DOCUMENT RESUME ED 386 905 EC 304 299 TITLE Developing General vs. Specific Abilities and Their Relationship to Diversity. Abstracts of Selected Papers [from] The Annual Esther Katz Rosen Symposium on the Psychological Development of Gifted Children (4th, Lawrence, Kansas, September 30-October 1, 1994). INSTITUTION Kansas Univ., Lawrence. PUB DATE 94 NOTE 34p. PUB TYPE Collected Works General (020) Reports Descriptive. (141) EDRS PRICE MFOI/PCO2 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Creative Development; *Cultural Differences; Early Childhood Education; Educational Environment; Elementary Secondary Education; Females; *Gifted; Higher Education; *Minority Groups; *Student Development; *Talent; *Talent Development IDENTIFIERS *Diversity (Student) ABSTRACT This monograph presents abstracts of 32 papers on the development of general versus specific abilities and their relationship to diversity in gifted and talented students. Sample topics include: creative development at the college level; cultural and linguistic differences in gifted children; Project High Hopes, a program for gifted students with special needs in upper elementary grades; a model for analyzing underachievement in terms of the peer society; preservice teachers' perceptions of the label "gifted-talented-creative"; long-term effects of educational enrichment during infancy; gifted students in restructured middle schols; cultural differences and young gifted children; misbeliefs about intelligence among psychologists, teachers, school administrators, and parents; narrative language differences between gifted/learning disabled (LD) and nonLD/gifted adolescents; active learning and young gifted children; lifespan achievement of gifted women of color; enhancing gendered interpersonal abilities through drama ard theater; problem solving in multiple intelligences with Native American and Hispanic children; advanced development in the social domain among gifted girls; an analysis of the early years of the Brontes at Haworth; creativity and race; differences between gifted teachers', regular classroom teachers', and undergraduate education majors' expressed value of empowered behavior for gifted children and children in gene;:a1; backroom decision making in gifted education; career development of talented teenage musicians; artistic talent and creativity; the relationship of societal competence to parental expectation and individual potential; comparison of inductive and deductive methods of teaching writing in an inner-city school; gifted education in South Africa; and psychosocial diversity. (DB) The Fourth Annual Esther Katz Rosen Symposium on the Psychological Development of Gifted Children Developing General vs. Specific Abilities and Their Relationship to Diversity. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Orrice 04 Educahonel Resserch encl Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) )1This document has been reproduced as received from the Person Or organization originating it 0 Minor changes have been mad* tO ImOrOee reproduction quality Abstracts of Selected Papers POInts Of 'OHM Opmions stated on this docu- ment do not neceSsarity represent otheusl OERI positron or policy AVAILABLE BEST COPY -PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BT University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas September 30 - October 1, 1994 TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCAS INFORMATION CENTER IERICI- The Esther Katz Rosen Symposium is made possible by the generous support of the American Psychological Foundation, the Merrill Advanced Studies Center, the Schiefelbusch Institute for Life-Span Studies, and the University of Kansas. 2 BEST COPY AVAILABLE DEVELOPING CREATIVE ABILITIES AT THE COLLEGE LEVEL Eunice M.L. Soriano de Alencar Instituto de Psicologia Universidade de Brasilia Brasilia, DF 70910 900 Brasil Fax: 55 61 2736378 Phone: 55 61 3485539 Studies on the extent that creativity has being nurtured by college teachers are rare. The purpose of the research was to investigate the extent that different aspects related to creativity have been fostered by college teachers. Two hundred thirty-three students from two colleges, one ranked as one of the best in Brazil (College A) and another ranked low among Brazilian colleges (College B) participated in the study. The sample was requested to answer an instrument constructed by the author to investigate the students' perception of the degree that different aspects related to creativity have been fostered on the part of their college teachers. Examples of items from this instrument, which were answered on a five point scale: College teachers in general stimulate students to make questions in relation to the topics studied; they give time to students to think and to develop new ideas; they provide conditions for the students to know divergent points of view in relation to the topics under investigation; they make challenging questions in class; they stimulate the students' independence; they provide an environment of respect to the students' new ideas. This insturment was previously validated by the author in a study with 210 college z students. Students from College A, comparing with those from Colllege B, rated their teachers as providing significantly more adequate conditions to the nurturing of creafivity. It was also found that students from the first semesters, comparing with those from the last ones, evaluated thdr teachers as nurturing significantly more different aspects related to creativity. Our results point to some characteristics of the learning