The Ultimate Program for Gifted Learners - Essay Example

The Ultimate Program for Gifted Learners The Ultimate Program for Gifted Learners Papers Titus Manickam Order No. 175497 29 June 2007 The Ultimate Program for Gifted Learners Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. (The Bible)1. This proverb aptly sums up the latent abilities in a child. The question arises - what is in a child What is so special about him Why is he the cynosure of all eyes and focus of all the attention in a family When a child is born he brings with him a set of new thoughts, ideas and talents. It is a grand and invigorating experience. He is a gift of God not only to the parents but to the entire neighborhood. A bundle of joy, he is a source of boundless amusement in the family and the neighborhood who shower him with love and affection. The years roll, the child grows to be a youth and then an adult. The metamorphosis is routine. Millions of babies are born every day. They bring joy, aspirations, and hope. But ultimately they are molded into a form that makes them a part of the system. It gives them a place and an identity in the world. They help him carve for himself a good standard of living and a decent status in society, depending on the upbringing he gets. Nevertheless, these are not good enough for a child gifted with special learning abilities and talents. Extensive Funds and Access to Resource Materials Funds and resource material are important and necessary to discover and hone the skills of the pupil with special learning abilities. However, these are just some of the tools to be put in place for such students. Unlimited funds and resource do not necessarily guarantee success for an aspiring pupil seeking to discover his special talents and abilities. Equally important is confidence building measures and emotional factors that play a vital role in shaping the future and lives of these students. Nothing can replicate their worth and value. They comprise the bond of relationship between the tutor and the taught. A very large premium is placed on the intelligence and integrity of the tutor, for these are the standards the student will seek to emulate. The Types of Students I would Identify for the Program It is customary in schools to allow brilliant students, especially in the lower classes, to skip a grade, in order to accelerate their education and put them up at a grade which will be a match for their level of intelligence. We so often come across students too young for the grade they are in. However, their performance is brilliant. They are promoted in a double measure. This is done in order to introduce them to a curriculum which will prove to be a match to their special learning skills which is superior to their peers. A fourth-grade student who shows extraordinary skills in mathematics, science and English, qualify for grade-skipping and is promoted to the sixth grade, even if the rest of the students in the new class are senior to him by a couple of years. Education acceleration helps accommodate him at a level where he could enthusiastically prove himself and gain confidence. These students automatically qualify for the program. (http://www.projectappleseed.org/gifted.html)2. The next group of students who may qualify are those who consistently remain among the first five rankers in a class of 40-45 students. These are the ones who possess extraordinary learning skills and leadership qualities. It is necessary to consider this group of students even if they do not necessarily qualify for grade skipping, in order to ensure that no deserving student is left out of the program. Also, gifted children with Learning Disabilities (LD) must be given the opportunity to seek admission in the program. Until recently, students with the LD tag were written off as below average students. Ultimately, most of them ended up as dropouts. However, times have changed. Students with learning disabilities are no longer treated as misfits. It may be difficult to identify their true and special traits. This is understandably difficult due to lack of provisions in the system to accommodate them, or may be due to factors like the abilities and disabilities of the child masking each other. The special abilities of such children could be identified by using a system whereby the abilities are identified and the cut-off marks in the areas of disabilities are lowered in proportion to their disabilities deviation from the average standard. (http://www.ldonline.org/article/5914)3. The Importance of Special Training Joseph Ranzulli, a renowned leader in the field of gifted learning, once said, "A rising tide lifts all ships." (www.purfleetprimary.thurrock.sch.uk/policies/giftedandtalented.htm)4. This great visionary was referring to the quality of training which is capable of bringing out precious hidden talents in the child. The question arises - what constitutes a good training Or, must training be imparted on a selective basis Should there be one type of training for the gifted and talented child and another for the average student The answer is not difficult to find. A child who is above average in learning abilities will not find satisfaction in the regular training module which obviously falls below his standards of intelligence. A child who is endowed with a higher intelligence quotient is gifted with a greater depth of learning and understanding than his peer. He is more analytical and his reasoning is quicker, sharper, and more accurate than his average counterpart. His appetite for knowledge is insatiable and the pursuit for excellence is his fort. The normal training program is simply too drab and mundane to cater to his extraordinary capabilities and skills. He has to be accommodated with a training module which is perfectly designed to suit his