Giftedness in Film

Many GT kids have unique feelings of being different and misunderstood. This can lead to isolation and alienation in the classroom. Film with positive images can benefit these kids. Cinematherapy – using movies to help students understand themselves – can help GT students identify with characters and ideas in film leading them to gain insights into their own lives. Positive images of giftedness help GT kids to learn problem-solving skills involving interpersonal relationships and provide an outlet for discussing sensitive topics. This may be best accomplished in a homogeneous gifted classroom.

Far too often, all children are exposed to negative portrayals of gifted children which further erodes how society overall views GT students. When portrayed in a negative light, gifted children can become the victims of bullying and prejudice on the part of adults impacting them throughout their lives. Gifted children with heightened perceptual abilities and sensitivities may be overwhelmed by ethical and moral concerns when gifted characters are portrayed as social misfits, nerds, or outcasts.

Cinematherapy follows the same process as bibliotherapy: students identify with characters, experience empathy, reflect on insights gained, and apply them accordingly. Specifically, educators can use ‘guided viewing’ of pre-screened films, provide well-crafted discussion questions, and time for reflection. High quality curated films can reach 2E students, ESL students, and low-SES students at the same time as fulfilling curricular objectives in social-emotional learning or even underachievement.

Some recent movies depicting gifted characters include A Brilliant Young Man (2014), Hidden Figures (2016), Gifted (2017), and Radioactive (2019). Additional movies include Tesla (2020), Hero Mode (2021), and the Enola Holmes films (2020, 2022). It would be remiss to overlook documentaries focused on the gifted which are both beneficial and appealing to GT students. Included are The G Word Film from Marc Smolowitz, 2e: Twice Exceptional from Tom Ropelewski, and Zebra: Gifted People.

The iconic tv show, The Big Bang Theory (& its spin-off, Young Sheldon), engenders strong feelings in the gifted community which range from love it to detest it. With characters both gifted and 2E, it has to be included in our discussion. Other recent television shows include Sherlock (2010 – 2017),- Scorpion (2014 – 2018), The Gifted (2017 – 2019), and MacGyver (2016 – 2021). Additional shows include The Mysterious Benedict Society (2021 – 2022), Criminal Minds (2005 – 2020), The Good Doctor (2017 – present), and Genius (2017 – present).

A transcript of this chat may be found at Wakelet.

Global #gtchat Powered by the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented is a weekly chat on Twitter. Join us Thursdays at 8E/7C/6M/5P in the U.S. and Fridays at 1AM GMT to discuss current topics in the gifted community and meet experts in the field. Transcripts of our weekly chats can be found at Wakelet. Our Facebook Page provides information on the chat and news and information regarding the gifted community.

About the author: Lisa Conrad is the Moderator of Global #gtchat Powered by TAGT and Social Media Manager of the Global #gtchat Community. She is a longtime advocate for gifted children and also blogs at Gifted Parenting Support. Lisa can be contacted at: gtchatmod@gmail.com

Resources:

Cinematherapy in Gifted Education Identity Development: Integrating the Arts through STEM-Themed Movies (pdf)

Guided Viewing of Film With Gifted Students: Resources for Educators and Counselors | Gifted Child Today

Best Movies & Television for Inspiring Gifted Kids

Movie Night Activity Plan | MENSA for Kids

The 15 Best Movies About Geniuses and Gifted People (2023)

5 Best Child Prodigy Movies You Shouldn’t Miss (2022)

‘Good Will Hunting’ And 9 Other Movies About Characters With Genius Minds (2022)

18 Best TV Shows With Genius Main Characters (2022)

20 Films about Math, Mathematicians and Math Geniuses (2023)

Reel Life this Ain’t

Giftedness in the Media

Fostering The Social and Emotional Development of Gifted Children through Guided Viewing of Film | SENG

The Impact of Popular Culture on Gifted Children

Gifted in Reel Life

How Pop Culture Stereotypes Impact the Self-Concept of Highly Gifted People

Zebras: Gifted People (Vimeo – Rent/Buy)

2e: Twice Exceptional (Vimeo – Rent/Buy)

The G Word Film

Cybraryman’s Teaching with Movies Page

Movies Featuring Gifted Kids (and Adults!) | Hoagies Gifted

Graphic courtesy of Lisa Conrad.

