For students who are highly or profoundly gifted, a change in placement (LRE) may be necessary. These placement options are discussed next. There are also several options in the general classroom for enhancing the teaching and learning environment for students who are gifted.
Gifted students may need alternative placements. Flexible grouping or something like independent projects can provide a challenge without removing them from an inclusive setting.
tudents who demonstrate precociousness in a single area (verbal, mathematical, etc.) are not always globally gifted.
Students gifted in one subject may not always excel in music. Teachers must emphasize their strengths while encouraging growth in less developed areas so students don't feel discouraged.
, metacognitive awareness, and obsessive interests (Winner, 1996).
Globally gifted students bring curiosity and metacognition into music learning. Interdisciplinary projects that connect students to subjects like math and science could deepen their engagement.
the emotions of a child combined in a childish body is to encounter certain difficulties” (p. 21). Students who are gifted are, by nature, asynchronous in their development.
Asynchronous development often leads to perfectionism and imposter syndrome. How can music educators normalize mistakes and emphasize growth to support emotional well-being?
Music educators who teach gifted students are sometimes challenged by the depth of creativity and divergent thinking presented by students during instruction
More work is not the same as more challenge; wanting students to focus on something meaningful like composition. This ensures gifted students see their creativity as valued.
Students who are gifted often possess an extreme attention span when engaged in activities that interest them.
Gifted students master concepts quickly and disengage when the pacing is too slow. Differentiated instruction, such as questions or learning centers, can sustain engagement.
questioning, and continue to question all day while demanding answers. This active questioning can exhaust teachers and parents. In addition, gifted students often prefer the company of older children and/or adults to children of the same chronological age.
Gifted students' constant questioning can be misinterpreted as defiance. How many teachers channel this curiosity into inquiry-based learning that benefits the whole class?
. The concept that giftedness is an elitist value is as absurd as proposing that teaching students with intellectual disabilities is not worth serious discussion within the educational community.
The chapter reframes gifted education as equity rather than elitism. Gifted students deserve individualized instruction just as much as students with intellectual disabilities.
Mildly (or basically) gifted115-129
The IQ categories mirror special education. Yet, gifted students rarely receive differentiated service. Why do schools provide nuanced support for lower IQ ranges but not for for higher ones?
group IQ tests to identify those students who may be eligible for gifted education services. These tests are not as accurate as small group or private testing, particularly when identifying younger-age elementary students (Walker, 1991). School systems set their own benchmarks for IQ testing and services.
Group IQ tests often exclude diverse students, while portfolios and interviews provide fair measures. Performance-based assessments in music might serve as authentic identification tools for giftedness.
Renzulli’s model of giftedness has been widely used to identify students who may not otherwise receive gifted services (Webb, Meckstroth, & Tolan, 1994). He also distinguished two types of giftedness, termed schoolhouse giftedness and creative-productive giftedness.
Renzulli expanded giftedness beyond IQ by including creativity and task commitment. Could this model help music educators recognize students whose talents lie in performance or composition rather than exam scores?
intelligence can be improved
Binet believed that intelligence could be improved, while Terman thought it could be fixed. These contrasting views shape debates about gifted education and influence how schools identify talent.
That was a great performance level for a high school student. She was a little relieved that Hannah would not be in the band on a regular basis because she wasn’t sure how she would be able to teach her much, let alone challenge her. Ms. Harvey then began working with the other students and told them that they all played well enough to play in the advanced band.
Hannah's advanced flute skills highlight the mismatch between her abilities and available school structures. What systematic changes would make sure that gifted students have access to art programs without sacrificing their academics?
They are also at great risk in our classrooms, which are often designed for the average student and to offer accommodations for students with other types of differences and disabilities.
The text warns us that gifted students are at "great risk" in classrooms designed for average learners. How might music teachers balance the different styles of both slower and faster learners without showing favoritism in their teaching? Gifted students disengage in classrooms designed for average learning and ignore their needs.
While the philosophy of this text has placed importance on encouraging “label-free learning” for students with differences and disabilities, there are times when a distinction is necessary. One of these distinctions is in the cognitive domain
The chapter advocates for "label-free learning" but admits that labels can be useful in cognition. How can teachers have a balance between avoiding stigma and making sure gifted students receive support?
Music can be the catalyst for students to develop healthy self-concepts and establish positive relationships throughout their time in public school. These concepts and relationships continue with students (with and without differences and disabilities) as they leave public school settings and continue their lives as adults.
This chapter emphasizes proactive student-centered strategies for inclusive music classrooms, from physical setup and behavior plans to socialization and ethical care. How can music educators balance the need for structure with the flexibility required to support disabled learners in high-performance settings?
This type of data collection is sometimes referred to as a functional behavioral analysis and the three steps may be called “ABC,” or antecedent, behavior, and consequence (Barnhill, 2005).
This passage reinforces how music educators can contribute to meaningful data intervention plans, even in non-core subjects.
. Music educators should treat paraprofessionals as team members in classrooms and provide them with information prior to class time to allow them to learn the lesson and prepare to participate in instruction. This allows paraprofessionals the opportunity to share any additional information that may assist in the teaching and learning process and shows them that their participation in the process is valued.
How can music educators ensure paraprofessionals feel empowered to participate in teaching, especially if they don't know a lot about music?
s, he gets a chance to play a short improvisation on the piano for his classmates, and during class, he gets to be a volunteer for each of our activities if he follows the directions of sitting in a circle with us and keeping his motions and sounds to a minimum. His class last year was very welcoming of him and understood that he learns differently and helped him in ways that they could, whether it be directing him to the circle carpet or in line at the end of class.
a strategy reframed by thinking about classroom incentives. Instead of external reward, the teachers use musical expression and leadership roles to motivate Carson.
It is also important to point out that using the words “good behavior” and “bad behavior” can be problematic. If a student hears that they are exhibiting “bad” behavior often, the student can develop self-esteem issues. Even worse, the student can start to build an identity that is centered around “bad” behavior as a way of gaining the attention of the teacher. Just refer to behaviors as what they are: behaviors.
Labeling as "good" or "bad" can harm a student's esteem and identity. Describing actions neutrally to avoid reinforcement of negative self-concepts.