requirement. Keeping them challenged and learning to capacity can require a paradigm shift in their regular school programs. Education programs for children identified as gifted and talented must be rich in information and content, include special classes and tests, intensive after-class study sessions, and linked to the best faculty in the field. (http://www.projectappleseed.org/gifted.html)5. The Identification Procedures The process must begin at the grade level, and then take its course to the regional, national, and international levels. Ideally, every school should be provided a code which finds its way to consistently extra-ordinary performers and uplinks them to the regional, national and international levels. The criteria for excellence at the school level could include a cut-off percentage for selection, subject/s which the students are good at, behavioral conduct, personality traits, attendance, besides oratorical and presentation skills, learning abilities, and level of tolerance and resilience. The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), established by Julian C. Stanley, now better known as the SAT Reasoning Test, goes a long way in identifying the abilities of the exceptionally gifted students. The school curriculum is also an important component in deciding the quotient of the exceptionally talented student as it has a vital role to play in deciding the student's academic fortunes. It is critically important to identify children with unique talents and abilities early on in their lives in order to educate, train and prepare them not only to enhance their future prospects but also for the type of sophistication and challenges society is faced with today. The process of identification must be a livewire system which is capable of spotting the child of the best caliber without waiting for him or her to undergo the process. It must be made a four-way affair in which the faculty, the system, the child and his parents are involved. Spotting and developing children with special talents ensures that they become useful assets to society which otherwise could become a tool and liability in the hands of antisocial elements. (http://www.dukegiftedletter.com/articles/vol6no1_talent1.html)6. The Types of In-service and Consultants Utilized Once the students with special learning abilities and the process for their identification are in place, the next stage is their training and preparation for the tests and competitions that are to follow. The child on his own will never be able to identify his or her own special traits unless someone tells him/her so. Usually the ones who are about to involve in his training and preparations like his parents, teachers and seniors are the ones who must take the lead in raising awareness in the child about his abilities. This will boost his confidence and enable him to focus better on the rigors of the tests and competitions to follow. They also go a long way in developing his communication and learning skills. Apart from a team of trained, qualified faculty, it is necessary to include specialists in child psychology, qualified gym coach, and other personnel involved in child development and welfare. Every effort must be made to expose the child to the best of what he or she is learning, in terms of education, technology, faculty and researchers. It is important to establish a give-and-take communication link with children, more so in the case of a child with special abilities, because children have much to tell too. Dr E Paul Torrance, social scientist, is convinced that children have the special spark to influence their elders. (The Complete Guide to your Emotions and your Health)7. The Programming Options Pupils with high intelligence quotient and studious disposition tend to think deeply and rapidly. The regular academic program is inadequate to address their thirst for information with convincing, analytical solutions. It is necessary to design a program which is capable of providing them in-depth information, challenging problems, and relevant hints at problem solving. The curriculum should be based on a sound mix of theory and practice. No curriculum is without its drawback. This could be minimized by means of effective feedback from the students and other faculty members. The idea is to bring the syllabus as close as possible to perfection. The student must be encouraged to be as resourceful as possible, after a good deal of learning, practice and preparation. The very idea that he is going to be involved in international competitions should spur him to do his best. All negative and debilitating aspects must be dealt with realistically and resolved. After all, these pupils are going to be important, future leaders. (http://www.giftedchildren.org.nz/apex/v12art04.php)8. Competitions are the means to make the child habitually climb the ladder of success. They provide the platform as well as the rewards for the pupils and the faculty and institution to train and equip the students to set goals and achieve them. They inculcate a tremendous sense of responsibility and the desire to participate in the young minds of the growing children. They also build up their confidence and self-belief that they can achieve what they set out to do. Moreover, they get trained in taking initiatives, get along with their colleagues, grow as a team, and rejoice together on accomplishment of their tasks. The learning program for the gifted and talented pupil must be made in such a way that they meet the needs of the individual learner. The responsible institute or organisation must make it their policy to provide flexibility in the curriculum which, while being of the highest standards and exclusive in terms of information, also makes it comparatively easy for the student to grasp them. The teachers and