The document discusses the needs of high-achieving and gifted students, noting that their needs are often neglected as they achieve acceptable standards on assessments. It describes the characteristics and learning styles of high achievers, gifted learners, and creative learners. Some common misconceptions about gifted students are debunked, and recommendations are provided for appropriately challenging gifted students, such as offering advanced coursework, online learning opportunities, and formative assessment.

1. Presented by Jacki Omland
NSU Center for Statewide E-learning
2009 TIE Conference

2. Students at the greatest risk of learning
the least in the classrooms may be those
at the top range of ability. The needs of
these students are often neglected
because these students achieve
acceptable standards on state
assessments. High-level learners can
create multiple connections and organize
those connections in many different
ways: they learn differently from their
classmates.

3.  The High Achiever (The Technician)
Knows the answers

Answers in detail

Performs at the top of the group

Learns with ease but may need some repetitions

Completes assignments on time

Is accurate and complete

Memorizes well

Is receptive

Enjoys the company of same age peers

Works hard to achieve

Enjoys school

Does well on standardized tests (Kingore)


4.  The Gifted Learner (The Expert)
Poses the questions

Ponders with depth and multiple perspective

Is beyond the group

Learns with ease and needs few repetitions

Completes assignments on time an initiates more

Is original

Guesses and infers well

Is intense

Enjoys the company of intellectual peers

Knows without working hard

Enjoys self-directed learning (Kingore)


5.  The Creative Learner (The Inventor)
See’s exceptions

Injects new possibilities

Is in own group

Questions the need for mastery

Initiates projects but may not complete them

Is original

Creates and brainstroms well

Is independent and unconventional

Enjoys working alone

Plays with ideas

Enjoys creating (Kingore)


6.  They are like cream that rises to the top of a
classroom (Characteristics and Behaviors )
 They are so smart they do fine with or
without special programs (Characteristics
and Behaviors)
 “Gifted students are a homogeneous group
and need only one differentiated curriculum”
(Callahan)
 Gifted learners are always high achievers
(Callahan)
 All high-level learners do well on
standardized tests

7.  Asking high-level learner to serve as tutor for
students who are struggling (Davidson
Institute)
 Giving high-level learners more work when
they finish early (Davidson Institute)
 Only allowing high-level learners to move
ahead when they can demonstrate 100%
accuracy (Davidson Institute)
 Assuming that high-level learners are
learning because they achieve acceptable
standards on assessments (Winebrenner)

8.  The High Achiever
Puts a lot of stress of themself

 The Gifted Learner
Turned off by non-engaging classrooms

 The Creative Learner
Gets so involved in an idea that they miss other

pieces of information, forget simple tasks, and
find it hard to complete tasks

9. Recent studies have shown that U.S. students
scoring
above the 90th percentile in mathematics and
science are
among those making the least progress in
school.

10.  Familiarize yourself with the characteristics
of high-level learners: a precocious ability to
think abstractly, an ability to learn and
process complex information very
rapidly, and a need to explore subjects in
depth (Davidson Institute)
 Continually emphasize the interesting
connections between science and the real
world.
 Science is all around us.

11.  High-level learners need materials that
“truly challenge them and appropriately
challenge them” (Zaccaro).
 The instructional balancing act: creating
appropriate challenges while reinforcing
basic skills.
 The practice of offering extra credit should
be replaced with approaches that can
motivate students to become enthusiastic
learners (Winebrenner).

12.  Let go of normal! You will not harm a
student by offering opportunities for
advanced work (Davidson Institute)
 Opportunities and materials for learning
high-level, innovative mathematics and
science should be readily available where
students can work with peers of similar
interests and abilities (NAGC).
Here is where online courses come in. High-level

learners can engage in discussions with their
intellectual peers.

13.  Audience can be a powerful factor in the
learning experience of high-level Learners.
 Use Web 2.0 tools and electronic learning
environments to give students the
opportunity to share their work with an
audience of their peers.
 Writing is an excellent tool for extending and
deepening student understanding of
mathematics (Brandenburg)

14.  “When children see that an area in which
they excel is valued by those around them,
their interest and passion for the subject can
increase dramatically” (Zaccaro)
 The teacher can make students feel that
they have a gift that is to be treasured.

15. “Highly able children must have the opportunity

to work with children with similar abilities”
(Zaccaro)
 Consider distance learning opportunities: “online
high school and college courses, including online
AP classes, are a great way to substitute more
challenging curriculum for students who
demonstrate proficiency with grade level
material (Davidson Institute)
 “Every high school should offer high-level STEM
classes such as Advanced Placement . . .”
(NAGC)
 Vertical teams of teachers should work together
to prepare students for these classes (NAGC)

16.  “Formative assessment contributes to
student ownership of learning more than any
other class-room based practice” (Brookhart,
Moss and Long).
 Assessment with immediate feedback and
the ability to learn from their mistakes is
phenomenal.
 Allow them to design and create. AP exams
even allow this.

17.  “Many of our students with the greatest
aptitudes are underachieving, languishing in
repetitive, unchallenging classes” (NAGC)

18.  Brandenburg, M. L. (2002). Advanced math?
Write!. Educational Leadership, 60(3), 67-
68.
 Brookhart, S., Moss, C., & Long, B. (2008).
Formative assessment that empowers.
Educational Leadership, 66(3), 52-57.
 Callahan, C. M. (2001). Beyond the gifted
stereotype. Educational Leadership, 59(3),
42-46.

19.  Characteristics and behaviors of the gifted.
The Rhode Island State Advisory Committee
on Gifted and Talented Education. Retrieved
April 14, 2009, from
http://ri.net/gifted_talented/character.html
.
 Davidson Institute for Talent Development
(2003). Tips for teachers: Successful
strategies for teaching gifted learners.
Retrieved April 14, 2009, from
http//www.davidsongifted.org/db/Articles_p
rint_id-10075.aspx.

20. Kingore, B. (2004). Higher Achiever, Gifted

Learner, Creative Thinker. Retrieved April 08,
2009, from http://www.bertiekingore.com/high-
gt-create.htm.
 Levy, S. (2008). The power of audience.
Educational Leadership, 66(3), 75-79.
 The STEM promise: Recognizing and developing
talent and expanding opportunities for promising
students of science, technology, engineering and
mathematics (2008). National Association for
Gifted Children Math/Science Task Force.
Retrieved April 14, 2009, from
http://www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id-4454.

21.  Winebrenner, S. (2000). Gifted students need
an education, too. Educational Leadership,
58(1), 52-56.
 Zaccaro, E. (2006). The seven components of
successful programs for mathematically
gifted children. National Association for
Gifted Children. Retrieved April 14, 2009,
from
http://www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=1457.