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Essay Subject: Examines special skills, problems & educational needs of exceptional secondary-school students.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Examines special skills, problems & educational needs of exceptional secondary-school students. Paper Introduction: Most students in secondary school experience some difficulties. The ability level of each student influences the degree and type of challenges he faces. The abilities and characteristics of gifted students can exacerbate or ameliorate the difficulties gifted students face in school. Gifted students are traditionally defined as students with intelligence quotients in the top one or two percent of the population. These students tend to think and process information differently from other students and their teachers. This tendency can cause extra problems for these students. Secondary students are in a period of transition between childhood and adulthood; their identities and self-image are in a state of flux. Their hormones and emotions can make studying and concentrating on academics difficult. The quantity and quality Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Students must overcome obstacles in order toreceive school credit and to obtain placement in the next course in aseries of courses (algebra 2 after algebra 1 during the summer). 5 ). Rogers, K., B. A common problem for teachers with bored students is talking orotherwise disturbing other students. 86). Olszewski-Kubilius, P. Placement of gifted students in accelerated classes results inthe children gaining a year on standardized tests compared to matchedstudents placed in regular classes (Winner & von Karolyi, 1998). Most students in secondary school experience some difficulties. Whenbored, a gifted student may react with socially or academicallyinappropriate behaviors, or by ignoring the subject matter being taughtentirely. Anextreme version of this is practiced in some state supported residentialhigh schools. Out-of-school programs are playing an increasingly important role forgifted students. The abilityof the teacher to group by ability level within each class is constrainedby the limited size of the class. Acceptance into many out-of-school programs is based onthe principle that out-of-level test scores and previous achievement arebetter indicators of ability level than chronological age (Olszewski-Kubilius, 1998, p. 17). Teachers can be instrumental in directing thegifted students' talents into appropriate channels of learning and socialdevelopment. There are several ways to cope with the lack of challenge giftedstudents face. 63).The rest is review of previously learned material. "Talent development throughcurriculum differentiation." NASSP Bulletin, 82, 61-74. The last stage of epistemological development is dialectic.Individuals who attain this stage of development understand and are able tolook at a problem from more than one paradigm. These studentstend to think and process information differently from other students andtheir teachers. North Carolina, Texas, Illinois, and Louisiana all haveschools dedicated to the most highly gifted students. Gifted students react to thesepressures in different ways. Teachers often attempt to treat thesymptoms of boredom instead of treating boredom itself. Most gifted students begin or finishtheir high school careers at this stage. The average student is often not asked to work to his ability.The challenge is to enable all students to become interested in school. Individual compaction of the curriculumand outside enrichment may be the most realistic method of meeting thechallenge posed by gifted students. (Ed.). "The road to critical thinking: The Perryscheme and meaningful differentiation." NASSP Bulletin, 82, 12-2 . This follows from their greater verbal fluency and theirdivergent methods of thinking. Secondaryteachers who have learned the techniques used in compacting curriculum findthe time involved is no greater that normal teaching practices and that thebenefits and enthusiasm of the students commit them to the process(Renzulli & Reis, 1998, p. These students are able to see a problemfrom more than one perspective and form solutions from these differingperspectives. Gifted students do notneed the constant review and may already have mastered the content of thetext before ever beginning the class. The problem is that school districts are politicalentities and often the goal of appearing to be egalitarian takesprecedence. Problems can be approachedfrom economic, political, scientific, or other perspectives and theindividual can select the most appropriate viewpoint from which to find agermane solution. Students may realize that any givenproblem may have more than one solution which is right, but that one of thesolutions or answers may be more correct than the others. Teachers today encounter a greater variety of students in theirclassrooms than ever before. (1998). Alsoavailable as summer enrichment are research apprenticeships which cansupplement a student's curriculum. Thisallows the model to pass the public's test of equality for all students. The boredom and apathy can mean these children resort to becoming theclass clown or playing dumb to be accepted. The Perry scheme (Perry, 197 ) uses four stages of epistemologicaldevelopment. Teachers willoften discuss the offense with the student, the parents of the student,the student's counselor or treat the problem by temporarily removing thestudent from the room. Moderately gifted students often begin secondary schoolat this stage. Renzulli, J., & Reis, S., M. Multiplicity assumesthat some questions do not yet have an answer; when there is no explicitanswer to the question, all opinions are equally valid. The Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) was originallyintended for gifted students but has been expanded to include opportunitiesfor all students at some schools (Renzulli & Reis, 1998, p. No differences were found in post-test achievementscores between students with compacted and regular curriculum (Renzulli &Reis, 1998, p.64). Perry, W. Winner, E., & von Karolyi, C. Gifted students tend to think--make connections, inferences, and drawconclusions more quickly than others. Theintelligent student may realize the consequence (the punishment, lowergrade) to his behavior in class outweighs the benefit (of not being bored)gained and stop the disruptions, but the student is still not receivingproper stimulation for effective learning to take place. Department of Education. At the secondary level self-selection for higher level classes can beoffered. Ideally, gifted students and especially extremely gifted students(estimated that only 1 in 1 , to 3 , have IQs of 16 or higher) couldbe placed in separate classes. These solutions are not solutions to the originaltrigger for the disrupting behavior. Theability level of each