162 TExES Gifted and Talented Supplemental Exam Practice Questions

1. Cognitive characteristics of gifted children include:

A. Intellectual curiosity
B. Problems concentrating
C. Emotional rather than logical
D. All of the above

2. Behavioral characteristics of gifted children include:

A. Difficulty understanding instructions
B. Have to understand the how and why
C. Frequently hyperactive
D. All of the above

3. Options for teaching gifted children may include:

A. Group all ages together in one class
B. Discourage extracurricular activities
C. Require rote memorization
D. All of the above

4. Strategies to keep the attention of gifted students may include:

A. Require rote memorization
B. Avoid lag time in lesson plan
C. Test frequently
D. All of the above

5. Elements of the theory of multiple intelligences are:

A. Everyone learns in the same way
B. Some people are smarter than others
C. Some people learn primarily by hands-on projects
D. All of the above

6. The elements of a performance contract are:

A. A promise from the student
B. A timeline
C. Strict discipline
D. All of the above

7. Questions to ask when developing a performance contract could include:

A. What information will be included?
B. What research resources will be used?
C. How long will the project take to complete?
D. All of the above

8. Work products that can be included in a portfolio include:

A. List of awards achieved
B. Papers and presentations
C. Written recommendations from previous teachers
D. All of the above

9. What areas are often considered when evaluating the contents of a portfolio?

A. Intelligence
B. Critical thinking
C. Neatness
D. All of the above

10. Examples of work products include:

A. Home videos
B. Bulletin boards
C. Art work from childhood
D. All of the above

ANSWER KEY EXAM 162

1. Answer: A

Gifted children are found in all ethnic and social-economic groups. They have an exceptionally high level of intellectual curiosity with a need for precision in thinking and expression; they process data quickly and learn in an integrative, nonlinear manner by making intuitive leaps. At an early age, they show emotional sensitivity, empathy for ideas and people and concern for moral and existential issues. They have a highly developed code of ethics and an intense need for the world to be logical and fair. Gifted children are fascinated with ideas and words, have an extensive vocabulary and find multiple meanings in the simplest concept. They have the ability to think in the abstract, see all sides of an issue and offer logical solutions to complex problems. Their minds work in metaphors and symbols and they often have difficulty fitting in because they don't think the way other people do. They are frequently argumentative and have an idiosyncratic interpretation of events.

2. Answer: B

Gifted children are individuals. Some are outgoing and socially well adjusted and become effective leaders because they are able to earn the trust of their classmates. Others have trouble relating because they view the world differently than most of their peers. They have difficulty making friends and may become isolated and lonely. Each gifted child utilizes his intellectual curiosity in unique ways. However, they share common behavioral characteristics:

• They have an extreme need for constant, engaging mental stimulation. They get bored if information is presented in small segments or they are expected to learn by rote and repetition.
• They need to explore all aspects of a topic. They have to understand the how and why as much or more than the what.
• They have an insatiable curiosity about everything. They never stop asking questions.
• They have the ability to shut out all distractions and focus on a subject for long periods of time.

3. Answer: A

Because gifted children have advanced cognitive abilities and different educational needs, teachers need to develop lessons and activities to stimulate their active minds and inquisitive imaginations. Since most public schools are grouped by age rather than learning ability, bringing gifted students together in a single classroom no matter what their ages simplifies the teacher's job; he doesn't have to plan different lessons and activities based on intellectual need as he would in a heterogeneous classroom environment: Plus, like-minded students naturally stimulate each other. Accelerating a student to the grade level appropriate to his ability is another option. Testing a student on the subject matter before it is presented and then developing lessons and activities that fill in the gaps and challenge his preconceived ideas is another possibility. Allowing gifted students to take different levels of schooling at the same time and encouraging extracurricular activities are other options to consider.

4. Answer: B

Gifted students have active imaginations and their brains are always "on." To prevent boredom and keep their attention, a teacher must avoid lag time by preparing a lesson plan that fills the entire class period. Moving around, varying voice tone and timber and presenting at a brisk pace all contribute to keeping students' focused on the subject matter. Asking thought-provoking questions and posing interesting scenarios requires critical thinking, stimulates discussion and encourages them to reason things out for themselves. Throwing out comments and quick questions that only require a one or two word answer keeps them involved. Breaking the class into small groups, giving each group a specific task and having each one present their findings to the whole class provides a challenging change of pace, keeps them involved and helps students learn to work as a team. This is especially important for gifted students because some of them have difficulty relating to and working with others; so they need practical experience in this area of their development.

