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Watch the video from both categories. Leave a post (click plus in bottom right hand corner) for each video.

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Gifted 101: The 5 Things You Need to Know

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What does an Effectively Differentiated Classroom look like

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One of the first things that stood out to me was the stereotype of GT students. I realize that I, too, have had a narrow perception of what a typical GT student looks like, and I need to reassess my thinking. Giftedness is not one-size-fits-all, and services should be flexible to meet the diverse needs of these students. Another key takeaway from the video was the perception of GT students as perfectionists. While it may seem that they exhibit perfectionist tendencies more than others, this could be due to the high expectations placed on them and their advanced abilities. Rather than adding unhealthy pressure, we should focus on strategies that help them grow in a supportive way. Personally, I found this discussion on perfectionism relatable, making it even more impactful. The video also emphasized the importance of reassessing students, particularly in grouping strategies. I appreciated the comparison to leveled reading groups, where instruction is tailored to specific skills. This reinforced the idea that reassessment is crucial for GT students—if we are not targeting the skills they need in subjects like math or ELA, the instruction becomes ineffective. Additionally, recognizing students who require more advanced curriculum can be a key indicator of giftedness. Finally, I was surprised to learn about the concept of reducing practice. Research shows that GT students actually learn math and science better when taught at twice the normal pace. Repetitive drills on concepts they already know can lead to forgetfulness and misconceptions. This highlights the importance of assessing their prior knowledge and implementing targeted differentiation. Overall, I really enjoyed this video. While it reinforced many ideas we have discussed in class, I appreciated the fresh perspective and the deeper discussion it provided.

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The first thing that stood out to me was the importance of classroom management. When management is the top priority, everything else falls into place, creating a smoother learning environment for both teachers and students. This, in turn, fosters a supportive community built on trust and a warm, collaborative atmosphere. In a differentiated classroom, students have opportunities to use their strengths and interests both in learning and in demonstrating their understanding. I also appreciated how the video clarified what differentiation is not. It emphasized that differentiation is not simply giving students a list of choices. While choice is a key component, it’s about providing different choices for each student based on their needs, rather than offering the same options to everyone. Another key takeaway was how certain characteristics of GT students can actually interfere with differentiated instruction. Many GT students may feel the need to finish first, believe they must always get the right answer on the first try, or develop a fixed mindset, assuming they don’t need to work hard to succeed. This connects to the common myth that GT students don’t require as much attention because they will succeed on their own. I found this particularly eye-opening—if we invest so much effort in supporting struggling students, we must do the same for our advanced learners. Neglecting their needs is a disservice to them, and it simply isn’t fair. One question I had before watching the video was how to effectively progress monitor when there is so much happening in the classroom at once. I learned that not everything needs to be assessed in the moment. Instead, ongoing written assessments allow teachers to continuously track students’ understanding of specific skills over time. The focus should be on overall learning progress rather than just isolated tasks. Lastly, I found it interesting to reflect on why some teachers may struggle with differentiation. Unfortunately, differentiation can be time-consuming, resources may be limited, and, as the video pointed out, many teachers—both new and experienced—lack adequate training in this area. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and unsupported in the process. Overall, I really enjoyed this overview of differentiation and its impact—not just on GT students, but on all learners.

