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ERIC EJ746294: How Do I Do That? Integrating Web Sites into the Gifted Education Classroom PDF

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How Do I Do That? Integrating Web Sites Into the Gifted Education Classroom by Kevin Besnoy W hen gifted students enter temporary society (Siegle, 2004). gifted education classrooms (Siegle, the workforce, they will Web sites are a rich resource that can 2005). be expected to search be used to facilitate the learning, There is a paucity of research Web sites, locate information, and sharing, and creating of informa- demonstrating the proper strategies compare it with information found tion. Not since the invention of the for implementing Web sites into the in nonelectronic sources (Mioduser, printing press has a development gifted education classroom. As a Nachmias, Lahav, & Oren, 2000). such as the Internet had such a rev- result, the entire field faces inade- In order to adequately prepare these olutionary impact on how informa- quate preservice teacher training, students to be successful, teachers of tion is shared. More than ever insufficient staff development, and an the gifted must learn to harness the before, individuals can share infor- absence of technology standards. In power of Web sites and create learn- mation on a global scale. Unfortu- fact, the National Association for ing environments that mirror con- nately, Web sites are underused in Gifted Children (NAGC) has yet to 28 winter 2006 • vol 29, no 1 How Do I Do That? Integrating Web Sites Into the Gifted Education Classroom establish Instructional Technology learner-centered learning environ- Productivity Tools; (d) Technology (IT) standards to guide gifted educa- ments (Gustafson & Branch, 2002). Communication Tools; (e) Technol- tion classroom instruction. At the Examples of IT tools include, but are ogy Research Tools; and (f) time of the writing of this article the not limited to: (a) computers, (b) Technology Problem-Solving and word technology is only mentioned Internet, (c) software, (d) multime- Decision-Making Tools. Each cate- once in NAGC’s (2000) program dia, and (e) Web sites. By combining gory has performance standards for standards. proper strategies and tools, teachers each grade level. According to ISTE, The IT field has developed of the gifted can create stimulating students must be taught how to use empirically sound standards and classrooms that allow students to technology in order to succeed in the strategies that dictate the integration maximize their potential. information age. Each of these cate- of Web sites into the classroom gories provides teachers with guide- (Hannafin & Hill, 2002). IT Standards lines by which they can plan learning Regrettably, they are not specific to activities. Teacher standards can be for Gifted Education the field of gifted education. The pur- downloaded at http://cnets.iste.org/ pose of this article is twofold: (a) to teachers/t_stands.html and student The International Society for provide teachers of the gifted with a standards can be downloaded at Technology in Education (ISTE) is a reference for adopting IT pedagogical http://cnets.iste.org/students/s_stands. professional organization dedicated standards, strategies, and tools, html. to improving the quality of IT inte- specifically Web sites, into the gifted gration into education. ISTE created education curriculum; and (b) to Benefits of Utilizing Web the National Education Technology show gifted educators the need for Sites in the Gifted Standards (NETS) for administrators, research-based standards regarding teachers, and students. In addition to Education Classroom the integration of Web sites into the improving teaching practices, NETS gifted education classroom. also established student learning Web sites are robust IT tools. In objectives. fact, Web sites are the most powerful Defining Instructional Unfortunately, NAGC has no IT tool available to the gifted class- Technology stated IT standards. As mentioned room because they are versatile and previously, the word technology is student-centered (Keane, 2002; Researchers declare that IT is an hardly present in NAGC’s (2000) Siegle, 2004, 2005). Web sites allow ever-changing field; thus, it is diffi- program standards. Thus, teachers of teachers of the gifted to differentiate cult to craft a simple definition (Arias the gifted must rely on ISTE stan- the curricula, while at the same time & Clark, 2004; Reiser, 2002). In fact, dards for guidance when utilizing IT giving students autonomy and during the last 45 years several defin- to create learning activities and to responsibility for their own learning. itions have been created and refined. measure student performance. Teachers of gifted children A few experts argue that media is the The NETS for teachers and stu- should differentiate the curricula to most defining characteristic of IT; dents are divided into the following meet their students’ unique needs others believe that IT is a process used six