Fairfield - Gifted HOTS and Strategies

Compacting

...the student spends less time on regular classroom assignments and has more time to work on applications... Compacting is a strategy designed to streamline the amount of time the student spends on the regular curriculum. This strategy allows students to demonstrate what they know, to do assignments in those areas where work is needed, and then to be freed to work on other curricular areas based on their readiness and/or interest.

Independent Study

Independent study is an opportunity for students to pursue areas of personal interest or to individually investigate course topics. Components of an independent study program include:

identifying and developing a focus,
developing skills in creative and critical thinking,
using problem solving and decision making strategies,
learning research skills,
developing time management strategies,
keeping learning logs,
evaluating the process and product,
sharing the product with an intended audience.

Independent studies help the student move from being teacher-directed to student-directed. With teacher support and coaching, the student learns how to decide on a focus, how to develop a plan of action and follow it through, and how to monitor the process. Students take part in developing criteria for evaluation and begin to work with the teacher as a partner.

Tiered Assignments

Tiered assignments are designed to meet the needs of a group of learners functioning at various levels. Students work on the same content, but are asked different questions and are provided with different activities which are assigned according to ability. Some teachers involve students in the process by using choice charts. By teaching the students Bloom's taxonomy and creative thinking skills, students can design questions and activities for different levels of thinking. The teacher works with the students in deciding which questions and activities they will be responsible for completing and in setting evaluation criteria (rubrics).

Word Splash

A word splash is a collection of key terms, vocabulary, or concepts centered around a topic or theme the students are about to study. The word splash serves as an activator about a new topic to be studied. It allows the students to use prior knowledge. In this way, the word splash may be used as a preassessment tool. Finally, the strategy offers students an opportunity to make predictions. Steps:

1. Display the selected terms randomly on a visual (board, chart, overhead, handout).

2. Challenge the students to generate statements relating two or more terms. They may even try to relate them to the broader topic/theme to be studied.

3. Students then read material to check the accuracy of their statements.

4. Student created word splashes could be culminating activities.

TABA

The main purpose is to develop abstract thinking with this strategy. The TABA technique relys heavily on concept development. There are several steps to TABA.

1. Recalling data--brainstorming or listing specific items related to a topic of study

2. Classifying data--grouping, categorizing, and labeling the items

3. Defining cause-effect relationships--discussion centering around causes/effects leading to generalizations.

4. Evaluating generalizations for accuracy, abstractness, applicability, tentativeness, and qualification.

Creative Thinking

Fluency

The ability to generate numerous ideas or alternative to solve a problem that requires a novel solution.

Flexibility

The ability to generate a wide variety of ideas or alternatives to solve a problem.

Originality

The ability to generate novel, unique ideas or alternatives to solve problems.

Elaboration

The ability to generate details or descriptions that explain a specific and novel solution to a problem.

SCAMPER

Creative Problem Solving

The ability to use a multiple set process to identify, research, plan, and evaluate a problem that requires a novel, yet workable solution in order to remedy or alter a problematic situation.