5. Answer: C

Multiple intelligences is a theory developed in 1983 by Dr. Howard Gardner, a Harvard professor of education. He believes everyone learns according to one of eight intelligences. Adopting and utilizing his theory offers a variety of teaching tools to enhance lectures and create activities that spur the imagination and expand learning opportunities. A well-prepared teacher with an interactive lesson plan already uses Dr. Gardner's theory. They know, through experience and observation that students learn in different ways. Teachers lecture (verbal-linguistic intelligence or word smart) requiring students to think conceptually and link facts together (logical-mathematical intelligence or number and reasoning smart) and use pictures, charts and other props (visual-spatial intelligence or picture smart and, depending upon the material, music-rhythmic intelligence or music smart) during the presentation. Many lesson plans include hands-on projects (bodily-kinesthetic intelligence or body smart and, depending upon the subject, naturalist intelligence or nature smart). Asking thought-provoking questions that encourage lively class discussions (interpersonal intelligence or people smart and intrapersonal intelligence or self-smart) are classroom staples.

6. Answer: B

A performance contract is a written agreement between one student or a group of students and the teacher about a specific activity. The contract clearly states the goal, explains the activity, establishes a timeline and describes who will do what and how it will be done. Sometimes the agreement explains the criteria to be used to evaluate the finished product. This tool helps students learn how to plan a project and utilize their time more efficiently. Not only can the completed project be graded, but also the performance contract itself can be evaluated. The teacher should assess the student's participation in setting up the contract, willingness to compromise when necessary and general attitude about the concept and the process. Performance contracts can be a great learning experience for students by teaching them how to plan and prioritize. When used for a group project, it requires collaborating on the details of the contract and working with other students to reach a common goal; two activities gifted students sometimes have difficulty managing.

7. Answer: D

In order for a performance contract to be a learning experience, the guidelines for writing one should be very general. The teacher can either give the student a written list of suggestions or better yet, discuss them one-on-one. Some questions that might be used:

• What work items are you planning to include?
• Where you will find the necessary data? Personal reference books? The Internet? The library? Do you have additional sources?
• How long will it take to outline a plan; research the topic; finish the project?
• What criteria should be used to evaluate the finished product?
• Questions that might be used to evaluate the completed contract:
• Is the contract realistic relative to required completion date?
• Are the contract questions appropriate to the project objectives?
• Were reliable and appropriate sources chosen?
• How comprehensive is the plan?
• Does the student understand his capabilities and recognize his limitations?

8. Answer: B

A portfolio is a collection of the student's work assembled over a period of time (six week grading period, one semester, the entire year, etc). Various items can be included: Contracts, copies of completed activities such as papers, presentations and pictures of props, performance assessments made by the student, peers and the teacher, copies of class work and homework, classroom tests and state-mandated exams. A portfolio is a powerful aide in assessing the student's progress and an excellent format to present to parents so they can review their child's progress. The decision on what to include should be a collaboration between the student and the teacher. What will be included: Examples of best work, worst work, typical work, some of each? Will the student keep a copy as a reference point? Decisions need to be made and rules established as early as possible in the process so progress is accurately and fairly recorded.

9. Answer: B

Once decisions have been made about what will be included, it is important to begin with baseline data for comparison as the portfolio grows. Selected material can be placed in a folder or large envelope with the student's name on the front. Each addition needs to be dated with an explanation attached stating why the item was included and what features should be noted. Teachers who use portfolios will often create assignments with the intention of including it in the package. As the contents grow, it may become necessary, because of space limitations, to review the items and remove some daily work and a few quizzes and tests. Once the portfolio is complete, the teacher needs to have a method to evaluate the contents and review the student's progress in areas such as creativity, critical thinking, originality, research skills, perseverance, responsibility and communication effectiveness. A checklist can be useful.

10. Answer: B

Work Products are completed assignments that are evaluated on the topic chosen as well as creativity, originality, organization, understanding of the subject matter, social and academic progress and success in meeting and/or exceeding predetermined criteria; plus any other items deemed important by the individual teacher. Work products can take many different forms, including but not limited to; research papers, poems, fiction and non-fiction stories, bulletin boards, video and audio tapes, computer and laboratory demonstrations, dramatic performances, debates and oral presentations, paintings, drawings and sculptures and musical compositions and performances.