broad categories: (a) Technology (Tomlinson, 2004; Troxclair, 2000). to solve problems (Finn, 1960), while Operations and Concepts; (b) Researchers declare that differentiat- others believe that IT is a systematic Planning and Designing Learning ing the curriculum allows teachers to process of design and delivery (Reiser; Environments and Experiences; (c) individualize classroom instruction Richey & Seels, 1994). Authorities Teaching, Learning, and the Curric- for each student (Coleman, 2001; now see that media, design, delivery, ulum; (d) Assessment and Evaluation; Stepanek, 1999). The purpose is to and performance all have an equal (e) Productivity and Professional provide a rigorous learning environ- amount of defining influence on the Practice; and (f) Social, Ethical, ment that challenges students at their field. Legal, and Human Issues. NETS for individual instructional level. Due to IT is divided into two areas: students are also divided into six the accessibility of vast amounts of strategies and tools. Teachers that broad categories: (a) Basic Operations information, Web sites permit teach- adhere to appropriate IT pedagogy and Concepts; (b) Social, Ethical, and ers to vary the depth and content of will design systematic, purposeful, Human Issues; (c) Technology any lesson. gifted child today 29 How Do I Do That? Integrating Web Sites Into the Gifted Education Classroom Incorporating appropriate IT and becomes increasingly main- to find an evaluation guide. strategies and Web sites helps teachers stream, more quality learning oppor- Unfortunately, the resulting large of the gifted to create student-cen- tunities will present themselves to number of hits can be overwhelming tered learning environments. These gifted students. and make it difficult to select one that strategies provide gifted students with IT strategies dictate that lessons is functional. Discussed below are the means to access, synthesize, and be well-organized and strategically two Web site evaluation guides in create new information (Scheffler & planned (Hannafin & Hill, 2002). particular that are easy to access and Logan, 1999). In this student-cen- Therefore, before teachers of the straightforward to use. tered learning environment, the gifted can integrate Web sites into Cyberbee.com. Cyberbee.com is a teacher no longer dispenses informa- their curricula, they must evaluate Web site that contains a variety of tion; rather, student knowledge is cre- them for quality, content, accuracy, teacher and student resources. The ated by “inquiry, critical thinking and and purpose. Mioduser et al. (2000) Cyberguide Ratings for Content problem solving based information conducted a study that evaluated 436 Evaluation can be downloaded for accessed from a variety of sources” Web sites that had a stated educa- free from the Cyberbee Web site at (Scheffler & Logan, p. 305). More- tional function to determine their http://www.cyberbee.com/content.p over, the teacher of the gifted is creat- pedagogical usefulness. The re- df. This evaluation guide is divided ing a learning environment that searchers found that only 33% of the into the following five categories: (a) mirrors the real world. sites included information analysis First Look, (b) Information Pro- As stated above, gifted students activities, 28% promoted inquiry- viders, (c) Information Currency, (d) must be exposed to authentic situa- based learning, 4% expanded the Information Quality, and (e) Further tions in which they are expected to learner’s knowledge, and 3% of the Information. Each category has synthesize multiple sources of infor- sites encouraged collaboration among between 2 and 11 yes/no questions mation. By designing learning envi- individuals. that are designed to aid teachers in ronments that utilize quality Web The results of this study demon- evaluating the quality and usefulness sites, teachers of the gifted provide strate that not all educational Web of any given Web site. their students with the opportunity sites are adequate for the classroom, The evaluation guide helps teach- to learn how to research informa- let alone the gifted classroom. For ers of the gifted to look at a Web site tion, compare it to prior knowl- that reason, it is imperative that with a critical eye. Sample items edge, and create new ideas. teachers of the gifted evaluate the include: Learning these practical, real-world content of and process skills required skills empowers gifted students and by a particular Web site before infus- • User is able to quickly determine increases their ability to maximize ing it into the gifted classroom. For the basic content of the site (First their potential. teachers of the gifted to properly Look), integrate the Web to “differentiate • The sponsor of the site is clearly Evaluating Web Sites curricular options, instructional identified (Information Provid- approaches, and resource materials” ers), (NAGC, 2000), they must distin- Before utilizing the power of • Latest revision date is provided guish between appropriate and inap- Web