EDG 554 Module 9 Discussion Board Posting

1. What role does collaboration play in supporting highly capable students? Consider
responding to this question by considering what and how collaboration can take place
between you and the following groups (educators, families, communities, and
other professional organizations). Summarize why this collaboration is necessary and
what recommendations you would offer. Please address each group since they all serve
a role in supporting highly capable students.
Collaboration is important in supporting highly capable students because these students can

have a variety of needs and interests and it will take the whole community to ensure that these

students reach their potential. We can model effective collaboration by working with various

groups to achieve goals for program funding, opportunities, and inclusion. No one single person

can provide everything for even one gifted student, let alone an entire class or program of gifted

students. All students have interwoven relationships with their families, schools, and

communities and each element is necessary to create a pathway for students to be the most

successful.

One group that it is important to collaborate with in supporting highly capable students is

other educators. Educators can be teachers within your school or district, or they could be

teachers from another state who teach a similar group of students or have developed a program

you aspire to create. When collaborating with educators in your building or district you need to

communicate accurate information about gifted students and listen for any misconceptions or

questions you will need to address (Lewis & Karnes, 2015). One way to do this is through

professional development activities outside of the school day or during in-service days. Gifted

teachers can present research on gifted students and how they learn (Lewis & Karnes, 2015) as

well as information about programs that are available to serve these students. If there are not

appropriate or sufficient programs, teachers can work together to develop one to propose to their

principal or district leaders. In collaborating with educators outside of your district teachers can
learn strategies that are successful in other schools and learn how to implement them in your own

building or district.

Families are another important group to collaborate with. They are invested in the outcome

of education programs because their children will benefit from them. Working with parents and

families can boost program potential in the form of volunteers, expertise in various fields,

fundraising capacity, and overall program support (Lewis & Karnes, 2015). One way to

collaborate with families is through letters to the editor in support of gifted programing,

permission to use student work and activities in PR videos and volunteering their time as

mentors and experts. Families also have insight into their own students interests and needs and

can partner with the teacher to create a plan that best supports the student.

Supportive communities are essential for developing and maintaining a strong program for

highly capable students. The community can be leveraged to demonstrate the positive impact

and outcomes of gifted education (Lewis & Karnes, 2015). Businesses and other residents who

live in the area are important for showing support for gifted programs and can provide additional

opportunities for gifted students through job shadows or research practicums, contributing to

fundraising projects monetarily or through donated items or space for services, as well as

through displaying gifted program projects or activities. Community members can write their

representatives to ask for funding or legislation supporting gifted programs and campaign for

needed programs.

Professional organizations can support program efforts by connecting teachers with experts

in various fields and in developing sustainable opportunities for gifted students to participate in

exploratory activities. Professional organizations can also provide funding through grants aimed

at promoting their goals (Stephens & Karnes, 2015).

References:
Stephens, K. R. & Karnes, F. A. (2015). Getting what you need: Locating and obtaining mondey
and other resources. In F.A. Karnes & S. M. Bean (Eds.), Methods and materials for
teaching the gifted (4th ed., pp. 703-722). Prufrock Press.
Lewis, J. D & Stephens, K. R. (2015). Public relations and advocacy for the gifted. In F.A.
Karnes & S. M. Bean (Eds.), Methods and materials for teaching the gifted (4th ed., pp.
665-701). Prufrock Press.

2. Advocacy is an important role that we play when working with highly capable
students. If you were design an information flyer what would you include to advocate
on the part of these students? Create a brochure that might be used for a particular
advocacy effort in helping others to understand the needs of these students or create a
newsletter that provides information to others about these students that might be
informative to parents, etc.

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