Module II: SPECIAL EDUCATION: CURRICULUM FOR GIFTED

APPROACHES TO CURRICULUM

A clear understanding of any kind of curriculum depends on the approach the designers of
curriculum adopted. The approach to curriculum provides the broad perspective, orientation or
position a particular curriculum is based on. This broad perspective offers a practitioner to
examine the minute nuances, which have been built into the curriculum. Very often this broad
perspective is based on different theoretical positions pertaining to how educational discourses
in a school or college situation have to be designed, developed and implemented.

i). Behavioural - Rational Approach

The behavioural - rational approach is based on a logical -scientific perspective, which emerged
out of research in behavioural sciences and dominated the thinking domain in most part of the
early twentieth century. This approach is otherwise known as logical positivist, conceptual,
empiricist, and experimentalist, rational - scientific and technocratic. The protagonists of this
approach believe that curriculum making is a sequential and structured activity. As they
emphasize, any kind of activity is to start with goals and objectives, sequencing of content or
learning experiences based on goals and objectives, and content and evaluation of learning
outcomes (student achievement/performance) based on objectives, content and transaction of
learning experiences. Curriculum makers are more concerned with technical issues of
development and design although philosophical issues are important, provided they have any
bearing on the design and development process of the curriculum.

ii). Systems - Managerial Approach

The predominant theory influencing this approach is systems theory. According to t5is theory,
the school is perceived as a social system. There are various components of a school system.
These components interact among themselves to achieve the intended objectives formulated by
the school system. These components are teacher, student, curriculum specialist and others who
interact 'with them according to certain norms and standards. Curricularists who rely on this
approach plan the curriculum in an organized way and in terms of programmes, schedules,
space, materials, equipment, personnel and resources. This approach advocates, among other
things, selecting, organizing and supervising people involved in curriculum decisions

This approach, which originated out of the school organization and administrative models of the
1920s and 1930s, became a popular curriculum model for the curriculum makers during the
1950s and 1960s. The focus of this approach, unlike behavioural-rational, is not on the
objectives, contents and evaluation of learning experiences, but on the management and
improvement of the school system based on policies, plans and people. It embodies both
managerial and systems perspectives in curriculum design and development. While the
managerial perspective refers to organization of people and policies, the systems perspective
looks at three major components i.e. engineering, stages and structures. Engineering constitutes
those processes through which engineers like principals, directors, superintendents and
coordinators plan the curriculum. Stages refer to development, design implementation and
evaluation. Structure constitutes subjects, courses, units and lessons.

iv). Intellectual - Academic Approach

The intellectual - academic approach, as the name suggests, takes an analytical and synthesizing
perspective to major positions, trends and concepts of curriculum. It looks at schooling and
education from a broader perspective and discusses education from a historical and
philosophical angle. This approach had-its genesis in the intellectual work of John Dewey,
Henry Morrison and Boyd Bode and became a popular approach during the 1930s and 1950s.
"The influx of new topics related to curriculum during this period expanded the boundaries of
the field to include a good number of trends and issues, and the integration of various
instructions, teaching, learning, guidance, evaluation, supervision and administrative
procedures" (Ornstein and Hunkins, 1988).

v). Humanistic - Aesthetic Approach

As opposed to the behavioural - rational approach, this approach emphasizes the uniqueness of
each child and the curriculum has to be designed and developed based on the needs, interests,
and ability of children. It lays stress on self - actualization and self-reflectiveness of the learners.
Originating in humanistic theories of learning, this approach considers the whole child, not the
cognitive dimension alone. This approach brought in the radical reform movement in the 1970s.
"From this movement, a host of curriculum strategies emerged, mainly at the elementary school
level, including lessons based on life experiences, group games, group projects, dramatizations,
fields trips, social enterprises, interest centres, and child and adolescent needs". (Ornstein and
Hunkins, 1988). This approach also propagates for curriculum areas in arts, music, literature,
dance. etc. which emphasise the development bf human side of the learner more than' on the
development of his intellectual activities.

