Vous êtes sur la page 1sur 5

REFLECTION GIFTED AND TALENTED 1

Reflection on Gifted and Talented in the First Grade

Sarah J. Koonce

University of St. Mary


REFLECTION GIFTED AND TALENTED 2

Reflection on Gifted and Talented in the First Grade

Action Research Project

The term gifted and talented, as defined by Gagns Differentiated Model of Giftedness

and Talent, refers to students who have exceptional potential (gifted) and/or performance (talent)

in one or more domains of human ability (e.g., intellectual, creative, psychomotor) (Fraser-Seeto,

Howard, Woodcock 2014). Despite recognizing the importance of educators in meeting the

needs of gifted and talented students, research indicated that teachers often lack the essential

knowledge, skills and confidence to identify and meet the needs of gifted and talented students

(Fraser-Seeto, Howard, Woodcock 2014). Given that gifted students in the United States

typically know up to half of the curriculum content for a given grade before the school year even

begins, and that children in the highest ranges of intellectual ability often have mastered even

more, their opportunities for "good learning" in the academic areas are significantly less than

those of their classmates unless individual adaptations are made to the curriculum (Kearney

1996). Like all other students in the school, highly gifted children need daily opportunities to

learn new things, even though the pace, depth, and even subject matter may be different from

their age-peers (Kearney 1996).

I chose to address this topic in my classroom because I had four students who finished

their work very quickly and spent in class work time reading to self or helping me around the

classroom. I proposed that by creating a virtual learning environment for the gifted and talented

students, time that these students spend engaged in active learning would increase, which would

be measured by a decrease in the amount of time these children currently spend reading to self

and helping in the classroom. After implementing online learning environment the gifted and

talented students in my class spend work time actively engaged in extended learning activities.
REFLECTION GIFTED AND TALENTED 3

Additionally, the students completed a Reading Interest Inventory to help guide reading choices.

Students are excited about the online learning environment and finding books that they enjoy

reading. I will continue to use Action Research to add resources onto the online learning

environment, so there are always online learning lesson extensions for students that finish their

work quickly. I will also use the data from the Reading Interest Inventory to gather more books

that the students are interested in for our classroom library.

Knowledge in Action Framework and Graduate Program Outcomes

The graduate programs promote synthesis, integration, interpretation, and critical analysis

of new knowledge through rigorous, problem-centered, scholarly study (University of St. Mary

2011). I began by researching diverse students in the classroom, then narrowed down my topic to

meeting the needs of gifted and talented students. I continued to research how I could engage

these students in more learning throughout the school day. I implemented an online learning

environment and Reading Interest Inventory, and collected and studied the artifacts to decide the

next course of action. This follows the University of St. Mary Knowledge in Action Framework.

This Action Research project meets the criteria for the second point of the University of

St. Mary Graduate Program Outcomes which states; Candidates demonstrate knowledge of

diverse learners, including all forms of exceptionality, and create instructional opportunities that

meet the needs of all learners (University of St. Mary 2011). It also meets the eighth point which

states; Candidates demonstrate the ability to be reflective practitioners by identifying a problem,

examining research, advocating solutions, implementing a plan, and measuring and evaluating

outcomes (University of St. Mary 2011). These points were both addressed in my area of focus

statement which stated that by creating a virtual learning environment for the gifted and talented

students, time that these students spend engaged in active learning would increase, which would
REFLECTION GIFTED AND TALENTED 4

be measured by a decrease in the amount of time these children currently spend reading to self

and helping in the classroom. These were measurable by a journal that showed an increase in

time students spent actively engaged in learning, an attitude scale that showed students went

from being bored with all of the time spent in reading to self to being excited to continue

learning in the online learning environment, and more awareness about what books they students

were interested in reading.

National Board of Professional Teaching Standards

This Action Research Project met four out of five of the National Board of Professional

teaching standards; teachers are committed to students and their learning, teachers are

responsible for managing and monitoring student learning, teachers think systematically about

their practice and learn from experience, teachers are members of learning communities

(National Board of Professional Teaching Standards 2002). I am committed to students and their

learning. I monitored and managed the needs of the gifted and talented learners in my class. I

thought systematically about how to meet their needs and will continue to learn from experience.

I am also a member of the learning community with the University of St. Mary graduate program

and continue to learn and grow through this program.


REFLECTION GIFTED AND TALENTED 5

References

Fraser-Seeto, K. T., Howard, S. J., & Woodcock, S. (2014). An Investigation of Teachers

Awareness and Willingness to Engage with a Self-Directed Professional Development

Package on Gifted and Talented Education. Australian Journal of Teacher Education,

(1-15).

Kearney, K. (1996). Hightly Gifted Children in Full Inclusion Classrooms. Highly Gifted

Children, Summer/Fall.

National Board of Professional Teaching Standards. (2002). What Teachers Should Know and Be

Able to Do. Arlington, VA.

University of St. Mary. (2011) Conceptual Framework for Graduate Programs. Leavenworth,

KS.

Vous aimerez peut-être aussi