2009 MAGC ConventionJoe Ray and Nancy Underwood

September 23, 2009

Example of Medallion

Example of Medallion

Definitions of “Gifted”Gifted and talented children

are those identified by professionally qualified persons who. By virtue of outstanding abilities, are capable of high performance

They require differentiated educational programs/services beyond those normally provided by regular school programs in order to realize their contributions to self & society (Marland Report, 1972)

General intellectual ability

Specific academic aptitude

Creative or productive thinking

Leadership abilityVisual and

performing artsPsychomotor ability

Definitions (continued)A gifted person is someone who shows, or has to

potential for showing, an exceptional level of performance in one or more areas of expression (NAGC)

Giftedness is asynchronous development in which advanced cognitive abilities and heightened intensity combine to create inner experiences and awareness that are qualitatively different from the normAsynchrony increases with higher intellectual capacityUniqueness of gifted renders them vulnerable and

requires modifications in parenting, teaching and counseling in order for them to develop optimally (The Columbus Group, 1991)

Definitions (continued)“Intellectually Gifted Children” shall mean

those children and youth who are found to have an exceptionally high degree on intelligence as documented through the identification process (Mississippi SDE Regs)

A student may be referred by a teacher, administrator, parent, peer, self or other person having reason to believe that the student may be intellectually gifted.

Professional School Counselor’s Role in Gifted and talented programs

Assist in identification: multiple criterionAdvocate inclusion of and participation in

activities addressing academic, career dev., and personal social needs of gifted students

Promote understanding/awareness of special concerns

Underachievement PerfectionismDepression Stress ManagementDropping out DelinquencyDifficult Peer Relations Career DevelopmentMeeting Expectations Goal Setting

Role (continued)Provide individual and group counseling as neededRecommend material and resources for gifted and

talented students in meeting personal/social needsEngaging in professional development services

through which programming for the needs of gifted and talented students are regularly upgraded

Collaborating with other school personnel to maximize opportunities for gifted and talented students

Myths about Social/EmotionalDevelopment

Gifted Students should be with students their own age

Being perfectly well-rounded is the primary goal of gifted student development

Being gifted means that things come easily; you never have to study or try hard in school

Everybody in the field of gifted education is an expert in the social/emotional development of gifted children

Parents, teachers, and administrators know what gifted students experience

Myths (continued)Being too smart in school is a problem,

especially for girlsAll kids are gifted/no kids are giftedGifted kids are like cream that rises to the

top in the classroomGifted students are so smart that they do fine

with or without special programsGifted and talented mean the same thingGiftedness is something to be jealous about

Characteristics of the Gifted that Tend to Screen Them out of Programs

Bored with routine; refuses to do rote homework

Difficult to get student to move to another topic

Self-critical, impatient with failures

Critical about self, of teachers

Often disagrees vocally with others and teachers

Makes jokes/puns at inappropriate times

Emotionally sensitive, over -reacts, gets angry easily, ready to cry when disappointed

Not interested in details; hands in messy work

Refuses to accept authority, nonconforming, stubborn

Tends to dominate others

8 Great Gripes of Gifted Kids(When Gifted Kids Don’t Have all the Answers, by Delisle and Galbraith)

No explains what being gifted is all about–it’s kept a big secret

School is too easy and too boringParents, teachers, and friends expect us to be

perfect all the timeFriends who really understand us are few and far

betweenKids often tease us about being smartWe feel overwhelmed by the number of things we

can do in lifeWe feel different and alienatedWe worry about world problems and feel helpless

to do anything about them

Asynchronous Development Differences between gifted students’

intellectual (mental) ages versus their chronological or emotional agesGifted children develop in an uneven mannerThey feel out-of-sync with age peers and 'age

appropriate curriculumInternal and external discrepancies increase

with IQGifted/special needs children develop in an

even more extremely uneven manner

Potential Problems of Gifted Students

Impatient with othersDislike basic routineEmbarrassing questionsStrong-willedResistant to directionProtests routine

practiceWorries about

humanitarian concerns (global warming)

Class clown

BossyUsing words to

manipulateIntolerantPerfectionistDepressionHyperactivityDisruptiveDisorganized/

scatteredFrustrated

Counseling Ideals for the Divergent Thinker

Be honest about complexity of issues

Emphasize desire to understand

Help child build stronger sense of self

Help child learn to listen in a focused

manner

Encourage a positive relationship

Strengths of Gifted StudentsAcquire and retain

information quicklySearch for

significance; inquisitive

Enjoy solving problems

Organize peopleLarge vocabularyKeen sense of humor

High expectationsIntense

concentrationCreativeHigh energyIndependentMany interestsEmphasize truth,

justice, and fair play

Helpful WebsitesHoagie’s Gifted Education Page

http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/characteristics.htmJoy and Loss: The Emotional Lives of Gifted

Childrenhttp://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content4/

joy.loss.eq.gifted.html

Characteristics Checklist for Gifted Childrenhttp://www.austega.com/gifted/characteristics.htm

Characteristics and Behaviors of the Giftedhttp://www.ri.net/gifted_talented/character.html

Characteristics of Giftedness by Linda Silvermanhttp://www.gifteddevelopment.com/What_is_Gifted/characgt.htm