vi). Reconceptualise Approach

Although reconceptualises have not contributed anything towards 'approach to curriculum' in
terms of providing technical knowledge for developing curriculum, they have certainly provided
a newer perspective, which is subjective, political, and ideological in nature. This perspective is
rooted in the philosophy and social activism of deconstructionists like Count, Rugg, and
Benjamin. They challenge the traditional, scientific arid rational views of curriculum and they
lay emphasis on moral and ideological issues of education and economic and political
institutions of society. To sum up, they are good educational critics who view curriculum from a
broad ideological perspective.

vii). Subject-Centred Approach

The subject-centred curriculum is traditional and in most formal education standards of
achievement are fixed in terms of subject matter mastery. The subjects are arranged in a
systematic and logical sequence corresponding to the maturity of the learners. The content is
universally true and hence, it is not affected by the local situation. The learning a subject is
based upon language activities - talking, listening, and writing. It is expository in nature.
Controlled by the teacher. The emphasis on teaching facts, imparting information, acquiring
knowledge for its own sake or for possible future use.

viii). Learner-Centred Approach

When learners form the core of the education system, education and curriculum become
learner-centred. This means while developing a suitable curriculum for adult learners, the
interests, needs, abilities, capacities and age of the learner should be kept in view. It is related to
the learners' interest, and activities are built around the psychological problems rather than
logical topics. The programme is flexible rather than rigid, democratic rather than authoritarian
and it cuts across subject lines.

ix). Objective-Oriented Approach

The target group is studied using the job or task analysis method (UNESCO, 1976). First, the
expected roles and functions of the target group are prepared in terms of predetermined socio-
economic and technical-occupational objectives. At the same time, profiles of competency, skill,
attitude and knowledge are drawn to ascertain the existing abilities of the target group. A
comparison between expected and existing abilities yields the list of learning needs that will
guide the development of the curriculum for the functional literacy programme.

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION
 Carol Ann Tomlinson is a leader in the area of differentiated learning and professor of
educational leadership, foundations, and policy at the University of Virginia. Tomlinson
describes differentiated instruction as factoring students’ individual learning styles and levels of
readiness first before designing a lesson plan. Research on the effectiveness of differentiation
shows this method benefits a wide range of students, from those with learning disabilities to
those who are considered high ability. Differentiating instruction may mean teaching the same
material to all students using a variety of instructional strategies, or it may require the teacher to
deliver lessons at varying levels of difficulty based on the ability of each student.
A differentiated curriculum is a learning program that, ideally, meets the academic
needs and interests of every student. This means that all the teaching approaches outlined
in the curriculum are flexible, so that the content being taught is digestible and refreshingly
challenging for each individual child
Teachers who practice differentiation in the classroom may:

 Design lessons based on students’ learning styles.

 Group students by shared interest, topic, or ability for assignments.
 Assess students’ learning using formative assessment.
 Manage the classroom to create a safe and supportive environment.
 Continually assess and adjust lesson content to meet students’ needs.

Four Ways to Differentiate Instruction

According to Tomlinson, teachers can differentiate instruction through four ways:

1. Content
Fundamental lesson content should cover the standards of learning set by the school district or
state educational standards. But some students in class may be completely unfamiliar with the
concepts in a lesson, some students may have partial mastery, and some students may already
be familiar with the content before the lesson begins. What you could do is differentiate the
content by designing activities for groups of students that cover various levels of Bloom’s
Taxonomy (a classification of levels of intellectual behavior going from lower-order thinking
skills to higher-order thinking skills). The six levels are: remembering, understanding, applying,
analysing, evaluating, and creating.

Students who are unfamiliar with a lesson could be required to complete tasks on the lower
levels: remembering and understanding. Students with some mastery could be asked to apply
and analyse the content, and students who have high levels of mastery could be asked to
complete tasks in the areas of evaluating and creating.

Examples of differentiating activities:

 Match vocabulary words to definitions.

 Read a passage of text and answer related questions.
 Think of a situation that happened to a character in the story and a different outcome.
 Differentiate fact from opinion in the story.
 Identify an author’s position and provide evidence to support this viewpoint.
 Create a PowerPoint presentation summarizing the lesson.