sites, teachers of the gifted must (Information Currency), propriate sites. understand that Web sites are only • The site offers sufficient informa- one instructional tool. In order to tion related to my needs/purposes Web Site successfully integrate this tool, they (Information Quality), and cannot discard other proven teaching Evaluation Guides • There are links to other sites that practices. However, they must also are related to my needs/purposes acknowledge a Web site’s teaching Several evaluation guides to aid (Further Information). potential (Mioduser et al., 2000). In teachers in determining appropriate fact, courses and advanced college Web sites for their classrooms are After answering all of the ques- degrees are now available online. As available online. One can simply type tions, teachers tally the number of the field of online learning begins to “Web site evaluation guide” into any yes/no responses and determine the adhere to more stringent standards search engine on the Internet in order appropriateness of the site. 30 winter 2006 • vol 29, no 1 How Do I Do That? Integrating Web Sites Into the Gifted Education Classroom While there is no set cut-off score • Does the page take a long time to These questions can be inte- for any Web site evaluation guide, load? (visual appearance), grated easily with any Web evaluation teachers must weigh the positive and • Would it have been easier to get the guide. After thoroughly evaluating a negative aspects of each site. There information somewhere else? (con- Web site, teachers of the gifted can might be one element on a particular tent), then determine whether or not to uti- site that merits its use, such as a hard • Are you positive the information is lize it as an instructional tool. to find map, rare photo, or engaging valid and authoritative? (author- multimedia. Conversely, teachers of ity), and Designing Lessons That the gifted might find one element • Looking at all of the data you have Incorporate Web Sites that warrants the site’s exclusion such collected above while evaluating as sexually explicit advertisements, the site, explain why or why not Incorporating IT tools, such as broken links, or a slow Internet con- this site is (or is not) valid for your Web sites, into any lesson requires nection speed. When making the purpose (narrative evaluation). that teachers follow a systematic ultimate decision to utilize a specific process. Many instructional designers site or not, the teacher must have a Again, a teacher will tally the insist that adhering to a specific learning goal in mind and determine responses and determine if or how to instructional design model will if that particular Web site will help incorporate a particular Web site. enable teachers of the gifted to pro- students to be successful. duce effective, efficient, and relevant DiscoverySchool.com. Discovery Criteria Specific instructional activities (Gustafson & School.com, sponsored by the to Gifted Education Branch, 2002). According to Discovery Channel, is another Gustafson and Branch, there are sev- teacher and student resource Web Unfortunately, neither guide eral instructional design models that site. The Critical Evaluation of a Web specifically addresses gifted children’s describe specific criteria that one site PDF can be downloaded for free needs. While teachers of the gifted should follow. However, in one way at http://school.discovery.com/sch should be concerned about the visual or another, they all incorporate the rockguide/eval.html. There are three appearance, content, currency, and following five core elements: (a) evaluation guides to choose from authenticity of a Web site, they also analysis, (b) design, (c) development, depending on the grade level of the need to ensure that it meets NAGC’s (d) implementation, and (e) evalua- audience (elementary, middle school, program standards. Thus, before tion (ADDIE). This ADDIE model and secondary level). Teachers of the designing a lesson that incorporates a is the most widely used instructional gifted can use each guide to evaluate a Web site, teachers of the gifted must design model (Gustafson & Branch). Web site based on visual appearance, consider a few additional yes/no content, and authority. The elemen- questions. The following have been Analysis tary and middle school has yes/no adapted from the Curriculum and questions divided into two categories, Instruction strand of NAGC’s Gifted Before writing a lesson that combining content and authority Education Program Standards incorporates Web sites, the teacher of into one category. The secondary (2000): the gifted must analyze students’ school guide divides the yes/no ques- needs. These can include the need to tions into the three categories men- • Can the Web site be adapted to learn algebraic formulas, the differ- tioned above. All three versions meet the varied instructional ences between democracy and com- provide space for the evaluator to pace of all students? munism, cell structure, or literary write a narrative evaluation of