Presentation for the QAGTC Conference, UQ, 25th March, 2001

"Combining the gifts of students, parents and school staff to create Optimal Learning Communities."

"For Living the Gifted Life"

A presentation by Gregory Smith (Qld.) and Katrina Sims (ACT)Paper available on request..

Part I . Night of the Notables is an exemplary program for gifted and talented boys and girls for use in schools, focusing on the lives of the eminent and famous. Night of the Notables targets and identifies gifted and talented within whole cohorts with an enthusiastic response. Night of the Notables nurtures autonomous learners. It models many optimal features of gifted education. This presentation, "For Living a Gifted Life", outlines how this one program, designed for gifted, is successfully offered to all students in a cohort each year so its special benefits reach all possible clients, both identified and as yet unidentified.

email: greg.hub@pacific.net.au

16 March 2001

I."Individual identities are socially and dialogically constructed." Charles Taylor

Charles Taylor's "Politics of Recognition" (1992) is a contemporary, ethical model for social change. As a moral philosopher, Taylor ties the debate back to persons' rights to particularity; he argues that major problems arise when a monological ideal of recognition prevails His dialogical theory on the other hand offers valid, categories for recognising authentic identities and values in different cultures. Inspired by Kantian categories, he says humans are the measure of their own worth, that each and every person is a moral entity. Taylor's theory argues that differences between human beings carry moral significance. So any denial or destruction of one's worth is morally abhorrent. Since as humans we vitally need adequate recognition, equality in society must never replace our individual uniqueness.

Taylor argues cogently that better recognition can be achieved with this new definition of identity. In previous eras, identity was given at birth by one's role in society, that it was understood with socially recognisable categories. But equal dignity came with the Enlightenment, when aristocratic honour gave way to equal dignity for everyone. To further complicate the history of the Self in the West and "identity" for us today, the Romantic Movement added the gloss of uniqueness to each person. Thus, Taylor shows how authenticity becomes a moral or ethical imperative: "Being in touch with our feelings takes on independent and crucial moral significance. . . [it is] something we have to attain if we are to be true and full human beings" . He says an individually generated identity, or in his words, the authentic self, is inwardly generated not given by social categories.

Furthermore, since identity is a social construct; not only do we have individual differences but "each of us has an original way of being human, each person has his or her own 'measure'." Because identity is gained not given, it is dialogical: "The crucial feature of human life is its fundamentally dialogical character" . How 'significant others' (Mead's term) treat us is essentially how we see ourselves. So "due recognition is not just a courtesy we give peoples. It is a vital human need." As a corollary, "Nonrecognition or misrecognition can inflict harm, can be a form of oppression, imprisoning someone in a false, distorted and reduced mode of being."

II.

I find this social and political theory pertinent when justifying our provisions for the needs of the gifted and talented. The labels and categories of society cannot adequately define the person and a fortiori the gifted child. We must ditch any monological thinking that imposes and dictates categories, and adopt the dialogical one that respects the identity generated from within.

A democratic society must both strive to unify itself and yet recognise its members' differences. It must find and accept tolerable limits of difference, and allay fears of too much difference, for "assimilation [read here "imposing an homogenised identity"] is the cardinal sin against the ideal of authenticity." As a result, shortfalls or faults in recognition in a culture of authenticity readily leads to desperation since identity, rights and well-being are so critically interconnected.

So in our schools, the microcosms of society, does building a culture of authenticity and 'equal dignity' bring a visible viable plurality or require homogeneity? Forcing gifted children into a false homogeneity or imposing a false homogeneity as assimilationist policies do, brings great injustice to individuals and groups for, as Rousseau wrote, equal respect is essential to freedom." The modern school is required to balance these opposing forces. The best way forward is to combine the gifts of all stakeholders, to fuse talents, potentials and experience effectively: "All children will benefit from ALM (autonomous learner model) activities, but it is the gifted and talented who will go beyond what the others are able to accomplish" (Betts 1996). Justice demands that students are involved in determining some of their own education as they become "practised learners, life-long learners."