coordinators must be well-informed and capable of dealing with any question and problem addressed to them in their stream. Learning from books and lectures must be supplemented with learning by observations and participations in sports and performing arts such as music and dance. A generous dose of project-based studies in the curriculum makes learning more interesting and easier to grasp. Field trips, class-room visits by renowned professionals, a well-maintained library, facilities incorporating the multiple intelligence concept provide an environment which make the tasks of learning more conducive. The campus must be located in natural surroundings with spacious aesthetically constructed buildings housing sports, arts and studios complex for different games, dance, drama and music, multimedia, apart from the regular school buildings. Every student must be provided with a laptop computer and linked to different sections like science, geography, history, etc. in the school network. (http://www.pathways.ac.in/academicsystems.asp)9. The program must include facilities at school and college levels to provide opportunities for students to periodically interact with professional institutes and industries involved in their sphere of study. This advanced approach extends the student's reach and familiarity with the subject. It also provides the opportunity for the student to experiment and improve upon what he has learnt. (http://www.projectappleseed.org/gifted.html)10. The Evaluation Design Evaluation by test is just one way of assessing the progress of the pupil with special learning skills. Academic excellence can be gauged by the performance of the student in the test. This is not so difficult for either the institution or the student since both of them are used to an environment charged with competition. Thus, going a step further, academic excellence must also be coupled with the ability of the student to gainfully apply what he has learnt to at least one societal need. For instance, a student who is involved in pollution studies must be encouraged to do his bit to come up with a plan to reduce pollution in his region. Social orientation gives the student a head-start over his peers in coupling his activities with a sense of responsibility and gain emotional maturity. He feels that he is under an obligation to do the best not only for himself but also for the betterment of others who live around him. Care, however, must be exercised in the process of evaluation that the social factor does not limit or stunt academic priorities of the student which must be allowed to peak to its highest level. The social aspect must only come into play to serve as an impetus for the child to courageously come up with his best performance. As mentioned earlier, the child is used to a competitive environment. Hence, he will be able to come up with his best insofar as his mental abilities and grasp are concerned. However, he will feel more challenged and upbeat when told to match his abilities with live performance in demanding situations. The evaluation design must take into consideration the initial performance of the pupil and move from there to the extent of progress he has achieved in a given period of time. It must examine the full potential and personality of the child - physical and mental along with his potential skills - and base the evaluations on his capabilities and emotional capacity. (http://members.shaw.ca/positivedisintegration/gifted.htm)11. It must be kept in mind that pupils with special learning abilities are highly motivated and capable of handling competition. What is needed is the ability to transfer their skills from the safe confines of their classrooms to the demanding environs of the world at large. For this, the institution should provide the needed environs of the classroom as well as the prototype of the open air situations where the students will be performing in environs and regions which may not always be conducive and quite often may also be hostile. They may not always receive accolades for their brilliance. But they must be taught that this should not lower their urge to perform to their best ability. (http://www.giftedchildren.org.nz/apex/v12art04.php)12. SOURCES 1(Proverbs 22.6,The Bible, New King James version, copyright 1980, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville). 2(Cornell, D. G., C. M. Callahan, L. E. Bassin, and S. G. Ramsey, http://www.projectappleseed.org/gifted.html, 29 June 2007) 3 (Gifted Children with Learning Disabilities, by Linda E Brody and Carol J Mills, http://www.Idonline.org/argicle/5914, 28 June 2007) 4 (Purfleet Primary School Gifted and Talented, www.purfleetprimary.thurrock.sch.uk/policies/giftedandtalented.htm, 29 June 2007). 5(Cornell, D.G., C.M. Callahan, L.E Bassin, and S.G.Ramsey, http://www.projectappleseed.org/gifted.htm, 29 June 2007). 6(An interview with Julian C. Stanley - Duke Gifted Letter, http://www.dukegiftedletter.com/articles/vol6no1_talent1.html, 28 June 2007). 7(The Complete Guide to your Emotions and your Health, Rajendra Publishing House Pvt Ltd, India, copyright 1992, Rodale Press Inc., Emmaus, P.A. USA, p536). 8(Apex - The New Zealand Journal of Gifted Education, http://www.giftedchildren.org.nz/apex/v12art04.php, 28 June 2007). 9(Pathway World School - Academic Systems, http://www.pathways.ac.in/academicsystems.asp, 02 July 2007). 10(Cornell C. M. Callahan, L. E. Bassin, and S. G. Ramsey, D.G., http://www.projectappleseed.org/gifted.htm 29 June 2007). 11(A Brief Overview Dabrowski's Theory of Positive Disintegration and its Relevance For the Gifted, http://membew.ca/positivedisintegration/gifted.htmrs.sha, 28 June 2007). 12(Apex - The New Zealand Journal of Gifted Education, http://www.giftedchildren.org.nz/apex/v12art04.php,28 June 2007). Read More