Strategic Partnerships for School Education, project: BEYOND … · 2018-11-06 · Strategic...

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Strategic Partnerships for School Education, project: BEYOND AND LOUDER THAN WORDS ERASMUS + KA2 project number: 2015-1-IT02-KA219-015438_10 Output 5 Над зборовите и погласно од нив Oltre e più forte di parole Πέρα από και πιο δυνατά από τα λόγια Jenseits und lauter als Worte Au-delà et plus fort que les mots Boven en Langer dan Woorden Más allá y más ruidoso que palabras

Transcript of Strategic Partnerships for School Education, project: BEYOND … · 2018-11-06 · Strategic...

Page 1: Strategic Partnerships for School Education, project: BEYOND … · 2018-11-06 · Strategic Partnerships for School Education, project: BEYOND AND LOUDER THAN WORDS ERASMUS + KA2

Strategic Partnerships for School Education, project: BEYOND AND LOUDER THAN WORDS

ERASMUS + KA2 project number: 2015-1-IT02-KA219-015438_10 Output 5

Над зборовите и

погласно од нив

Oltre e più forte di

parole

Πέρα από και πιο

δυνατά από τα

λόγια

Jenseits und lauter als

Worte

Au-delà et plus fort

que les mots

Boven en Langer dan

Woorden

Más allá y más

ruidoso que

palabras

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CONTENTS:

1. Introduction – High Performer Students, who are they and how do we

recognize them …………………………………………………………………….. 3

2. Common Characteristics …………………………………………………………..3

3. What we did

Macedonia ………………………………………………………………….. 6

The Netherlands …………………………………………………………. 15

Italy ………………………………………………………………………… 15

4. What we actually do

Austria……………………………………………………………………….16

Belgium ……………………………………………………………………..16

Italy ………………………………………………………………………… 16

The Netherlands ……………………………………………………….. 16

Spain ………………………………………………………………………..17

Macedonia ……………………………………………………………….. 17

5. References …………………………………………………………………………21

6. Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………22

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INTRODUCTION

High Performer Students

Who are they and how do we recognize them

The term High Performer has been in use since September 2013 as a

replacement for the terms “Talented and Gifted” because it is considered as a more

appropriate label for these kinds of students. In some cases the terms talented and

gifted are used to describe the able students so they can be found in many

resources and activities supporting these students. There is also a difference

between the terms High Performer and Hard Working students. High Performers

are like sponges that absorb information like water. But the thing is they can’t

overflow, there’s always more room in their brain for something new. On the other

way, the Hard Working students are those who spend a lot more time to learn the

same material as the High performers, and their brain capacity is a little smaller.

High performer students are known for having a higher ability to understand

things, or at least they absorb new information in a shorter period of time. These

students are always more capable in one field than another, just like the rest of the

students, but there are some criteria that have to be fulfilled so that these students

can be considered as High Performer.

How do we recognize them? High performer students always stand out. They are

always interested in learning something more, staying after classes, doing extra-

curricular activities, participate in competitions in the fields like: math, chemistry,

biology, physics. There are high performer students in every field. Natural sciences

are not the only field where kids are interested in showing they can do more. There

are thriving students in arts and literature, sports and the political sciences, music

and drama.

COMMON CHARACTERISTICS

Some characteristics that these students have in common are:

Think quickly and accurately

Work systematically

Generate creative working solutions

Work flexibly and independently, processing unfamiliar information and

applying knowledge, experience and insight to unfamiliar situations

Communicate their ideas well

Be determined, diligent and interested in uncovering patterns

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Achieve or show potential in a wide range of contexts

Be particularly creative

Show great sensitivity or empathy

Demonstrate particular physical dexterity or skill

Make sound, mature judgements

Be outstanding leaders or team members

Be fascinated by or passionate about a particular subject or aspect of the

curriculum

Demonstrate high levels of attainment across a range of subjects or skills

As we can see there are a lot of positive sides to these students but there are

some negative as well. They can show some attributes that aren’t as acceptable:

Be unwilling to show ability not wishing to stand out from peers

Feel uncomfortable with open-ended tasks or the lack of a definitive answer

Challenge assumptions

Show cognitive skills which are far ahead of social skills and confidence

Be disadvantaged for socio-economic reasons

Be significantly under-achieving

Over 20 years of research has enabled researchers to come up with different types

of giftedness. There are many versions of this but the distinctive types rather fit well

in the 6 types of giftedness that were introduced and exist.

