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Mod7 Discussion Post

This document discusses ideas for integrating affective education into standard curricula from an article by Ferguson (2015). The key ideas discussed are creating a positive classroom climate, incorporating arts, using character education, and involving student self-understanding through questionnaires with follow-up discussions. Mentors could enhance student experiences by matching them with experts in their fields of interest who could discuss topics at a deeper level and influence career choices. Involving mentors would help students' affective development by reducing feelings of isolation and focusing on their strengths through trusting relationships.

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103 views4 pages

Mod7 Discussion Post

This document discusses ideas for integrating affective education into standard curricula from an article by Ferguson (2015). The key ideas discussed are creating a positive classroom climate, incorporating arts, using character education, and involving student self-understanding through questionnaires with follow-up discussions. Mentors could enhance student experiences by matching them with experts in their fields of interest who could discuss topics at a deeper level and influence career choices. Involving mentors would help students' affective development by reducing feelings of isolation and focusing on their strengths through trusting relationships.

Uploaded by

api-535003994
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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EDG 554 Module 7 Discussion Board Posting

1. Based on your readings this week, what 4 new ideas did you acquire about how to
integrate affective education into standard curricula? Describe the new possibilities
that you are considering and share with us how these ideas are shaped by your beliefs
and values about human nature and its potential.
Ferguson (2015) laid out the case for including affective education in standard curriculum.

She described the importance of attending to students’ hierarchy of needs, including social and

emotional needs, writing, “Gifted students who wonder where they fit in to the schema of school

and the social cliques and hierarchies may have trouble forming a positive self-concept and

reaching self-actualization” (p. 480). She wondered why “schools continue to neglect the

affective domain” (p. 484) and cited Silverman (1993) who argued that “When school

curriculum focuses solely upon the cognitive realm, the uneven development of the other

domains may be enhanced, thus emphasizing the gifted child’s feeling of being “out of sync”

with his or her peers” (p. 486). After presenting the need for affective education, Ferguson

(2015) then proposed several ways to integrate affective education in standard and gifted

curriculum including classroom climate, incorporating arts, bibliotherapy, cinematherapy,

character education, service learning, and self-understanding.

I think the most essential strategy Ferguson (2015) proposed is the classroom climate. She

advocated for a comfortable classroom climate where students are accepted and take personal

responsibility. All aspects of education, academic and affective, depend on a positive classroom

climate in order to be effective. A positive classroom climate benefits all students, including

gifted learners. This idea aligns with my belief that human nature is essentially good because a

caring environment will allow student potential to manifest.

Incorporating arts within a classroom for students to express their feelings is a new idea for

me think about putting into place with my students. Using artistic expression to communicate

feelings and ideas coincides with creating a place where students feel comfortable and accepted.
I had students create a collage of communities they identified with and it surprised me how open

students were in sharing how they identified with me and their classmates. I wonder if I would

have gotten that vulnerability if I had used another format.

Ferguson (2015) also identified character education as a way to incorporate affective

education in the classroom. This is the first year since I have been at Lewis and Clark that we

have implemented a schoolwide character education curriculum. Each teacher delivers character

education lessons during daily advisory meetings. So far this year the lessons have focused on

students identifying their feelings and strategies for managing those feelings. I have been

impressed with students’ willingness to share and discuss these strategies and how they have

tried using them in their own lives. I wonder how I can discuss similar content during math

lessons. Language arts, social studies, science, and physical education were listed by Ferguson

(2015) as viable subjects for incorporating character education, but math was not mentioned. I

wonder about discussing statistics and data in looking at fairness, ethics, and justice.

One simple idea that Ferguson (2015) suggested was using a student questionnaire to help

students with their self-understanding. She included a sample open-ended response form with

statements such as, “I don’t know why…Most people don’t know…and I’m good at…” (p. 497).

While giving students a questionnaire is a quick way to incorporate affective education in a

classroom, it is not an effective strategy without follow up discussion and activities to help

students explore their responses.

One last note that Ferguson (2015) made was about including a support system for teachers

and students to ensure that any information disclosed during discussions or on questionnaires can

be properly addressed. She pointed to the importance of teachers being willing to follow up on
issues that are revealed, but that teachers are not trained counselors. School counselors, school

psychologists, and therapists can support in this endeavor.

2. What argument would you make for incorporating leadership development into
programs and services for highly able students? After you address this question, list
the most important concepts and skills of leadership you would want your students to
gain.
Leadership development is important to incorporate in programs and services for highly able

students because highly able students have the creative talents, intellect, and drive to make

positive changes and be effective leaders. Bean and Karnes (2015) wrote that effective leaders

have significant societal benefits and that our current culture calls for collective, shared

leadership. They further argued that, “Given the parallels between characteristics of effective

leaders and gifted individuals, leaderships education is a natural fit” (p. 532). Leadership

capacity is included in the federal definition of gifted and talented students (Javits Act, 1988, as

cited in Bean & Karnes, 2015) and needs to be cultivated.

The most important concepts and skills of leadership that I want my students to gain are:

Effective communication skills, written and oral

Collaboration and cooperation skills

Organizational skills; see what needs to be done and make a plan

3. How might involving mentors, who are experts in the fields chosen by students to
study, enhance the experiences of the students? How might a teacher find mentors to
work with students on projects or to assist them in a way that might help them escalate
their skills or products they produce and how would this add to the development of
their affective skills?
Involving mentors who are experts in fields would enhance the experiences of students

because the students would be able to discuss their interests with someone who can match their

interest and their understanding. Roberts and Inman (2001) wrote that “mentors and mentees

form a partnership to explore their passion, interest, or career” (as cited in Siegle et al., 2015, p.

553) while Bisland (2001) wrote that “Mentoring is necessary when a student’s interest in a
particular area cannot be met at school” (as cited in Siegle et al., 2015, p. 553). Mentors provide

a depth of knowledge that teachers often are not able to match. Additionally, students cite

mentors as an influential experience in selecting future careers (Siegle, et al., 2015).

Teachers can find mentors by reaching out to local universities, libraries, senior centers, and

research institutions. However, just because a person is an expert in a field does not guarantee

that they will be a good fit as a mentor (Roberts & Inman, 2001; Schatz, 1999; as cited in Siegle

et al., 2015). Mentors must be caring and engaged in helping their mentee achieve his or her

goals and be committed to the program.

Mentors will add to the development of student affective skills by pairing students with

someone with similar interests or similar background so students will feel less isolated in their

pursuits and goals. Mentors will also help students focus on their strengths instead of any

perceived weaknesses. Students will be able to practice discussing their feelings and

communicating in a safe and trusting relationship.

References:
Bean, S. M. & Karnes, F.A. (2015). Developing the leadership potential of gifted students. In F.
Karnes, & S. Bean (Eds.), Methods and materials for teaching the gifted (4th ed., pp. 513-
550). Prufrock Press.
Ferguson, S. K. (2015). Affective education: Addressing the social and emotional needs of gifted
students in the classroom. In F. Karnes, & S. Bean (Eds.), Methods and materials for
teaching the gifted (4th ed., pp. 479-512). Prufrock Press.
Siegle, D., McCoach, D. B., & Gilson, C. M. (2015). Extending learning through mentorships.
In F. Karnes, & S. Bean (Eds.), Methods and materials for teaching the gifted (4th ed., pp.
551-587). Prufrock Press.

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