Nurturing Metacognition in High-Ability Readers

Metacognition is usually defined as thinking about thinking. However, it’s also knowing about thinking. Studies have shown a relationship between metacognitive ability & high intelligence, but it’s not absolute. Metacognition in reading relates to consideration of one’s own learning, thinking critically about it, and finally regulating it. The reader is tasked with understanding how they read. Metacognition is the final step in reading proficiency. It involves knowing about cognition and they regulating cognition to maximize learning.

How does metacognition help high-ability readers? It influences high-ability readers (although, not in all cases) to put forth more effort when unsure of task competence; making these readers more likely to persist in many instances. Improved metacognition significantly increases overall scholastic achievement for high-ability readers. Metacognition increases the likelihood of high-ability readers to find reading intrinsically rewarding, to have improved fluency & comprehension, to think critically, and to experience greater creativity.

How does metacognition relate to ‘deep understanding’ and why is this important? Deep understanding of what is being read is a key aspect of reading comprehension and increased academic success. It requires students to possess metacognition. When one has a deep understanding of what they’re reading, they can put information in context, connect to prior knowledge, be able to interpret & analyze what’s read, and then revise prior understanding. Deep understanding reflects metacognitive skills and is seen as foundational to career and life skills. It helps students in being able to make improvements in their life and to change course when necessary.

Teaching students metacognitive reading skills can improve their chances of success in school and life. They should be encouraged to manage their own learning beginning with thinking aloud, reflection, and inner monologue. Students can improve their skills by asking questions throughout the reading process – ‘Do I understand what I’m reading?’ and ‘What is the main point I need to know?’. Specific strategies include activating prior knowledge, explicitly teaching active reading strategies (connecting, inference, prediction), guided and independent practice, and structured reflection.

How can pairing picture books & text sets challenge the metacognition of young high-ability readers? Pairing picture books & text was discussed in a presentation at last year’s NAGC conference. This strategy can extend strategic reasoning and expand creative thinking (Beltchenko, 2022). This strategy exposes students to advanced inferential connections within and between texts, develops literary analysis and comprehension, and increases depth of knowledge. By pairing text and picture books, this challenges convergent and divergent thinking skills through a book’s physicality, illustrative style, and narrative text (Beltchenko, 2022).

A transcript of this chat may be found at Wakelet.

Resources:

Metacognitive Monitoring and Metacognitive Strategies of Gifted and Average Children on Dealing with Deductive Reasoning Task

Teaching Students to Read Metacognitively | Edutopia https://edut.to/3jInGeU

How Metacognition Boosts Learning | Edutopia

The Relations Among General Intelligence, Metacognition and Text Learning Performance (pdf)

Influence of Fluid Intelligence on Accuracy of Metacognitive Monitoring in Preschool Children Fades with the Calibration Feedback (pdf)

Development of Metacognitive Skills in Young Adolescents (pdf)

Building Metacognition in Gifted Students for Future Success | GHF Learners

Metacognition and High Potential Learners | Potential Plus UK

A Metacognitive Portrait of Gifted Learners

Effect of Teaching Metacognitive Reading Strategies on Reading Comprehension of Engineering Students

Effects of Cognitive & Metacognitive Strategy for Developing Reading Comprehension Capacity (pdf)

A Deeper Understanding of Metacomprehension in Reading: Development of a New Multidimensional Tool

UK: Metacognition for Higher-Attaining Learners: “The Debrief” | NACE

Investigating the Use of Metacognitive Reading Strategies Using Think Aloud Protocol (pdf)

Metacognition in Education

Graphic courtesy of Lisa Conrad.