According to the researchers, the 6 types of giftedness include:

The successful (Type 1)

The challenging (Type 2)

The underground (Type 3)

The dropouts (Type 4)

The double labeled (Type 5) and

The autonomous learner (Type 6)

The Type 1's are the most easily identifiable, and may account for up to

about 90% of the identified gifted students in schools. They are the students who

have learnt the system and are well adjusted to society with a generally high self-

concept. They are obedient, display appropriate behavior, and are high

achievers, therefore, loved by parents and teachers. However, they can also get

bored at school and learn the system fast enough so as to use the minimum

effort to get by. They are also dependent on the system, thus less creative and

imaginative, and lack autonomy.

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The Type 2 gifted are the divergently gifted, who possess high levels of

creativity. They do not conform to the system and often have conflicts with

teachers and parents. They get frustrated, as the school system does not

recognize their abilities. They may be seen as disruptive in the classroom and

often possess negative self-concepts, even though they are quite creative. This is

the group of gifted students who are at risk of dropping out of schools for

unhealthy activities, like getting involved in drugs or exhibiting delinquent

behavior.

The Type 3's refers to gifted students who deny their talents or hide their

giftedness in order to feel more included with a non-gifted peer group. They are

generally females, who are frequently insecure and anxious as their belonging

needs rise dramatically at that stage. Their changing needs often conflicts with

the expectations of parents and teachers. These types appear to benefit from

being accepted as they are at the time.

The Type 4 gifted are the angry and frustrated students whose needs

have not been recognized for many years and they feel rejected in the system.

They express themselves by being depressed or withdrawn and responding

defensively. They are identified very late; therefore, they are bitter and resentful

due to feelings of neglect and have very low self-esteem. For these students,

counseling is highly recommended.

Students identified as Type 5 are gifted students who are physically or

emotionally handicapped in some way, or have a learning disability. This group

does not show behaviors of giftedness that can identify them in schools. They

show signs of stress, frustration, rejection, helplessness, or isolation. They are

also often impatient and critical with a low self-esteem. These students are easily

ignored as they are seen as average. School systems seem to focus more on

their weaknesses, and therefore fail to nurture their strengths.

Finally, the Type 6 gifted are the autonomous learners who have learnt to

work effectively in the school system. Unlike Type 1, they do not work for the

system, but rather make the system work for them. They are very successful,

liked by parents, teachers and peers, and have a high self-concept with some

leadership capacity within their surroundings. They accept themselves and are

risk takers, which goes well with their independent and self-directed nature. They

are also able to express their feelings, goals, and needs freely and appropriately.

Types 1 & 6 - generally identifiable.

Types 2, 3, 4, 5 - risk of not being identified.

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A gifted child of Type 1 and 6 would usually follow directions well and vice-

versa for the other types. Motivation for getting A's would depend on how worthy

the child views an A as. If he gets it very easily, he may not feel very challenged

and thus, motivation and satisfaction levels drop.

WHAT WE DID

MACEDONIA

For the needs of our project, we asked our colleague Mrs. Keti

Domazetovikj, the school pedagogist to express her opinion about the high

performers based on her experience gained through her work with the students in

our school. She prepared a power point presentation which is presented here.

Presentation : “ High performing and Talented Students ”

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Eager to hear the opinion of some the high performer students in Gimnazija Goce

Delcev, Kumanovo, we asked them questions mostly about their motivation, experience and satisfaction. A group of students interviewed several students who

answered the following questions:

1. What motivates you to compete?

2. Who was the first one that motivated you to start competing?

3. Are you satisfied with the ways you have been acknowledged and do you think

that the community around you can motivate you more?

LINK to the interview (double click)

INTERVJU SO UCENICITE.mp4

We also organized a Debate on the same topic where we discussed the issue

with the partners in the project

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DEBATE ON TOPIC “HIGH PREFORMING STUDENTS”

6.11.2017, Kumanovo

Agenda

11:00 – 11:20 - Introduction and presentations

11:20 – 12:25 - 3 Questions (Introduction and sharing)

12:25 – 12:40 - Break

12:40 – 12:45 - Voting for main topics

12:45 – 13:45 - Debate

13:45 – 13:55 - Additional questions

13:55 – 14:00 - Conclusion

Topics Discussed

1. How do you recognize and work with high performer students?

2. What do you do to motivate high performer students?

3. How do your competent institutions support high performer students, what does

the curriculum for them look like?

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During the debate the following conclusions were stated:

Belgium – We really enjoyed the discussion and think that the topic is really

interesting. We have experience with high performing students as well and we liked

the questions that we discussed about the topic. There is a critique about the time

left for the questions we would like to have some more time to be asked about our

school system. We appreciated how well coordinated the students were and the fact

that they knew a lot about the school and it’s system.

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Italy really liked the topic discussed and the whole organization. We also had some

time to think of a future plan for a new Erasmus and our ideas are great. We noticed

that the students were very communicative with their academic and everyday use of

the English language and thought their skills were amazing.

Spain liked the organized environment they came into. We complimented the

students on their English skills and thought that the debate had a very important

purpose. We were impressed with the behavior of the students during the end when

there was a little problem, they knew how to fix it quickly and efficiently.

Austria had many positive things to say about the debate. We had many

suggestions and advice for the hosts and they were all noted and taken in

consideration. We enjoyed the videos they had prepared for the beginning and

appreciated the time it took to make them.

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The Netherlands thought we were really motivated and polite. We also

appreciated the two videos they had prepared for the beginning of the event. The

enthusiasm was the main thing they focused on and appreciated that the debate was

organized and well planned out.

Macedonia did a great job of hosting the other countries and just like

everyone else enjoyed the organized nature of the debate and hopes to stay

involved in many other upcoming debates.

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Link to the debate

After the debate the interest in organizing debates on different subjects among the

students raised. They actually organized another debate on the topic:

“The (dis)respect and (non)acceptance of the school codex”

For this debate the students from diverse age groups gathered and discussed

if the codex that is used in our school is strict enough or not. Some teachers were

also involved in the debate. The students had different opinions. The questions

discussed were:

1. Were students involved in making the codex?

2. Should students be involved in making of the codex?

3. How much is the codex accepted by the students?

4. Dress code?

All of the students had something to say, an opinion to share and a comment

to make. The following part is an excerpt of the discussion during the debate:

The spokeperson- (Anastasija) presents the first question:

”Were students involved in preparing the codex?”

Student 1 (Marvin): “I think the answer is obvious, no.”

Student 2 (Viktor): Give us a short definition of what the codex actually is.

Student 1 (Marvin): “Rules are made to be broken, but we should accept them as

they are.”

Student 3 (Melanija): “I disagree, my opinion is that we, the students, should have

more influence on all of the rules in the codex. “

Student 4 (Daniela): “Well, students should be involved in making of the codex, but

the problem is that students won’t get the creating of the codex really

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seriously and the codex won’t have actual rules.”

The spokeperson- (Anastasija) presents the second question:

” How much should we be involved in making of the codex?”

Student 4 (Daniela):” I think if students make the codex, they will make a mess,

because we are students and we don’t have the right to create the codex,

we should do our things.”

Student 5 (Leo): “I think we should make surveys of what students think about every

single rule in the codex.”

Student 6 (Matej T): ”Adults underestimate the power of the students, there are

students that can work on creating the codex, we can change the codex

and make it better.”

Student 2 (Viktor): ”Even if we made the codex, we wouldn’t respect it for more than

a year.”

Student 7 (Eleonora): “Students shouldn’t be part of the full creation of the codex,

maybe only giving opinions about it, there are professionals whose job

is to do that for us. I’m only here to learn and to obey the rules.”

Student 8 (Jovana S) responds: “It’s not a school if we only come here to have fun,

we are here to learn, it is not about the codex now, but about the school

system as a whole.”

Student 9 (Anita):”Why is everyone against fun? We are not here only to learn, but

to socialize and meet other people, students should be allowed to create

the codex, fresh minds and fresh ideas are always welcome.”

Student 10 (Vitorio): ”We should be involved in making of the codex.”

Student 2 (Viktor): ”I don’t agree with Eleonora, we are in school and not in prison,

we are not here to obey the rules only, the codex is about us, we are

making something and we know what is most important for us.”

Student 3 (Melanija):”Are you sure you are not in prison, you don’t need to be

professional or well educated, you need to think like the students think,

and get in their skin for just 5 seconds, because they think like adults,

that they are.”

Teacher 1: Please do not forget that we have been students as well

Student 12 (Anastasija): “In my conclusion, the main opinion is that students should

be involved in making the codex, but moving to next question, is codex

accepted?”

Student 13 (Milosh):”The Codex is not accepted because we don’t participate in its

creation and we should be, why then we should respect something that

we didn’t create? It is made by principals, not by us. The school should

be a place for having fun, not just learning. We will respect it more if

it includes our opinions.”

Student 14 (Ivana) :”Do you appreciate something that your parents tell you?”

Student 13 (Milosh):”Milosh responded: “Not always, I always think before my

actions.”

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Student 15 (Ana):” points out: “We respect the codex, but the question is how much

we agree with it.”

Student 16 (Jovana T): “The codex itself is here for our own good. It has its good

and bad sides.”

Student 12 (Anastasija) : How do you imagine the perfect codex.

Student 6 (Matej T): I would put small breaks, 4 or 5 minutes between the classes.

I agree with that.

The spokeperson- (Anastasija) presents the third question:

“Dress code???”

Student 17 (Jovana K): ”Girls have too much freedom in the way they dress. They

should not be allowed to dress that way, the rules should be stricter.

After all it is a school and we should respect the dress code.”

Student 16 (Jovana T): ”Nobody respects it, when it is hot, we still have to wear long

pants. That is not fair, we can‘t function properly it affects our mental

capability and instead we are focused on how warm it is.”

Student 1 (Marvin): Question: Are you going to work in mini-skirts or in long pants.

You are allowed to wear skirts but they have to be under the knees.

Student 2 (Viktor):” ARE BOYS ALLOWED TO WEAR SKIRTS? Clothing is part of

you identity, if you wear clothes you like you feel comfortable, you can’t

go in school half naked, it is not a strip bar. This is school, from the point

of ethics and morality you should wear clothes that represent you.

Student 18 (Leona): You should wear clothes that are fine and comfortable for you.

Student 7 (Eleonora): If you don’t dress properly it does not mean that you miss

education. It is a part of your behavior. It is learnt at home first. There

should be fines and punishments for breaking the dress code.

Student 17 (Jovana K): “You can dress as you want, but it should have limits.

Student 19 (Larisa): “We (the fourth grade students) don’t have problem with the

dress code, the second grade students break the rules.

Teacher 1: Everyone breaks the rules. If we are equal everyone should discuss it .

Student 19 (Larisa): I think that younger generations are dressing more freely.

Teacher 1: We are equal, we should all respect the rules.

Student 20 (Dijana): Everyone wants to look differently, dresses in his/her way, and

wants to look good. It is another point, do younger generations respects

the rules more than us?

By the end of the debate everyone who had something to say was heard and

people were satisfied with the whole debate. The following resolutions were

accepted:

1. Students are not involved in the process of preparing the codex;

2. Students have to be involved in preparing the codex in the school;

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3. Students have to accept and obey the rules;

4. Students have to be dressed properly while in school;.

The relaxing environment the debate was set in, the use of every day English,

the organization and the way of timing everyone’s speech, made most of the

students happy, satisfied with the topic discussed and eager to hear when the next

debate will be held. The teachers were pleased by the results and are ecstatic for

our next debate.

Pictures from the Student Debate

THE NETHERLANDS

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1tvYwmGxSYrZGz-ehns_adEiaq2dEj6wj

ITALY

Cosmic rays:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1HqRe3XmoEni8zJ85wpeLG06lH0ulILDc

Presentation:

https://ka2sevencountries.altervista.org/ict2-italy/

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WHAT WE ACTUALLY DO

Austria – The school is generally focused on sports. There are high-performers

mostly dealing with the area of sports. We have two highly talented students in

mountain biking. Our school really focuses on sports more than usual and our

students are featured in the local newspapers acknowledging their success. The

students get their diplomas in the school halls where the entire school can see their

accomplished success.

Belgium – In the school there is a diverse palette of students. All of the students

possess some sort of talent. Some of them work really hard and earn their grades

through their work, some don’t work as hard but their talent helps them get through.

These students finish their work earlier, they ask questions and are more

independent. We usually mix the students, putting the high-performer in a group with

the other students so that he/she can help the others or see how much more he can

actually do.

.

Italy – There are also very different kinds of students. We point them out because

we believe that high-performer students work less than the others but can still

achieve the goal faster than them. These students can figure out ways of solving

problems more easily and they are interested in doing competitions like: Olympic

math, history, languages. A way to motivate these students is through meeting

people with the same level of intelligence. Another way to motivate them is to give

them opportunities while they are still in high school, something as scholarships and

financial support.

Netherlands – In our schools the children with special needs are more important, so

the high-performers are overlooked. Our school systems allows us to put these

students in advanced classes, which means that they can finish their high school

career faster than the other students. A way to recognize a high performer is to find

out which of the students can answer the more complex questions and can come up

with answers faster than usually. Most of these students are supported by their

parents. If the parents are wealthier and provide more than they need for their day to

day life, then they are the ones who push their kids further and help them get a

better future. One thing that the system should change is that there should be

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cheaper ways to test the I.Q’s of the students so that the high-performers can be

recognized more easily.

Spain – The school systems in Spain have special programs for these kinds of

students which allow them to use more tools so that they can develop their skills

further. A way to motivate these students is not to isolate them, and to help them fit

in with the rest of the students. That way they can become aware of their value and

recognize if they are being treated differently. The Spanish educational systems also

provide these students with many scholarships helping them get the future they

deserve.

Macedonia – In our school there are diverse students as well. A way that these

students are recognized is by the fact that they always ask for more information.

Most of the time, they finish their tasks earlier than the others, are fast learners and

sometimes are even not aware of their abilities. A way to motivate them is to give

them more material and allow them to compete in more intellectual competitions.

One of the things which demotivate our students is the fee that has to be paid for

the students to participate in the competition. The fees should be removed so that

more students can show their knowledge in the competitions. Another way to

motivate them is by letting them to study together with their peers (not dividing them

into separate groups or classes) and treating them equally. Every school in our

country has a specific working program that is a part of the general annual program

of the school. The following document is an original excerpt from the mentioned

program issued in Macedonian and English.

4.11. Програма за работа со надарени и талентирани ученици

СЕПТЕМВРИ-ОКТОМВРИ

1. Идентификација и откривање на ученици кои покажуваат повеќе афинитет по

одредена област во однос на останати ученици;

2. Собирање и организирање на надарени и талентирани ученици во група и

запознавање со начинот на работа во овој домен (проектните активности нудат

можности за оваа активност).

НОЕМВРИ - ДЕКЕМВРИ

1.Практична реализација на работата со оваа група ученици , како групно така

и поединечно со посебен пристап (литература, користење на кабинети, посета

на институции, работни организации, саеми, смотри и сл.

ЈАНУАРИ - ФЕВРУАРИ

1. Насочување на учениците во користење на стручна литература и начин на

доаѓање до неа (користење на интернет ).

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2. Соработка на учениците во групата и подготовка за натпревари, олимпијади

на знаења,смотри.

МАРТ - АПРИЛ

1. Посета на семинари, трибини, советувања како и посета на вакви групи од

други училишта - размена на искуства;

2. Интензивна подготовка за учество на натпревари - самостојна работа во

консултација со менторот.

МАЈ - ЈУНИ

1. Следење на покажаните знаења во и вон групата и анализа на напредување

на секој поединец во односната наставна област - колку напредувал во областа

за која е надарен;

2.Сумирање на резултати- поединечно и групно на ниво на училиште

(изработка на портфолио за реализираната проектна активност).

3.Организирање и учество во летни школи, семинари што опфаќаат ученици,

талентирани и надарени во одредени области.

Секцииите, односно проектните активности се извонредно тло за

идентификација, селекција и стимулирање на ученици кои покажуваат вакви

наклоности. Училиштето веќе има една богата традиција со овие ученици, а

тие исто така посетуваат семинари и школи за талентирани.

4.11. A program for working with gifted and talented students

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER

1. Identification of the students who show more affinity for a certain area compared

to the other students;

2. Meeting and organizing the gifted and talented students in a group and getting

acquainted with the way they work in this domain (project activities offer

opportunities for this activity).

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER

1. Practical realization of the work with this group of students, both grouped and

individually, with a special approach (literature, use of cabinets, visiting institutions,

working organizations, fairs, seeing etc.

JANUARY - FEBRUARY

1. Directing students to using professional literature and the way of coming to it

(using the Internet).

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2. Cooperation of the students in a group and preparation for competitions,

Olympiads of knowledge, etc.

MARCH - APRIL

1. Attendance of seminars, tribunes, counseling, paying visits to such groups from

the other schools - exchange of experiences;

2. Intensive preparation for participation in competitions - independent work in

consultation with the mentor.

MAY - JUNE

1. Monitoring the demonstrated knowledge in and out of the group and analyzing the

progress of each individual in the respective teaching area - how much the students

have progressed in the area for which they are gifted;

2. Summary of the results - individually and group on a school level (preparation of a

portfolio for the realized project activities).

3. Organizing and participating in summer schools, seminars that encompass

students that are talented and gifted in certain areas.

The after-school or project activities are excellent for identifying, selecting

and stimulating students who show such inclinations. The school has already had a

rich tradition with these students, and they also attend seminars and schools for

talented students.

The activities realized within the project “Beyond and Louder than

Words” influenced a group of high-performing students from our school to organize

The Students Debate Club. They are very satisfied with their work and send us a

report of their wok, worth to me mentioned here.

Students Debate Club

After the successful debate held in November 2017, some of the students

involved felt very motivated to start making some changes in their community. One

of them, Konstantin Solarski, decided to form and run a debate club. The club has a

lot of members that meet every Saturday and discuss many topics concerning their

environment.

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The greatest thing about the club is that the members are students from a

variety of age groups. The members are from different ethnicities, diverse social

statuses and they make a great mix. All of them have great inputs to contribute to the

club because even though they are from the same city, all of them come from

different home environments, different schools and their mutual goal is to make the

entire community better for all the (non) members.

Some topics discussed so far are:

- Learning about The Law and knowing our rights.

- Women’s Rights and contribution to the 8th of March annual Women’s

Rights Day

- Understanding the function of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

- Learning about the Local “street - law”

- Don’t raise your tone, strengthen your argument?

- Getting to know the International Criminal Court

Pictures from the Student Debate Club

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References:

1. Growing Up Gifted: Developing the Potential of Children at School and at

Home (8th Edition; April 2012, Pearson), by Dr. Barbara Clark

2. Adolescent Study by Halpin, Payne, Ellett (1973), Exceptional Children

3. MacLean, P. (1978). A mind of three minds: Educating the triune brain.

4. Lozanov, G. (1977): The Bulgarian experience. The Journal of

Suggestive-Accelerative Learning and Teaching; and Martindale (1975),

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The Regressive Imagery Dictionary.

5. Adolescent Study by Halpin, Payne, Ellett (1973), Exceptional Children

Databases :

https://www.opgs.org/school/Pages/highperformingstudents.aspx

http://www.brainy-child.com/expert/types-of-giftedness.shtml

https://upcoaching.nl

CONCLUSION:

TALENT IS A SPECIAL KIND OF NATURAL RESOURCE THAT IS AVAILABLE IN

EVERY COUNTRY

Interview with students.mp4