Differentiation for Gifted and Highly Able Learners

1. Differentiation for Gifted and Highly Able Learners IRHS Grade 8 Parents’ Night January 16, 2014 K. Patterson Co-ordinator Gifted Programming

2. ENRICHMENT AT IRHS Enrichment is for EVERYONE!

3. Topics to be Covered • “Giftedness” • Highly Able students • Clustering (Placement and Identification) • Learning Profiles • Differentiation • Enrichment Opportunities

4. Definition of “Giftedness”: An unusually advanced degree of general intellectual ability that requires differentiated learning experiences of a depth and breadth beyond those normally provided in the regular school program to satisfy the level of educational potential indicated. Ontario Min. of Ed. Special Ed. Guide for Educators 2001

5. Traits of a Gifted and/or Highly Able Learner • Keen to go beyond the curriculum • Anxious to share ideas and discuss areas of interest • Think quickly and rush note-taking

6. Traits of a Gifted and/or Highly Able Learner • Skip steps in a process and jump to the answer • Have messy notebooks/incomplete homework OR are perfectionists with extraordinary organization

7. Traits of a Gifted and/or Highly Able Learner • Interact with other students • Want to help others/Bored and want social outlet • Continuously ask questions, inquisitive

8. Traits of a Gifted and/or Highly Able Learner • More interested in individual work due to a desire to produce excellent products • Avoid group activities at times • Curious and want to learn new things

9. Challenging Work = Growth “Insist that students with ability try things that are hard for them to do.” - Carol Ann Tomlinson

10. Clustering in classes • Students are clustered by: a) identification(Gifted)or b) marks (Highly Able) • Clustering occurs in: Math, English, Geography and Science • Students cannot be clustered AND in French Immersion unless timetable easily permits it and it does NOT interfere with French Immersion

11. Placement with IEP (Gifted) • Formally identified “Gifted” students are placed in clustered classes first according to their IEP placement: “Resource Support – Secondary Gifted Placement” • They may choose to be in some or all of the 4 clustered classes offered in grade 9

12. Placement of Highly Able Students • Highly Able students fill the classes according to marks, beginning with the student with the highest mark in each specific subject. • Students can be invited into more than one class but in each case it depends on their marks for that subject.

13. Placement of Highly Able Students • February Report marks are used first and the invitation is dependent on the student maintaining a grade above the “cut off” by the end of the year. • If they do not do so, another student with a higher mark may be invited into the class and the original student moved to an academic class.

14. Placement continued • Invitations (a letter and/or phone call) are issued to the highly able student and parents, they may choose to accept or reject that invitation to join the clustered class(es). • Once the classes are filled to approx. the same size as Academic classes in the same subject area, the class is “closed”.

15. Process for Identification HDSB • If your child was identified in another board OR • If you would like to have your child tested to see if they meet the criteria to be identified “Gifted” in the Halton District School Board 1. You must submit a psycho-educational testing report to Kathryn Patterson 2. It is then reviewed by our Board Psychological Education Consultant

16. Process for Identification HDSB • If the report indicates that the child meets the criteria for identification in HDSB, the report is then presented to the IRHS School Resource Team (SRT) with the support of the parents. • Upon approval, the SERT prepares documents for IPRC. (Identification, Placement Review Committee)

17. Process for Identification HDSB • Documents and an invitation are sent home to the parents prior to IPRC. • SERT and Psych. Ed. Consultant present the case to the IPRC committee (VP, Superintendent, IPRC Special Ed. Staff, Regional Consultant) • Upon approval, the student is formally identified “Gifted”.

18. Optional Attendance • Optional attendance forms are available from your home high school. • Fill them out and have the Principal at the home high school sign them and send them to IRHS. • If a student is identified “Gifted” in Halton, they may attend any SGP school of their choice and must return their SGP placement form to their elementary school SERT. .

19. Registering at IRHS • Registration packages are available through our Personal and Career Counselling (PCC) Dept. • Please pick one up as you leave this evening if you are coming to IRHS from out of the catchment area, from a private school, different board or out of province, etc.