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One of the first things that really stood out to me, was I liked what Lynette said, was how overwhelming it can feel when you're first learning about gifted education. In turn, she suggests focusing on just one or two areas you want to improve in order to make real progress. I think it's important to remember that gifted education has many components, and since no two gifted students are the same, it’s a major trial and error progress to see what works for your student and what doesn’t. With this idea I found it interesting that both the NAGC's definition and even the older federal definition still recognize that gifted and talented students are VERY diverse. The second thing that stood out to me was the stereotypes surrounding gifted and talented students. She notes it's not as narrow as we often think; children can be gifted in academics, creativity, the arts, and leadership. As a result, we need to provide a variety of services because a one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work well with gifted and talented education. The third thing I took away from the video was how gifted and talented students are often described as "intense" in their areas of expertise. This intensity can sometimes lead to perfectionism, which can be either a healthy or unhealthy trait. It made me wonder how we can support students who let their perfectionism get the best of them. Lynette offered some great tips for this, such as encouraging them to learn from mistakes, avoiding phrases like "this should be easy for you," and helping them focus on effort rather than grades or outcomes. I think these skills are crucial to teach at a young age, as they can carry over into adulthood, especially in college. I can relate to this, as I struggle with perfectionism myself.  If I had learned these strategies earlier as a student, I think I would be better at coping with not always having everything perfect or always feeling like I have to go above and beyond in the present day. Another important takeaway from the video was the significance of flexible grouping. We need to adapt and group students based on their current zone of learning, which ensures that each group is at the right level for effective collaboration. Lynette also touched on the common practice of using higher-achieving students as teacher assistants, which I think happens frequently, and I’ve even felt guilty of doing it myself. It’s important to remember, though, that just because a student can explain something doesn’t mean they can teach it to others. As Lynette points out, these students often don’t understand why others are struggling with the concept in the first place, so they might not be equipped to help their peers like we think. In preschool, we use groups every day for centers and small groups, because of this I'm really interested in more ways I can ensure these groups are flexible and truly benefit my students. But I'm not even sure where to start I am curious about what I should be focusing on most (academic abilities, social skills during play, leadership abilities, etc...) specifically at the Pre-K level? Lastly, I learned that high-ability students learn at a faster rate, so repeatedly drilling them with material they already know isn't effective. This is why targeting alternative activities is so important for their growth to actually occur. Overall, I learned so much from this video and really enjoyed how Lynette covered such a wide range of topics in a clear and engaging way.

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In the first few minutes of the video, they asked a question about differentiation. My response to that was a 4. I'm curious about differentiation—while I've learned a lot about this concept in the past, I feel like I occasionally practice it in my pre-K class, but most of the time it's unintentional. I want to be more purposeful and intentional about implementing it. One of the first key ideas in the video was what differentiation is and isn’t. Differentiation is not having individual lesson plans for each student, nor is it a standard set of strategies, always hands-on activities, or a list of choices for all students. It's not about giving extra or fewer assignments. Differentiation isn’t just doing things differently; it must be done with purpose. It’s about meeting the needs of students, doing what’s best for them, setting high expectations, conducting ongoing assessments, and making flexible arrangements. The speaker emphasized that "the match is the key," meaning that teachers need to align the context—from basic to complex—with the level of thinking required. This includes tailoring the specifications and choices for the product or assessment to suit the needs of individual students or groups of students. Another key idea mentioned in this video was that certain characteristics can get in the way of differentiation for educators, one of which is holding onto myths about gifted education. I took away that it's important to educate yourself on these myths so that you can better understand the true needs of gifted students and approach differentiation in a more effective and informed way. A third key idea from the video was how a differenced classroom may look. The speakers note that a differentiated classroom may appear disorganized and noisy but when you look closer you'll see that there actually is a very strong organizational structure. Last semester, I attended a conference at Grand Island High School about New York State's new Seal of Civic Readiness initiative. This idea reminded me of something one of the panel speakers said in the future, when you walk into a classroom, it shouldn’t look like a traditional setup with a whiteboard at the front. Instead, you should see a variety of activities happening all around. This makes me hopeful that NYS is heading in the right direction toward making differentiation more prevalent in classrooms. On the topic of what differentiation should look like, I took away that we should set up a system where students know what’s expected of them. A good way to do this is by using agendas. The key is to practice this at the beginning of the year so it becomes a routine. Another takeaway I had was that while differentiating in the classroom can be a lot of extra work, it’s important to remember why it’s so valuable. Some of those reasons include recognizing that children are different, differentiation helps motivate learners, the purpose of school is to help students progress, appropriate challenges foster the development of life skills, and it encourages metacognition and lifelong learning. What really stood out to me was when the speakers pointed out the focus behind these reasons: the reasons teachers differentiate are student-based, while the reasons teachers don’t differentiate tend to be teacher-based. Overall, I really enjoyed this video as well. I especially liked how it provided insight into how a general education teacher can support ALL students in the classroom including gifted students in the classroom through differentiation, which is something I've been really curious about.