situation that may contribute to the promotion of the creative abilities. These characteristics should be implemented in the elementary, secondary and college levels, in order to prepared students to the creative productivity that is necessary in all societies. CULTURAL AND LINGUISTIC DIFFERENCES IN GIFTED CHILDREN Linda C. Badon, Ph.D. University of Southwestern Louisiana Department of Communicative Disorders P. 0. Box 43170 Lafayette, Louisiana 70504 (318) 482-5241 Researchers have verified that at-risk students coming from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds experience many problems in the mainstream educational system. This is evident in the over-representation of culturally/linguistically (C/LD) different students in special or remedial programs, higher drop-out and retention rates, as well as lower scores on academic achievement and intelligence tests. These differences have been attributed to a mis-match between the cultural and/or linguistic background of these students and the expectations of the schools (Damico & Hamayan, 1992). Little is known about the impact that cultural and linguistic differences have on the academic perfomunce of gifted students. It is imperative that professionals are able to identify gifted C/LD students who are experiencing difficulties due to cultural and/or linguistic differences. Many researchers have studied the effects of culture and literacy (Chisholm, 1981; Heath, 1980; Scribner and Cole, 1981; Westby, 1985). Westby (1985) has identified oral-literate differences in language use, topic and language acquisition, with the more literate style being most valued within the school environments. Those cultures that can use a decontextualized/literate language (i.e., communicative use that is not dependent upon the immediate environment of the speaker and listener) or a language that is used for reflecting, reasoning, and planning exhibit greater ease in acquiring and using literacy than do those cultures that rely almost exclusively on a here and now use of language (Westby, 1985). A review of the literature will be presented relative to the scope of this presentation. It is the purpose of this presentation to: 1) identify oral-literate differences of language use and acquisition of gifted C/LD children, 2) propose that researchers study cultural and linguistic differences and how they affect the academic performance of gifted children, and 3) highlight the need for the involvement of language specialists in the screening and evaluation of children referred for gifted services. PROJECT HIGH HOPES: DEVELOPING TALENT IN GIFTED STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS Susan Baum and Terry W. Neu Project High Hopes Area Cooperative Educational Services 205 Skiff Street Hamden, Connecticut 0( )17 (203) 248-9119 ext. 402 (213) 287-8081 Fax: An almost totally neglected population of gifted learners ate high ability students with special needs. This situation exists for several reasons. First, traditional methods of identification are biased against students with learning, behavior, attentional difficulties or physical handicaps. Second, even if gifted potential is noted in such students, popular sentiment favors remediation over talent development. Another problem is that once students are classified as handicapped, they may be taken out of the mainstream of education and placed in special classes or special schools where access to talent development programs are limited. Current research suggests, however, that high ability students with special needs fare better socially, emotionally and academically when attention is given to developing their strengths and interests. High Hopes, a three year project funded by the U.S. Office of Education through the Javits Grant Program, has been designed to identify and nurture artistic and scientific talent in upper elementary students with learnhig disabilities, behavior disorders, attention deficits, or hearing impairments. These students come from seven sites in Rhode Island and Connecticut. These sites represent three different learning environments .. special schools, special classes within the public school and mainstreamed children. The objectives of the sessions are to provide an overview of the three year project; to describe the behaviors characterizing talent in science, visual arts and dramatic arts; and to demonstrate identification activities specifically designed to elicit gifted behaviors. Participants will take part in the identification activities in physical science, biology and engineering as well as in both the visual and dramatic arts. Samples of the actual student responses will be shown and the participants will have the opportunity to discuss which responses show talent potential. To conclude the session, we will discuss the research agenda and design of the project. The major question to be explored is the effect or impact of talent development on students social and academic self-efficacy and on their self-regulation. Sample instruments and identification checklists will be shared as well. DEVELOPING A TAXONOMY FOR TEACHING ROUTINE AND CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING ABILITIES Shawn M. Boles, Ph.D. University of Oregon Oregon Research Institute 1715 Franklin Blvd., Eugene, OR 97403-1983 Fax: (503) 484-1108 (503) 484-2123 Email: [email protected] This paper extends the author's earlier model of problem-solving strategies to generate a framework that supports teaching both routine (specific) and creative (general) problem-solving abilities to diverse learners. After