2. Process
Each student has a preferred learning style, and successful differentiation includes delivering
the material to each style: visual, auditory and kinaesthetic, and through words. This process-
related method also addresses the fact that not all students require the same amount of support
from the teacher, and students could choose to work in pairs, small groups, or individually. And
while some students may benefit from one-on-one interaction with you or the classroom aide,
others may be able to progress by themselves. Teachers can enhance student learning by
offering support based on individual needs. Examples of differentiating the process:

 Provide textbooks for visual and word learners.

 Allow auditory learners to listen to audio books.
 Give kinaesthetic learners the opportunity to complete an interactive assignment online.

3. Product
The product is what the student creates at the end of the lesson to demonstrate the mastery of
the content. This can be in the form of tests, projects, reports, or other activities. You could
assign students to complete activities that show mastery of an educational concept in a way the
student prefers, based on learning style. Examples of differentiating the end product:

 Read and write learners write a book report.

 Visual learners create a graphic organizer of the story.
 Auditory learners give an oral report.
 Kinaesthetic learners build a diorama illustrating the story.

4. Learning environment
The conditions for optimal learning include both physical and psychological elements. A flexible
classroom layout is key, incorporating various types of furniture and arrangements to support
both individual and group work. Psychologically speaking, teachers should use classroom
management techniques that support a safe and supportive learning environment. Examples of
differentiating the environment:

 Break some students into reading groups to discuss the assignment.

 Allow students to read individually if preferred.
 Create quiet spaces where there are no distractions.

Pros and Cons of Differentiated Instruction

The benefits of differentiation in the classroom are often accompanied by the drawback of an
ever-increasing workload. Here are a few factors to keep in mind:

Pros
 Research shows differentiated instruction is effective for high-ability students as well as
students with mild to severe disabilities.
 When students are given more options on how they can learn material, they take on more
responsibility for their own learning.
 Students appear to be more engaged in learning, and there are reportedly fewer discipline
problems in classrooms where teachers provide differentiated lessons.
Cons
 Differentiated instruction requires more work during lesson planning, and many teachers
struggle to find the extra time in their schedule.
 The learning curve can be steep and some schools lack professional development resources.
 Critics argue there isn’t enough research to support the benefits of differentiated instruction
outweighing the added prep time.

ENRICHMENT APPROACHES

The enrichment view has advanced learners working on materials at their academic
level within the classroom, alongside their typically developing peers. This is the group
that believes a teacher can provide materials/instruction to challenge and enhance the
high-ability students’ learning. This method takes an instructor trained and able to
provide materials at different levels for different learners.
he enrichment of curriculum means giving it a greater value, by putting life into
the overall education process. Enrichment describes activities which colleges provide in order to
extend students’ education beyond their main course of study. The best session included
opportunities for personal research, group projects, practical work, creative expression,
discussion and brain-storm. This method generally adopted by the students and there is some
evidence that increases their motivation.
The enrichment of curriculum means giving it a greater value, by putting life into the
overall education process. Enrichment describes activities which colleges provide in
order to extend students’ education beyond their main course of study. The best session
included opportunities for personal research, group projects, practical work, creative
expression, discussion and brain-storm. This method generally adopted by the students
and there is some evidence that increases their motivation. Motivation is key to
enrichment. Motivation is needed on the part of the instructor to create lessons and
materials for all the learners in his or her classroom. It is also needed on the part of the
student to work hard at materials that may be different than their peers.

Enrichment Strategies

ENRICHMENT means that the student is working on a topic in more DEPTH or BREADTH
than others. The student keeps pace with the rest of his/her classmates but has more time to
explore topics of interest. Enrichment strategies include:

a) Independent Study
In an independent study, the student selects a topic of interest in any academic area
where he shows strength. The student and teacher work out parameters for process (how
much time each day, where research will take place, what materials will be needed, what
 other persons will be involved, etc) and product (how will the student demonstrate what
was learned, will the product be shared, will it serve a real—life purpose, etc.) The
independent study suits students who have task commitment and who tend to finish
regular work quickly and correctly.
b) Study contract
A teacher may use a study contract to keep a student working alongside her peers most of
the time while allowing her to make choices about what or how to learn. The study
contract is used when the student has already met some but not all outcomes for a
particular unit. A menu of mutually-acceptable choices should accompany the study
contract to ensure the student is using her earned time wisely.
c) Mentorship
A student with heightened knowledge in a specific academic area may benefit from
contact with a specialist in this field. This is particularly the case in lower grades when
the teacher cannot keep up with the student’s capacity to learn the subject. A mentor may
be a teacher of a higher grade, a community member, an older student or an instructor at
a local community college or university. Mentorships vary in frequency of visits and may
even take place online. Care must be taken to ensure that the student and the mentor are
compatible and that the arrangement is agreeable to both parties.
d) Create an Interest Centre
Students with intense interest areas may be willing to share their knowledge with their
peers through an interest centre in the classroom or school. The student can use earned
time during the school day or create the centre as a result of independent study. Others
would be invited to use materials collected and/or created by the student to learn about a
special topic which can be embedded in or tangential to the curriculum.
e) Tiered Assignments
Tiered assignments work well in skill areas where the student has not yet met the
outcomes but can do so easily and requires additional challenge. For example, in math
class the student may be performing similar operations as his peers but using more
challenging numbers or complete more steps. In language arts, the student may read
more challenging texts, write in a more sophisticated genre, or use more complex words
in word study.
f) Specialized Grading Criteria
Some students are ready for a greater challenge even when completing similar
assignments. For example, when assigning a piece of writing, a teacher may only be
looking for ideas, organization and correctness from the class, but a gifted student may
also be assessed on voice or word choice. Likewise, the parameters of the assignment may
be changed to suit the student's strengths. A science experiment may become a video or
PowerPoint presentation; a social studies essay may require three sources from the class
and more than five from the gifted student.
g) Extension Activities
Many textbooks and teachers' guides provide follow-up or extension activities as time
allows. When gifted students finish early, these may be suitable ways for them to get the
 challenge and depth of understanding they require. Open-ended, real-world problems are
excellent ways to extend students’ learning.

INTERDISCPLINARY INSTRUCTION
Interdisciplinary teaching is a method, or set of methods, used to teach across curricular
disciplines or "the bringing together of separate disciplines around common themes, issues, or
problems”. Often Interdisciplinary instruction associated with or a component of several other
instructional approaches. Interdisciplinary instruction entails the use and integration of
methods and analytical frameworks from more than one academic discipline to examine a
theme, issue, question or topic. Interdisciplinary education makes use of disciplinary
approaches to examine topics, but pushes beyond by: taking insights from a variety of relevant
disciplines, synthesizing their contribution to understanding, and then integrating these ideas
into a more complete, and hopefully coherent, framework of analysis.

Interdisciplinary teaching refers to the concept of learning a single subject from multiple
perspectives. Proven to boost learning outcomes and enthusiasm around learning,
interdisciplinary teaching allows students to think critically, identify their own prejudices,
accept the unknown and respect ethical quandaries. It also enables students to understand
insights from different disciplines, synthesize information surrounding a topic and, ultimately,
offers a more complete understanding of an issue. Interdisciplinary teaching goes beyond multi-
disciplinary or cross-disciplinary teaching, which only requires the consideration of different
perspectives, and often requires collaboration between multiple educators to properly execute.

INDEPENDENT STUDY
Independent study (IS) is a highly encouraged differentiation technique by educators of the
gifted that offers student autonomy and challenge in the learning process. It is sometimes
referred to as directed study, and is an educational activity undertaken by an individual with
little to no supervision. Independent studies provide a way for well-motivated students to
pursue a topic of interest that does not necessarily fit into a traditional academic
curriculum. They are a way for students to learn specialized material or gain research
experience.
Independent studies provide students opportunities to explore their interests deeper and make
important decisions about how and where they will direct their talents in the future. Another
way to understand independent study is to understand learning from a distance. Learning from
a distance is a theory in which the student is at a physical or a mental distance from his or her
teacher. The student and the teacher are connected by something such as a worksheet, an essay,
or through a website on the internet.

