Lebanon Special School District

Gifted and Talented Program

Grades 3-8

Everything You Wanted to Know about EXTEND but were Afraid to Ask

Mission Statement

We believe that all children have a right to an education commensurate with their individual needs. Therefore, we endeavor to provide opportunities which will develop the attributes of the gifted and talented students of Lebanon Special School District.

Vision

Develop life skills by encouraging students to think, create, produce and communicate effectively.

What is EXTEND?

EXTEND is the Lebanon Special School District’s

program for the gifted and talented in grades 3-8. This is a

program which strives to develop higher levels in affective

learning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem solving skills. Students in EXTEND will meet in a small group setting for 2

hours each week to participate in challenging activities to

meet their individual needs.

Who are the Gifted?

The term “Giftedness” has many different connotations. Giftedness encompasses all individuals who possess superior abilities. It may indicate outstanding mental abilities or may be used to denote individuals who possess superior creative talent or aptitude in specialized areas.

Gifted and talented children exhibit high creative and productive thinking ability, general intellectual ability, and specific academic aptitude. These children may possess high underdeveloped potential that needs to be stimulated so that they will be able to achieve their maximum potential.

What areas do we Focus on in EXTEND?

Affective Learning

Affective education refers to the process whereby the student progresses from an awareness of a problem and moves toward a deeper understanding. The goal of Affective Education is for the student to develop a philosophy consistent with his or her daily actions and develop a greater insight into interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships.

Creativity

Creative thinking and learning involve such abilities as evaluation (especially the ability to sense problems, inconsistencies, and missing elements); divergent production (e.g. fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration); and redefinition. Creative learning is a natural, healthy human process that occurs when people become curious and excited. Creative and productive thinkers have the ability to produce new ideas by bringing together elements usually thought of as independent or dissimilar and the aptitude for developing new meanings that have social value.

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is a careful and deliberate determination of whether to accept, reject, or suspend judgment. The purpose of critical thinking is, therefore, to achieve understanding, evaluate view points, and solve problems. Since all three areas involve the asking of questions, we can say that critical thinking is the questioning or inquiry we engage in when we seek to understand, evaluate, or resolve. Critical thinking is concerned with reasoning, intellectual honesty, and open-mindedness. Thus, critical thinking involves: following evidence where it leads; considering all possibilities; relying on reason rather than emotion; being precise; considering a variety of possible viewpoints and explanations; weighing the effects of motives and bias; being concerned with finding the truth; being aware of one’s own prejudice and bias.

Problem Solving

Problem solving is a method of learning in which students evaluate their thinking and progress while solving problems. The process includes strategy discussion -- determining solution strategies to similar problems and pinpointing additional problems within the context of their investigation. It is a process of identifying and analyzing problems, discussing them and arriving at workable solutions which can in turn be evaluated and subsequently improved upon. It includes defining the problem, obtaining evidence, analyzing, synthesizing, hypothesizing, validating and evaluating solutions.

How are Students Selected for EXTEND?

Nominations for the EXTEND program are taken each Spring. Teachers, parents, or principals can nominate students for testing. The following tests are administered to each prospective students to determine their eligibility:

Intelligence Screening Test

Creativity

Achievement

This criteria will be used, along with a parent and teacher survey to determine placement in the program.

What are the Strategies Used in EXTEND?

Brainstorming Forecasting/Predicting

Planning Communication

Decision Making Questioning

Valuing Communication

Cooperative Grouping Researching

Reporting Debating

Creative Dramatics Public Speaking

Producing: ideas and/or tangible product

Inductive and Deductive reasoning