Using Common Core with Gifted and Advanced Learners - Part I

With all this CCSS flying around everywhere, where does this leave the gifted and talented education? That is a question that has been floating around in my head for a little while now. I went to all the seminars at my state gifted convention to see if I got any answers. All I got was that we have to take the Common Core and stretch it higher for our gifted students. No guidance as to how to do that. At this point, I have to admit that the education I received that has allowed me to teach the Gifted and Talented hasn't really helped. Everything I've learned to do for my students has been hard fought by reading, talking to others, and trial and error. Kind of like the same way I felt when I was a first year teacher in the regular education classroom. Am I the only one that felt that way? I doubt it!

This past week, I was fortunate enough to have a friend attend a leadership meeting and she brought back the names of some books thrown out at the meeting that were good for use with Common Core. One of the books, I had already decided to purchase. So, off to Amazon I went to purchase the book and there right below it is another book, "Using the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts with Gifted and Advanced Learners". I'm thinking....this is what I need. So...I purchased both books. The books arrived yesterday and of course, I read the one for gifted learners, first!!

These are the two books that I purchased:

I am a pretty fast reader, but I don't want to miss anything in these books that might be beneficial for my students. So I am reading and allowing that reading to absorb for further clarification. I really want to do what is right for my gifted and talented students. Even though, I've always felt that I pretty much "flying by the seat of my pants". Oh....I plan and plan quite thoroughly, but I always feel that it wasn't quite enough. I've even voiced these concerns to fellow teachers. They all tell me that is a sign of a good teacher....I hope they are right.

I know that the curriculum that we teach in gifted classes should be qualitatively different from the curriculum that is offered in the regular education classes. The curriculum should be based on the individual students needs in regards to their personal learning rate, depth of content, difficulty of products, and the complexity of their thinking processes. Rarely do I personally feel that I've hit the mark with all of these.

Check back on Tuesday for Part II. I am going to do a book review of sorts on the "Using the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts with Gifted and Advanced Learners". It will not be JUST a book review....I will also be adding some commentary on my thoughts about the book.

Please leave me a comment to let me know what you think about Common Core &/or Gifted education! I love getting and reading the comments.

Toodles for now!!!!

Dee