Transcript Gifted and Talented Leading Teacher

Gifted and Talented
Leading Teacher
Training day one
Thursday 26th March 2009
Aims of the day
• To understand the role of the leading teach for gifted and talented
education
• To understand how to use the Classroom Quality Standards
• To consider a range of strategies that support identification
• To explore resources which support classroom provision
Programme for the day
09:30 – 10:40
‘What do we mean by Gifted and Talented?’
10:40 – 11:00
Coffee and Tea
11:00 – 12:20
Effective Classroom Practice
12:20 – 13:15
Lunch and Networking
13:15 – 14:30
Learning and Teaching Resources to support challenge
14:30
Tea & Coffee available
14:30 – 15:30
Making wider links
15:30 – 16:00
Introducing the gap task and planning for future action
Session one:
What do we mean by gifted and talented?
“Today’s gifted pupils are tomorrow’s social,
intellectual, economic and cultural leaders and
their development cannot be left to chance.”
Deborah Eyre (2004)
During this session we will………..
• develop a clear understanding of what we mean by G&T in
the English context – the beliefs that underlie the
definition
• consider the identification process
• discuss what we mean by potential
• develop an understanding of the role of coordinator /
Leading Teacher
It is generally agreed that:
• There is no universally accepted definition of
giftedness
• Estimates of giftedness vary tremendously
• Being gifted and talented is not a one-off and
fixed state of existence
The current definition
‘Gifted and talented children are those who have one or more
abilities developed to a level significantly ahead of their year group –
or those with the potential to develop these abilities.’
DCFS: The Standards Site
In England the term ‘gifted’ refers to those pupils who are capable of
excelling in ‘academic’ subjects:
english, mathematics, science, IT, history, geography, modern foreign
languages and drama.
‘Talented’ refers to those pupils who may excel in areas requiring
visio-spatial skills or practical abilities such as games and PE, art or
music.
Leadership skills, analytical and questioning skills, multiple intelligences
are features which define a way of learning which fits outside this
‘subject’ based learning model.
Ability…………
• Is multi dimensional
– only some aspects can be measured
• Is a mixture of innate predispositions, environment,
personality and contextual factors
• Is developmental
• Needs to be nurtured through opportunity, support and
motivation
The expectation is that………
• a school will identify its most able or potentially most able pupils
• these pupils may be identified for attainment / potential in any
area of school life or for achievements beyond school
• a school’s register will reflect the make up of its pupil intake
• Gifted and Talented pupils can be found in every classroom in
every school
But why?
We should be providing
support for those who
most need it.
Surely those with most ability
will achieve anyway?
‘Gifted and Talented’ – we
haven’t got any of them here!
“The 2005 White Paper, Higher Standards: Better Schools for All, sets out the
Government’s ambition that every pupil – gifted and talented, struggling or
average – should have the right personalised support to reach the limits of their
capacity. For gifted and talented pupils, this means better stretch and challenge in
every classroom and in every school with opportunities to further their particular
talents outside schools at a local and national level.”
DfES: The Standards Site Nov 2006
General principles for identification:
• should be based on a ‘best fit’ model that draws on a range of
information, indicators and data
• identification and review are a cyclical process
• the range and variety of opportunity provided determines our
ability to identify
• identification processes should be inclusive
Activity / table discussion
How have pupils in your class been
identified as ‘gifted and talented’?
What kinds of evidence have been used to
support this identification?
So what do we mean by potential?
Groups at risk of underachievement include:
• pupils with multiple exceptionalities
• pupils with poor attendance / at risk of exclusion
• pupils learning English as an additional language
• children from ethnic minority groups including traveller children
• children looked after / children who are carers
• children who are exceptionally able
• summer births
• children with low aspirations
• children on free school meals
Activity:
Consider what the G&T provision looks like in your
school at the moment.
Work through the questions on the prompt sheet
(leave out point 7).
Identify strengths and areas for development.
What do we mean by potential?
• The wider the range of opportunities provided the greater
the likelihood that potential will be recognised.
• Be aware of barriers that may mask potential
• Inspire / aspire
• Be aware of barriers that inhibit opportunity
• Inclusive not exclusive
School context checklist…….. points to
consider
• Do the pupils included on the G&T register accurately reflect the
make up of the school’s intake?
• Are we identifying within subject areas? All?
• Are we identifying intelligences, characteristics of good learners?
• Are we including skills and achievements beyond school?
• Is the make up of the register inclusive?
The role of the Leading Teacher for Gifted
and Talented education
Key aspects of the gifted and talented leading
teacher role
Gifted and talented leading teachers will have a key role in
developing:
• Effective classroom practice for gifted and talented pupils
• Whole-school self-evaluation and improvement planning for
gifted and talented provision and outcomes
In carrying out this role leading teachers will be
expected to:
• act as an advocate for the needs of gifted and talented pupils
• promote the various elements of the personalisation agenda as they
relate to gifted and talented pupils
• exemplify and model effective practice for gifted and talented pupils
• initiate strategies which support the professional development of
colleagues
• enable whole-school evaluation, review and improvement of gifted and
talented provision
If you are also the G&T coordinator…….
