Ilam School
Introduction
The following story is about the gifted and talented class at Ilam School in Christchurch, New Zealand. It comprises diary reflections by a teacher involved in the programme. Student reflections are presented in Diary of a super gherkin, which is a personal account about the learning centre. The section on evaluation includes both comments from the teachers and the results of a questionnaire completed by students and parents. The page numbers in brackets are cross-referenced back to the original Ilam School: Our Story document.
Summary of the programme
The programme ran over three years: 2003 to 2005.
- In 2003, the first three phases of a negotiated inquiry were implemented. These were: deciding, exploring and recording.
- In 2004, the emphasis shifted to more higher-order thinking in the next phases: making sense and making a difference.
- In 2005, the programme was adapted so it could be sustained into 2006. This involved organising small groups, each comprising 3 to 4 children into 'PODs'. For the first half of the year the children's programmes were negotiated and supported by the full-time gifted and talented coordinator and monitored by classroom teachers and parents.
- In 2006, it is expected that teachers will continue to involve parents as active partners in the teaching process. Parents as co-teachers are a valuable source of expertise and also help in a monitoring role.
To read about the programme, go to sections listed on the right-hand menu.