Inclusive and/or inclusional gifted and talented educational theory and practice

There is as yet little in this field and I am keen to try to extend the references that can be drawn on. I am not suggesting that all the references here are of those who would claim, or want to claim, that their work is a contribution to the development of inclusive and inclusional gifted and talented educational theory and practice. But I have found the references here, in various degrees, inspiring, thought provoking, affirming and/or challenging. I might occassionally include something that I find so outrageous it has forced me to clarify my arguements. I sometimes find that work I completely disagree with takes my thinking forward as I try to explain why I dont agree.

All writing needs to be critically engaged with and any quotes I have selected and notes I have made are coming from my own biased position. Sometimes I dont understand something in the way the writer intended but I appreciate the line of thought they have taken me along. I want to emphasise that I hope that what I put here might entice you to read the original source and make up your own mind about what is being said and how it contributes to your educational journey.

At the moment there are all sorts here, including pedagogy and learning, intelligence, educational philosophy etc, and there is no order so you will have to skim through the list and see what takes your fancy. Hope you find something that excites.

If you have a look on Amazon or googlebooks you can quite often read some of the book and get quite a good taste of what they are about.

The accounts already submitted for the Gifts, Talents and Education Masters Unit, University of Bath are a growing resource to draw on. I would also strongly recommend reading some of the living theory doctoral theses, particularly Barry Hymers,  'How do I understand and communicate my values and beliefs in my work as an educator in the field of giftedness?'

This multimedia account by Jack Whitehead How Do We Enhance Our Educational Influences In Learning Through The Expression And Development Of Our Talents In The Production Of Gifts. is a really good account to start with. Jack Whitehead home page

Chris Jones' Masters dissertation is a great read, 'How Do I Improve My Practice As An Inclusion Officer Working In A Children’s Service'.

As this is specifically the focus of my own research you might find some of my writings stimulate your imagination or at least irritate you enough to want to write something yourself.

Zmuda, A. (2010) Breaking Free From Myths About Teaching and Learning. Virginia, USA; ASCD. (on scribd)

Deci, E. and Flaste, R. (1996) Why we do what we do: Understanding Self-Motivation. London; Penguin.

'Instead of asking, "How can I motivate people?" we should be asking, "How can I create conditions within which people will motivate themselves?"

Gardner, H., Csikszentmikhalyi, M. and Damon, W. (2001) Good Work: When Excellence and Ethics Meet. New York; Basic Books.

Coyle, D. The Talent Code: Greatness isnt Born it is Grown.

Kohn, A. (1992) The Case Against Competition: Why we loose in our race to win. New York; Houghton Mifflin Co.

• In google scholar. Alfie Kohn homepage

Sapon-Shevin, M. (1994) Playing Favourites: Gifted education and the disruption of community. Albany; State University of New York Press.

• A challenge to the orthodoxies in gifted education! Definitely worth a read. Extracts on

  google scholar

Hymer, B. (2009) Gifted and Talented Pocketbook. Alresford; Teachers Pocket Book.

• Excellent quick practical introduction to developing your inclusive gifted and talented educational practice.

  Extract on publishers website

Hymer, B. Whitehead, J. and Huxtable, M. (2009) Gifts, Talents and Education: A Living Theory Approach. Chichester; Wiley-Blackwell.

A radical alternative, which focuses on empowering all to enhance their educational influence in their own learning, is offered which goes beyond traditional approaches of definitions, identification and categorising children.

Practical, inclusive, real-life methods for teachers and educators working with all their pupils and students to develop talents and create and offer gifts to improve the world we live in.

Draws on the living theory narratives of practitioner-researchers which offer significant and original accounts of their own learning as educational gifts and contribute to the knowledge base of educators.

Borland, J. H.  (1997) The Construct of Giftedness Peabody Journal of Education, Vol. 72, No. 3/4, Charting a New Course in Gifted Education: Parts 1 and 2. (1997), pp. 6-20.

• Borlands abstract 'In this article, I assert that giftedness is not a fact of nature or something that educators and psychologists have discovered. Instead, it is a socially constructed concept, something recently invented. I review the evolution of this construction and discuss some of the practical implications of the construct's application in education. Last, I speculate about some of the possible ways in which the construct may evolve in the future.' Read this with White and Gould.

Horowitz, F, Subotnick, R. and Matthews, D. (eds) (2009) The Development of Giftedness and Talent Across the Life Span. Washington; American Psychological Association.

• Includes a good introduction to the complexity of the arguments concerning the traditional notion of gifted and talented to the development of giftedness and talent theory and practice which reflects 21st century inclusive educational values.

Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York: Random House.