Taylor offers "balanced reciprocity" as the successful dynamic to underpin equality. For instance, the modern concept of honour is such a negative force because in the competitive, individualistic way it now works (as distinct from the generic ideal of celebrating human achievement in the ancient Olympics), "one person's glory must bring another's shame or at least obscurity." Reciprocity "refers to giving and taking of objects without the use of money or other media of exchange," and "can take the form of sharing, hospitality, gift giving, or barter." Rather than seeking tradeoffs and quotas for allocating resources, a sense of honour in gift-giving can characterise an Optimal Learning Community as it reciprocates its resources among those to whom they are due. Equal dignity will then be honoured. In schools then, reciprocity means that gifted children will be recognised, catered for and included as distinct individuals and populations with their own priorities.

While equal dignity and esteem is accorded by due recognition, honour comes to a few. Eminence is indeed a public phenomenon, admired by all yet attained by some. Studying eminence primarily nurtures gifted and talented students but every student can benefit in his own way and to his own extent. Equity requires that exemplary resources should be accessible to all in the mainstream classroom. Equitable classrooms will assume that everyone has the potential to be notable. If notables' gifts and talented are valued, everyone will celebrate the eminence that their achievement brings. An optimal school community then will ensure everyone is honoured when individuals are duly catered for. All populations within the school will share resources, not equally but equitably, according to their need. In this way, equal respect is maintained and any mis-recognition or worse, non-recognition is avoided.

III.

The College where I work has not formally adopted a single definition or selection procedure for identifying the gifted, but we are preferring Gagne's dynamic definition (1993:72, revised 2001) which indicates that one's gifts or "aptitudes" need rich environments or "intrapersonal catalysts" to be nurtured into talents. Such a dynamic definition constantly challenges us to be open to new expressions of giftedness, to create richer learning situations and to build up a whole school environment that values the gifts of everyone while rewarding those who excel. His definition recognises the variety of influences on the individual, that giftedness is not just cognitive, and the powerful role of motivation and commitment that typifies gifted achievers. It is a wonderful definition for recognising these various influences and for combining the gifts of students, parents and school staff to create Optimal Learning Communities to nurture the gifted life.

All these comments lead to our claim that Night of the Notables is unique in that it develops this socio-affective domains of the Gagné model (1993) as no other operating program does. Since adaptation, transformation and organisation are essential components of the lived experience of being gifted (Cohen 1983, 1989), Notables is learner centred and takes into account the goals, desires and interests of learners (Gruber, 1982; Cohen, 1988). Night of the Notables eminently respects equal dignity, for it offers the same opportunities for all while enabling the more able and the "hidden gifted" to flourish. Night of the Notables fits easily within the Renzulli definition (1977) which recognises giftedness as a tripartite phenomenon with three interacting behaviours: well above average intelligence, high levels of task commitment, and high levels of creativity. The Education Queensland (1982) definition takes this up stating that, "Gifted children are those who because of above average abilities, creativity and task commitment perform or are capable of performing at a high level in potentially valuable areas of human endeavour." Night of the Notables offers such life-long learning and skills for life. It prepares students for living the gifted life.

Giftedness occurs in rewarding environments. Tannenbaum (1983) believes many elements are necessary for giftedness: "Stimulating home, school and community settings are indispensable not only for maximising potentialities but also for helping to determine directions they take." In his definition of giftedness, Gallagher (1985) also stresses the environment and that the culture selects the gifts. These rewarding places are what we would readily call Optimal Learning Communities.

The Haensly, Reynolds and Nash (1986) definition features "coalescence" (combining of abilities to produce significant results), "context" (the factors that decide the value of creative work), " conflict" (responses in the environment that shape and hone gifted development), and "commitment" (willingness to persevere and stick to the development of excellence). These four: coalescence, context, conflict, and commitment, identify the major forces in a comprehensive definition. Giftedness is not just static potential nor performance; it is the fruit of many influences.

IV.

So in offering everyone the Night of the Notables Program, we teach the students that being notable is a dynamic process of identifying and developing naturally given gifts into talents by responding within environments, and we recognise at the College that adaptation, transformation and organisation are essential components of the lived experience of being gifted (Cohen 1983, 1989). We agree with Gear and Vare (1980:18) that children should "not be awarded membership into a group called gifted." Rather an assortment of services should be provided in schools to meet the varied learning needs of individuals.