the • Does the Web site incorporate style of William Shakespeare. Web site. advanced content that facilitates According to Gustafson and Branch Following completion of all sec- critical thinking? (2002), a major aspect of this stage is tions, a teacher can make an • Will the Web site meet gifted stu- to select a worthy goal for gifted stu- informed decision about the appro- dents’ strengths and interests dents to achieve, because it will influ- priateness of using a specific Web site while allowing a sufficient ceiling ence other elements of the lesson. as an instructional tool. Sample items for optimal learning? Analysis also involves determin- include: ing available resources. Teachers of gifted child today 31 How Do I Do That? Integrating Web Sites Into the Gifted Education Classroom the gifted who have access to a com- that enhances all of the lesson’s learn- designing cooperative learning puter lab would design a lesson dif- ing activities. groups, (c) incorporating the jigsaw ferently than those with one, three, or It is easier to incorporate Web method, or (d) creatively scheduling five computer(s) in the classroom. sites into the lesson when the ratio of individual student computer time. Other resources to consider include, computers to students is 1:1 as op- The key to the success of each strat- but are not limited to: (a) hardware posed to 1:25. However, in all situa- egy is for the teacher of the gifted to capacity, (b) Internet connection tions the teacher of the gifted will have developed varied learning activi- speed, (c) student expertise, and (d) have to creatively design learning ties (i.e., utilized other tools) that per- teacher expertise. Teachers of the activities that maximize technology mit students to meet the lesson’s goal. gifted must accurately analyze their and nontechnology resources. While resources if they are to design lessons the design of the activity will vary Development that appropriately infuse Web sites depending on available resources, the into the curricula. objectives of the lesson will remain To develop effective lessons that For example, in an advanced 8th the same. incorporate Web sites into the gifted grade U.S. History class, one objec- For example, three learning education classroom, the teacher of tive is for the students to learn about objectives for the sample Lewis and the gifted must produce teacher and Lewis and Clark’s exploration of the Clark lesson are as follows: student resources for all of the learn- Louisiana Territory. The goal of this ing activities. Hannafin and Hill sample lesson is for students to • Students will be able to describe (2002) state that teacher-developed describe the effects that the Lewis and in their own words the 19th cen- materials will help guide gifted stu- Clark Corps of Discovery had on the tury American idea of Manifest dents through the lesson and enable idea of Manifest Destiny. Destiny. them to meet the learning objectives. Depending on the particular • Students will be able to compare The teacher resources will also pro- classroom, available resources can dif- Thomas Jefferson’s desire to vide the teacher of the gifted with the fer drastically. As stated above, one expand America’s influence across necessary information to monitor, teacher may have a classroom full of the continent with contemporary teach, and evaluate student progress. computers available while another events. Resources for gifted students may have only one computer. It is • Students will be able to defend should help to develop the process important to remember that no mat- their opinion as to whether or skills of knowledge, comprehension, ter the situation, the goal will not not the 19th century American application, analysis, synthesis, and change. However, what will vary, ideas of Manifest Destiny had a evaluation (Roberts & Roberts, depending on each unique situation, positive impact on American his- 2001). Examples for the Lewis and is the design of the lesson. tory. Clark lesson include, but are not lim- ited to: (a) primary documents from Design Each of these objectives can be Lewis and Clark’s journals, (b) jour- achieved in a classroom with 25 com- nals for students to document their After analysis, the teacher of the puters or just one. The difference own learning, (c) K-W-L charts, (d) gifted needs to design the structure of between success and failure for either maps illustrating Lewis and Clark’s the lesson. This includes writing situation lies in the teacher’s ability to journey, (e) maps illustrating the total measurable objectives, detailing effectively utilize all instructional territory of the Louisiana Purchase, learning activities, and identifying tools, not just Web sites, to facilitate and (f) samples of 19th century specific Web sites (Gustafson & learning. Native American folk tales that Branch, 2002). As with any well- Regardless of the number of demonstrate how westward expansion organized lesson plan, the teacher of available computers, teachers of the impacted their way of life. Certainly