Princess Anne Middle School Gifted Resource Program 2012-2013

1. Princess Anne Middle School Gifted Resource Program2012-2013 Gifted Cluster Teacher Meeting “Information Dump” & Training Session on the Elements of a High-Quality Gifted Program

2. Definition of Giftedness United States Department of Education definition of Gifted and Talented Students: “…those who have outstanding abilities, are capable of high performance and who require differentiated educational programs (beyond those normally provided by regular school programs) in order to realize their contribution to self and society."

3. Why Gifted Education? • Gifted students’ unique characteristics and needs are most effectively met through specialized curriculum, instruction, pacing, and grouping arrangements. Research indicates that in order for high-end learners to reach their full potential, the regular curriculum and traditional instructional processes must be differentiated. • Gifted students learn at a faster pace, at varying depths of understanding, and possess interest levels that are more complex than the average learner.

4. PAMS GIFTED POPULATION • PAMS has the highest identified gifted population of all VBPCS middle schools outside of Kemps Landing Magnet School. • As of August 2012, PAMS gifted population (intellectual and talented) is 252 identifications/ 241 individuals. • PAMS identifies ≈ 15 intellectually gifted students each year through gifted identification testing. • There is one full-time gifted resource teacher assigned to this school.

5. THE GIFTED LEARNER... • asks the questions • is highly curious • is mentally and physically involved • has wild, silly ideas • plays around, yet tests well • discusses in detail, elaborates • beyond the group • shows strong feelings and opinions • 1-2 repetitions for mastery • constructs abstractions • prefers adults • draws inferences • initiates projects • is intense • creates a new design • enjoys learning • manipulates information • good guesser • thrives on complexity • is keenly observant • is highly self-critical

6. WHY CLUSTER GIFTED STUDENTS TOGETHER? • Gifted students’ unique characteristics and needs are met most effectively through specialized curriculum, instruction, pacing, and grouping arrangements. • Gifted students learn at a faster pace, at varying depths of understanding, and possess interest levels that are more complex than the average learner. • Gifted students are placed with their intellectual and social peers—with more children who “think” like they do. Middle school is scary enough without being so different!

7. “CLUSTER” VS. “ADVANCED” • All core teams have advanced classes. The approach to the content and process is qualitatively different in the intellectual cluster classes. • Intellectual students should be placed on cluster teams in order to receive adequate gifted services. • We want to avoid isolates in the core content areas. • Identified gifted art and dance students will also be placed on the “intellectual” core teams.

8. Cluster Groups 2012-2013 • 6th grade: • Cobb, DeWitt, Johnson, Walton, Anoia, Chasse, Hamby, Zell • 7th grade: • Abrams, Henry, Reyes, Solheim, Trojnar, Gay, Creamer, Thompson • 8th grade: • Agami, Dunlo, Cole, Irish, George, Morgan, Perry, Zajac Gifted art and ODC dance students are also on these cores.

9. THE GIFTED RESOURCE TEACHER’S ROLE IN STUDENT SUPPORT: • Collaborate with cluster teachers to introduce and use instructional strategies that work well with the gifted learner • Plan and implement differentiated curriculum, resources, and instruction • Offer enrichment activities • Meet with individuals or small groups • Advocate • Work with parents YOU! ME!

10. Gifted Program Collaboration Record Princess Anne Middle School GRT: Mrs. Cathy Peterson Month: September

12. INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES AND MODELS • Kaplan’s Depth and Complexity and Content Imperatives • Creative Problem Solving • Habits of Mind • Concept-Based Instruction • Differentiated Instruction • Parallel Curriculum Model • Curriculum Compacting

13. HABITS OF MIND • Persisting • Managing Impulsivity • Listening with understanding and empathy • Thinking flexibly • Thinking about thinking • Striving for accuracy • Questioning and posing problems • Applying past knowledge to new situations • Thinking and communicating with clarity and precision • Gathering data through all senses • Creating, imagining, innovating • Responding with wonderment and awe • Taking responsible risks • Finding humor • Thinking interdependently • Remaining open to continuous learning Costa, Arthur & Kallick, Bena (2000)

