What the QLD Government thinks:
Education Queensland’s Framework for Gifted Education states their “vision for students who are gifted is that they feel valued in a learning environment which both challenges and supports them to pursue excellence and develop a passion for lifelong learning” (Education Queensland, n.d, p. 1).
There is an obligation for all state schools to understand and meet the requirements associated with the learning needs of gifted students. There is a perception that gifted students are independent learners who need very little help in reaching their potential. However, this is a great misconception; they may need more assistance and guidance than their peers to help them realise and reach their optimum potential and success as a learner.
An action plan has been developed to implement the Framework for Gifted Education in schools around QLD.
The Action Plan has 5 key strategies:
1. Identification Processes – to ensure that schools have rigorous and justifiable processes in place to nourish the talents of gifted students.
2. Collaboration/Partnerships – to ensure that parents/carers, teachers, principals, Executive Directors Schools and others work together to give gifted students the best opportunities to realise their potential for outstanding achievement.
3. Leadership – to ensure that district and school leaders facilitate collaborative processes for stakeholders and provide appropriate resources for teachers in their implementation of programs for gifted students.
4. Teachers’ Knowledge, Development and Skill – to ensure that teachers are familiar with characteristics of giftedness and are able to plan and apply appropriate programs to nourish the talents of gifted students.
5. Students – to ensure that gifted students pursue excellence in their learning.
(Queensland Government: Education Queensland, n.d, p.3)
There is an obligation for all state schools to understand and meet the requirements associated with the learning needs of gifted students. There is a perception that gifted students are independent learners who need very little help in reaching their potential. However, this is a great misconception; they may need more assistance and guidance than their peers to help them realise and reach their optimum potential and success as a learner.
An action plan has been developed to implement the Framework for Gifted Education in schools around QLD.
The Action Plan has 5 key strategies:
1. Identification Processes – to ensure that schools have rigorous and justifiable processes in place to nourish the talents of gifted students.
2. Collaboration/Partnerships – to ensure that parents/carers, teachers, principals, Executive Directors Schools and others work together to give gifted students the best opportunities to realise their potential for outstanding achievement.
3. Leadership – to ensure that district and school leaders facilitate collaborative processes for stakeholders and provide appropriate resources for teachers in their implementation of programs for gifted students.
4. Teachers’ Knowledge, Development and Skill – to ensure that teachers are familiar with characteristics of giftedness and are able to plan and apply appropriate programs to nourish the talents of gifted students.
5. Students – to ensure that gifted students pursue excellence in their learning.
(Queensland Government: Education Queensland, n.d, p.3)
There are many stakeholders (parents, teachers, principals, Executive Directors) who are invested in providing opportunities for gifted and talented students to realise their potential in order for them to achieve high performance. There needs to be a common ground established between these stakeholders and roles and responsibilities to which they should adhere to:
The teachers’ responsibilities are clearly outlined in Education Queensland's Framework for Gifted Education which indicates that teachers should:
ÿ Become familiar with characteristics of giftedness
ÿ Apply appropriate methods for identifying students who are gifted
The teachers’ responsibilities are clearly outlined in Education Queensland's Framework for Gifted Education which indicates that teachers should:
ÿ Become familiar with characteristics of giftedness
ÿ Apply appropriate methods for identifying students who are gifted
Gifted Education: Let's Do It!: by giftedstudieswku
ÿ Liaise with parents/carers regarding a student’s gifts and needs
ÿ Enlist specialist support staff including guidance officers and gifted-education specialists
ÿ Seek specialist advice and resources to assisting providing a curriculum that is differentiated in terms of learning experiences, teaching practices and teacher expectations so that content, learning processes and student tasks reflect different levels of knowledge, skills, interests and learning styles
ÿ Challenge students who are gifted to continue their development through curricular activities that require depth of study, complexity of thinking, fast pace of learning, high-level skills development and/or creative and critical thinking
ÿ Critically reflect on the effectiveness of their school’s programs and practices in meeting the needs of gifted students
ÿ Undertake professional learning to enhance knowledge and skills through dialogue and the sharing of effective practice.
(Education Queensland, n.d)
ÿ Enlist specialist support staff including guidance officers and gifted-education specialists
ÿ Seek specialist advice and resources to assisting providing a curriculum that is differentiated in terms of learning experiences, teaching practices and teacher expectations so that content, learning processes and student tasks reflect different levels of knowledge, skills, interests and learning styles
ÿ Challenge students who are gifted to continue their development through curricular activities that require depth of study, complexity of thinking, fast pace of learning, high-level skills development and/or creative and critical thinking
ÿ Critically reflect on the effectiveness of their school’s programs and practices in meeting the needs of gifted students
ÿ Undertake professional learning to enhance knowledge and skills through dialogue and the sharing of effective practice.
(Education Queensland, n.d)