Optimal Learning Communities are places where people are finding possibilities for enhancement of their own lives and those of their members; they are places where ideas are respected, growth can occur and persons are socially formed. In them, students are free to pursue their own visions, and autonomous learners are nurtured. Treffinger's (1989) comments are still relevant:

"Self-directed learners are self assessing and self-monitoring people, not dependent on the efforts of others to classify or categorize them from outside. People make growth possible for themselves, and each of us can also aid and support the growth of others. . . . The fundamental ingredients of creative accomplishment can be nurtured."

The differences that exist between students can be catered for within a culture of equal respect. There, productive partnerships between home, school and community minimise mismatches. Decision-making there is open, collaborative and decisive. Such communities will be active, attentive, alert and supportive of students and staff.

V.

Our success with Night of the Notables is directly attributable to its positive environment. The spirit, challenge and unselfconsciousness shown in it cannot be faked. Studying in this programme involves the student's family as no other. Siblings, grandparents and parents can all join in this search for knowledge about the student's chosen Notable. Families become very involved in Night of the Notables, even more than in any other study. It is very much a family affair when mother, father and Year 8 student along with siblings trundle in with all the flags, signs, video gear, costume and food to help set up the display. Many hours of family discussion, planning and arranging go into this particular study and the parents always report they love being so involved in what their boy does. The Night itself is very exciting and crowded; it is a real coming together of the school family and a family in the school setting too.

Night of the Notables serves and nurtures the autonomous learner. The student works at his or her own pace and to his own depth. He is free to move where he wishes. He is working within his own time frame, is comfortable within his own learning style and is encouraged to be creative about the products of his learning. Night of the Notables shows the autonomous learner at work.

Night of the Notables features suitable role models for gifted and talented children. "The community is a valuable source of adult role models, mentors and moral exemplars, individuals who pursue their lives and work with passion and who can guide the young gifted person to the development of his or her own passions (deep interests)" (Silverman, 1993:72). These models are studied as contextualised in our common culture, are public exemplars, and are validated by the local Optimal Learning Community.

VI.

When Thomas Edison was asked whether he was frustrated by all the time he had wasted before he found a light bulb, he replied, "It wasn't wasted. I discovered thousands of ways not to make a light bulb!" Such are the stories from the lives of the notable and eminent. They are interesting and inspirational. Studying the lives of the famous through a wide variety of sources such as biographies is what the Night of the Notables is all about. Using primary sources is even better if he can prepare and conduct an interview with one's chosen Notable in person. In this way, the student himself becomes a researcher creating new knowledge. In doing Notables, giftedness is practised as the stimulus to productivity.

Night of the Notables is about transformation. Through a long and deep study of the famous person, the student comes to realise both the gifts and the challenges that person encountered in developing those gifts, in moving from potential to success. The student's 'transformation' comes through identification with that Notable. Thus we encourage the students to speak in the first person, wear the clothes and serve the food typical of that person's life and times. The motivations, aspirations and values of that Notable then serve as excellent mental-peer role models.

Better learning models start with the learner, they recognise learners' characteristics, their needs, their learning styles, and encourage discovery, synthesis and creativity. Models that encourage student input, the sharing of resources and a synthetic approach seem to be better learning-for-life models; key skills are developed, reinforced and applied with the learner in control. Thus, Night of the Notables is a best practice model promoted in an Optimal Learning Community.

Although Night of the Notables is designed for the gifted, the highly able and the highly motivated also seem to enjoy it at their own level. In mixed ability groups, time allowances can be made for the gifted to study their notable in depth as far as they please. Although the quality of the presentations and products will vary, individuals do demonstrate personal strengths in its range of tasks, and so the gifted child's personal strengths overall will naturally self-identify him or her among peers. This Program offers challenges to a wide variety of ability levels.

Identification as gifted is not a gateway requirement for starting Night of the Notables. Over a decade's experience has shown that this program satisfies highly gifted, moderately gifted and able learners alike. As envisaged in the Renzulli Revolving Door self-selection principle, gateway identification is not a requirement for Night of the Notables.

The Night is a festival so the program should be offered to more than just one or two students in a school. As a course of study for use in schools, it unifies a cohort and links home, school and community as no other study does. It celebrates achievement and has a strong vocational vector.

