STUDENT LEARNING
SKILLS COURSES
Memory - for Years 6-8
- understanding memory, learning memory techniques
Learning About Learning for Years 7-10
- developing metacognitive awareness learning skills,
strategies and personal styles for success at school
Exam Confidence for Years 10-13
- practical study and self-motivation skills for high
achievement in all tests and exams
Learning Resilience for Years 12, 13 & GATE students
- strategies for developing flexible thinking, managing
pressure, dealing with stress and developing resilience
Ellen Winner on giftedness
1)
Precocity they take the first steps in the mastery of
some domain at an earlier than average age and they
make more rapid progress than do ordinary children
2) An insistence on marching to their own drummer
they learn in a qualitatively different way, they need
minimum help in order to master their domain, and
much of the time they teach themselves
3) A rage to master they are intrinsically motivated to
make sense of the domain in which they show
precocity, they exhibit an intense and obsessive
interest and an ability to focus sharply
Gifted Children:
Mozart composed four sonatas and a symphony by the
time he was 8
Alfred Tennyson composed a 6000 line epic poem at 12
Picasso had his first exhibition at 16
Jim Henson created the Muppets at 15
Stan Lee (the creator of Siderman) published his first
comic book at 17
Charlotte Church signed her first record deal at 11
Stevie Wonder released his first two record albums at 12
Tupac Shakur started composing when he was 15
Wade Robson was choreographing Britney Spears
stage shows at 16
Nikki Reed at 13, co-wrote the screenplay of the movie
Thirteen
What high achieving students think
Advantages
Disadvantages
learning is easier
enjoy school more
understand things easier
get privileges
get better qualifications
get better career
better grades
more respect from teachers
solve problems faster
able to help others
higher self esteem
more choices in life
people treat you differently
hard to find friends
gets you mocked
get bullied
dont fit in
get bored in class
always higher expectations
get teased
geek stereotype
feel isolated
hide your abilities to fit in
lots of pressure
SUCCESS
Success
= Capability + Effort + Resilience
Praise
for effort
for ability
you are so hard working,
persistent, determined.
you are so smart, talented,
intelligent.
links approval to an
attribute of the child over
which they have control they can grow, develop and
improve
links approval to an
attribute of the child over
which they have no control
- they cant grow, develop
or improve
assessment becomes a
measure of progress, an
opportunity to learn
assessment becomes a
critical judgement, an
opportunity to fail
Developing Resilient Learners
Focus any praise for achievement on
observed effort rather than ability
Help them to focus on the processes of
learning the strategies they are using as
the best source of improvement building
metacognitive awareness
Help them to learn from their
mistakes - to fail well
The most significant difference between the
high achievers and the underachievers was
that all the high achievers had
learned how to fail well
- whereas all the underachievers were
failing badly
Reactions to Failure
Failing Well
Acknowledging your failures
- taking responsibility for your
Failing Badly
Blaming the school or the
system
own actions
Blaming other people
- working out what you did
Pretending you never get or do
wrong
- making changes, and
- having another go
anything wrong
Adding drama to failures to
avoid dealing with them
Avoiding any activity that could
possibly result in failure
Growing Resilient High Achieving Children
1)
Tell them your failure stories
2)
Use role models and biographies to show
them that failure, resilience and
perseverance are the keystones to success
3)
Encourage them to take on new challenges
and use failure as feedback
4)
Help them to notice their own strategies
for recovery from failure
Matapihi Kindergarten
We guarantee the right of your
children to hurt themselves
Over-protective Parenting
What creates anxious children is parents hovering and
protecting them from stressful experiences (Jerome
Kagan, Harvard University)
Having overprotective parents is a risk factor for anxiety
disorders because children do not have opportunities to
master their innate shyness and become more
comfortable in the world (Michael Liebowitz, Columbia
University)
Those who allow their kids to find a way to deal with lifes
day-to-day stresses by themselves are helping them
develop resilience and coping strategies (Psychology
Today, 12/11/04)
5) Teach them caution not fear
6) Help them take responsibility for their own
actions
7) Help them learn to fight their own battles
8) Allow them to fail
Learning Rates
o The learning rate of children above 130 IQ is
approximately 8 times faster than for children below
70 IQ
o Gifted students are significantly more likely to
retain (science and maths) content accurately when
taught 2-3 times faster than normal class pace
o Gifted students are significantly more likely to
forget or mislearn (science and maths) content when
they must drill and review it more than 2-3 times
Dr Karen B Rogers (1999) Research Synthesis
Student Autonomy
Gifted students demonstrate:
o a preference for self-structured tasks and self
imposed deadlines
o a preference for working alone or with one like ability
peer
o a preference for selfinstructional tasks
o greatest preference for independent study projects
that are reading/content acquisition based
o greater interest in learning something new and
different rather than doing hands-on things.