Enrichment Triad/Revolving Door Model

The Enrichment Triad Model was designed to encourage the creative productivity of young
people by exposing them to various topics, areas of interest, and fields of study, and to further
train them to apply advanced content, process-training skills, and methodology training to self-
selected areas of interest. Accordingly, three types of enrichment are included in the Triad
Model (fig. 1

 Type I enrichment is designed to expose students to a wide variety of disciplines, topics,

occupations, hobbies, persons, places, and events that would not ordinarily be covered in
the regular curriculum. In schools that use this model, an enrichment team consisting of
parents, teachers, and students often organizes and plans Type I experiences by
contacting speakers, arranging mini-courses, demonstrations, or performances, or by
ordering and distributing films, slides, videotapes, or other print or non-print media.

 Type II enrichment consists of materials and methods designed to promote the
development of thinking and feeling processes. Some Type II training is general, and is
usually carried out both in classrooms and in enrichment programs. Training activities
include the development of (a) creative thinking and problem solving, critical thinking,
and affective processes; (b) a wide variety of specific learning how-to-learn skills; (c)
skills in the appropriate use of advanced-level reference materials; and (d) written, oral,
and visual communication skills. Other Type II enrichment is specific, as it usually
involves advanced methodological instruction in an interest area selected by the student.

 Type III enrichment involves students who become interested in pursuing a self-selected
area and are willing to commit the time necessary for advanced content acquisition and
process training in which they assume the role of a first-hand inquirer. The goals of Type
III enrichment include:
o providing opportunities for applying interests, knowledge, creative ideas and task
commitment to a self-selected problem or area of study,
o acquiring advanced level understanding of the knowledge (content) and
methodology (process) that are used within particular disciplines, artistic areas of
expression and interdisciplinary studies,
o developing authentic products that are primarily directed toward bringing about a
desired impact upon a specified audience,
o developing self-directed learning skills in the areas of planning, organization,
resource utilization, time management, decision making, and self-evaluation, and
o developing task commitment, self-confidence, and feelings of creative
accomplishment
REVOLVING DOOR MODEL
The Revolving Door Model is the result of Joseph Renzulli´s conception in the 1970s. By
implementing enrichment measures such as having access to additional contents and applying
their own learning styles students should go through learning and working process that would
enhance their motivation and also deepen their knowledge. Enrichment initially meant
enhancement by offering contents that cannot be found in regular classroom instruction. By
applying enrichment offers Renzulli above all focused on individual learning speeds, learning
styles and the access to research-based learning, priorities that can hardly be implemented in
regular classroom instruction. Thus he developed the Three-Phase Enrichment Triad
Model (Renzulli, 1976, 1977a, 1977b) which later on was complemented by the metaphor of the
Revolving Door (Renzulli, Reis & Smith, 1981) which was the description of the basic
organization form.

The Revolving Door Model is designed to promote discovery and development of talents and the
prophylaxis of underachievement by individualized learning. These concepts describe cognitive
processes including their different steps and factors and they are designed to differentiate
learning processes and to determine higher values of specific processes. Renzulli’s reflections on
promotional measures are based on the idea of complicated differences existing within the
cognitive processes going on in the challenging learning situations of the Enrichment (Renzulli,
1976).
CURRICULUM COMPACTING PROGRAM

Curriculum compacting is a technique for differentiating instruction that allows teachers to

make adjustments to curriculum for students who have already mastered the material to be
learned, replacing content students know with new content, enrichment options, or other
activities. It is an instructional technique that is specifically designed to make appropriate
curricular adjustments for students in any curricular area and at any grade level. Essentially, the
procedure involves:

(1) Defining the goals and outcomes of a particular unit or segment of instruction,

(2) Determining and documenting which students have already mastered most or all of a
specified set of learning outcomes, and

(3) Providing replacement strategies for material already mastered through the use of
instructional options that enable a more challenging and productive use of the student’s time

The Eight Steps to Curriculum Compacting

I. Step One: Select relevant learning objectives in a subject area or grade level
 The first step in the compacting process is choosing curricular content and learning
objectives. Teachers may refer to the formal curriculum guides issued by school districts
or states, or the informal guides provided by textbook publishers. After locating the
objectives, teachers must focus on those that are appropriate for their students.

