EDFD468 ASSIGNMENT 2

CATERING FOR DIVERSITY: AN

OPPORTUNTY TO DEMONSTRATE
LEARNING
TESS DESMOND
S00152856

JOURNAL FOUR CATERING FOR MATHEMATICALLY GIFTED

STUDENTS
27TH OF OCTOBER 2016

Throughout my placements I have come across a number of gifted students,

specifically in mathematics. There have been certain tasks, which I have
assigned to the class, which have been far too simple and even boring for
those gifted students. There were a number of instances where particular
students would come up to me and alert me to the fact that they had finished
their work, while I was trying to help those students who were struggling. This
put pressure on me and also disadvantaged the students. This proves just
how important it is to have follow-up tasks prepared for those who require
them.

Gavin & Moylan (2012) believe that teachers should increase expectations for
all students. This means they should be given opportunities to step outside
their comfort zones. We should also encourage students to expand on their
thinking by explaining their reasoning. Tasks have to be appropriate for the
level at which the student is at. Therefore knowing students capabilities is
extremely important. This was a bit challenging at the beginning of placement,
as I was unaware of each individual childs strengths and preferred learning
styles.

Parish (2013) speaks about mathematical giftedness. Students who are

mathematically gifted are capable of constructing mathematical concepts
quickly and barely require repetition. This is because they are able to
recognise similar problems and use their prior knowledge to attempt new
problems. Parish (2013) believes there are ways we can cater for these gifted
students without having to create separate programs for them. This is through
the use of open-ended and problem solving tasks. Sullivan & Clarke (2012)
support this idea, and believe that open tasks increase the possibility of new
knowledge being constructed. It also extends their mathematical thinking, as
there is not one set response, therefore a range of options is possible.