reviewing an operational definition of problem-solving behavior and describing the various model patterns that can be defined in constructing solutions to problems, a taxonomy of problem-solving behavior consistent with these patterns is developed. This taxonomy is described as a tree, the branches of which contain distinct approaches to problem solving that result from partitions of the universe of all problem-solving behavior. First, problem-solving behavior is divided into two categories based on whether the solution pattern involves a discontinuity. The second division is based on whether the problem solver's behavior is conscious or unconscious, where conscious simply means that verbal behavior with respect to the problem is collaterally present with attempts to reach a solution. The classification methodology yields four "fuzzy" approaches to problem solving. Ordered from the specific to the general, these are: habitual or automatic approaches, algorithmic or learned approaches, heuristic or discovered approaches, and transcendent or inspired approaches. Following detailed descriptions of each of these approaches, together with illustrations drawn from several domains of discourse, the paper concludes with a detailed analysis of the implications of this taxonomy for teaching generalized and specific problem- solving behaviors to diverse groups of learners. Particular attention is paid to methods for teaching general heuristic approaches, which can then be transformed into the more specific algorithmic approaches to problem solving. THE ACCEPTANCE-REJECTION CONFLICT MODEL: DEVELOPING A THEORETICAL MODEL FOR ANALYZING UNDERACHIEVEMENT IN TERMS OF THE PEER SOCIETY Donna Rae Clasen University of Wisconsin-Whitewater 6038 Winther Hall Whitewater, Wisconsin 53190 (414) 472-1960 Fax: (414) 472-5716 Email: [email protected] Students who do not perform to their academic ability level have always been a source of concern, frustration, even anger, for educators and parents. In recent years, efforts have increased to enhance understanding of underachievement and of the forces which impede the realization of potential. This presentation explores peer pressure as a prevailing force affecting achievement, particularly for adolescents, and describes research in progress which has led to the development of a theoretical model for analyzing underachievement in terms of the peer society. The Acceptance-Rejection Conflict (ARC) Model is based on the assumption that high ability students need to accept and rejoice in their talents while also finding friendship and group acceptance. Preliminary fmdings of the present study indicate that many high ability adolescents perceive a conflict between these two needs in their educational settings. Academic achievement and group acceptance are frequently viewed as non-compatible. Students in the study have identified five behavioral responses that emerge as a result of the perceived conflict between gift and group: Rejection of the gift, Immersion in the gift, Ambivalence, Alienation toward gift and group, and Acceptance of both gift and group. Acceptance is the positive resolution of the conflict whereby both developmental needs can be met. The sample in the current study included students (n=130) from medium-sized rural schools and large urban schools. Students ranged in age from 12 to 16. African-American, Hispanic and Anglo students were represented in the sample. Methodology included surveys, structured interviews and case studies extending over a three-year period. The presentation will describe interventions undertaken by Project STREAM* (Support, Training, and Resources for Educating Able Minorities) to mitigate the effects of negative peer pressure on academic excellence and will encourage dialogue regarding the ARC Model and implications it suggests for gifted and talented programming. *STREAM was sponsored for three years by a Jacob Javits grant. :.$1 ANALYSIS OF PRESERVICE TEACHERS' PERCEPTION OF THE LABEL "GIFTED-TALENTED-CREATIVE" Peggy Dettmer, Ph.D. Kansas State University College of Education - Bluemont Hall Manhattan, Kansas 66506 (913) 532-5540 Fax: (913) 532-7304 Perceptions of the term giftedness, even aniong school personnel, are too often negative and divisive. This can be a major deterrent to implementation of differentiated programs and learning options for highly able, talented, and creative students. Are the perceptions of undergraduate majors in education negative toward gifted, talented, creative students? If so, can such views be altered during their academic and field- based experiences in university teacher education programs? Have the perceptions of education majors changed during the past decade, as movements such as gifted program mandation, mainstreaming, cooperative learning, and now inclusion and outcomes-based education are integrated into teacher preparation? If there have been changes, are they for the better, or for worse? Answers to such questions will help influence the development of appropriate learning plans and school environments for gifted, talented, and creative students. A comparative analysis was made of perceptions by education majors during the early 1980s and during the early 1990s to assess their attitudes toward labels depicting the various exceptionalities regarded as special education categories within those two periods. (Data for only the descriptive phrase gjfted-talented-creative will be reported for this presentation.) The students were required to take a course about exceptional children in order to receive endorsement for state