Running head: VYGOTSKY

Gifted Students in the 21st Century: Using Vygotsky's Theory to Meet Their Literacy and Content Area Needs Terry Gallivan Liberty University EDUC 500 B26 January 19, 2012

VYGOTSKY Gifted Students in the 21st Century: Using Vygotsky's Theory to Meet Their Literacy and Content Area Needs

There are challenges in defining Gifted and Talented (GT) students within the scope of a definition. According to the National Society for the Gifted and Talented (2012), by the United States Department of Education defines GT as "Children and youth with outstanding talent who perform or show the potential for performing at remarkably high levels of accomplishment when compared with others of their age, experience, or environment." Some schools have a tendency of using criteria other than outstanding talent or accomplishment to determine eligibility into the GT Program. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23, KJV). This being said, I would propose there is a greater measurement for students who are truly GT that teachers overlook. This article reviews how teachers can create a curriculum to stimulate all the developmental levels of students toward a GT learning environment. Vygotskys theory primarily states students must be instructed within their Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). ZPD is the optimal learning window of opportunity. If a student is working within the ZPD there is an excitement and desire for the new knowledge learned. Is a student in todays society GT simply because they have knowledge of technology? Should students be tested for the GT Program without knowledge of technology? I would argue the latter since many GT students are bypassed due to low Social Economic Status and have not had the same technological opportunities. Teachers must realize some students are not labeled GT and thereby enrolled in General Education classes. This article explores having many ZPD incorporated into the class rooster.

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Todays students are becoming Digital Natives. These students are fluent in the digital language. Bonamici, Hutto, Smith, and Ward (2005) note that by the time a student today reaches 21 years of age, it is likely that he/she will have spent: 200,000 hours checking e-mail, 20,000 hours watching television, 10,000 hours playing video games, and 10,000 hours talking on cell phones. (Zambo, pg. 2, pp. 1). On a mathematical note these numbers are incorrect; at least the first one. The years for checking e-mail would be 22 without leaving the computer while 2 years watching television and 1 1/3 year on the video games and cell phone each accordingly. Teachers must take note of the word potential given in the US Department of Education definition and not by-pass a ZPD opportunity based on lack of digital knowledge. Students have been learning more from other media forms than the actual printed documents; worksheets since PC have entered the classroom and home. In order to meet with the demands of the 21st Century we must include developmental activities and incorporate multiple forms of media which can be related to real world applications. A GT student exhibits higher order thinking skills than students of the same age. Critical thinking and being able to discern information for reliability are trait examples which are a requirement for higher level instruction. The American Library Association and Association for Educational Communications and Technology (1998) stated the student who is information literate weights information carefully and wisely to determine its quality. That student understands traditional and emerging principles for assessing the accuracy, validity, relevance, completeness, and impartiality of information. The student applies these principles insightfully across information sources and formats and uses logic and informed judgment to accept, reject, or replace information to meet a particular need. (Zambo, pg.2, pp. 3).

VYGOTSKY The GT students need a challenging curriculum to be successful; not more work to be

assigned or have the role of tutor. The GT student does need opportunities to develop leadership skills. The teacher / class example in the article is an excellent application how an intentional teacher can teach multiple ZPDs within a diverse class population. The class rooster included 8 GT students, 4 ADD / ADHD students and 2 students with learning disabilities. The diversity of these students is a challenge for any teacher using a pre-packaged curriculum and cannot meet the ZPD of each student. The objective is to develop a curriculum based on the diverse ZPDs and ultimately creating a safe environment to explore learning within each ZPD. The students in this class found a common interest, poverty, and produced a project based on community awareness. The GT students in this project took the leadership roles in order to direct the progress, teach, and guide the other group members. A shepherd guides his sheep, using his rod and staff to nudge them in the right direction. (Van Brummelen, pg 42). The teacher was a direct facilitator during the assignment. Each student had success and a self-filling sense of accomplishment. This is the ultimate teaching curriculum where all ZPDs are learning and succeeding. Vygotsky believed to achieve cognitive developmental areas of critical thinking, reasoning and remembering the student must be challenge to look beyond the obvious. If parents have raised their child to believe the sky is brown and then entering the school system is taught the sky is blue. Who is the student / child to believe? How must the student / child discover what the actual color of the sky is called? In Vygotsky theory the student / child is experiencing disequilibrium. The mind wishes to become at an equilibrium state again and thereby naturally explores options to learning the true color of the sky. This is done by social construction, scaffolding, and cognitive apprenticeship. In other words, the student / child researches, observes

VYGOTSKY and considers the spoken language to arrive at the final answer. So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands. (Psalm 78:71-72, KJV). In summary, Vygotsky theory learning must occur within the Zone of Proximal Development. The instruction must be self-paced with mentoring opportunities and authentic experiences. There must be a social network to communicate new found information for memory retention. Teachers must ensure there is no social or emotional harm which would

cause disequilibrium. Vygotsky emphasizes learning is obtained when there is social interaction otherwise the lesson is not meaningful and thereby will not be retained to memory. Teachers must be aware of the Zone of Proximal Development and react accordingly when preparing lessons. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. (Psalm 32:8. KJV).

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References The Bible, King James Version. (n.d.). National Society For The Gifted And Talented (2012). Giftedness Defined - What is Gifted & Talented. Retrieved January 19, 2012, from http://www.nsgt.org/articles/index.asp Van Brummelen, H. (2009). Walking with God in the Classroom (3rd ed.). Colorado Springs, CO: Purposeful Design Publication. Zambo, D. (2009). Gifted Students in the 21st Century: Using Vygotsky's Theory to Meet Their Literacy and Content Area Needs. Gifted Education International, 25, 270-280.

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