Gifted and artistically talented in a rural environment: Personal reflections from experience (original) (raw)
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Nationwide, Black students are underrepresented in gifted and talented education and advanced learner programs. These tragic outcomes occur in all demographic communities: urban, suburban, and rural. As a result, the academic and psychosocial supports needed by gifted Black students are overlooked, disregarded, and underdeveloped. Rural communities are frequently depicted as remote, lacking in social and academic experiences and opportunities, and predominantly White and economically disadvantaged. For gifted and talented Black students, these characterizations contribute to feelings of isolation and alienation in school on a daily basis. Despite their high intellectual potential, they are constantly victimized by racially oppressive conditions in society that cause stress and anxiety. The Black rural community, including Black gifted and talented students, is almost invisible in scholarship that discusses rural education in the United States. This article explores the nature of the...
1997
Identification of gifted students among cultural and linguistic minority groups and development of culturally relevant gifted programs have been problematic. In addition, although giftedness can manifest itself in many ways, few gifted programs have been established in nonacademic areas, especially in rural settings. This paper focuses on the identification procedures of a culturally relevant, visual arts, gifted and talented program'in two rural New Mexico elementary schools with predominantly Hispanic or Native American (Pueblo) populations. Education in the arts not only is intrinsically valuable but also supports student persistence and achievement. Nevertheless, the limited resources of rural schools may lead to elimination of arts programs. Identification of exceptional abilities in the arts can be just as problematic as in academic areas if it relies on standardized tests. Although in the majority in the two program schools, Hispanic and Native American students were the minority in gifted and talented programs. A multidimensional approach to identification was developed that included the following: nomination by teacher, parent, or self; participation in an art show; teacher assessment on a checklist and a rating scale; assessment by a community artist; portfolio assessment; and student evaluation on two formal tests. Interviews with members of the identification committee indicate that the most effective selection method was the cross-referencing of the community artist's recommendations with those of teachers and students and results of the art show. (SV)
Project Spring II: Identifying Rural Disadvantaged and Ethnically Diverse Gifted Students
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This manual was developed as part of a project to identify and serve the needs of gifted and talented economically disadvantaged students (grades 3-8) from ethnically diverse populations. Section 1 presents a leader's manual for a workshop designed to help teachers understand that many gifted students are not being identified for program intervention with traditional identification procedures and that innovative procedures must be used to find bright children in all cultures and populai.ions. The workshop examines traditional identification procedures and characteristics of gifted children, characteristics of students from rural and economically disadvantaged backgrounds who are Hispanic and African American, and the role of teachers in identifying these hidden gifted students through the use of innovative identification methods. Project SPRING (Special Populations Rural Information Network for the Gifted), at Indiana University, has developed methods to identify the following underserved rural disadvantaged gifted populations: Appalachian (White) children in Indiana, Hispanic children in New Mexico, and African American children in South Carolina. To identify these diverse groups, culturally specific assessments and procedures were developed and field tested by Project SPRING. The Identification Awareness Workshop considers culturally specific information on rural disadvantaged gifted children, while examining characteristics that are recognizable in the classroom. Rural Communities Overhead/Handout #4-Rural Communities In the past decade major economic and social forces have profoundly affected rural communities. Traditional rural occupations of farming, fishing, logging, ore extraction, and small manufacturing that once supported the majority of rural residents provide only one-third of rural employment today. Such service-producing industries as tourism, insurance, and real estate now account for nearly two-thirds of rural employment. 12 6 The 1990 U.S. Census found that family income in rural counties is less than 75 percent of that in metropolitan counties. The jobless rate in nonmetropolitan counties is now 40 percent higher than in metropolitan counties-a rise of almost 35 percent since 1980. Declining income, lack of job opportunities, poor health care, and underfunded schools in much of rural America have resulted in a significant rural exodus, particularly of many young families with roots in the community going back several generations. Rural schools, like all schools, face many problems, but in rural areas the difficulties relate mainly to size, distance, and resources. Lower tax bases and smaller school populations translate into less money, fewer programs, fewer teacher specialists in subject areas, and less money spent on technology and materials. Distance impedes installation of simple technological tools, such as additional telephone lines into school buildings; it restricts field trips and cultural resources for students and families; it inflates expenses for all enrichment activities. Lack of readily available resources, both monetary and cultural, severely limits educational services in rural areas. Economically Disadvantaged Overhead/Handout #5-Economically Disadvantaged For some children the lack of money in families that are economically disadvantaged: Limits the purchase of toys, equipment, books, and writing tools. Restricts visits to museums, historical sites, new geographic areas, and meeting people who are different from themselves. Narrows the opportunity for challenging experiences. Parents in these families are easily preoccupied with earning money for necessities and find that: Their expectations for better things are frustrated. They are likely to have a minimal amount of formal schooling and lack information necessary to help their own children. Characteristics Gifted students from a rural and economically disadvantaged background exhibit characteristics that are different from those of the traditional gifted student. These special populations are usually overlooked when selection is based on IQ scores and achievement test cutoffs. These children's distinctive characteristics may be viewed as both positive and negative within the context of formal education. AppalachianIndiana Overhead/Handout #6-Characteristics of Rural Disadvantaged Appalachian Gifted Children 10 Summary of Special Populations: Rural Disadvantaged Gifted Gifted Hispanic and African American children from the populations examined exhibit many traits and behaviors in common with the group of Appalachian gifted children. Additionally, the two former groups demonstrate characteristics that are specific to their cultures and communities. Oral storytelling (#2, Overhead/Handout 9), for example, is valued as a means to record and report history, and also to entertain and teach important lessons about life. Other distinctions are: Hispanic: Show a preference for kinesthetic modality.
Teaching Gifted Children Art in Grades One Through Three
1974
The handbook for teaching gifted children art in grades 1-3 provides guidelines for curriculum development and teaching suggestions. Among topics considered in an overview of the art program are past and present art, the use of environmental design, pupil involvement in art, and identification and selection of gifted children. The art curriculum for the gifted is discussed with regard to program aims, emphasis, and content as well as area skills in art (such as sensory awareness and manual control) and sequential curriculum planning. Presented in chart form are suggested teaching methods for children from preschool through fourth grade. Examined are organizational considerations such as pupil grouping, scheduling, acceleration, instructional aids, the interrelationship of art with other subjects, and continuity and articulation in the art program. Attention is given to the creative process and intellectual development, creativity and guidance and the evaluation process, and new horizons in art education. (LH)
Challenges Facing Rural Schools: Implications for Gifted Students.
Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 2009
In this paper, we discuss the implications for gifted students of challenges facing rural schools. We explore 4 challenges with particular relevance to rural schools: (a) declining population, (b) persistent po erty, (c) changing demographics, and (d) ongoing accountability requirements. Recommendations positioned to address these challenges include pro iding special instruction using distance education, making use of broad definitions of giftedness, making use of various acceleration strategies, and encouraging talented students to plan for meaningful careers in their home communities.