the gifted must create learning objec- gifted must consider design strategies this is not a comprehensive list, but it tives and activities that enable stu- that allow for flexible use of Web sites does demonstrate the variety of dents to meet the stated goal. and other resources. These strategies resources that are required. While Additionally, when incorporating a include, but are not limited to: (a) some might be included within a Web site, the teacher must select one creating multiple learning centers, (b) Web site, teachers also will need to 32 winter 2006 • vol 29, no 1 How Do I Do That? Integrating Web Sites Into the Gifted Education Classroom locate/create materials not available During the sample Lewis and At the end of the sample Lewis through the site. Clark lesson, the teacher of the gifted and Clark lesson, teachers of the In addition, teachers will have to will make sure that each activity, gifted must determine if students met develop materials that enable them to including the Web site activity, works the stated learning objectives (sum- facilitate the activities. During any as designed. In addition, it is the mative evaluation). It is more accu- given lesson, teachers of the gifted are teacher’s responsibility to monitor rate to measure total learning by expected to observe learning to ensure student progress and provide timely administering a pre- and postassess- that students are progressing toward feedback on all student work. To help ment; however, gifted students must the desired goal. They must also eval- set a more authentic environment, at least complete a postassessment. uate final products to determine if the teacher could dress up as an early Moreover, teachers of the gifted must students met the required objectives 19th century historical figure such as reflect on ways to improve and (Hunt & Seney, 2001). These Thomas Jefferson, Sacagawea, Lewis, enhance the lesson’s design (formative include: (a) pre/post assessments, (b) or Clark; have sound effects of people evaluation). Examples of formative rubrics, and (c) checklists. As with moving through the woods playing in evaluation include (a) the teacher any teaching strategy, teachers must the background; or bring in examples reflecting on the effectiveness of each be prepared to answer information of early 19th century tools. The point activity; and (b) students comment- and procedural-based student ques- is that the Web site is one tool of ing on what they learned from each tions. Furthermore, they must always many that teachers of the gifted must activity. Recruiting students’ input have backup materials in case there is utilize. empowers them to take ownership of a technology glitch such as downtime their learning. Finally, teachers of the in the school’s Internet access or com- Evaluation gifted need to look at the evaluative puter failure. Teachers of the gifted results and revised activities to ensure should use temporary problems as an According to Gustafson and more efficient learning. opportunity to teach and model good Branch (2002) there are three ele- In terms of incorporating a par- planning and coping skills. ments to evaluation: summative, for- ticular Web site into the gifted class- mative, and revision. Summative room, the teacher cannot conclude its Implementation evaluation requires the teacher to col- instructional quality until the stu- lect data to determine if students met dents have completed the lesson. The After analyzing the situation, the learning objectives. Formative teacher of the gifted must determine designing the environment, and evaluation involves collecting data to if the Web site had a positive impact developing the materials, the teacher determine how to revise and improve on student outcomes. Furthermore, will implement the lesson. Having the lesson. Revision requires that the the teacher should reflect on how to designed a learning environment that changes be made according to the for- improve the instructional quality. teaches students the skills necessary to mative data (Gustafson & Branch). This might result in creating new stu- succeed in the information age, the At its conclusion, the teacher of dent materials, finding a more effec- teacher of the gifted will act as a facil- the gifted must critically evaluate all tive Web site, or adjusting the design itator. Hannafin and Hill (2002) state aspects of the lesson. Hannafin and of the Web-based activities. that an appropriately created learning Hill (2002) state that this evaluation environment will help gifted students will allow the teacher to determine if ADDIE Summary to meet the objectives successfully. students have acquired the necessary The setting will direct students by knowledge and skills as determined Becoming comfortable with “having them read the instructional by the objectives and reinforced by incorporating Web sites and follow- materials, engage in instructional instruction. Additionally, teachers of ing the strategies outlined in the activities, produce responses, and the gifted must also