Discussion Board Assignment Reflection

Browsing the discussion boards on Teachers.net this semester proved to be an interesting experience and yielded some unexpected revelations. Posts from teachers, gifted coordinators, special education educators, and parents all show different perspectives and concerns in the field of gifted education and it was interesting to consider the points of view in the questions and responses to the threads. The assignment as a whole was a valuable exploration of concerns and topics in gifted education and completing the weekly reading provided me with new ideas, insights, and questions to investigate.

As I look back to the threads I read and responded to, I think the most important insight gained from this experience was the sense of I was not alone in my feelings when it comes to gifted education. As a new teacher, before taking this course I was using my best judgment and available resources to try and provide for my gifted students. Without undergrad courses, district training, and a gifted coordinator that is shared between many schools, I was in a position of not really knowing what strategies to use to benefit my students. By reading the weekly posts I realized that this was not a personal deficiency, nor was my school district the only one who did not provide, in my mind, adequate gifted education training. Classroom teachers and educators, both new and experienced, ask for advice and complain about not having available resources. After realizing this, my confidence was boosted and I didn’t feel that I was alone in this search for valuable strategies.

This experience has also opened my eyes to just how many parents and teachers really do not have any knowledge about gifted students and many times do not understand the characteristics that are often found in gifted children. This obvious lack of education made me think about my own district and how communication with parents is handled when it comes to the gifted program. Do parents know why their child was selected? Or why they were not selected for the program? Do parents understand the evaluation tools used to choose students for the gifted program? Do teachers? Do parents understand that if you are gifted, you are not necessarily gifted in all areas? These major questions seemed to be the topics of many posts throughout the weeks. How can we find an effective way to point parents in the right direction when it comes to identifying their gifted children and insuring they are provided with the proper services? How can we provide training to teachers to provide them with the appropriate and constructive strategies to help them teach their gifted students? Obviously the subject of funding is an issue but school districts need to find a way to effectively communicate this information.

The discussion boards also provided me with an avenue to browse projects done by other teachers of gifted students. Ideas, writing prompts, games, and projects are shared on the discussion board and even if you do not take an idea or project as a whole, something simple can spark your imagination and turn into something wonderful. I truly enjoy sharing with other teachers and plan on continuing to check the discussion boards in the future for new and exciting ideas.

The world isn’t flat but it is a lot smaller than we think! By having digital meeting places to collaborate with teachers and parents across the country, we as educators are gaining new insight and raising questions that need to be addressed. Communicating with parents, teachers, and educators on a digital meeting place does not just benefit teachers with new ideas and parents with answers, but it ultimately takes small steps in making school a better place for gifted students. I definitely would recommend this activity to other university students and coworkers and know that if more teachers collaborated and communicated on these type of websites we would definitely be positively impacting the future of gifted education.

Online Community Reflection

Very interesting post on the Teachers.net gifted/talented chatboard...

Someone posted a thread noting the inactivity of the discussion board lately. I myself, was wondering why there were few posts in past weeks. The thread was answered by a teacher who responded that she stopped posting due to "negative nellies" - teachers who are negative about children and their professions. The second reason she gave was because... "Too many parent were using this as place to either complain about why their child didn't make it into the gifted program or how their gifted program didn't do enough for their child. While I sympathize with their situations, this is a TEACHERS board."

Yes the board is on a website called teachers.net but it does not require a special log in and anyone can view or respond to posts. Aren't parents a vital part of the education equation? When communication lines are cut either at schools, in classrooms, or even on this discussion board, children suffer the consequences. I do understand that many parents are upset when their child isn't accepted into a gifted program but I think that these feelings are due to the parents not being educated about the subject. Sometimes I think parents feel that if their child isn't gifted, they aren't smart, which is obviously not the case. I think that teacher discussion boards are a great way for parents to get feedback and advice from professionals without worrying about the educational or social repercussions for their children. Uninformed or not, I applaud the parents who are reaching out and trying to gather more information to benefit their child, gifted or not gifted.

Online Community Reflection

The posting I read last week had to do with a teacher asking for advice about a new gifted program at the school. Instead of a pull-out program, the school was contemplating a program where there would be a push-in program for language arts and math. The people who posted in response to this posting were concerned about issues such as the needs of musically and artistically gifted being ignored, twice exceptional students not being challenged properly, and other students being left out. I think that schools need to realize that "one size doesn't fit all" when it comes to gifted students. Many students are high acheivers and are not truly gifted. We also have discussed in class that a student labeled "gifted" because of test scores may be identified in one district but not another. I think that many gifted programs focus on math and english because those are the subjects that are tested by state achievement tests. Often students who are emotionally, musically, or artisitcally gifted are not having their needs met.

Online Community Reflection

This week on Teachers.net I read a post from a teacher who is at a school where the junior high / high school gifted program is in jeopardy of being cut. At this school, gifted classes are an elective and gifted students are forced to choose between attending a class with their gifted peers or being involved in activities such as band or drama. I guess because I teach at the elementary level, I really never thought about this. Thinking back to my own experience, after 8th grade there were no "gifted classes" I was pulled out for at the high school. I suppose someone could argue that A.P. and Honors classes are differentiated but I believe that gifted students should be able to attend a class that challenges their critical thinking skills and helps them develop socially. I think that it is a shame that the gifted program at this teacher's school is being threatened. This corresponds with the myth that gifted students don't really need extra attention. It is truly the opposite!

Every Teacher Should View This Video!

Multiple Intelligences Tests

This is a great tool for kids to use to measure their multiple intelligences!
http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks3/ict/multiple_int/questions/choose_lang.cfm

Working more on my portfolio

I have been working more on my portfolio, creating a differentiated technology unit on the "History of Chocolate" and creating a differentiating matrix for an upcoming science unit. I have found many of the forms and organizational tools in the textbooks to be very useful and have adapted a few for my own use. I also finished my annoatated bibliography, and added it to my portfolio.