certification. Free-association responses were solicited early in the first class session of the course before any discussion of the syllabus, course requirements, or class content was held. Anonymity was assured and candor of response was encouraged. Interrater reliability was established on the categorization of every contributed terni as being "positive," "negative," or "neutral." Grouped responses of students from the early 1980s and from the early 1990s were compared for differences. Students also were asked to list courses they had completed in psychology or human development. One intriguing area of information resulted from the item inviting participants to describe their own experiences of being labeled exceptional or placed in special education programs. Many experts in the field of gifted education urge that the strongly negative social implications or ambiguous effects of giftedness on others must be addressed in teacher education programs. Preservice teachers cannot be expected to bring nurturant attitudes toward giftedness, talent, and creativity ta their classroom environments and their students learning needs without concerted effort,4 by those who help them prepare for their future teaching roles. University personnel, educational researchers, and advocates for gifted, talented, and creative individuals must continue to investigate this area of concern and address the improvement of attitudes by aspiring teachers and administrators toward this significant population in schools. BEST COPY AVAILABLE SOCIOCULTURAL VARIATIONS IN COMPETENCE DEVELOPMENT AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS EDUCATIONALLY ENRICHED DURING INFANCY William Fowler Center for Early Learning and Child Care, 29 Buckingham Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 (617) 547-4277 Fax: (617) 547-0910 Karen Ogston Private Practice, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Gloria Roberts-Fiati Ryerson Polytechnic Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Amy Swenson Private Practice, Surge Narrows, British Columbia, Canada The proposed paper is designed to report further on an ongoing follow-up study of high school students whose parents guided them with language-oriented enrichment during infancy. Previous papers presented at the Esther Katz Rosen Symposia (1992, 1993) have centered on discussions of the high percentages of giftedness and other high competencies attained in many of the Ss with largely college-educated backgrounds. Only preliminary data on a few students from Afro-Caribbean families with limited education were then available. Today we shall focus on sociocultural (including gender) and related educational background differences in levels and patterns of competence among subjects, relating these to developmental histories. The aim is to explore just how high competencies established from enrichment during infancy have evolved among the different sociocultural ecologies over the course of later development. How do these different ecologies, varying in family, school and community, foster, channel or impede the development of different forms and levels of competence? To date, among Ss located from largely college-educated backgrounds 67% of 42 Ss had identifiable gifted status. Among 10 Ss located so far from Afro-Caribbean immigrant families with limited education 8 (80%) were performing excellently in school (2 were gifted or close to gifted), while only 2 (25%) of their 8 located controls were doing well in school (none were gifted). Competence also varied among Ss according to educational background and gender. For example, among white families (plus one Chinese) (N=5), in which both parents had no more than a high school education, 2 Ss (40%) were enrolled in gifted classes, compared to 26 of 40 Ss (65%) of white families (includes one half Japanese) having at least one parent with some college education. Thus among all non college educated families (Black and White), 3 of 15 Ss (20%) entered gifted classes, compared to 65% of Ss from at least partly college educated backpounds. These and other group differences in competence, including competence across different domains (reading, creative writing, math, science, the arts, sports and social) will be discussed in the presentation. We shail also attempt to furnish preliminary information on how differences evolved developmentally (including the effects of slight original program differences). We are exploring how the well established early competencies evolved differentially through complex interactions between the children's efforts and the socialization experiences in the different ecologies. MEETING THE NEEDS OF GIFTED LEARNERS IN THE RESTRUCTURED MIDDLE SCHOOL Janis K. Guerrero and Evelyn B. Hiatt Texas Education Agency Division of Gifted/Talented Education 1701 N. Congress Austin, Texas 78701 (512) 463-9455 Fax: (512) 305-8920 Email: [email protected] This paper describes the Chapter 2-Carnegie Middle School Project, a three-year plan to develop educational programming that will enable educators to provide appropriate services to advanced and gifted learners within the restnictured middle school environment. Because the project has completed only the first year of its intended program, its focus to date has been the provision of professional development for project pardcipants in order to facilitate the development of thematic interdisciplinary curriculum. The implementation of professional development and the issues and lessons encountered in the project's professional development program comprise the primary discussion of this paper.