Night of the Notables is an excellent cross-disciplinary study, bringing together many different kinds of learnings: practising comprehensive research and reporting skills, mastering written and oral presentation skills, demonstrating performance skills before an unknown public, sustaining commitment to a self chosen task, displaying artistic skills in design, preparation and erection of one's display, preparing one's costume and props, self monitoring along the way and applying self evaluation skills upon completion. In Notables the students draw on many areas of knowledge, produce a variety of excellent products, and integrate various learnings, skills and understandings derived from researching their chosen notables. This combination makes it a model multidisciplinary learning experience.

VI.

Finally, Night of the Notables™ is a Rich Task for Queensland schools. The explanatory grid follows.

The Night of the Notables Program - a Rich Task for Queensland Schools

Rich Task - Study of eminence

Students will show that they are able to undertake a research project on an eminent individual they choose and admire. They access as many different resources as possible to construct and record an appreciation of the steps to eminence, how he or she identified their own gifts, and responded to education, opportunity, mentoring and luck in their pathway to success. They set up an explanatory display on the eponymous Night to report their research, and engage visitors in open-ended conversation about the Notable.

New Basics	Students develop knowledge and skills about:
Life pathways and social futures: "Who am I and where am I going?"	Various definitions of success in life Ways in which individuals respond productively to learning and life environments The importance of activating own gifts and talents for self and humanity. Clear delineation of false perceptions and destinations of eminence.
Multi-literacies, numeracy and communication data: "How do I make sense of and communicate with the world?"	Skills in synthesising data of various kinds (pictorial, text, numerical, anecdotal, etc.) Sifting biographical data to reveal the inner personality (motivation, aspiration, courage, dealing with failure). Dealing with any conflicting points of view on the worth of a Notable's public achievements. Rich understandings about role modelling and stereotypical definitions of 'success'.
Active citizenship: "What are my rights and responsibilities in communities?"	Societal expectations as opposed to self-chosen personal ones Importance of service in the cause of humanity Enhanced appreciation of the roles of persistence and belief in self in leading a 'successful' life
Environments and technology: "How do I describe, analyse and shape the world around me?"	Role that media and technology can play in assisting or hampering individuals to attain eminence. Use of technology to communicate assimilated and personally relevant research data in formats accessible to casual visitors on the evening.

© G. Smith 2000

To summarise then, Night of the Notables is inclusive, engaging, enabling.

© G. Smith March 2001.

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How Night of the Notables meets The 7 Key Competencies

(Queensland Education Framework)

 

KC1: Collecting analyzing and organizing information

The capacity to locate information sift and sort information in order to select what is required, and present it in a useful way, and evaluate both the information itself and sources and methods used to obtain it.

 

Students in Notables engage in extensive research on their eminent person, seeking, sifting and evaluating information they can obtain for its usefulness in constructing a dramatic presentation of the person and for writing a report or a biography.

 

KC2: Communicating ideas and information

The capacity to communicate effectively with others using a range of spoken, written, graphic and other non-verbal means of expression.

 

Students in Notables engage their class mates, their parents and their visitors on the Night itself in open conversations, by presenting  their written reports and by devising and explaining their learning centre display using timelines, graphic displays and pictures.

 

KC3: Planning and organizing activities

The capacity to plan and organize oneís own work activities, including making good use of time and resources, sorting out priorities and monitoring oneís own performance.

 

Students in Notables devise a timeline for research, composition, organizing and  presentation activities both in preparation for and on the eponymous Night itself. They would also  engage in review processes after the Night

.

KC4: Working with others and in teams

The capacity to interact effectively with other people both on a one-to-one basis and in groups, including understanding and responding to the needs of a client and working effectively as a member of a team to achieve a shared goal.

 

Some students work in teams of two (Laurel and Hardy) or three (royal families) in Night of the Notables. Students in Notables almost always work  in tandem with their class in a school, and present their eminent persons with class mates in coordination with the school.

 

KC5: Using mathematical ideas and techniques

The capacity to use mathematical ideas, such as number and space, and techniques, such as estimation and approximation, for practical purposes.

 

This Key Competency may not be stressed in this program as much as in others.

 

KC6: Solving problems

The capacity to apply problem-solving strategies in purposeful ways, both in situations where the problem and the desired solution are clearly evident and in situations requiring critical thinking and a creative approach to achieve an outcome.

 

Students in Notables constantly practice problem solving, preparing, arranging and presenting their knowledge in effective ways for a public audience.

