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G&T

Situation

Teaching G&T pupils should be easy, shouldn’t it? Unfortunately we know it isn’t always. So often gifted and talented pupils:

  • - Think too quickly — even automatically—and so don’t monitor their learning
  • - Have little awareness of how they arrive at their gifted responses
  • - Present their work in disorganised and confusing ways
  • - Give up too readily when really challenged
  • - Lack strategies to help them when the ideas stop flowing?

 

Solution 

Using visual tools directly addresses the root cause of these learning weaknesses. They slow down pupils impulsive responses and make them reflect back the steps in their thinking. As well as helping them organise their creative, but disjointed, thoughts. Naturally enough, this increased control over their own learning serves to strengthen their resilience.

 

Benefits 

When visual tools are thoroughly incorporated into the learning habits of gifted and talented pupils you can expect to see them:

  • - Working with greater care and attention
  • - Considering alternative approaches other than their initial responses
  • - Checking their own work, as a matter of course
  • - Planning their work with greater organisation
  • - Communicating their ideas more clearly
  • - Applying a systematic and persistent approach to learning challenges
  • - Transferring successful strategies across subjects
  • - Explaining their thinking to others
  • - Refining and organising their creative endeavours

 

In practice 

In Thurrock LEA in 2006-2007 Model Learning supported primary and secondary G&T Co-ordinators in developing best practice across the curriculum, in partnership with the LEA. The training programme included two days out of school for identified staff, a weekend of training for parents of G&T students, school based learning as well as twilight sessions. This will be repeated with more key staff in 2007-2008

Also through 2007-2008 Model Learning will deliver a programme of training in Enfield that includes two days bespoke training for identified lead G&T professionals, 1 day of demontration lessons with identified pupils and work–based learning.

Following a successful taster session in 2006-2007, Model Learning is delivering in Hounslow, their 2 day programme (sandwiching a school–based learning session) for teachers with responsibility for developing cross–curricular best practice.

 

Links 

As you can see, these benefits have an impact on other areas of learning. Click on the following to read about Creativity and Literacy