II. Step Two: Find an appropriate way to pretest the learning objectives
Pretesting, as its name implies, is intended to measure students’ skills and talents before
instruction begins.

a) Objective-Referenced Tests
Ideally, a pre-test should demonstrate whether a student has full, partial, or little mastery of an
objective. Objective-referenced tests can do that effectively, as they usually assess one objective
at a time through short answer or multiple choice responses.

b) Performance-Based Assessment
Performance-based assessment is a popular alternative to objective-referenced tests. By asking
students to do oral, written, or manipulative work in front of them, teachers can observe and
evaluate the process students use to arrive at an answer. This procedure is especially successful
with younger children who are not yet ready for paper and pencil tests.
Step Three: Identify students who should take the pre-tests
 In step three, teachers identify students who should participate in the pretesting activity.
To do this, teachers must first discern students’ specific strengths.
 This step is critical for two reasons. First, it ensures that when students are excused from
class for enrichment activities, they’re absent only during their curricular strength times.
Second, it eliminates the need to assign make-up work when the students return to the
classroom.
 Academic records, standardized tests, class performance and evaluations from former
teachers are all effective means of pinpointing candidates for pretesting. Another method
is observation. Teachers should watch for students who complete tasks quickly and
accurately, finish reading assignments ahead of their peers, or seem bored or lost in
daydreams.

Step Four

 Pretest students to determine mastery levels

Pretests, both formal and informal, help teachers determine student mastery of course
material. But what constitutes mastery? Since definitions of mastery vary so, teachers
within the same school should strive to reach a consensus.
 Administering Formal Pretests
Deciding how and when to pretest students can be a time-intensive exercise. One
shortcut is to increase the number of students or objectives examined at one time; for
example, if a chapter in a math text covers ten objectives, a small group of students, or
the entire class could be tested on all ten objectives in one sitting.

Step Five: Streamline practice or instructional time for students who show
mastery of the objectives

 Students who have a thorough grasp of the learning objectives should be allowed to take
part in enrichment or acceleration activities. This exposes them, during class time, to
material that is not only new and stimulating, but more closely aligned to their learning
rates and abilities.

Step Six: Provide small group or individualized instruction for students who have
not yet mastered all the objectives, but are capable of doing so more quickly than
their classmates

 Content compacting differs from skills compacting. As the name implies, it compresses
overall course material that students have already mastered, or are able to master in a
fraction of the normal time. Skills compacting, on the other hand, eliminates specific
 skills that students have already acquired. Content compacting is also designed for
general knowledge subjects—social studies, science and literature—whereas skills
compacting is intended for mathematics, spelling, grammar, and language mechanics.

Step Seven: Offer academic alternatives for students whose curriculum has been
compacted
Alternatives often exist to provide acceleration and/or enrichment for students whose
curriculum has been compacted. This step has proven to be the most challenging and the most
creative for teachers. The possibilities for replacement activities include:

 Providing an accelerated curriculum based on advanced concepts

 Offering more challenging content (alternative texts, fiction or non-fiction works)
 Adapting classwork to individual curricular needs or learning styles
 Initiating individual or small group projects using contracts or management plans
 Using interest or learning centers
 Providing opportunities for self-directed learning or decision making
 Offering mini-courses on research topics or other high interest areas
 Establishing small seminar groups for advanced studies
 Using mentors to guide in learning advanced content or pursuing independent studies, or
 Providing units or assignments that are self-directed, such as creative writing, game
creation, and creative and critical thinking training

Step Eight: Keep records of the compacting process and instructional options for
compacted students
 Any differentiated program requires added record keeping. Unlike a regular classroom
where all students are on the same page or exercise at any given time, teachers who
provide a compacted curriculum have students doing different assignments at different
levels and different times. Keeping concise records, then, is essential, and can be time-
consuming without proper planning. Teachers and administrators should collectively
decide how the compacting process should be documented.
 Regardless of form, all written documentation should contain these basics:

1. Student strength areas, as verified by test scores or performance

2. The pretests used to determine mastery, and the learning objectives that were eliminated
3. Recommended enrichment and acceleration activities