Nurturing Organic Creativity in the Classroom

The idea of ‘organic’ creativity is found most often defined in the work of Dr. Jane Piirto, “creativity that arises from within, with or without intention, as part of the whole. It is unforces, spontaneous, free, pure, living, & animate.” Piirto lists 5 core attitudes necessary for organic creativity: group trust, self-discipline, risk-taking, openness to experience, and tolerance for ambiguity. General practices include ritual, exercise, meditation, and living a creative life. She emphasizes the use of imagery, imagination (i.e., storytelling), intuition, insight (i.e., the ‘aha’ moment), inspiration, incubation (i.e., individual projects), and improvisation (i.e., humor).

Fostering creativity organically in the classroom is important in preparing students for global, knowledge-based economies. Learning about creativity – what it involves & how to create – is profoundly beneficial for student success in life. The development of creativity is imperative (Skiba, Tan, Sternberg et al, 2010) when it comes to student’ individual fulfillment (Craft, 2003). Creativity can affect a student’s psychological functioning, improve conflict resolution, & amplify construction of knowledge (Hennessey & Amabile, 2010 and Plucker et al, 2004).

Teacher training can be very impactful in the cultivation of creativity. Little training exists in the undergraduate level of teacher prep programs and most teachers must rely on professional development opportunities. Intensive PD centering on teaching creativity can result in higher student scores on creativity assessments (i.e., Torrance). It has a positive impact on teachers’ understanding of creativity & ways to implement it in the classroom. In lieu of adequate PD, teachers benefit from peer networks, PLNs focused on creativity, online resources to develop instructional strategies and pertinent curriculum.

A major impediment to cultivating creativity in the classroom is the existence of standardized testing which involves test prep, test review, PD in test data review, and the actual time devoted to taking tests. Time has been cited as a major barrier to teaching creativity … time for students to consider and create as well as be assessed within a traditional block schedule. Time for teachers to create modules and curriculum. Additional barriers include meeting curriculum standards for a wide range of abilities in a single classroom; traditional grading systems which reward only one correct answer; and high teacher turnover and shortages.

There are supports which are beneficial to nurturing organic creativity beginning with a supportive administration willing to provide adequate PD, support staff, classroom materials, and a willingness support teacher ingenuity. Creativity can be nurtured by creating teams of teachers working together as supportive peers who are given time to share experiences and resources as well as access to peer networks outside the local schools. Additional support can be provided by access to technology for students and teachers, and a district-wide rubric outlining how to understand, develop, and implement creativity in the classroom.

There are numerous strategies to infuse classrooms with organic creativity including teaching to students’ strengths, teaching improvisationally (‘go with the flow’), creating a climate which values feedback and encourages students to learn from failure (Piirto, 2017). Additional strategies include utilizing meditation, mindfulness, encouraging students to pay attention, and envisioning the classroom as a mutual (student and teacher) learning environment regarding creativity (Piirto, 2017).

A transcript of this chat may be found at Wakelet.

Resources:

Organic Creativity in the Classroom: Teaching to Intuition in Academics and the Arts 1st Edition

Teachers and Creativity in the Classroom (pdf)

Nurturing Creativity in the Classroom (Current Perspectives in Social and Behavioral Sciences) 2nd Edition

The Cambridge Handbook of Creativity 2nd Edition

Examining Teacher Perceptions of Creativity: A Systematic Review of the Literature

In-service and Prospective Teachers’ Conceptions of Creativity

How We Can Bring Creativity and Imagination Back to the Classroom

Organic Creativity and the Physics Within (pdf)

Novel, Effective, Whole: Toward a NEW Framework for Evaluations of Creative Products (pdf)

Organic Creativity for 21st Century Skills (pdf)

Fostering Student Creativity in a World of High-Stakes Education

Nurturing Creativity in Technology Enhanced Learning Environments: A Qualitative Multimethod Study of Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices (pdf)

Creativity In The Classroom: Teaching and Fostering Creativity

Creativity Fostering Teacher Behaviour around the World: Annotations of Studies Using the CFT Index

5 Habits of Creative Teachers

How to Be a More Creative Teacher

Teachers’ Experiences That Influence Their Self efficacy to Foster Student Creativity (pdf)

Creative Teaching And Teaching Creativity: How To Foster Creativity In The Classroom

Cybraryman’s Creativity Page

Organic Creativity for Well-Being in the Post-Information Society

Image courtesy of Pixabay Pixabay License

Graphic courtesy of Lisa Conrad.

