Characteristics of Intellectually Gifted Students - Assignment Example

Title: Characteristics of intellectually Gifted Students Name: Registration No.: Institution: Tutor: Date: 1. Cognitive differences and socio-effective differences in characteristics of intellectually gifted students and their average peers. An example of cognitive characteristic of intellectually gifted students is criticality. This refers to the attempt to understand the meaning of a problem and coming up with their individual interpretation of the problem. They tend to spend a lot of time in solving problems and analyzing situations before they come into conclusion. They tend to apply global perspectives in analyzing situations rather than being concerned with the details of the situation such as the case of their average peers Charlesworth, 2011). They step back and think objectively about a situation at hand and take their time in thinking about the task of the problem while their average peers simply concentrate on doing the tasks. In addition, the criticality of gifted students is observed in their tendency to make more of novel situations and they adapt to situations and show flexibility. On the other hand, their average peers do not think beyond the level to which they receive the information. They do not attempt to get a deeper understanding of a situation nor do they try to make sense of the information. For instance, when they are taught a lesson in classroom, they tend to take it the way it is taught and do not want to investigate deeply into the lessons learnt. Another cognitive difference that exists between intellectually gifted students and their average peers is that intellectually gifted students tend to see the cause-effect relationship (McKenzie and Skrla, 2011). This is a state where the child is able to see the consequence of a decision before he makes the decision. For instance, the student may observe that the cause of better academic performance is to follow teachers’ instructions carefully and reading intensely. On the other hand, average peers tend to observe a situation as it is and do not try to determine any effect of the situation. Another cognitive characteristic of intellectually gifted students is that they have the ability to grasp the underlying principles and the ability to make valid generalizations about events, people and objects. The average peers on the other hand do not easily understand the underlying principles in what they earn and are unable to generalize events, people and objects. An example of a socio-effective characteristic of intellectually gifted students is that they are curious. This is a state where they tend to explore new things and are willing to take risks. On the other hand, average counterparts fear taking risks and are less willing to try out new things. Another socio-effective characteristic of intellectually gifted students is that they are intentional in their decisions by trying to have impacts on their environment (Pfeiffer, 2008). They are persistent and always succeed even when the goal they strive to achieve seems difficult to achieve. However, the average peers tend to accept things the way they are and do not try to succeed when they face problems that are challenging and usually depend on assistance in order to achieve their desires. Another socio-effective characteristic of intellectually gifted students is that they show relatedness. This is a state where a person is willing to know more about a problem by seeking the first observing the problem in relation to real life situation. For instance, an intellectually gifted student may try to understand how a particular scientific problem is solved by trying to figure out how the problem could be solved in real life situation (Shavinina, 2009). Due to his relatedness to other real life situation, the student will apply similar principles to improve his academic competence; this is unlike average peers who will not be willing to know more than they already know and will relate the problems to classroom situation. Thus they may not be able to enhance their academic competencies. In addition, intellectually gifted students have the socio-effective characteristic of being cooperative with teachers and other students. This is a situation where they are able to share their views and ideas as well as learn from other students in areas of their weaknesses. However, intellectually average peers tend to rely on themselves and are less willing to cooperate with other students and teachers. 2. How these differences enhance or hinder academic success of intellectually gifted students and how they may contribute to underachievement of intellectually gifted students These cognitive and socio-effective characteristics of gifted students may result into their success in academics in a number of ways. In addition there are also ways in which they may result into academic underachievement. The cognitive characteristic of criticality may enable intellectually gifted students try to analyze problems so that they can get their individual understanding of the problem (Tomlinson and National Association for Gifted Children, 2004). In the process of trying to solve the problems, the student becomes more intellectually competent than the average student who relies on the assistance from teachers. The cognitive characteristic of criticality enable intellectually gifted students apply their theoretical knowledge to solve problems in their daily lives as well as trying to get their own interpretation of the problems they are undergoing. As a result, they become more efficient in solving problems and academics becomes part of the problems they solve. They are also willing to change based on the circumstances they face in academics and real life situations. The cognitive characteristic of the ability to grasp the underlying principles among intellectually gifted students may result into their ability to understand people, events and objects (Sriraman, Lee, American Mathematical Society & Taehan Suhakhoe, 2011). Thus, they will be able to apply these abilities to provide a description of such people, events and objects hence resulting into their success in academics. The cognitive characteristic of the ability to see cause-effect relationship may enable intellectually gifted students discern between conditions that may result into lack of understanding of a problem from those that may result into understanding of a problem and trying to avoid conditions that may prevent them from understanding a problem. This makes them make the right academic decisions by grasping the important points that need to be understood so that a problem is solved. The cognitive ability to grasp underlying principles among intellectually gifted students provides the students understand the teaching approaches used by teachers and also understand the approaches that can be applied to solve a problem (Reynolds & Fletcher-Janzen, 2007). This ensures they are able to use the right approaches when solving academic problems thus attaining success. There are also many ways in which socio-effective characteristics of intellectually gifted students may contribute to their academic success. The socio-effective characteristic of curiosity enables intellectually gifted students get a deeper understanding of a problem as a result of preparedness to learn and the ability to learn new things as a result of taking risks. Through curiosity, the learners are able to establish areas of interest and specialize in such areas, thus improving their academic competencies (Milgram, 1991). The socio-effective characteristic of cooperativeness