•
•
•
•
Monitor the G&T register
Seek out and promote enrichment opportunity
Organise learning opportunities which enrich the curriculum
Promote and monitor the effectiveness of relationships with
parents
• Act as a mentor for G&T pupils
Session three:
Resources and strategies to
support learning and teaching
During this session we will look at…….
•
•
•
•
•
•
what we mean by ‘Deep Learning’
using Blooms Taxonomy to develop thinking and questioning
ways of differentiating learning
creativity
key skills
the role of pupil voice in the learning partnership
What are the features of deep learning?
What characteristics do learners need to enable
them to achieve? – the 4 Rs
• Resilience – desire to stick at it
• Resourcefulness – able to find the tool to enable independence in learning
• Reciprocity – able to learn alone & with others
• Reflective – understanding of self as a learner
Based on the works of Guy Claxton
Strategies for supporting AG&T learners in the
classroom
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Differentiation
Thinking time / Reflection time
Open ended learning activities
Risk taking and opportunities to deal with both success and failure
Learner as researcher
Learner as the expert
Balance of depth, pace and breadth
Also consider……………
•
•
•
•
Immersion – strategy to activate prior learning / knowledge
Inspire – promoting a love of knowledge
Individual – knowing the interests and strengths of the learner
Independence – teaching the skills that enable the learner to learn - role
of the expert, critical skills, open – ended tasks
HOTS not MOTS
Most Difficult First
– don’t get GT to do
everything – only give
them challenging work
and open ended
activities
Differentiate by
Process and Content –
By outcome is NOT
enough!
Higher Order
Questions – use
Blooms Taxonomy for
prompts. Create
Questioning
Classroom. Allow time
to answer Qs.
Use of IT is carefully
planned and is not
seen as add-on –
ensure activities relate
to objectives
Planning – ensure all
abilities planned for
with extension activity
for more able –
consider
breadth and depth
Grouping – use a
variety of groups to
engage GT
Activate Prior Knowledge
and Accredit Prior
Knowledge – build on what
they know – use mind
mapping, concept maps,
graphic organisers to
demonstrate knowledge and
understanding
Develop
Independence – allow
GT students some
choice in their learning
– use Activity Choice,
set own targets etc.
Build in time for
reflection of learning
Gifted &
Talented
Checklist
Develop collaborative
learning with
Thinking and
Problem Solving
Skills in all areas of
curriculum
Planning issues –
ensure activities for
GT children ties in with
their interests and
learning styles.
Consider whole class
teaching – look for ways to
offer extension in each part
of your lesson – from the
starter session to the
plenary session. Allow time
for thinking and use high
level language
Which is more important
being right or being nice?
The Little Book of Thunks – Ian Gilbert
“To reach the heights you need to embrace the occasional tumble”
Carol Dwerk
Session four:
Making wider links:
organisations, resources and CPD
National Programmes of G&T provision
•
•
•
•
•
•
National Register of gifted and talented students
Student Academy and Young, Gifted and Talented
National Rural Network www.ruralgandt.org.uk
Regional Partnerships (SWGaTE)
National Association for able children in education (NACE)
London Gifted and Talented
National Strategies G&T e learning modules
• 18 modules focusing on key areas of G&T school provisions
• To support the role of the leading teacher
• Stimulating discussion about G&T education
• Support school based CPD
www.nationalstrategiescpd.org.uk/courses/view.php?id=81
LGT teacher tools
• A set of resources to help provide for gifted and talented students
• Organised around the three core areas of identification, provision
and evaluation
• Provide ready-to-use training materials for use in schools
• Cater for different levels of expertise/need, from walk-through
animations to subject/phase specific
Identifying able underachievers
animated ‘walkthrough’
• http://www.londongt.org/teacherTools/index.php?page=identifyingAbleUnderachievers
Watch the animation
• How might this type of resource be useful to you?
• With whom might you use it? How?
YGT in a Nutshell:
• a series of free, online, bite-size, professional development modules
• take 20 minutes to complete (per Nutshell)
• provide a basic/entry level introduction to key topics and issues
• include suggestions for more in-depth exploration of the topics
covered
• see http://ygt.dcsf.gov.uk/nutshells.aspx
The Challenge Award
A self-evaluation framework which:
• provides a benchmark (like the IQS)
• exemplifies good practice and identifies the sources of evidence that support the
judgements made
• provides a structured whole-school approach to the process of developing provision
• is supported by a range of tools and resources
• gives successful schools a nationally recognised award
• can be accredited towards an MA (via Oxford Brookes University)
Regional and Local provision
• South West GaTE – the regional partnership
www.swgate.org.uk
• SW Excellence Hub
• Somerset CC Equalities and Diversity website
• Bridgwater Excellence cluster
• G&T Summer Challenges
• Local Organisations:
Kilve Court, SPAEDA, Somerset Music, SASP
Session five:
Gap Task: Using the CQS