The Journal of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children

The World Council for Gifted and Talented Children
proposed that qualitative program evaluation strategies were needed to determine individual
responses to individual intervention situations (Hertzog, 2003, p. 121).
Inclusive mainstream schools and intellectual giftedness need not be mutually exclusive. It is
important that schools define with their communities what they mean by giftedness, inclusion and
voice because individuals learn in community. Students who are intellectually gifted say they need
independent learning and time with like-minded peers. They say they need pace and they need
depth; they need choices and they need mentoring. Intellectually gifted students have the potential
to personalize their educational experiences significantly by being supported to develop their
individual voices and internal motivation. Part of the way forward in beginning to transform thinking
and practice in schools may be to use a more reflexive approach with students who are gifted. There
needs to be more connection made between teaching, learning, and giftedness and how growing
this benefits the whole school community. The mixed ability classroom is part of a continuum of
services to meet the educational needs of intellectually gifted children but not the only location. Case
studies into levels of differentiation required for individuals and how this is best assessed at the
individual school level would benefit the range of students who need a differentiated approach to
their life long learning.
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126 Gifted and Talented International – 26(1), August, 2011; and 26(2), December, 2011.