Timetable > 19.11.2020 > Talent Education – good practies

Parallel sessions I.

Talent Education – good practies
English

Thu 19.11.2020 12:00-14:30
Lecture hall: Room B
Chair: Iva Marčelja
  • Japanese Super Science High Schools as sites for gifted education – examination of educational capital
    Paper
    Scientific
    English
    Presenter(s): Erkki Lassila
    Erkki T. Lassila & Manabu Sumida

    This research examines Super Science High School (SSH) program from the perspective of gifted and talented education in STE(A)M subjects. SSH is the only government program in Japanese formal education explicitly setting the goal for fostering the development of excellence. Program specific activities center around joint research activities, high school – university cooperation and both national and international (research) visits. The notion that gifted education policy’s importance lies in how its enacted practices enable individual students to develop own individual learning pathways, guides our way of appraising the SSH program. The data used for the examination consists of qualitative interviews with teachers and observational data from two SSH schools, progress reports published by the SSH schools and publications by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). This data is read against the concepts of educational capital and normative action space found in the actiotope model developed by Ziegler (2005). In this model giftedness is understood as resulting from the interaction between the individual and their material, social and informational environments. Tentative results show the strengths of the program being in 1) the social educational capital in the form of strong network of institutions and key personnel and 2) cultural capital allowing for giving special attention to selected high-achieving students. However, didactic capital concerning teachers’ competencies on guiding research activities are underdeveloped and views on giftedness are varied. This together with the rigidity of the educational system and cultural ideas on ‘proper education’ can hinder the creation individual learning pathways needed to meet potentials and achieve excellence. Teachers negotiate their ideas of meritocracy and equal outcomes with expectations to aim for excellence; this can result in government policies seen as ‘elitist’, taking a different shape with when enacted at the schools in the context of Japanese standardization.

    Ziegler, A. (2005). The actiotope model of giftedness. In R. J Sternberg & J. E. Davidson: Conceptions of Giftedness - Second Edition (pp. 411-434). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Story from Rijeka - an example of good practice of the network of various experts and institutions in the development of gifted program
    Paper
    Practice
    English
    Presenter(s): Iva Marčelja
    The City of Rijeka is showing interest in solving on local level education topics which have not, for now, been resolved at the national level. The City of Rijeka have been a pioneer in implementing educational programs such as early IT education for 1st to 4th grade elementary school students (2003/2004) as well as the extracurricular program of civic education (2016/2017). For many years, the City has been supporting its gifted students through the financing of various programs intended for the gifted (E-classroom in mathematics, LIADO - art research atelier of gifted primary school students, etc.). These programs are very successful, but they do not represent the development of all areas of children's interest at the local level. Therefore, in 2019, the City of Rijeka, through the Youth Center as a project coordinator, launched a pilot project "I play, I explore, I learn". The Youth Centre, a city institution for the organization of free time children and youth, gathered a working group of various experts and enthusiasts. The entire project is implemented in cooperation with the Center for Gifted Child Development Rijeka, with eminent experts from the Faculty of Teacher Education and Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Rijeka and with 13 elementary schools from Rijeka. The pilot project is being implemented in several phases. So far, a model of stakeholder cooperation has been developed, an identification procedure has been carried out, and programs have been designed in four large areas - ARTISTIC, NATURAL SCIENCE, TECHNICAL and SOCIAL-HUMANISTIC. Currently, the project is in the most beautiful phase, which is the implementation of the program and work with gifted students. The evaluation process is carried out in parallel. The value of the pilot project lies in reviewing the available resources at the local level and networking them together so that after the successful implementation of the pilot project remains a platform for upgrading quality systematic care for gifted elementary school students in Rijeka.
  • How, Why, Can we?
    Paper
    Practice
    English
    Presenter(s): Bojana Matešin
    Elementary School Gornja Vežica Teacher Magazine, Rijeka,
    4th issue, October 2020

    Bearing in mind the 25th anniversary of our school, we published our first teacher magazine anniversary issue. Student magazines are not something new, however a teacher magazine is not something very frequent. The aim is to put down all teacher experience and therefore incite other teachers and schools to follow. The first issue was about the examples of good teacher practice and creative work.