Dr Karen B Rogers (1999) Research Synthesis
Some facts:
6 billion cell phones in the world
85% of new phones are web enabled
2 billion broadband subscriptions
255 million websites
150 million blogs
8 trillion text messages sent in 2011
107 trillion emails 89% of which are spam
Youtube 48 hours uploaded every minute
3 billion videos viewed every day
What if .....
every piece of subject matter was available to your
students on the internet, and
they all had access to internet linked tablets, and
they all had access to high speed broadband all
day....
What would school learning look like then?
A revolution in teaching and learning is now
possible due to:
A focus on the teaching of learning skills in NZ
through the key competencies
The proliferation of high quality school subject based
websites
The ubiquity of internet accessible devices
The availability of high speed broadband
The high level of comfort your children have with the
digital world
Great Websites for studying school subjects
www.taolearn.com/students.php
- my site with links to all the best free sites to help your children study, including:
www.nobraintoosmall.co.nz - made in New Zealand especially for NCEA
- revision notes, flash cards, test yourself activities, powerpoints and more for General Science , Biology
Chemistry and Physics
www.studyit.org.nz - specifically for NZ NCEA
- all aspects of NCEA covered in all the key subjects - resources, standards, study guides for English, Science,
Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Earth Science
www.khanacademy.org
- really clear clips explaining every part of most subjects
http://www.brightstorm.com
- great videos and much more in Maths, Science and English (American English anyway)
http://getrevising.co.uk/resources
- all subjects at all levels, great new shared resources arriving from other students daily contribute
your own
http://www.studyblue.com/notes/high-schools/
- make and share online flashcards, quizzes and notes, study on-line and on your phone, you need to join up
first but its free
www.johndclare.net and www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk
- good sites for history, all countries, all ages
More great sites for you
www.s-cool.co.uk and www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/
- good resources for all subjects for Level 1 NCEA, GCSE and IGCSE
www.mrbartonmaths.com/goodsites.htm
- a collection of free maths sites for Level 1 NCEA, GCSE and IGCSE
http://www.rod.beavon.clara.net/chemistry_contents.htm#Physical
- great site for Chemistry at all levels
http://www.languagesonline.org.uk/
- many languages at every level
www.swipestudy.com
- self-tests in most subjects sent to your phone!
http://www2.actden.com/writ_den/tips/essay/index.htm
and www.freeology.com
- information organizers to help you write all types of essays, reports
www.quizlet.com and www.easynotecards.com/index
- flash card makers for most subjects
It is now possible for your children to learn all
their school subjects:
at their own pace
in their own style
in their own time
Resources for Parents
To connect with other parents like you and get good advice check out
NZAGC Forum: www.giftedchildren.org.nz/forum/
NZ Gifted Education Centre lots of information and links to other sites
www.giftededucation.org.nz/index.html
NZ Min of Ed resources for teachers, schools, parents and children
http://gifted.tki.org.nz/
USA site great resources www.hoagiesgifted.org/
American Mensa great resources for extending kids www.us.mensa.org/
Check out my webpage: www.taolearn.com for tips, ideas, articles, videos
Blog for parents: www.lancegking.wordpress.com
On the net...
My web page - www.taolearn.com
- Tips for Parents through the year
- Tips for Students multi-sensory resources
- articles
- links
- videos
- blog
The book of the student course
Books I have found useful:
Hothouse Kids Alissa Quart
The Price of Privilege Madeline Levine
The Overachievers the secret lives of
driven kids Alexandra Robbins
Mindset The New Psychology of Success
Carol S. Dweck
The Optimistic Child Martin P Seligman