20. What happens in a Clustered Enriched class? • Differentiated curriculum • Greater depth, breadth and a faster pace. • Evaluated on the same scale as Academic classes • Enrichment opportunities – often a field trip, guest speaker, special lab, choice projects

21. The Classroom Teacher • Has input into Differentiated program • Monitors student progress through academic requirements of the course. • Develops “Alternative” learning content, processes and/or products to meet student needs (different – not more!) • Plans instruction, assesses and evaluates the student’s achievement of expectations based upon Provincial Curriculum

22. The Special Education Resource Teacher • Supports classroom teachers and students by generating ideas, providing resources and collaborative time to discuss curriculum development • Meets with IEP students to monitor their progress and update the IEP as needed • Develops transition planning for students • Creates monthly Enrichment newsletters • ManagesLeadership/Enrichment activities outside of the classroom

23. Key Approaches forClustered Classes • Learning Profiles (knowing the student) • Differentiation • Enrichment • CHOICE!

24. Learning Profiles • Includes Learning Style, Interests and Readiness. • How we learn is as important as what we learn (online assessment) • Visual, Auditory and Tactile/Kinesthetic • Multiple Intelligences (Howard Gardner) • Creative, Analytical, Practical (Sternberg)

25. Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences • Kinesthetic • Naturalist • Logical/Mathematical • Musical/Rhythmic • Verbal/Linguistic • Visual/Spatial • Interpersonal • Intrapersonal • Existential

26. Defining “Differentiation” Knowing the learners in order to adapt thecontent, and/or adjust theprocessby which a student learns and/or redesigntheproductexpectations to maximize learner capacity and growth.

27. Let’s Talk About Process • Gifted and Highly Able students learn fast and forever & may already know material through prior reading/learning of their own.. • Research states that most learners take 9 repetitions to learn something, most gifted learners take 3 or less and highly able students take approximately 5-6 repetitions. • Process is “sense-making”

28. How to alter program for Gifted & Highly Able Students… • Challenge • Motivate • Use a “Strategy”

29. Strategies for Differentiated Classrooms • Compacting & Extension • Independent projects/contracts • Interest groups/grouping • Mentorships/Apprenticeships

30. Strategies for Differentiated Classrooms • Focus on Critical and Creative Thinking • High Level Questioning • Tiered assignments • RAFT (Role, Audience, Format, Topic) • Think TacToe

31. CHOICE! • Students are offered some choice to meet their Learning profile needs. • Sometimes students are challenged to work outside of their areas of strength to precipitate personal growth • Always, students are encouraged to challenge themselves to learn

32. Challenging Work = Growth “Fair = Equity of Opportunity to Grow and Succeed.” - Carol Ann Tomlinson “Start Where they Are” - Karen Hume

33. Challenging Work = Growth • “[Students] understand that if they strive to be [enriched] learners, they will go further in their learning than if they settle for ‘getting by’.” - Carol Ann Tomlinson

34. Challenging Work = Growth • “A great classroom conveys to all students ‘This is hard, but you can do hard things, and I am not willing to let you settle for less’” - Carol Ann Tomlinson “Failure is not an option” - Apollo 13

35. ENRICHMENTAP Exams • Advanced Placement Exam Opportunity • Write 1st year University exam for Credit/Placement • The College Board (SAT)

36. ADVANCED PLACEMENT • Cost $89.00 US per exam • 5 or more exams=Scholarship • Individual study groups • Staff Coaching • Supervised by IRHS staff • Written in May each year

37. ADVANCED PLACEMENT • Information at http://apcanada.collegeboard.org/ • IRHS AP Coordinator is Kathryn Patterson • 2014 – we have many different exams being written! • Students in grades 9 through 12 may try these exams.

38. Enrichment Opportunities • Advanced Placement • E=mc2 (Queens) • Encounters with Canada • SHAD Valley • Rotary Camp Enterprise • Ontario Student Leadership Conference • Duke of Edinburgh • Waterloo Unlimited • Police Ethnic & Cultural Ed. • Youth Advisory Councils

39. Enrichment Opportunities • Student Senate • Government Page programs • Essay contests • COLs leadership • MEI, Blyth, Exchanges • Skule Sisters/DEEP • UofT/Harvard programs • Go Eng Girl • Math Contests • Brain Bee

40. Monthly Enrichment Newsletter

41. Further Information Go to www.irhs.ca Feel free to contact me at any time Kathryn Patterson E-mail: pattersonka@hdsb.ca Blog: http://enrichridge.blogspot.com/ Phone: (905) 845-0012 x240 Gifted Education Office: Room 214