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The Extent, Nature and Effectiveness of Planned Approaches in ...

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Recommendations for Effective Practice• Teachers need to create a classroom climate which expects excellence from all pupils <strong>and</strong>where student’s achievements are valued <strong>and</strong> rewarded (Eyre, 1997).• Teachers should resist giv<strong>in</strong>g more work to early f<strong>in</strong>ishers. Instead they should use curriculumcompact<strong>in</strong>g strategies; assign different work which is more abstract, more complex <strong>and</strong> goesdeeper <strong>and</strong> wider (Kennedy, 1995).• Provision should be made for supplementary materials which extend, not merely re<strong>in</strong>force thecurriculum; <strong>in</strong>ter-discipl<strong>in</strong>ary units; <strong>and</strong> learn<strong>in</strong>g centres that encourage higher level th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>gsuch as analysis, synthesis <strong>and</strong> critical th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g (Kennedy, 1995).• Content should reflect broad-based themes, problems or concepts across the curriculum;processes that develop <strong>in</strong>dependent, critical <strong>and</strong> higher level th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g skills <strong>in</strong> both cognitive<strong>and</strong> affective doma<strong>in</strong>s; <strong>and</strong> products that encourage students to redef<strong>in</strong>e or challenge exist<strong>in</strong>gideas or allow them to use techniques, materials <strong>and</strong> knowledge <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>novative ways (Le Sueur,2002).• Learn<strong>in</strong>g should be encouraged for its own sake by de-emphasis<strong>in</strong>g grades <strong>and</strong> other extr<strong>in</strong>sicrewards (Kennedy, 1995).• Opportunities need to be provided for <strong>in</strong>dependent <strong>in</strong>vestigations <strong>in</strong> areas <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>terest(Kennedy, 1995).• Intellectual <strong>and</strong> academic risk tak<strong>in</strong>g needs to be encouraged (Kennedy, 1995).• A physical <strong>and</strong> emotional learn<strong>in</strong>g environment that recognises multiple <strong>in</strong>telligences <strong>and</strong>accommodates a variety <strong>of</strong> learn<strong>in</strong>g styles should be provided (Le Sueur, 2002)• Consultation <strong>and</strong> collaboration between regular classroom teachers <strong>and</strong> gifted educationspecialists should be encouraged (Hughes & Murawski, 2001; Purcell & Leppien, 1998;Kirschenbaum, Armstrong, & L<strong>and</strong>rum, 1999).• For differentiation <strong>in</strong> regular classrooms to work, there must be a serious commitment <strong>of</strong> time,energy, <strong>and</strong> funds, which is coupled with adm<strong>in</strong>istrative coord<strong>in</strong>ation <strong>and</strong> organisation(Callahan, 2001a).• A culturally responsive valu<strong>in</strong>g environment must be provided <strong>in</strong> order for gifted <strong>and</strong> talentedstudents from ethnic m<strong>in</strong>ority groups to be effectively provided for <strong>in</strong> the regular classroom(Bevan-Brown, 1993, 1994, 1996, 2000a, 2002, 2003; Cathcart, 1994; Cathcart & Pou, 1992;Doidge, 1990; Jenk<strong>in</strong>s, 2002; McKenzie, 2001; Milne, 1993; Niwa, 1998/99; Reid, 1992).<strong>The</strong> rema<strong>in</strong>der <strong>of</strong> this section will focus on specific approaches recommended <strong>in</strong> the research literatureas effective strategies for cater<strong>in</strong>g for gifted <strong>and</strong> talented students <strong>in</strong> today’s regular, <strong>in</strong>clusiveclassrooms. <strong>The</strong>se <strong>in</strong>clude Individual Education Plans/Individual Programme Plans (IEP/IPP),curriculum compact<strong>in</strong>g, cooperative learn<strong>in</strong>g, small-group or <strong>in</strong>dependent study, <strong>in</strong>tegrated curricula,<strong>and</strong> learn<strong>in</strong>g centres.INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PLANS/INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMME PLANS (IEP/IPP)<strong>The</strong> term ‘Individual Education Plan’ is widely used, particularly <strong>in</strong> special education, but <strong>of</strong>ten <strong>in</strong>different ways by different people. <strong>The</strong> New Zeal<strong>and</strong> M<strong>in</strong>istry <strong>of</strong> Education (1998, p. 2) describe it <strong>in</strong>a number <strong>of</strong> ways. <strong>The</strong>se <strong>in</strong>clude:• <strong>The</strong> complete cycle <strong>of</strong> assessment, plann<strong>in</strong>g, provision, <strong>and</strong> evaluation;• <strong>The</strong> meet<strong>in</strong>g at which the <strong>in</strong>dividual needs <strong>of</strong> a student are discussed;• A plan for an <strong>in</strong>dividual student; <strong>and</strong>70

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