• This and the other book on Self-Theories are must reads. More details on Carol Dweck .

Balchin, T., Hymer, B. and Matthews, D. (eds) (2009) The Routledge International Companion to Gifted Education. Abingdon; Routledge.

• Diverse contributions from the latest, inclusive and inclusional gifted and talented educational theory and practice to the traditional. Very readable and an excellent overview of the field.

Wallace, B. and Eriksson, G. (eds) (2006) Diversity in Gifted Education: International Perspectives on Global Issues. Abingdon; Routledge.

• A variety of perspectives offered. Another good book to extend the overview of the field.

• Like the other edited books gives a very good broad overview of the major thinkers in the field with some of the more radical writers given space.

White, J. (2006) Intelligence, Destiny and Education: The ideological roots of intelligence testing. London; Routledge

• High on my list at the moment as one of the most influential books around as he so clearly shows how the theory and practice we have is rooted in values of a by gone age. I have a review and some notes

Heng M.A. (2003) Beyond School in Search of Meaning. (pp.46-60) Chapter 3 in Borland, J. (Ed.) (2003) Rethinking Gifted Education. New York; Teachers College Press.

• This extract might give you a clue as to why I have found Mary Anne Heng's work inspiring. 'If, indeed, school is to be beyond grades and is to transcend instrumental ends, we must ask the big questions. Do our children have an inner compass? Do they have a sense of purposeful direction and mission that stems from a deep understanding of self as learner as well as self in relations to society at large? Answers to these questions may begin to unfold if educators are encouraged to listen to the inner voices of academically able learners and all learners, to help them bring to consciousness the tacit and to guide them in their search for a gestalt in making meaning of their lives.' (pp.59-60) - some notes

Palmer, S. (2006) Toxic Childhood London; Orion.

Freeman, J. (2002) Out-of-school Educational Provision for the Gifted and Talented Around the World: A report to the DfES.

Freeman, J. (1998) Educating the Very Able:Current International Research'The Stationery Office, London.

Joan Freeman has undertaken longditudinal studies in the field and her 'sports approach' is well worth reading. These papers and others can be downloaded directly from her website. http://www.joanfreeman.com/mainpages/freepapers.htm

• The book primarily comprises a series of very short sections with a point to make about a humane way of being in the classroom and stories to illustrate. Each feels like a springboard for an enquiry focussed on ‘How can I improve what I am doing and live my values more fully through my practice?’ which would enable the enquirer to theorise their practice, to tell the story for how they account for themselves and their learning, recognise themselves as contradictions and progress; a quick and provocative read and good resource. some quotations

• This book has rocked my socks. The originator of logotherapy. Now I am not a great fan of therapies although I find some of the ideas exciting and very useful. This one is different ‘Logotherapy… focuses on the meaning of human existence as well as on man’s search for such a meaning. According to logotherapy, this striving to find a meaning in one’s life is the primary motivational force in man.' (p.121)

• Efron, S. (2005) Janusz Korczak: Legacy of a Practitioner-Researcher.  Journal of Teacher Education. 56: 145-156- if you dont have the patience to read much then I really recommend this one - I want to find it many times and so have put it here so I can access it

• Efron, S. (2008) Moral Education Between Hope and Hopelessness: The Legacy of Janusz Korczak Curriculum Inquiry, Volume 38, Number 1, January 2008 , pp. 39-62(24)

• A seminal text. A few quotes

• Rethinking Gifted Education by James Borland (ed.)

• Classrooms as Learning Communities by Chris Watkins
• Effective Learning in Classrooms by Chris Watkins, Eileen Carnell and Caroline Lodge
• The CreativeSchool by Bob Jeffrey and Peter Woods
• Schools for Growth by Lois Holzman
• Outsmarting IQ by David Perkins
• The Power of Mindful Learning by Ellen Langer

The work on self-esteem and self concept is pertinent

Positive Self-Statements: Power for Some, Peril for Others Joanne V. Wood , W.Q. Elaine Perunovic , and John W. Lee
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8132857.stm

ABSTRACT-Positive self-statements are widely believed to boost mood and self-esteem, yet their effectiveness has not been demonstrated. We examined the contrary prediction that positive self-statements can be ineffective or even harmful. A survey study confirmed that people often use positive self-statements and believe them to be effective. Two experiments showed that among participants with low self-esteem, those who repeated a positive self-statement ("I'm a lovable person") or who focused on how that statement was true felt worse than those who did not repeat the statement or who focused on how it was both true and not true. Among participants with high self-esteem, those who repeated the statement or focused on how it was true felt better than those who did not, but to a limited degree. Repeating positive self-statements may benefit certain people, but backfire for the very people who "need" them the most.