Parallel Session Proceedings »
5.5.4 Shared Journey, Different Perspectives: Snapshots from Downunder
The theoretical rubber meets the road when programming for gifted education is prioritised in any educational context. Each of the presenters in this symposium is privileged to have several things in common: firstly, they come from Australia and as such, work within the gifted education context ‘Downunder’ (Henderson & Riley, 2018). Gagne (2013), Renzulli (1997), Munro (2018) and Sternberg (2017) are the most influential theorists underpinning the professional practice of each presenter. All work in independent (non-government) schools in a major city and have had the value of a dedicated gifted and talented program acknowledged in their respective schools. There is a shared understanding that the transformative power of educational provisions for the highly able has an enormously influential flow-on effect on the whole school culture (Renzulli, 1997; Tomlinson, 2014; Van Tassel-Baska, 2005), and each coordinator recognises the personal role they play in this transformation. But do these schools exist in isolation? Our passion to see our gifted students flourish has driven us together and we find ourselves delighting in each other’s practice and sharing our journey. We have so much in common, and yet this commonality is expressed differently in our unique contexts. Our guiding question is a juxtaposition: In what ways are our programs unique, yet similar in purpose? Is there a tension? How can we draw from each other through our shared values, passion and purpose for our students, to impact each other in an enriching way? This symposium seeks to explore how programs and provisions within a group of schools in Australia vary despite common values, vision and theoretical underpinnings. Intentional cross fertilisation of ideas has brought about growth and shared understandings but each maintains a distinctive character. Structure: Each program will be outlined (10 minutes per school) with a view to exploring: · The interaction between individual practitioners, their school contexts and the shared journey of the collegium of practitioners · Elements unique to each program · Research sparking the collegial conversation which informs our practice · Impact of the shared journey on individual school cultures Remaining time will be used for mediated dialogue with the audience: questions invited from the floor; if questions are not forthcoming, dialogue between panelists and the audience on specific topics of relevance (mentoring within the collegium; paying the shared journey forward – professional learning in rural/disadvantaged areas; collaboration vs market share in similar schools).