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Abandon any stereotypes regarding students fitting a specific profile who are identified as GT/HAL. They are students who are as broad in diversity as the non GT/HAL students. Furthermore, these some of these GT/HAL students can share the same special education needs as other students. Interestingly, the exceptional ability may dominate, hiding the disability and vice versa. Too, the levels of GT/HAL vary within this population, just as levels vary with those not identified as GT/HAL. Always be mindful of asynchronous development These students are not min-adults because their cognitive development is strong. In fact, the disparities within their physical cognitive, social and emotional development are usually significant. The advanced ability part of their brain also effects the intensity part of their brain. This can make these students feel the need to be perfectionists or others' impose perfectionism on these students. Be sure to teach the students and parents the difference between adaptive (healthy) perfectionism and mal-adaptive (unhealthy perfectionism). This should lead to the self-focus and supportive goal of emphasizing applying strong effort and that failure makes for growth. For those that procrastinate, help them see why and find coping strategies in getting step 1 going. Let them see you fail and go from there - how you seek feedback to improve and model how that propels you forward. Also, help them to view that every single thing they do does not need to be perfect or have 100 investment - life is a balance of sometimes just doing a task good enough is healthy. Every student needs to make progress working within their Zone of Proximal Development. As educators, we are responsible for providing learning experiences that help them grow cognitively by pre-assessing and through flexible grouping and independent study experiences.

What should independent study look like? Are pre-assessments and student interests surveys the best way to get started?

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Differentiation is vital for all students to learn. To follow the National Programming Standards for Gifted and Talented, we must note the components of the Danielson's Framework to effectively create classrooms for learning. Students are varied in readiness, ability, interests, learning profiles, complexity, and challenge. The culture of differentiation works best when it is school-wide. For example, promoting Growth Mindset school-wide helps reinforce the culture in each classroom. Use pre-assessment as the base for getting the programming to best align to meet student instructional needs. From there, the teacher can create equitable learning experiences for all students. At times, the students will be involved in whole group instruction, Other times, instruction will take place in small group or individually. The teacher is a coach, not the primary source of providing instruction. The teacher must prepare ahead. Organization of the classroom space and materials must align with the flexible grouping and learning activities so that the classroom can run to meet student's diverse academic needs.

The Ingenuity website was referred to for great resources based on Bloom's Taxonomy. Do you know how to access this website? Any others recommended? Will we be watching the second video that was referred to in this video?

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One of the few takeaways I got was that there is a degree and understanding of giftedness in students. There is a level just like sports, not every high-level athlete is a pro because they might not have the build or skills to make them a pro. This is the same with gifted students. Next, perfectionism is one of the topics I can connect with in my life. This is a huge topic for young gifted students because teachers need to be there to help build students an adaptive perfectionism mindset where we hold ourselves to high standards. But we don't tear ourselves down if we can't reach those standards yet. Tearing yourself down from being perfect is maladaptive perfectionism.

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My major takeaway from the differentiation video was to always be open to new ideas and new ways of learning. This is key for us teachers to keep on learning about different ways we can keep our classroom environment different for students so they will become engaged. Another takeaway is our gifted students think very highly of themselves and their learning. One problem that could happen is a fixed mindset for these gifted students. Make sure we keep on harping on a growth mindset and not set a bar too low or sometimes even way too high. Expectations need to be fair and enough of a challenge for our students to learn. How can differentiation look like in a classroom setting with gifted students? First, there needs to be a challenge for these students. Second, you should build a community with your gifted students. Make sure your gifted students and all your students are paired with a partner or group that shares the same interests. Als,o make sure there are different learning styles in this group so students can also learn from each other and they're not just going by themselves.

