Fostering Independent Learning

Fostering Independent Learning

“If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day.If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.” – Confucius (551-479 BC) Self-regulated study is the most frequently recommended instructional strategy in programs for gifted students as a means for differentiating and individualizing instruction (Clark, 2013; Colangelo & Davis, 2003; Davis & Rimm, 1998; Feldhusen, VanTassel-Baska, & Seeley, 1989; Gallaghar & Gallaghar, 1994). Independent study is also preferred by gifted students (Dunn & Griggs, 1985; Stewart, 1981). However, while gifted students like instructional strategies that emphasise independent study and discussion, they do not always have the necessary skills that are essential to self-directed learning. Once they acquire the critical independent strategies, gifted students are able to become lifelong learners, capable of responsible involvement and leadership in a changing world (Betts, 1985). Johnsen and Goree (2009) define independent study as a planned research process that (a) is similar to the one used by a practising professional or authentic to the discipline; (b) is facilitated by the teacher; and (c) focuses on real world problems that go beyond the regular class setting. Keighley (2003) points out that five interdependent components are essential to student motivation and achievement: control, choice, challenge, complexity and a caring teacher. The five C’s, according to Keighley, determine the extent of the students’ engagement in the learning and subsequent productivity.  Steps in Independent Study Johnsen and Goree (2009) suggest nine steps that might be used in independent study. All of the steps may or may not be used in every independent study since the teacher and student may already have defined...
Unleashing Creativity among Gifted Students

Unleashing Creativity among Gifted Students

Creativity is a basic human need to make something new. Creativity is the ability to generate ideas, products, or solutions that are considered novel and useful for a given problem, situation or context (Amabile, 1996; Beghetto, 2008; Plucker et al, 2004; Runco, 2004). Evidence indicates that highly productive creative thinking is generated by thinking productively, not reproductively. With productive thinking, the aim is to generate many different approaches. The least obvious must be considered as well as the most likely approaches. With each new approach or perspective, understanding deepens and one begins to understand the essence of the problem. In order to find creative solutions, one may have to abandon the initial approach that stems from past experience and reconceptualise the problem. By adopting more than one perspective, highly productive creative thinkers solve existing problems and even identify new ones. Reproductive thinking, on the other hand, can produce too rigid thinking. This can produce an inability to solve a problem that resembles past experiences only in superficial ways. Interpreting such a problem through past experience will not be productive. Reproductive thinking produces solutions which we have employed before and not original ones. The ability to tolerate ambivalence between opposites or two incompatible subjects is thought to characterise highly productive creative thinking. Edison’s invention of a practical system of lighting involved combining wiring in parallel circuits with high-resistance filaments in his bulbs, two things that were not considered possible by conventional thinkers at the time. As Edison could tolerate the ambivalence between two incompatible things, he could see the relationship that led to the breakthrough. Teachers play an important role...