evaluate each ADDIE model takes time. Much like receive feedback” (p. 77). In this situ- activity’s instructional effectiveness. riding a bicycle, novices will at first ation, the teachers cease to be the dis- Not only will the teacher gauge which fall. However, as riders gain confi- pensers of knowledge; rather, they elements worked, but he or she will dence and expertise, they figure out guide students on their journey to also consider ways to improve the les- how to balance themselves and even- discovery. son. tually learn to ride smoothly. gifted child today 33 How Do I Do That? Integrating Web Sites Into the Gifted Education Classroom Unfortunately, acquiring the ability the instructional process. AV Richey, R. C., & Seels, B. (1994). to successfully adopt IT strategies and Communication Review, 8(1), Defining a field: A case study of IT tools in the gifted education class- 5–26. the development of the 1994 def- room is a difficult process. However, Gustafson, K. L., & Branch, R. M. inition of instructional technol- if the field is to remain relevant and (2002). What is instructional ogy. In D. P. Ely (Ed.), continue to receive due attention by design? In R. A. Reiser & J. V. Educational media and technology key decision makers, then teachers of Dempsey (Eds.), Trends and issues the gifted must accept the challenge. yearbook: 1994 (pp. 2–17). in instructional design and tech- Englewood, CO: Libraries nology(pp. 16–25). Upper Saddle Final Thoughts Unlimited. River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall. Hannafin, M. J., & Hill, J. R. (2002). Roberts, J. L., & Roberts, R. A. Teachers of the gifted must be Epistemology and the design of (2001). Writing units that willing to adopt IT strategies and learning environments. In R. A. remove the learning ceiling. In F. incorporate IT tools. By doing so, Reiser & J. V. Dempsey (Eds.), A. Karnes & S. M. Bean (Eds.), they will provide their students with Trends and issues in instructional Methods and materials for teach- the necessary skills to succeed in con- design and technology (pp. ing the gifted. (pp. 213–252). temporary society. Moreover, the field 70–82). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Waco, TX: Prufrock Press. of gifted education must begin to Merrill Prentice Hall. develop empirically sound IT strate- Scheffler, F. L., & Logan, J. P. (1999). Hunt, B. G., & Seney, R. W. (2001). gies and standards that dictate teach- Computer technology in school: Planning the learning environ- ing in the gifted classroom. Future What teachers should know and ment. In F. A. Karnes & S. M. studies should investigate the fre- be able to do. Journal of Research Bean (Eds.), Methods and materi- quency that teachers of the gifted als for teaching the gifted (pp. on Computing in Education, 31, infuse IT tools in the curricula, crite- 43–89). Waco, TX: Prufrock 305–326. ria for determining appropriate IT Press. Siegle, D. (2004). Using media and tools for the gifted classroom, practi- cal strategies for implementing IT Keane, J. (2002). Where educators technology with gifted students. stand in the technology revolu- tools, and proper techniques for eval- Waco, TX: Prufrock Press. tion. T H E Journal, 30(1), uating the effectiveness of IT tools on Siegle, D. (2005). Six uses of the 38–39. gifted students’ learning. The out- Internet to develop students’ gifts comes of these studies will not only Mioduser, D., Nachmias, R., Lahav, and talents. Gifted Child Today, help advance gifted education peda- O., & Oren, A. (2000) Web- 28(2), 30–36. gogy, but also will enhance gifted based learning environments: Stepanek, J. (1999). The inclusive children’s ability to maximize their Current pedagogical and techno- potential. GGGGCCCCTTTT logical state. Journal of Research classroom. Meeting the needs of on Computing in Education, gifted students: Differentiating References 33(1), 55–76. mathematics and science instruc- National Association for Gifted tion. Portland, OR: Northwest Arias, S., & Clark, K. A. (2004). Children (2000). NAGC pre- Regional Educational Lab. Instructional technologies in k–grade 12 gifted program stan- Tomlinson, C. A. (2004). Sharing developing countries: A contex- dards. Washington, DC: Author responsibility for differentiating tual analysis approach. Tech- Reiser, R. A. (2002). What field did instruction. Roeper Review, 26, Trends: Linking Research & you say you were in? Defining 188–189. Practice to Improve Learning, and naming our field. In R. A. Troxclair, D. A. (2000). Differen- 48(4), 52–55, 70. Reiser & J. V. Dempsey (Eds.), tiating instruction for gifted stu- Coleman, M. R. (2001). Curriculum Trends and issues in instructional dents in regular education social differentiation: Sophistication. design and technology (pp. 5–15). Gifted Child Today, 24(2), 24–25. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill studies classes. Roeper Review, Finn, J. D. (1960) Technology and Prentice Hall. 22, 195–198. 34 winter 2006 • vol 29, no 1

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