Gifted & Talented Education
Gifted Education in the regular classroom
Methodologies
Research-based practices
Teaching
The National Guidelines (2012 and 2018) highlight an important educational objective: to exploit the potential of each student. The Italian school legislation provides in references that encourage teachers and educators to consider the inclinations, potential and interests of the pupils in the everyday teaching. See for example: L n. 148/1990; L. n. 53/2003; DL n. 59/2004.
How? Keeping the Italian context in mind, with our culture and our sensitivity, if we go back through history we find normative sources that provide educational enrichment, such as: L. n. 440/1997 and DPR n. 275/1999, even if it is thought for disadvantages children.
According to De Angelis (2017) and Brazzolotto (2018; 2019) Italian teachers would feel very disoriented when in a classroom where there is a student with giftedness, as they would not know how to differentiate teaching.
Students with giftedness show specific educational needs (as stated in ministerial note 562 of 3/04/2019), needs that in some cases (NOT always) could cause a school failure. The most common features of gifted children are: curiosity, sensitivity, divergent thought, perfectionism, creativity (Zanetti, 2017; Mormando, 2011), intensity. Neihart and Betts (2010) have identified 6 profiles of gifted students. They are therefore a very heterogeneous group.
When there is a gifted child in the mixed classroom, I recommend, first of all, to favor a pedagogical approach, channeling all the energies answering the question: “what can I do to include this student?” ; trying to put in the background the “challenge” of wanting to label the student correctly (see Brazzolotto, 2018), answering the question: “but what is it? Autism? DOP? ADHD? Gifted?”. The needs that the student manifests in the classroom should be the backbone of design and not the label. The student does NOT coincide with his diagnosis/evaluation.
Dabrowski (1977) calls “emotional hypersensitivity” that “ability” to perceive, through the five senses, in an amplified way.
Children and young people with giftedness have a hypersensitivity that sometimes (NOT always) has a negative impact on emotions’ management. We all know that the bigger the load, the harder it is to handle it.
Teachers and parents should be aware of this characteristic as amplified perception leads in some cases to as many amplified reactions.
Hypersensitivity combined with awareness could cause episodes of anger and frustration. The strategy I suggest is “metacognitive” which is to help student in school to understand what causes some exaggerated reactions and how they can be managed. We believe, however, that in the most “difficult” cases it is necessary to undertake a path of psychotherapy, with qualified and competent personnel also in the field of giftedness. Metacognitive reflections would be better to lead them after the moment of crisis, or with a relationship one by one or, maybe later, involving even peers.
AFTER THIS BASIC PREMISE, ADVICE TO DIFFERENTIATE AND ENRICH TEACHING, THIS MEANS:
offer various ways to learn at the same time
allow student to choose (after sharing rules and discipline)
make interdisciplinary links (involving colleagues)
reduce frontal teaching (without eliminating them altogether)
promote group work
give them more time for independent study and deepening
promoting authentic tasks
remain consistent and faithful to what is “promised” in the classroom
try to avoid prejudices about “labels” of students
in the event that it is evident a student with twice-exceptionality create a Personalized Educational Plan
when you want to undertake a path of enhancement talents provide a Personalized Plan for Talent Development (Brazzolotto, 2019)
agree and/or share learning objectives and assessment methods (such a rubric)
listen to the experiences and observations of parents and believe in their narration (sometimes students with giftedness may have two profiles even “opposed” at home and at school)
Gifted & Talented Education
Gifted Education in the regular classroom
Methodologies
Research-based practices
Teaching
The National Standards (2012 and 2018) highlight an important educational objective: to exploit the potential of each student. The Italian school legislation provides in references that encourage teachers and educators to consider the inclinations, potential and interests of the pupils in the everyday teaching. See for example: L n. 148/1990; L. n. 53/2003; DL n. 59/2004.
How? Keeping the Italian context in mind, with our culture and our sensitivity, if we go back through history we find normative sources that provide educational enrichment, such as: L. n. 440/1997 and DPR n. 275/1999, even if it is thought for disadvantages children.
According to De Angelis (2017) and Brazzolotto (2018; 2019) Italian teachers would feel very disoriented when in a classroom there is a gifted student, as they would not know how to differentiate teaching.
Students with giftedness show specific educational needs (as stated in ministerial note 562 of 3/04/2019). Their needs in some cases (NOT always) could cause a school failure. The most common features of gifted children are: curiosity, sensitivity, divergent thought, perfectionism, creativity (Zanetti, 2017; Mormando, 2011), intensity. Neihart and Betts (2010) have identified 6 profiles of gifted students. They are therefore a very heterogeneous group.
Twice- exceptionality show the coexistence of giftedness and a learning disability. In the scientific literature it is called twice-exceptional (2E).
For more information I attach a presentation that I used for the Conference AID (Italian Association Dyslexia) in Amandola (25/08/2017) and replicated in Sassari (5/10/2017).
Dabrowski (1977) calls “emotional hypersensitivity” that “ability” to perceive, through the five senses, in an amplified way.
Children and young people with giftedness have a hypersensitivity that sometimes (NOT always) has a negative impact on the emotions management. We all know that the bigger the load, the harder it is to handle it.
Teachers and parents should be aware of this characteristic as amplified perception leads in some cases to as many amplified reactions.
Hypersensitivity combined with awareness could cause episodes of anger and frustration. The strategy I suggest is “metacognitive” which is to help student in school to understand what causes some exaggerated reactions and how they can be managed.
We believe, however, that in the most “difficult” cases it is necessary to undertake a path of psychotherapy, with qualified and competent personnel also in the field of giftedness.
Metacognitive reflections would be better to lead them after the moment of crisis, or with a relationship one by one or, maybe later, involving even peers.
Children and young people with giftedness seem to experience a discomfort at school, resulting in school failure and/or dissatisfaction, as in some schools they are not (re)known and the school program is not adapted
When there is a gifted child in the mixed classroom, I recommend, first of all, to favor a pedagogical approach, channeling all the energies answering the question: “what can I do to include this student?” ; trying to put in the background the “challenge” of wanting to label the student correctly (see Brazzolotto, 2018), answering the question: “but what is it? Autism? DOP? ADHD? Gifted?”. The needs that the student manifests in the classroom should be the backbone of design and not the label. The student does NOT coincide with his diagnosis/evaluation.
AFTER THIS BASIC PREMISE, ADVICE TO DIFFERENTIATE AND ENRICH TEACHING, THIS MEANS:
I propose various educational services face to face and online
Personalized & Individualized Plan
building activities
virtual camp
realization PDP
teacher training
