic Teaching–Prescriptive Instruction System (DT-PI) The Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) System Problem-Based Learning System (PBL) Self-Directed Learning (SDL) System Summary of Teaching Systems Moving Into the Classroom: General Teaching Methods The Recitation Method The Lecture Method The Discussion Method The Tutoring/Coaching Method The Simulation and Gaming Method The Discovery Method The Observational Method The Independent Study Method 53 The Materials-Driven Method Summary of General Teaching Methods Conclusion For Discussion 10. Teaching Methods and Best Practices Teaching Nonmodal Gifted Children Statements About the Obvious Statements About the Not-So-Obvious What Does This Mean for Teachers? What Does This Mean for Curricula for Nonmodal Learners? What Does This Mean for Teaching Diverse Learners? Kinds of Teaching Decisions 65 The Basis of Teaching Decisions Background of Our Interpretation of Learning and Development Planning Decisions A Digression: Meaningless Learning and Teaching Recipes Action Decisions Useful Techniques for Teachers Differentiation in the Classroom Curriculum Compacting A Cache of Techniques Conducting Active Discussions Specialized Methods Tied to Special Goals Creativity and Problem Solving Attitudes and Values Research Skills and Independent Study Skills Summary Instructional Materials and Media Evaluating and Preparing Instructional Materials Adapting Materials Creating Materials Summary Conclusion For Discussion References Index