Community Activism as Curriculum: How to Meet Gifted Students’ Needs While Creating Change

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley D. Beason-Manes
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Gifted Education ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Gifted Students ◽  
Community Activism ◽  
School Students ◽  
Gifted Programming ◽  
Gifted Middle School Students ◽  
Problem Solving Process

Gifted middle school students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades engaged with a community activism curriculum designed and implemented by the author, their gifted education facilitator, as part of their gifted programming. This authentic learning experience asked students to follow a creative problem-solving process that fostered thoughtful problem-solving and successful action plans. Participating students reported feeling empowered by the experience of creating lasting positive change in their community and even altered their own expectations of learning experiences in school. This article explores the perspective of the practitioner and ways of successfully implementing such a curriculum.

Game Design as a Complex Problem Solving Process

2017 ◽  
pp. 217-233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mete Akcaoglu ◽  
Antonio P. Gutierrez ◽  
Charles B. Hodges ◽  
Philipp Sonnleitner
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Game Design ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Complex Problem ◽  
Complex Problem Solving ◽  
School Students ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Problem Solving Process ◽  
System Knowledge

Problem solving is one of the most essential skills for individuals to be successful at their daily lives and careers. When problems become complex, solving them involves identifying relationships among a multitude of interrelated variables, to achieve multiple different possible solutions. Teaching Complex Problem Solving (CPS) skills in formal education contexts is challenging. In this research, we examined if through an innovative game-design course middle school students improved in their CPS skills. Our results showed that students showed significant improvements in their CPS skills, especially in terms of system exploration, t(10) = 2.787, p = .019; system knowledge, t(10) = 2.437, p = .35; system application, t(10) = 2.472, p = .033. In addition, there was a statistically significant change in students' interest for CPS after attending the GDL program, t(6) = 3.890, p = .008. We discuss implications regarding use of game-design tasks as contexts to teach CPS skills in formal and informal educational contexts.

Focus-Fight-Finalize (3F): Problem-Solving Steps Extracted From Behavioral Patterns in Block Based Programming

2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (7) ◽  
pp. 1279-1310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ünal Çakıroğlu ◽  
Suheda Mumcu
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Secondary School Students ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Behavioral Patterns ◽  
School Students ◽  
Programming Environments ◽  
Public Secondary School ◽  
Block Based ◽  
Problem Solving Process

This exploratory study attempts to determine problem solving steps in block based programming environments. The study was carried out throughout one term within Code.org. Participants were 15 6th grade secondary school students enrolled in an IT course at a public secondary school. Observations, screenshots and interviews were analyzed together to find out what students do and what they think during problem solving process. As a result, three main steps (focus, fight and finalize) were extracted from students’ behavioral patterns. The results suggest that three steps occur in linear or cyclic manner with regard to the programming constructs required for the solution of the problem. Implications for instructors who desire to provide a better learning experience on problem solving through block-based programming are also included.

Drawing out understanding

2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 197-209
Author(s):  
Jennifer Eiserman ◽  
Heather Lai ◽  
Chelsea Rushton
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Personality Development ◽  
School Context ◽  
Gifted Students ◽  
School Students ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approaches ◽  
Positive Disintegration ◽  
Gifted Middle School Students

Dabrowski recognized that the creative process is important in the personality development of the gifted and talented. Given the intrinsically creative nature of learning in an arts- infused context, we hypothesize that interdisciplinary approaches to curriculum address the unique needs of the gifted. First, we will summarize Dabrowski’s theory of positive disintegration, providing a theoretical context to discuss an ongoing research project that engages gifted students in arts-based learning. We then briefly describe the implications of positive disintegration in the middle school context, and how art education can support this process. Finally, we describe how two arts integrated projects addressed the process of positive disintegration. In 2013, University of Calgary students in ART 307, “Applied concepts in art with children ages 6-12,” worked with gifted middle school students on an integrated art–social studies–science project called “When Fisher went to Skyland.” In this project, one class of Grade 6 students explored Iroquois culture and sky science through printmaking. In 2014, four classes of Grade 5 students worked with ART 307 students to enhance their understanding of electricity and magnetism through explorations using theatre games, creative movement and animation. We suggest that engaging gifted middle school students in the arts can be a means to facilitate alternative learning methodologies in all subject areas, and provide necessary support in personality development.