    In a married life the 50th wedding anniversary is also called the “golden wedding anniversary”. Therefore, our 4th issue is also “golden”, and the topic is “How, Why, Can we?” because this is the name of our creative workshops that have been taking place in our school since 2017. “Golden” here refers to something that is very valuable, and these are, first and foremost, people – our (potentially) gifted students and teachers.
    There are five sections to the magazine
    In the section How, Why, Can we? we talk about the experiences of our teachers who were the leading creators of these creative workshops within the programme. How to write with an invisible ink, how to find a key for fashion combinations in English language, how to build an eco-memory or how to fly in a Vrančić parachute? How to create a myth, or how to travel to the secret Herezeud are some of the topics you can read about in this section.
    Caring about the gifted students was present not just in the workshops, but also during the lessons at our school. It is extremely important to Go beyond the average concept of a lesson. Therefore, in this section we want to show a different approach to teaching.
    A well-known approach to encouraging gifted students in our school is the E Maths Classroom. With this programme not only do we incite gifted students in our school, but we go further and include students from other schools in Rijeka. The teacher articles in this section show that Maths x Love = E Classroom. The love and creativity that the teachers have for this subject has resulted in numerous publications that we present in this section. You can find out how to design a bike trail by using the Pythagorean Theorem or how to corelate Maths with the national heritage.
    In order for our students to prosper, to grow, the collaboration between the school and home is of extreme importance, as well as the trust between the students and the teacher mentors. These firm bonds seen by the three teachers are discussed in the section Growing together.
    We hope that our teacher magazine inspires and transmits enthusiasm to other teacher colleagues so that our students can grow and prosper.
  • RITHA programme
    Paper
    Practice
    English
    Ksenija Ranogajec Benaković, RITHA specialist on Gifted Education
    Association „Wind at the back “– European Talent Point
    Participant in RITHA „Train-the-trainers“Programme

    RITHA PROGRAM
    Abstract

    Every student deserves to have education according to his/her educational needs. Every child has right to learn something new every day. The vision of the RITHA program is the world in which everyone, including most gifted children, will fulfill their potentials. To achieve this goal, it is needed to improve educational systems and to increase the knowledge and experience of teachers, psychologist and caregivers about gifted children all over the world.
    Radboud University, one of the top 30 Universities in the Europe, developed the RITHA program (RadbourdCSW Internation Training on High Ability). RITHA programme is post graduate, research based programme, in accordance with the European Counsil of High Ability and in cooperation with University of Münster. The aim of the programme is to teach counselors and teachers how to recognize and nurture highly able students and adults to achieve their potentials. It is a blended programme, largely online, with three corresponding seminars. It consists of 30 EC and lasts for 18 months.
    Highly qualified, inspired teachers with immense expertise, personal approach, creative, open and supportive environment are qualities of this training. Participants can improve their understanding of the most important theories, and get an insight into the latest research in the field of gifted education. They are encouraged to express their views and opinions on what they have read during discussions and implement new knowledge into daily practice. After competition, participants will receive RU certificate and ECHA diploma.
    One of the guiding thoughts of the whole training is mentioned in the statement of Dr. Lianne Hoogeveen, Programme Director of the Radboud International Training on High Ability (RITHA): “Those who work with gifted students should avoid labeling them. Instead, cater to their specific needs at school. I believe the question to be asked should be: What does this specific child, adolescent or adult need, and what is the best way to offer this?”
    Future ECHA specialists will be part of an international network of professional experts on giftedness, who only settle for evidence-based applications and never stop learning.
  • Just plasticine – a way for creativity development
    Paper
    Scientific
    English
    Presenter(s): Maria Aleksandrovich
    Since 1897, when William Harbutt and Franz Kolb invented plasticine we have a flexible material for play and creativity development. Plasticine challenges us with its characteristics and uncounted variants of modelling possibilities. In educational and therapeutic work well organized activities with plasticine helps in the development of fine motor skills and preparation of the hands for writing. Furthermore modelling activities can support language and spatial abilities development, as well as promote intellectual and emotional development. Practical outputs and results of scientific research showed that modelling activities with clay and play-dough have positive effects on relaxation, anger release, imagination, storytelling and metaphor development.
    During years 2017-2020 I have prepared a developmental program “Plasticinegraphy for Kids and Adults”. At the presentation I will share the theoretical background of the programme, present the results of empirical proof of the program, as well as demonstrate the examples of practical use of the programme. Because of COVID-19 restrictions the practical part of the programme was realized in on-line form. I will present the experiences from the two weeks “Intensive International Summer Camp Khaptagai” in Yakutia (for teenagers) and three month on-line programme in the frames of “Active Academia 5+ Project” in Poland (for people of different age).