 

KC7: Using technology

The capacity to apply technology, combining physical and sensory skills needed to operate equipment with the understanding of scientific and technological principles.

 

Students in Notables are encouraged to exploit the full potentials of the technology available for their research, assimilating, composing and presenting their knowledge and in presenting convincing  identifications with their chosen notables.

 

Source: Greg Smith November 2004

© G. Smith 2000

WRITTEN

• Comprehensive biography
• Fictional biography
• fictionalised autobiography
• atlas or map to do with his life
• brochure on notable's life
• lecture script with Powerpoint presentation
• metacognitive journal of the process

GAMES

• Mazes, Word finder on relevant information on Notable's life
• Card shuffle
• Board game depicting Notable's life

VISUALS

• Cartoon caricatures of Notable and his or her contemporaries/ competitors
• Mural depicting stages of his or her life.
• Portrait
• Art work
• Model of invention
• Device to demonstrate a mathematical Law.
• Diorama
• Graphic organiser, diagrammatic representation of a life or biography
• Storyboard
• Powerpoint presentation
• Statistical survey, analysis

EXPERIENTIAL

• Perform a notable's composition
• Reenact a famous controversial debate
• Dramatise an event: Columbus begs for 3 days; Marco Polo meets the Grad Vizier.
• Debate issues in fame, heroism and eminence.

Bloom 6: Evaluation

• Dispute the value of biographies, autobiographies as means of understanding the real person
• Debate the validity of autobiography as primary sources of historical information

Bloom 5 Synthesis

• Infer from your interview/ research, what are the crystallising moments / influences in the Notable's life.
• Predict discoveries the Notable might have made today.
• Hypothesise on mysterious events in the notable's life.

Bloom 4 Analysis

• Chart to analyse different biographies of the same notable.
• Compare different biographies for their different purposes (e.g., entertainment, ego-boost, propagandist, cathartic, community defining, apologia, etc.).

Bloom 3 Application

• Construct a timeline from one biography
• Outline the Notable's personal philosophy on life.
• Storyboard a screenplay for the biography.
• Supply a mind map of the biography

Bloom 2 Comprehension

• Review a biography
• Background a biographer's perspective
• Define key terms used in a biography.

Bloom 1 Knowledge

• Recall salient points/ stages in a biography
• Recount events described in a biography
• Read aloud pertinent selections from a biography.

© G. Smith 2000

Betts, G. (1996). Facilitating life-long learners in the regular classroom Our Gifted Children 3.5, p. 2 Melbourne: Hawker Brownlow Education.

Cohen, L. M. (1988) Developing Children's Creativity, Thinking and Interests. Oregon School Study Council, 31. 7, (March). 1781 Agate St. University of Oregon Eugene Oregon 97403

Gagne, F. (1993; 2000). Constructs and models pertaining to exceptional human abilities. International Handbook of Research and Development of Giftedness and Talent (Keller, Monks & Passow, eds. New York: Pergamon). pp. 69-87. Revised 2000 update, A differentiated model of giftedness and talent (DMGT). UNSW, GERRIC: COGE Training Seminar, Brisbane 15 January 2001.

Hill, Thomas E. (1991) Self-respect reconsidered. pp. 19-24. Autonomy and Self-Respect Cambridge University Press.

Oates, E. T. (1993). Attention must be paid. First Things 32 (April): 48-51. [No longer on-line]. Was available 20 January 2001).

Silverman, L. (1993). Counseling the gifted and talented. Denver, CO: Love Publishing.

Smith, G. B. (1993). Night of the Notables: A program for gifted and talented . Our Gifted Children 2.1, 2 - 5. Melbourne: Hawker Brownlow.

Smith, G. B. (1999). Eminence, Elites and Equity: Implementing the Night of the Notables Program for whole cohorts. TalentEd 17.3 (August)12-20.

Smith, G. B. (2000). The Night of the Notables Program. [On-line] Available: www..notables.com.au. Brisbane Australia, (Accessed 16 March 2001).

Taylor, C. (1992). Multiculturalism and "The Politics of Recognition" An Essay by Charles Taylor Amy Gutmann (ed.) Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. Republished in Charles Taylor (1995) Philosophical Arguments Harvard University Press, pp. 225-309.

Treffinger D. J. (1989). From the potentials to the productivity: Designing the Journey to 2000 Gifted Child Today March/April, 17-21).