Openness to experience and overexcitabilities in a sample of highly gifted middle school students

2021 ◽  
pp. 026142942110532
Author(s):  
Shelagh Gallagher
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Big Five ◽  
Gifted Students ◽  
Openness To Experience ◽  
Cutoff Score ◽  
School Students ◽  
Big Five Model ◽  
Gifted Middle School Students ◽  
Neuroticism Scale

A sample of 108 highly gifted middle school students participated in a study of the relationships between Big Five factors and overexcitabilities. Students completed the NEO-FFI and Overexcitabilities Questionnaire-II (OEQ-II). A cutoff score applied to the OEQ-II created a threshold for overexcitability, ensuring only extreme responses. Analysis groups were based on the number of OEs students possessed based on the cutoff score. An analysis of variance assessed differences in students’ NEO-FFI scores according to the number of OEs they reported. Students with three or more overexcitabilities had significantly higher scores on NEO-FFI openness to experience than students with fewer overexcitabilities. Gifted females had significantly higher scores on NEO-FFI neuroticism scale than gifted males. The results hold implications for understanding the academic and social-emotional needs of highly gifted students and justify use of the Big Five model and overexcitabilities together to further understand the relationship between intelligence, personality, and giftedness.

STAR Experimental Geometry: Working with Mathematically Gifted Middle School Students

1990 ◽  
Vol 83 (5) ◽  
pp. 351-357
Author(s):  
Gary Talsma ◽  
Jim Hersberger
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Gifted Students ◽  
Instructional Approaches ◽  
School Students ◽  
Mathematically Gifted ◽  
Covered Area ◽  
Gifted Middle School Students ◽  
Experimental Geometry

Issues concerning the proper mathematics content for gifted students have been addressed by many researchers, including Harpel (1983), Hersberger and Wheatley (1980), Stanley (1980), Wavrik (1980), and Wheatley (1983). One area of agreement is that geometry is an essential and insufficiently covered area of mathematics content for gifted students. In this article, we describe a course for mathematically gifted middle school students, including the instructional approaches used, along with some exemplary materials.

Cognitive Aspects of Science Problem Solving: Two Mediated Learning Experience Based Programs

2008 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 266-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaron Schur ◽  
Alex Kozulin
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Scientific Knowledge ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Mediated Learning ◽  
School Students ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Psychological Tools ◽  
Mediated Learning Experience

Data generated by international science examinations such as TIMSS and PISA indicated that many students failed to solve science tasks not because of their lack of specific scientific knowledge, but because of poor general problem solving skills. The present study was triggered by the need to introduce middle-school students to strategies and techniques of working with unfamiliar material and using general symbolic tools. Feuerstein’s theory of Mediated Learning Experience and Vygotsky’s concept of psychological tools served as a theoretical basis for two intervention programs: The first program connected content-neutral cognitive tasks with TIMSS-like science tasks, while the second one offered students a new scientific experience Thinking Journey to the Moon. Middle-school students were pre- and posttested by TIMSS-like tasks that required minimal prior scientific knowledge. Both programs proved to be effective in improving students’ problem solving and the ability to justify their answers, though reflective ability continued to be weaker than problem solving. The relative importance of mediated learning experience vs. specific problem solving tasks is discussed.

scholarly journals The Opinions of Gifted Students about Leadership Training

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uzeyir Ogurlu ◽  
Mehmet Naci Sevim
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Leadership Training ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Gifted Students ◽  
Leadership Education ◽  
School Students ◽  
Science And Art ◽  
Gifted Middle School Students

The aim of this research was to identify gifted middle school students’ opinions and suggestions about leadership and leadership education. For this purpose, 65 gifted middle school students who have been attending the Science and Art Center were interviewed by using the focus group. The gifted students were asked open-ended questions about leadership and leadership training. Qualitative content analysis was employed. The results of the focus group interviews showed that majority of gifted students did not want to be a leader in the future because of some reasons including lack of self-confidence and avoiding taking responsibility. But the majority believed that leadership could be improved through training and wanted to participate in leadership training in schools. The participants suggested some various ways for leadership improvement of students in the schools such as teamwork or giving responsibilities.

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