Meaningful Use of Meaningful Use of Quality Academic Quality Academic Competitions forCompetitions forDifferentiationDifferentiation

OBJECTIVES:OBJECTIVES:

Provide a rationale for using Provide a rationale for using QQuality uality AAcademic cademic CCompetitions (QAC): 1) ompetitions (QAC): 1) identify the components in QAC’s, 2) identify the components in QAC’s, 2) understand how gifted, middle understand how gifted, middle school students can benefit from school students can benefit from QAC’s, and 3) appreciate the cost QAC’s, and 3) appreciate the cost effectiveness.effectiveness.

Understand how to get involved in Understand how to get involved in QAC’s and how to implement them in QAC’s and how to implement them in the regular classroom – clarifying the the regular classroom – clarifying the role of teacher, student and parentrole of teacher, student and parent

THEME: THEME: Quality Academic Competitions Quality Academic Competitions

immerse students in the immerse students in the essential structure of a essential structure of a

discipline (Bruner, 1960) and discipline (Bruner, 1960) and mirror acknowledged criteria mirror acknowledged criteria

for quality academic curriculum for quality academic curriculum for gifted studentsfor gifted students

Identifying quality Identifying quality curriculum for gifted curriculum for gifted

students students

(Hockett, Jessica. (2009) Curriculum for (Hockett, Jessica. (2009) Curriculum for Highly Able Learners That Conforms to Highly Able Learners That Conforms to General Education and Gifted Education General Education and Gifted Education

Quality Indicators,Quality Indicators, Journal for the Journal for the Education of the GiftedEducation of the Gifted, , 32 , 394-440)32 , 394-440)

1. “Conceptual approach 1. “Conceptual approach to organize or explore to organize or explore content that is discipline content that is discipline based and integrative”based and integrative”Understanding the big Understanding the big picturepicture

2. “Pursues advanced levels 2. “Pursues advanced levels of understanding beyond of understanding beyond the general education the general education curriculum through curriculum through abstraction, depth, breadth, abstraction, depth, breadth, and complexity” and complexity”

3. “Students use 3. “Students use processes and materials processes and materials that approximate those that approximate those of an expert, of an expert, disciplinarian or disciplinarian or practicing professional” practicing professional”

4. “Emphasizes problems, 4. “Emphasizes problems, products, and products, and performances that are performances that are true-to-life, and outcomes true-to-life, and outcomes that are that are transformational”transformational”AuthenticityAuthenticity

5. “Flexible enough to 5. “Flexible enough to accommodate self-accommodate self-directed learning fueled directed learning fueled by student interests, by student interests, adjustments for pacing, adjustments for pacing, and variety” and variety”

Identifying Quality Academic Identifying Quality Academic Competitions that mirror Competitions that mirror quality curriculum for gifted quality curriculum for gifted learners learners

Maker, C.J. (1982) Maker, C.J. (1982) Curriculum development for Curriculum development for the gifted. the gifted. Rockville, MD: Aspen Systems Rockville, MD: Aspen Systems Corporation. Corporation.

Ozturk, M. A. & Debelak, C. (2008) Academic Ozturk, M. A. & Debelak, C. (2008) Academic competitions as tools for differentiation in competitions as tools for differentiation in middle school, middle school, Gifted Child Today, 31 (2), 47-Gifted Child Today, 31 (2), 47-53. 53.

Ozturk, M. A. & Debelak, C. (2008) Affective Ozturk, M. A. & Debelak, C. (2008) Affective benefits from academic competitions, benefits from academic competitions, Gifted Gifted Child Today, 31(3), Child Today, 31(3), 48-53.48-53.

Quality Academic Quality Academic Competitions Competitions

What are they?What are they?

Quality Academic Competitions Quality Academic Competitions immerse students in the essential immerse students in the essential structure of a discipline and hence structure of a discipline and hence mirror acknowledged criteria for mirror acknowledged criteria for quality academic curriculum for quality academic curriculum for gifted students.gifted students.

Highlighted competitionsHighlighted competitions

History: National History DayHistory: National History Day Mathematics: MathCounts, Math Olympiads, Mathematics: MathCounts, Math Olympiads,

Continental Math League, American Continental Math League, American Mathematics Contest 8Mathematics Contest 8

Writing: Power of the Pen (Ohio), Scholastic Art Writing: Power of the Pen (Ohio), Scholastic Art and Writingand Writing

Creative problem solving: Future Problem Creative problem solving: Future Problem Solving CompetitionSolving Competition

Science: Intel Science CompetitionScience: Intel Science Competition

I. Curricular componentsI. Curricular componentsA. Differentiate in A. Differentiate in ContentContent

• Exploration of the breadth and Exploration of the breadth and depth of content is limited only depth of content is limited only by time and interest. by time and interest.