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This video gave me a lot of insight on the five things to know when it comes to gifted and talented students. One of the major takeaways from watching this was that when it comes to gifted and talented students, there are a lot of stereotypes. For example, the video asked the listener to picture a gifted student in their head, so I did and I saw just what she described. A small child, with glasses that looks studious. This is the exact stereotype she was talking about. Typically we associate younger students with being gifted, like a child who is an excellent reader within the school. But, it is important to understand that there are many ways outside of school for a gifted student to demonstrate high-potential abilities that can be outliers from the general population. Gifted and talented students come from every population and they are very diverse. Which means, they have a wide array of needs and differences. As educators we cannot offer one program that will meet the needs of all gifted and talented learners simply because they are all different. Another takeaway from this video is that gifted and talented learners develop asynchronously. This means that the level of development within themselves is different physically, cognitively, socially, and emotionally. Gifted and talented people have an area within themselves that has developed at a faster rate. With this in mind, it is important to remember that just because a child can talk or think through a problem like an adult, doesn’t mean they have the life experience, social skills, or the emotional maturity of an adult. Schools are designed for synchronous development, the ones who “fit with the main group”. For example, the classrooms, lunchrooms, and even the systems in the schools are all built around synchronous development which doesn’t fit asynchronously. Gifted and talented students can be considered asynchronous with others, within themselves, and across domains. In addition, different areas of talent have different trajectories of development. As educators, we have to think of what is this child’s strengths and where are they on that developmental path and where can you help them grow at that point in time. Another major takeaway from the video was that, for gifted and talented students, the parts of the brain that allow them to have that advanced ability creates the same kind of intensity in other areas of life. Gifted and talented students tend to be intensely focused in are of giftedness, very curious and persistent in their chosen area, very opinionated, emotionally, and perfectionism. The term perfectionism really grabbed my attention. It can be good (adaptive) and it can be bad (maladaptive). I will admit, for a while I would have considered myself a maladaptive perfectionist student. I worked hard for myself, but also to make my teachers and my parents proud. But, just like the video said my parents never really meant to set overly high expectations, I was instead externalizing my own expectations onto them. I would say now, I am still kind of an adaptive perfectionist, and I do tend to procrastinate. But, I do break up my workload into smaller goals for myself, and reward myself with a break or watching some tv when I achieve those small goals. The video also talked about the importance of grouping students so their zone of proximal development is similar, and this can be done through flexible ability grouping. This does not mean that the same student is in the same group all the time, but about the match at the time and the content area. Flexible ability grouping is well established in research, facilitates the growth of gifted and talented students, and makes your job easier. The video also mentions targeted differentiation which is figuring out where they are and giving them something different so they can grow. The first step is to preasses, to see what the students already know. Followed by the preassessment comes targeted alternatives that facilitate continuous growth. Some questions I have are: How can teachers help parents understand the difference between adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism? And What do you do when a gifted and talented learner is becoming intense in your classroom when others are not understanding something?