will enable intellectually gifted students cooperate with people who might have competencies in the areas of their weaknesses and get the assistance. This result into improvement in performance as a result of the assistance obtained from other people. Despite the possibility that these cognitive and socio-effective characteristics of gifted students may result into their success in academics, these characteristics may also contribute to their underachievement in various ways. For instance, the cognitive characteristic of criticality may result into a situation where a student questions everything he learns and does not believe until he understands the problem. In addition, the student may be too critical to the teachers and unwilling to accept some concepts the way they are taught due to criticality towards the lessons. As a result, a lot of time may be wasted in trying to understand the problems in a manner that he personally prefers. In the process, the student will only learn a few things and thus underachieve in academics. In addition, the cognitive characteristic of characteristic of criticality may make a student behave in a manner that is critical to adults. As a result, he may be treated in a manner that adults are treated and there will be a lot of expectations from the student. In the process, the student may behave in a perfectionist way and tend to live to impress the adults (Heller, 2002). This may result into a situation where the student lives with anxiety such as the possibility of failing an examination not performing according to the expectations of adults. In the process, the student may lose focus and perform below his academic capability. An example of socio-effective characteristic that may result into underachievement of intellectually gifted students is cooperation. This is a state where the bright student may cooperate with students who are unable to provide the assistance that can empower him (Baum & National Association for Gifted Children, 2004). The student may discover that rather than getting help from them, he will be the one helping other students get through their academic problems. As a result, he may not have time to concentrate in his academic work thus resulting into underachievement. 3. Teaching strategy for a fourth grade student in the subject of History so that cognitive and socio-effective development is improved in gifted students Students who show the cognitive characteristic of criticality will be taught by exposing the students to a number of problems to be solved by giving them plenty of exercises in their fields of interest as well as allowing them to apply their own approaches towards problem solving. Students who show cognitive characteristic of seeing cause-effect relationship will be taught by providing the students with learning principles which ensure they are able to apply the same principles in solving problems of similar nature. Students who show cognitive characteristic of ability to grasp underlying principles will be provided with basic information regarding the topic such as the exact historical events that took place, people involved and the years in which the events took place. Students who show socio-effective characteristic of relatedness in their learning activities will be taught by introducing the topic in class and explaining the relationship between the historical event and present living conditions. Those who show the socio-effective characteristic of cooperation will be asked to work in groups where they will discuss the topic and each student contribute to the research topic. 4. Tabulation of teaching strategies The teaching strategies above are summarized in the table below. Characteristics of gifted Enhancing academic success Contributes to underachievement Teaching strategies to enhance learning success Criticality Ensures ability to understand a problem and come up with personal interpretation events that took place in history Student becomes too critical of the manner in which he is taught and doubts teachers’ instructions. Allowing learners to apply individual approaches to reading and doing exercises such as their individual analysis of historical events See cause-effect relationship Anticipate the effect of a particular course of action or decision made Focuses too much on the difficulties and the student does not enjoy learning providing students with learning strategies that ensure they understand a problem and solve them by applying similar principles such as the cause and effects of historical events Ability to grasp underlying principles Ensures students are able to get basic idea of what is being taught and expound on that. It results into brevity of learning and teaching and some students may not go deeper into learning greater details Providing students with fundamental information regarding a topic and areas that need to be understood better. Curiosity Enables students try to understand the topic deeper through wide reading and seeking to know more from other sources Results into collection of too much information which may be contradicting, thus causing confusion Encouraging students to find more about a topic by reading several books and asking questions and where there is difficulty the seek clarification Show relatedness Results into the ability of the student to memorize past events by creating a relationship with current lifestyle Results into slow learning and inability to understand certain events that are not related to current lifestyle. Introducing the topic by showing the relationship between past events and current living conditions cooperation Ensures students are able to understand the topic by contributing in group work. Some students may not be cooperative with others and a student may not work hard because he believes group work will be useful in understanding the topic Encouraging students to discuss the topic, seek assistance from other students and teachers in the areas of weakness 5. References Baum, S. M., & National Association for Gifted Children (U.S.). (2004). Twice-exceptional and special populations of gifted students. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Corwin Press. Charlesworth, R. (2011). Understanding child development. Australia: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. Encyclopedia of special education: 3. (2007). New York [u.a.: Wiley. Heller , K. (2002). The international handbook of giftedness and talent. Amsterdam: Elsevier. McKenzie, K. B., & Skrla, L. (2011). Using equity audits in the classroom to reach and teach all students. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Corwin Press. Milgram, R. M. (1991). Counseling gifted and talented children: A guide for teachers, counselors, and parents. Norwood, N.J: Ablex Pub. Corp. Pfeiffer, S. I. (2008). Handbook of giftedness in children: Psychoeducational theory, research, and best practices. New York: Springer. Reynolds, C. R., & Fletcher-Janzen, E. (2007). Encyclopedia of special education: A reference for the education of children, adolescents, and adults with disabilities and other exceptional individuals. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Shavinina, L. V. (2009). International handbook on giftedness. Dordrecht: Springer. Sriraman, B., Lee, K.-H., American Mathematical Society., & Taehan Suhakhoe. (2011).The elements of creativity and giftedness in mathematics. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers. Tomlinson, C. A., & National Association for Gifted Children (U.S.). (2004). Differentiation for gifted and talented students. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Corwin Press. Read More