student influences the degree and type of challengeshe faces. (1993). High ability students tend to gain the mostfrom interacting with like ability level peers (Rodgers, 1998). This tendency can cause extra problems for these students. Thisoccurs because the students are able to access more advanced knowledge andskills and to use higher level epistemological processes within the classgrouping. A. The gifted student may even haverecognized the true problem as boredom or lack of interest and mentionedit, but in most cases the primary problem of boredom is not rectified. They may exhibit some or all of thefollowing characteristics: divergent thinking ability, highly verbal,critical of self and others, divergent modes of response, and persistent inpursuit of their own goals. If accepted in these roles,the child will still not feel accepted as who they truly are (Winner & vonKarolyi, 1998, p. (1998). (1998). References Gallagher, S. This iscontraindicated if the goal is to maximize the educational experience forthe gifted student. The first problem teachers and administrator face is inidentifying gifted students and their epistemological stage of development. This is the point at which most students begin secondaryschool. Thechallenge of teaching a gifted student in a classroom of regularlyachieving students can be met. The number of languages spoken, cultures,socioeconomic groupings, preparation, training, and ability levels ofstudents deviate greatly from the homogeneous classes in the past. Ross, P. That is not usually possiblein today's political climate of intellectual egalitarianism. In dualism, students believe all valid questions have setanswers; they expect black-and-white, right-or-wrong answers to questions. "Developing the talents ofacademically gifted high school students: Issues for secondary schooladministrators." NASSP Bulletin, 82, 85-92. Most teaching is directed ateither the average ability or the lowest ability level found in the class.Gifted students can become easily bored in this type of classroom. Secondary students are in a period of transition between childhoodand adulthood; their identities and self-image are in a state of flux.Their hormones and emotions can make studying and concentrating onacademics difficult. (1998). The basic underlying problem for gifted students is that they aredifferent and students know it. This is still an unpopular choice in many schools today due to the anti-intellectual culture which pervades america (Winner & von Karolyi, 1998, p.52). Washington D.C.:U.S. Curriculum can be modified for individualstudents. (197 ). The abilities and characteristics of gifted students canexacerbate or ameliorate the difficulties gifted students face in school.Gifted students are traditionally defined as students with intelligencequotients in the top one or two percent of the population. "Giftedness andegalitarianism in education: A zero sum?" NASSP Bulletin, 82, 47-59.----------------------- 9 61). A few of the extremely giftedstudents begin at this level of thinking and finish school at the finalepistemological level. These characteristics can be consideredpositive or negative depending on context. Students who are already under-achieving,lacking confidence, or do not want to appear as "nerds", can be steeredinto enrolling in the more difficult classes by counselors, teachers, orother adults. New York: Holt, Rinehart,and Winston. The quantity and quality of school work requiredincreases upon entrance to high school. Approximately half of the gifted studentsin the United States are underachieving due to a lack of challenge and peerpressure to conform to be accepted (Ross, 1993). Mentorships and real world experience which applies academic learningcan motivate underachieving gifted students to preform at levels closer totheir ability levels. Compacting curriculum increases the interest level forthe students involved but care must be taken to ensure that the replacementwork is of sufficient difficulty and challenge for each student. Peer pressure exerts a tremendousforce on most on most teenagers in America. Another option is to form ability groups of students within a school. Children who can be identified as gifted or justunchallenged can have modifications made to their school program toincrease the difficulty level and the level of interest for the child.Because of the differing epistemological level which gifted children entersecondary school, the intensity level of the curriculum needs to beadjusted for these students. Politicallythis solution appeals to the public's sense of equality and fairness; noone is excluded from enrolling. In districts with enrollments too small, or without many giftedstudents other options exist. G., Jr. National excellence. These schoolsaddress the issue of challenging the student and the social and emotionalisolation that gifted children often face. Ideally, each school would be able tosegregate the most highly gifted and the gifted students for specialattention and a more challenging curriculum. Textbooks have been "dumbed down" in recent years so that only3 percent of the material is new content (Renzulli & Reis, 1998, p. Students in thedevelopmental stage of multiplicity do not yet have the skills tounderstand that some opinions are more valid than others on the basis oflogical analysis. Hence, the mostcorrect answer is the best answer. One type of modification gaining acceptance is curriculumcompacting. Answers at this stage of development are memorized or regurgitated back tothe teacher. (1998). Curriculum compacting eliminates asmuch as 5 percent of the regular curricular requirements and replaces themwith enrichment activities which coincide with areas which the student isinterested in pursuing. The intellectually giftedindividual in the public school system is not asked to work to his ownability. Forms of intellectual and ethicaldevelopment in the college years: A scheme. Even so, there are solutions. In recent history there has been a movement to disassemble the giftedprogram offerings in many states (Winner & von Karolyi, 1998). These classes are often known as advanced or honors classes.Gifted students can then select the more advanced classes. These students donot respond well to didactic teaching methods often found in high schoolcourses. Gifted students are generally further along in their epistemologicaldevelopment than their peers (Gallagher, 1998, p. 73). The ability of a gifted to be adequately stimulated in aclassroom environment can impact on the child's emerging self-concept.Gifted students can experience feelings of uniqueness, anxiety, andloneliness. In the stage of contextual relativism, students have learned thatopinions need support to become valid. "Using current research to make 'good'decisions about grouping." NASSP Bulletin, 82, 3845. One step beyond dualism is multiplicity. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.