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The video began with a self-assessment about differentiation. I considered myself a 4, which means I am curious, but also a 2 (I occasionally differentiate) because for my undergrad when I had to write lesson plans there was always a section on the template for differentiation. With this being said, I really just did it because it needed to be included, and I am not very sure if the differentiation I incorporated was actually appropriate. In addition, I have only differentiated for students with IEPs, not GT students. A major take away from this video was that classroom management procedures, including instructional groups, transitions, materials and supplies, and performance of non-instructional duties can truly be make or break for a teacher. Another key takeaway from this video was that a differentiated classroom may appear disorganized and noisy, but the teacher actually must have a strong organizational structure, meaning they are well-planned. This could include a system for students when it comes to grouping. A flexible grouping chart could be displayed on the wall and it is important to practice with kids so they know what to do. It is also important to give clear directions. For example, oral overview to the entire class of tasks and then printed instructions for individualized groups. Also mentioned in the video is anchor activities. Anchor activities can be physical or electronic and they are ongoing learning activities when students finish early, and they know where to find them in the room. Another aspect of a differentiated classroom is the whole class is discussing one topic, on various levels of complexity by creating different products. The thing that stuck out to me the most from this video is that all of the reasons why to do differentiation are student based, and the reasons why not to are teacher based. Differentiation is essential because it develops potential for learning as well as creates lifelong learners every day students are in school. Learner outcomes for differentiation are supported by three questions. In the planning process, teachers must ask themselves: what do I want my students to know, understand, or be able to do? Once this is answered, teachers can move onto the next step which is pre assessment. They must ask themselves: Who already knows and understands the information and/or can do it? Who needs additional support in order to know, understand and/or be able to do it? Finally after these questions are answered they can think of differentiation. In order to do so they must ask themselves: What can I do for him, her, or them so they can make continuous progress and extend their learning? I do understand that this process can be time consuming, but it seems essential in order for each student to be successful and lifelong learners. A question I have about differentiation is, when considering UDL instead of differentiation, is this still possible for both GT students as well as remedial students? Or is some form of differentiation always going to be necessary in order to truly meet the needs of each individual learner?

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As I watched the NAGC Gifted 101 video, my major takeaways were societal stigmas that are placed on gifted students and the importance of offering unique services that will challenge students learning. When an individual hears the words gifted student, they automatically stereotype them. For example, an individual may assume a gifted student is Caucasian or Asian and wears glasses. However, gifted learners are very diverse racially, ethnically, and economically. It is imperative for individuals to not stereotype specific groups of people. I believe schools, parents, educators, and community members should unite and advocate for equal representation. My next takeaway from this video was the importance of offering unique services to challenge gifted students’ learners. Gifted learners can be deemed as twice exceptional, have leadership qualities, excel academically, express creativity, etc. As educators, it is imperative to differentiate instruction that will meet their needs and contribute to their development. Lastly, I wonder how can teachers offer unique services to gifted students if their school doesn’t have enough money in the budget?

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As I watched the classroom differentiation video, my takeaways were the importance of establishing a productive classroom environment and observing student interactions. It is imperative for educators to create a welcoming environment that will contribute to their student’s growth. I learned expectations, classroom management, and collaboration are key factors for developing a healthy classroom environment. All students require a teacher who is committed implementing different instructional practices and differentiating them to meet their needs. Students thrive academically, socially, and emotionally when structural approaches are applied to learning. My second takeaway, observing students’ interactions is very important because it allows the teacher to assess how students work independently or collaboratively. Observations allow teachers to challenge gifted students learning or review lessons to ensure students understand content. Lastly, how do educators teach gifted students advance content while teaching students who are on or below grade level?

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The webinar discussed five key ideas about gifted, talented, and high-ability students. One key idea is that gifted students are a diverse group. They come from all backgrounds and have strengths in different areas, such as academics, art, and leadership. It is important to recognize this diversity and not rely on stereotypes. Another key idea discussed is that gifted students develop at different rates in different areas. This is called asynchronous development, meaning their thinking, emotions, social skills, and physical growth may not align with their age. This can create unique challenges in a traditional classroom. Also, gifted students often have strong emotions and perfectionist tendencies. They may set very high expectations for themselves and struggle with mistakes or failure. Teachers can help by encouraging a growth mindset and healthy ways to handle challenges. One takeaway I have is that targeted differentiation is essential for their growth. Many gifted students already know part of the material before a lesson begins. Teachers should use pre-assessments to find out what they already understand and provide advanced or alternative activities to keep them challenged.

