Gifted Students and Differentiation Using Technology

     Differentiation for gifted students can sometimes be tricky because gifted children tend to be at vastly different levels within the gifted category. Additionally, gifted students tend to be gifted in specific subject areas. Gifted differentiations should be thought out and carefully planned to extend learning, not just to give more work. “Too often, educators substitute faddish quick-fixes for significant change” in their classroom differentiation methods when it comes to gifted students (Rakow, 2012). “Differentiation for advanced learners requires something else: The teacher must be familiar with above-grade-level standards, in-depth content beyond the grade-level text, advanced and extended resources, and alternative instructional strategies” (Rakow, 2012). Plus, “For teachers, accommodations are much easier than differentiation for advanced learners because the content is already prescribed and, in many cases, so are the pace and strategies” (Rakow, 2012).

     Gifted students need to complete work that will challenge them. They should not be completing work that will just keep them busy. In reading, simply giving gifted students the highest leveled reader or more stories to read in a classroom does not always meet their needs. For example, in a 6^th grade reading classroom, one student could be at a 7^th grade reading level, and another student could be reading at a 12^th grade level. Giving these two different levels of student the same story will obviously not challenge the student at a 12^th grade reading level in the same way that it would the student at a 7^th grade reading level.  However, SOME differentiation is better than none especially due to the facts that “when teachers have only one or two students from a special population, they may overlook them, especially when the students appear to be doing well” (Brulles and Winebrenner, 2012).

Technology-driven differentiations for gifted students include:

• District-wide Gifted Cohort: Students around the district can attend online gifted classes together. Students can find others that are better suited to their level if you reach out to a wider audience. This makes group projects available, and will challenge the gifted students.
• Gifted Multimedia Cross-Curricular Project: Gifted students complete a project online using a tool such as a wiki. Students create multimedia resources for a topic of the teacher’s choice. This would be best for students who are gifted in all subjects as this project would encompass all subjects.
• Buddy Program: Allow gifted students to mentor or tutor other students using technologies such as instructional websites or online learning modules. The gifted students would create these sites and modules with teacher guidance. Plus, “High-achieving students frequently emerge as academic leaders when not placed with gifted students” (Brulles and Winebrenner, 2012).
• Online Resource Maker: Gifted students who are not far ahead in giftedness (ex: 6^th grader reading at a 7^th grade level) create online resources for the subject they are gifted in. This will allow students to prepare materials for their peers in a way that other students can understand and it also gives the teacher some pre-made online resources. This could include instructional websites, web quests, podcasts, screen cast lessons, instructional videos and much more.
• Competitions: There are many projects that students can complete to compete with other gifted students across the nation. These are available online and in-person, but many involve technologies such as computers and robotics.
• Language Option: Many gifted students in regular classrooms finish their work much before the rest of the class (or don't need to complete the work at all due to intelligence level). When students finish early, foreign language software is a viable option to enrich the education of gifted students. Students can learn a new language on top of their typical class work. Options include programs like Rosetta Stone or online websites for foreign language building (free: www.learnalanguage.com).

Articles about Differentiation with Gifted Students

Please follow the hyperlinks provided in the citations to access the articles...

Gunter, G. A., & Kenny, R. F. (2012). UB the director: Utilizing digital book trailers to engage gifted and twice-exceptional students in reading. Gifted Education International, 28(2), 146-160. Retrieved from: http://gei.sagepub.com/content/28/2/146.full.pdf+html

Powers, E. A. (2008). The Use of independent study as a viable differentiation technique for gifted learners in the regular classroom. Gifted Child Today, 31(3), 57-65.

Renzulli, J. and Reis, S. (2007) "A Technology based resource for challenging gifted and talented students," Gifted Children: Vol. 2: Iss. 1, Article 6. Retrieved from: http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/giftedchildre/vol2/iss1/6 

Shaunessy, Elizabeth. (2005). "Assessing and addressing teachers' attitudes toward information technology in the fifted classroom." Gifted Child Today.  Vol. 28, No. 3, Summer.  Accessed on 10-29-12 from http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/EJ694019.pdf

Tomlinson, C. (1995). Differentiating Instruction for Advanced Learners in the Mixed-Ability Middle School Classroom. ERIC Digest E536.

Distance Learning Resources for Gifted Children

• OnlineG3.com Accelerated courses focusing on humanities and literature classes for 7th-12th grades. Uses a fanciful atmosphere where students "attend" school in a medieval time with Queen Guinevere as their headmistress. 
• The Lukeion Project Live online classes and workshops for ages 10 and up focusing on classical mythology and classical language 
• Math and Music Studio Online math tutoring for gifted students 
• CTYOnline Challenging online courses created by the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth, for grades preK-12 
• Alcumus A free resource providing challenging math lessons for gifted students 
• Elements of Mathematics Advanced online math curriculum for gifted secondary students 
• Stanford's Educational Program for Gifted Youth EPGY is a virtual classroom offering courses for K-12 gifted students

References

Brulles, D., & Winebrenner, S. (2012). Clustered for success. Educational Leadership, 69(5), 41-45.

Rakow, S. (2012). Helping gifted learners soar. Educational Leadership, 69(5), 34-40.

Return to table of contents