Gifted and talented: Special Topics

Biotechnology Learning Hub
The Biotechnology Learning Hub is a collaboration between educators and the biotechnology industry. It provides up to-date-examples of biotechnology in New Zealand and includes unit plans, classroom activities, information sheets, video clips, animations, quizzes, and interactives. Areas of interest include biocontrol, bioethics, crime scene biotech, cell biology and genetics, milk, biotech and tāonga, future farming and more.
http://www.biotechlearn.org.nz/
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Can Thinking Skills be Taught? A paper for discussion
This discussion paper was published as Appendix 3 of the report 'Education Forum on Thinking Skills', published by the Scottish Executive Education Department. It reviews literature on thinking skills and draws conclusions about the question 'Can thinking skills be taught?'.
http://www.scre.ac.uk/scot-research/thinking/index.html
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Creativity as an elusive factor in giftedness
In this article Joyce Van Tassel-Baska writes on the differing views of creativity in relation to giftedness, and on how parents and schools might promote creative capabilities in students.
http://www.gt-cybersource.org/Record.aspx?NavID=2_0&rid=13721
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Critical Thinking Community - Articles
This part of the Critical Thinking Community website contains articles and resources related to teaching critical thinking skills. Includes sample teaching strategies, and a collection of material for students.
http://www.criticalthinking.org/resources/articles/
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Dr.T.Roger Taylor: Sample Units
These sample units are a result of Dr. T. Roger Taylor's five day Curriculum Writing Institute Connecting the Curriculum: Using an Integrated, Interdisciplinary, Thematic Approach. A variety of teaching resources for all school age levels.
http://www.rogertaylor.com/index.php?src=gendocs&link=SampleUnits&category=
Curriculum%20Units
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Edward de Bono's CoRT Thinking Lessons - CoRT 4: Creativity
This page from the Edward De Bono's website covers the basic techniques, procedures and attitudes of creative thinking skills. Includes a model lesson sequence, lesson notes on how to run a lesson, the standard format, and notes for teachers and students.
http://www.edwdebono.com/cortl/index.html
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Future Problem Solving New Zealand
The Future Problem Solving Program (FPSP) engages students in creative problem solving and aims to stimulate critical and creative thinking skills, encouraging students to develop a vision for the future. FPSP features curricular and co-curricular competitive, as well as non-competitive activities in creative problem solving. The site provides a focus for New Zealand participants and a link to the main FPSP site.
http://www.fpsnz.co.nz/
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Inquiry Based Learning
This workshop is one of the Concept to Classroom online workshops (United States). It explains and defines inquiry learning, and guides teachers to implement inquiry-based learning in the classroom. The 'demonstration' section includes video clips.
http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/inquiry/index.html
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Inspired Investigations
This article from the January 2003 issue of Jamie McKenzie's "From Now On - The Educational Technology Journal" discusses the use of Inspiration software to create mind-maps and cluster diagrams to develop learning and thinking strategies with students. It also emphasises the importance of carefully framed essential questions which encourage students' research to be focused and develop their use of higher order thinking skills.
http://fno.org/jan03/inspiring.html
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Kids Psych
This site for 'understanding ourselves and understanding each other' contains creative thinking activities for young children. The interactive games are organised for age groups 1 to 5, and 6 to 9 years old.
http://www.kidspsych.org/index2.html
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New Zealand Council for Educational Research: Educational Theses Database
Use keywords such as 'gifted' to find information about New Zealand research theses from this database. Many of the theses are available on Interloan through New Zealand Libraries but restrictions may apply.
http://www.nzcer.org.nz/nzetbasic.php
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Odyssey of the Mind
Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten to college. Includes competition information, practice problems, creative-thinking activities, online games, and video clips.
http://www.odysseyofthemind.com/
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Open Space Communications articles: Understanding our Gifted
This US on-line magazine site has a selection of extracts from articles related to understanding gifted students. Topics include understanding gifted students, and critical thinking, and the magazine can be subscribed to from the site.
http://www.openspacecomm.com/OSCArticles/OSCArticles.htm
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Out of School Provisions for Gifted and Talented Students
This resource was compiled from a research project led by Dr Tracy Riley from Massey University, and contains lists of competitions, activities, and programmes suitable for gifted students at all levels. The programmes featured cover a range of talents and interests, and are both local and regional. The resource is supported by an article by Dr Riley with guidelines for selecting appropriate programmes or activities. See link below for pdf.
http://education.massey.ac.nz/massey/depart/education/online/
out-of-school-provisions-for-gifted-and-talented-students/
out-of-school-provisions-for-gifted-and-talented-students_home.cfm
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Philosophy for Children, New Zealand
The organisation Philosophy for Children of New Zealand (P4CNZ)looks at philosophy in the classroom, inquiry learning, and building on students' curiosity to develop creative and critical thinking skills. Includes lesson plans, resources, and information about the organisation.
http://www.p4c.org.nz/
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Questioning Techniques for Gifted Students
This website contains information on why questioning is important in the teaching-learning process, types of questions, questioning tools such as Bloom's taxonomy of thinking, Thinking Keys, Question Matrix, divergent thinking model, and Six Thinking Hats. Includes a workshop for teachers aimed at providing the necessary knowledge and strategies on questioning.
http://www.nexus.edu.au/TeachStud/gat/painter.htm
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Questioning to Promote Higher-Order Thinking
This page from the Prince George's County Public Schools (US) website investigates the ways in which questioning can promote 'higher-order' thinking and learning. Gives types of questions which require students to apply, analyse, synthesise, and evaluate information instead of recalling facts. Includes a look at 'wait-time', an effective questioning list, and teaching in the interrogative.
http://www.pgcps.pg.k12.md.us/~elc/isquestiontopromote.html
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Serious Creativity
In this article, Edward de Bono discusses definitions of creativity, tools for encouraging creativity, and using the Six Thinking Hats framework.
http://www.debonogroup.com/serious_creativity.htm
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Strategies for Teaching Gifted Students in the Inclusive Classroom
This research looks at instructional strategies that have been linked to improved student achievement and have been shown to increase critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and creativity. Also looks at strategies in the teaching of gifted students in an inclusive classroom.
http://www.nwrel.org/msec/just_good/9/ch4.html
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The creative potential of metaphorical writing in the literacy classroom
This article from Waikato University highlights the importance of creativity, and analyses ways of fostering creativity and creative writing in the classroom. The article looks at research focusing on metaphorical writing in the primary classroom as a way of enabling children to find their own creative voice.
http://education.waikato.ac.nz/research/files/etpc/files/2006v5n2art6.pdf
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The Education of Gifted and Talented Students in Western Australia - Suggested Activities
This is a collection of activities for use with gifted students in a number of curriculum areas and from early childhood through to early adolescence. The collection includes crosscurricular activities, and links to further information about gifted students.
http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/gifttal/provision_provacti.htm
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The Education of Gifted and Talented Students in Western Australia: Instructional Strategies
This section of the Department of Education and Training website from Western Australia contains strategies and ideas for teaching gifted students, including for creative, critical, and logical thinking, problem solving, and SCAMPER.
http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/gifttal/provision/provinst.htm
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