B. Differentiate in ProcessB. Differentiate in Process

Assumes the use of higher order Assumes the use of higher order thinking skills because children are thinking skills because children are immersed in the essential structure immersed in the essential structure of the discipline. of the discipline.

Introduces students to standards of Introduces students to standards of excellence in work and effortexcellence in work and effort

Encourages work with intellectual Encourages work with intellectual peerspeers

C. Differentiate in ProductC. Differentiate in Product

Real world products.Real world products.

Evaluation by experts in the Evaluation by experts in the disciplinediscipline

D. Differentiate in the D. Differentiate in the Learning EnvironmentLearning Environment

Environments at competitions help Environments at competitions help children identify themselves as children identify themselves as members of the academic discipline.members of the academic discipline.

Creates a positive peer culture Creates a positive peer culture among participants locally and among participants locally and regionallyregionally

II. Affective BenefitsII. Affective BenefitsA.A. Provide an extrinsic Provide an extrinsic

motivation that can foster motivation that can foster intrinsic motivationintrinsic motivation

Providing a meaningful Providing a meaningful framework for giving positive framework for giving positive feedback on performancefeedback on performance

B. Offer a learning B. Offer a learning environment in which gifted environment in which gifted students can learn and students can learn and practice metacognative practice metacognative skills.skills.

C. Provide experiences to C. Provide experiences to nurture a healthy self-nurture a healthy self-conceptconcept

Supporting meaningful efforts Supporting meaningful efforts toward greater competency.toward greater competency.

May give gifted students a May give gifted students a healthy perspective about healthy perspective about themselves and others. themselves and others.

D. Provides experiences for D. Provides experiences for gifted students to deal gifted students to deal effectively and effectively and magnanimously with magnanimously with success and failuresuccess and failure

III. Provide material III. Provide material support and professional support and professional guidanceguidance

Conducting academic Conducting academic competitions:competitions:

A Triad of Responsibility – A Triad of Responsibility – Teachers, Parents, Teachers, Parents,

StudentsStudents

The teacher, parent or The teacher, parent or mentor create a “soft mentor create a “soft

competition.”competition.”

The teacher provides: 1) The teacher provides: 1) expertise in content, expertise in content,

guiding students through guiding students through the essential structure of the essential structure of

the discipline, and 2) the discipline, and 2) organizational and organizational and

attributional help - goal attributional help - goal setting, time management, setting, time management,

scheduling, attitude and scheduling, attitude and effort. effort.

The student expresses The student expresses varying degrees of varying degrees of

positive interest and positive interest and willingness to work.willingness to work.

Parent or guardian provides Parent or guardian provides the student with emotional, the student with emotional, volitional, intellectual, and volitional, intellectual, and

practical support so that the practical support so that the student will have a positive student will have a positive and productive experience and productive experience

in the competition. in the competition.

Getting your feet wet.Getting your feet wet. Become familiar with the Become familiar with the

competition and the processcompetition and the process Visit the respective web sitesVisit the respective web sites Visit participating schools, attend Visit participating schools, attend

competitionscompetitions Participate in the Participate in the

evaluation/judging processevaluation/judging process Participate in workshops Participate in workshops Obtain resource materials for Obtain resource materials for

general classroom usegeneral classroom use

WEBSITESWEBSITES National History Day National History Day www.nhd.orgwww.nhd.org Future Problem Solving (in Ohio – Future Problem Solving (in Ohio –

www.ohiofps.orgwww.ohiofps.org; international ; international www.fpspi.orgwww.fpspi.org)) MathCounts MathCounts www.mathcounts.orgwww.mathcounts.org Math Olympiads Math Olympiads www.moems.orgwww.moems.org American Mathematics Competition 8 American Mathematics Competition 8

www.unl.edu/amc/e-exams/e4-amc08/amc8.shtwww.unl.edu/amc/e-exams/e4-amc08/amc8.shtmlml

Power of the Pen Power of the Pen www.powerofthepen.orgwww.powerofthepen.org Alliance for Young Artists and Writers Alliance for Young Artists and Writers

www.artandwriting.orgwww.artandwriting.org Intel Science Competitions Intel Science Competitions

www.intel.com/education/competitionswww.intel.com/education/competitions

Charles DebelakCharles DebelakHelene Bouman DebelakHelene Bouman Debelakwww.birchwoodschool.orwww.birchwoodschool.orgg

4400 West 1404400 West 140thth Street StreetCleveland, OH 44135Cleveland, OH 44135216-251-2321216-251-2321