Sparking Curiosity in Gifted Education

The textbook definition of curiosity is “the desire to learn or know more about something or someone”. It’s important to realize it activates your mind, increases observation skills, and brings opportunities and excitement into your life. A recent study from the University of Denver indicates that high curiosity is a trait common to gifted adolescents. By no means is it unique to this population, but a significant important factor associated with it. Different elements of curiosity include finding pleasure in seeking answers, experiencing anxiety from unresolved problems, or dealing with the ‘rabbit hole’ effect. Intellectual curiosity has been linked to “tolerance of anxiety and uncertainty, positive emotions, humor, playfulness, out-of-box thinking, and a noncritical attitude – all attributes associated with healthy social outcomes” (Price-Mitchell, 2015).

What role does personal agency play in sparking curiosity? Personal agency plays a vital role in sparking curiosity. Gifted children often show a preference for determining what they want to explore more fully. Agency to choose a desired product and/or performance results in greater ownership of the results of curious inquiries. Cultivating agency can increase a student’s eagerness to learn more and can be achieved by guiding them to set personalized goals, track their own progress, and determine how to evaluate their final product.

How can mindfulness nurture curiosity? Mindfulness can enhance a child’s curiosity on many levels. It can be a safeguard against going down the ‘rabbit hole’; obsessing on the question or problem to the point where nothing is accomplished or resolved. Mindfulness can keep a student on track and prevent their minds from wandering off course. Teaching mindfulness – especially for gifted students – is often overlooked but can make a huge difference in the classroom. Self-care, calming techniques, and breathing exercises can all promote mindfulness.

Unstructured time can be a time set aside for discovery and an important way to spark curiosity both in the classroom and at home. Classrooms, especially in the early years, are generally highly structured with tight timelines to ensure the standards are covered. Integrating unstructured time can be accomplished through journaling, independent projects, and play. Unstructured time should include discussion and follow up for any unanswered questions and what was learned during this time of exploration.

What strategies can teachers use to spark curiosity for their GT students? As with so many facets of teaching, modeling curiosity is an excellent teaching strategy. Curiosity should be valued and ultimately rewarded in the classroom rather stymied or ignored. Teaching curiosity begins with conversation and appreciating the ‘art of questioning’. Class discussions can begin with essential questions, quality speculation, peer reviews based on inquiry, and recognition of curiosity in action. Curiosity can be sparked through skeptical debate, project-based learning, encouraging constructive play, and tinkering that leads to innovative and creative outcomes.

How can parents spark curiosity at home for their GT children? Sparking curiosity at home often begins when parents look for those ‘teachable moments’. It can come while a child is at play or at the dinner table. It can start with a meaningful discussion. Believing in the importance of curiosity in a child’s life begins with keeping an open mind, a willingness to ask and posit answers to their questions, offer diverse reading opportunities, and modeling curiosity in your own life.

A transcript can be found at Wakelet.

Global #gtchat Powered by the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented is a weekly chat on Twitter. Join us Thursdays at 8E/7C/6M/5P in the U.S. and Fridays at 2PM NZDT/Noon AEDT/1AM UK to discuss current topics in the gifted community and meet experts in the field. Transcripts of our weekly chats can be found at Wakelet. Our Meta Page provides information on the chat and news and information regarding the gifted community.

Resources:

5 Ways to Ignite Gifted Kids’ Curiosity

Curiosity: The Force Within a Hungry Mind | Edutopia

Why Curiosity is Foundational to Learning

Learner-Centered Innovation: Spark Curiosity, Ignite Passion and Unleash Genius (book)

Teaching Strategies: Sparking Curiosity in Learning

The Benefits of Curiosity: 5 Ways to Ignite and Nurture Your Curiosity

Curiosity: It Helps Us Learn, But Why? | NPR

The Importance of Being…Curious (pdf)

Ignite Curiosity (website)

The Link Between Curiosity and Success

What Is Curiosity and Why It Is Most Important for Success