14. Gifted Benchmarks • Worthy horizons for gifted learners, especially, but appropriate for all learners • Should be incorporated into unit planning for intellectual cluster groups

15. TRAINING DATES • Training dates for gifted strategies: • DDIPP to be completed through PLCs • Implementation of Problem-Based Learning, Part II • Dates: TBD by Mr. Bergren • Times: 9:15 a.m., 11:05 a.m., 2:00 p.m. • Location: classrooms

16. FRIDAY is ODC Dance Day Please follow up with the ODC Dance students for their plans for getting and completing their work. Please help me and get the kids to be very specific! Active art students are full-time at VBMS. No art students leave PAMS for any gifted art instruction.

17. Gifted Identification Screenings for PAMS 2012-2013 Testing for Gifted Identification is scheduled for the following dates: November 29, 2012 February13, 2013(KLMS testing only) May 13, 2013 (new students to VBCPS only) Paperwork is due two weeks prior to the testing date to Ms. Jennings (w/ a cc to me). All paperwork is to be submitted electronically. Don’t print until you get the “go-ahead” to do so.

18. Communication and Support • The gifted resource teacher designs newsletters, web site, program pamphlets, gifted listserv email notices and other methods to communicate with parents and the community. • The GRT also attends parent-teacher conferences for gifted students. Please make sure you alert the GRT for any conference with the parent of a gifted student.

19. Gifted Resource Room • Room 331 • Numerous resources available for check-out • books • videos • journals • games • resource materials

20. ...And the M&M jar is usually full if you need a boost!

21. TRAINING SESSION ESSENTIAL GIFTED PROGRAM ELEMENTS

22. Today’s Goals • Make connections between the job of cluster teacher and the essential gifted program elements • Analyze the connections of collaboration, clustering, and high-quality curriculum and instruction and their relationship to meeting the needs (academic, intellectual, and social-emotional) of the gifted student

23. Who will be in your room next Tuesday? • Strategy: STEP INSIDE (from Making Thinking Visible, p. 178) • As you view the video clip, you will place yourself within the perspective of one of the following stakeholders: gifted child parent of gifted child administrator teacher of gifted students • Answer these questions from your assigned perspective: • What can this person see, observe, or notice? • What might the person know, understand, hold true, or believe? • What might the person care deeply about? • What might the person wonder about or question? http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=126234

24. BRAINSTORM • At your tables, take 2 minutes and brainstorm what you believe are essential elements for a successful gifted program—keeping in mind the various stakeholders. Do not write anything yet. • Have a group member summarize the main ideas. (1 minute) • Write your ideas on your group’s poster. (3 minutes)

25. the triangle GRT & Cluster Teacher Collaboration High-Quality Gifted Curriculum & Instruction Clustering of Gifted Students How do these facets work together to create a high-quality program? Write your group’s statement on your poster. Post your poster at the front of the room.

26. vbcps gifted program elements • advocacy for the child • clustering • differentiation of curriculum and instruction • Gifted Program Benchmarks (in conjunction with 21st Century Skills Continuum and Compass to 2015) • gifted pedagogy and advocacy for its implementation • collaboration • staff development • parent education • communication

27. Ticket Out of the Room • Please complete the 3-2-1 sheet in your packet and return it to Cathy Peterson before you leave. These will be shared with Ms. Jennings, the AP in charge of the gifted program, so we can plan our next steps as we continue to grow the program here at PAMS.

28. 3-2-1 Exit Ticket Name:_____________________________________________________________________ Room #:____________________________________________________________________ Please tell me what you consider to be the top three strengths of the PAMS gifted cluster program: Please tell me two things that you would like for us to work on together this year that we haven’t done before, that you want to tweak from last year, or that we can do better: Please tell me on thing about working with this year’s group of gifted students that you are most looking forward to and why: