Critical Issues in Gifted Education: Defensible Programs for the Gifted.

Critical Issues in Gifted Education: Defensible Programs for the Gifted. Reviewed by KAREN B. ROGERS, Program Head, Gifted Studies Program,College of St. Thomas, St. Paul St. Paulas a missionary he fearlessly confronts the “perils of waters, of robbers, in the city, in the wilderness.” [N.T.: II Cor. 11:26]See : Bravery , Minnesota. Critical issues in GiftedEducation: Defensible de��fen��si��ble?adj.Capable of being defended, protected, or justified: defensible arguments.de��fen Programs for the Gifted. C. J. Maker, Rockville,MD: Aspen aspen, in botanyaspen:see willow.Aspen, city, United StatesAspen(ăs`pən), city (1990 pop. 5,049), alt. 7,850 ft (2,390 m), seat of Pitkin co., S central Colo. Publications, 1986. 357 pp. $33.50 (hard cover). From one ofthe most knowledgeable researchers on curriculum development for giftedlearners comes the book, Critical Issues in Education: DefensiblePrograms for the Gifted. in a departure from her other two widelyacclaimed books on curriculum development, Maker has produced this bookas editor, collecting the opinions of 20 well-known gifted educators toanswer the series of questions she posed to them. She has masterfully mas��ter��ful?adj.1. Given to playing the master; imperious or domineering.2. Fit to command.3. Revealing mastery or skill; expert: a masterful technique; masterful moviemaking. chosen her contributors to speak eloquently el��o��quent?adj.1. Characterized by persuasive, powerful discourse: an eloquent speaker; an eloquent sermon.2. for one "side" ofan issue in gifted program/curriculum development, and the result makesfor interesting, provocative reading. The book is divided into five sections, four of which discussdifferent topics surrounding curriculum issues and a fifth whichrepresents Maker's synthesis of the answers given in the precedingfour sections. Section One contains seven chapters on differingconceptions of giftedness. The various authors contend with answers tosuch probing questions as: Are gifted learners qualitatively differentfrom individuals who are not gifted? Must one conclude that giftedindividuals are qualitatively different in order to justify theprovision of a qualitatively different curriculum? What is the mostdefensible definition of giftedness-one that views qualitativedifferences as existing in children or one that views such differencesas existing only after one becomes an eminent or productive adult? andAre gifted females qualitatively different from gifted males? Thesechapters are lively reading because Maker has juxtaposed jux��ta��pose?tr.v. jux��ta��posed, jux��ta��pos��ing, jux��ta��pos��esTo place side by side, especially for comparison or contrast. viewpointsrepresented by each chapter. To begin with, she has selected twoeducators with recognizably different points of view on the questionsposed. Each then presents these views in a chapter. At that point, Makerallowed each author to respond to the other educator's chapter.What results is a brilliant, thought-provoking intellectualconversation, for which the reader is the final arbiter. Section Two contains five chapters on the topic of curriculumdevelopment. Two major questions were addressed by the four contributorsto this section: What constitutes a qualitatively different (andappropriate) curriculum'? and To justify a program for the gifted,must one be able to state that the curriculum would not be good for orcould not be used with students who are not gifted? The guidelines andprinciples set forth by the authors in this section by itself make thisbook one every gifted educator should have on the bookshelf! Maker hastaken particular care to balance and clarify curricular concerns andleave the reader wiser than before. Section Three of Critical Issues in Gifted Education centers onenrichment enrichmentFood industry The addition of vitamins or minerals to a food–eg, wheat, which may have been lost during processing. See White flour; Cf Whole grains. versus acceleration, a controversy that has existed sinceTerman's study in the 1920s. Maker posed two questions to the fourcontributors of this section of the book: What makes enrichment adefensible approach in programs for the gifted? and What makesacceleration an appropriate approach in programs for the gifted'?Van TasselBaska argues brilliantly for acceleration, based on herextensive experience with accelerative programs in Illinois andextensive review of the research on acceleration, and Klausmeierpresents the case for enrichment. Both authors are critiqued by othersin the field, rather than by each other. This approach makes for abalance in viewpoints that could not have been achieved otherwise. The fourth section addresses the issues of policy, programdevelopment, and evaluation. Questions posed to the seven contributorsof this section included: How does one justify the expenditure ofadditional funds or reallocation Noun 1. reallocation - a share that has been allocated againallocation, allotment - a share set aside for a specific purpose2. reallocation of existing resources for a program forgifted students? What policies, procedures, and arrangements willfacilitate or inhibit the development of a program for the gifted thatis defensible'? How can the continued operation of a program forgifted students be justified? and What are the elements of a defensibleprogram? The chapters written in this section by John Feldhusen, WilliamHealey, Carolyn Callahan, and Sarah Denham are the makings of apotential symposium on these issues. Maker's ability to get thisdebate down on paper so that it could be disseminated more widely thanby a national conference or symposium was a master stroke. The last section of the book was perhaps the most appreciatedsection for this reader. Maker objectively and systematicallysynthesizes the answers of the various authors question by question. Formany reasons this section should be read twice, once before tackling thetremendous volume of information presented in each section and a secondtime after reading the rest of the book. Maker has done well in gettingto the heart of each issue to which chapters were devoted. Teachers of gifted children will find the first two sections veryuseful. Administrators will find the second two sections mostenlightening en��light��en?tr.v. en��light��ened, en��light��en��ing, en��light��ens1. To give spiritual or intellectual insight to: . And for researchers in the field of gifted education, thisbook is a good way to capsulize cap��sul��ize?tr.v. cap��sul��ized, cap��sul��iz��ing, cap��sul��iz��esTo capsule: capsulized the news every 30 minutes. the collective understandings this fieldhas acquired about curriculum and programs for the gifted over the past60 years. Denham are the makings of a potential symposium on theseissues. Maker's ability to get this debate down on paper so that itcould be disseminated more widely than by a national conference orsymposium was a master stroke. The last section of the book was perhaps the most appreciatedsection for this reader. Maker objectively and systematicallysynthesizes the answers of the various authors question by question. Formany reasons this section should be read twice, once before tackling thetremendous volume of information presented in each section and a secondtime after reading the rest of the book. Maker has done well in gettingto the heart of each issue to which chapters were devoted. Teachers of gifted children will find the first two sections veryuseful. Administrators will find the second two sections mostenlightening. And for researchers in the field of gifted education, thisbook is a good way to capsulize the collective understandings this fieldhas acquired about curriculum and programs for the gifted over the past60 years.