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This webinar explained how to create a learning environment that meets the needs of gifted and talented students. One key idea discussed was that differentiation is not the same as individualization. Teachers do not need to make separate lesson plans for each student. Instead, they should group students based on their learning needs and provide appropriate challenges. Another key idea discussed was that differentiation is more than just using different teaching strategies. A classroom must have a culture that supports flexible learning, respectful tasks, and student engagement for differentiation to work well. One takeaway discussed was the importance of strong classroom management. A well-organized classroom with clear routines helps teachers manage different learning activities smoothly. Without good management, differentiation can become stressful and difficult to maintain. Another takeaway discussed was that pre assessment is essential. Teachers should check what students already know before starting a lesson. This helps them plan lessons that allow all students to keep learning rather than repeating material they have already mastered. One important takeaway discussed was that gifted students need real challenges, not just extra work. Giving them more of the same assignments is not true differentiation. Instead, they should receive higher-level tasks that match their abilities.

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One major take away I took from this video was to never stop learning new ideas that can benefit your classroom and students. I really enjoyed the section on differentiation. I feel as I have learned that differentiation is just for the students who might need it, like special ed or students who struggle in this subject. I really liked the quote they used that said "Differentiation isn't a fad. Differentiation isn't a trend. Differentiation isn't an invitation. Differentiation is meeting the needs of our students. Differentiation is doing what is best for our students. Differentiation is an expectation." They also stated that everyone should be learning something that is challenging. I think that is so important, especially for gifted and talented students. If students do not feel challenged or like they are learning something new, they will lose their excitement for learning and can be seen as underachieving.

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I thought that the chart of degree of giftedness was a really important thing to have to start off this video. I found it really helpful! The part that really stuck with me was about perfectionism. I was reading some articles and watching some videos for another class in which we were talking about perfectionism in general. I think that perfectionism can be great to strive for, but is not always attainable. Students need to know that they can always have a goal of being better than they were or practicing something and improving, but they do not and cannot always be perfect. I think a lot of students see perfectionism as the maladaptive kind. This is the kind where not being perfect or getting a perfect score put major stress on the student. This stress could be the stress of a bad grade, stress of letting down parents or family members, and constant worry about their mistakes. This stress is not good for students at any age. I have worked with students who seem to have some of these stressors and always strive for a 100 or the perfect grade, and then break down when they do not achieve what they think they should have. I think it is really important as educators to support all students and show them that as an adult and as their teacher, people will and can make mistakes. Another take away from this video was that you cannot use gifted and talented students as teacher assistants or tutors for students who are struggling. I think this is really important beause even though a student is ahead in a subject or grade levels above, they do not know how to effectively teach every student who is struggling. This can also put pressure on that student to teach everyone else to get to where they are, which can lead back into the perfectionism aspect. How would you tell parents that they are causing the maladaptive perfectionism to their child?

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The things a took away from watching this video are the 5 things I need to know on gifted education. The first is GT are a diverse population who requrie an array of services. We as educators need to make sure we know what strategies work the best for our students. The second is gifted and talented develop asynchronousnously. It is important to remember they are not miniture adults, and that they are still students learning. The third is Gt students tend to be intense. Which means they tend to be really focused, curious, opinionated, emotional, and prefectionistic. It is improtant to teach them coping strategies to help them take the next steps. The fourth is flexibly grouping students can help facilitate their learning. This means putting students togther who have the same learning needs. The fifth is GT learners need targeted differenttiation. Teachers need to figure out where their students are and then give them something so they can grow.

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After watching this video, the takeaways were what will benefit students. One take away I had was that every student is different. As an educator it is important that we understand each student has different areas of readiness and learning profiles. These students also have a need for complexity and challenge. GT students like a challenge and it's good to push them to be challenged. Another point the video said that I like is that students need idea-mates. Which is that students need other students who are at their same level or are close enough so they can challenge eachother and help eachother grow. There are four different ways teachers can differentiate: the content, process, product, or assessment. I liked how the video gave educators question they can think about in these 4 different areas to help us try and differentiate them.