Parallel Session Proceedings »
5.1.3 Global Suitcases: Training Teachers Through Authentic Case Studies of Diverse Gifted Immigrants Using Virtual Simulations
This Project, a collaboration between a university and a Florida School District, takes a global suitcase of virtual simulated students as live avatars into challenged school. The Project is working with 10 US Elementary Schools (Title I) with high ability students at risk through poverty with high percentages of immigrants and English Learners who are often overlooked in regular identification of giftedness and poorly understood. This 5 year grant works with teacher leaders in professional development sessions and with grade level teams within each school to bring awareness to the identification of high ability, low income, immigrant and English Language Learner (ELL) students, and to the critical issues and challenges faced by these marginalized populations. During professional development sessions at the treatment schools, the Project uses the Gifted Simulated classroom to help educators conceptualize the multifaceted nature of giftedness, individual student needs and appropriate individualized education. Hailing from the United States and Ireland, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, and South Korea, each student represents a different level of giftedness, unique challenges stemming from immigration, acculturation and assimilation, and academic and social concerns shared by many gifted students within the community. This innovative classroom is based on real case studies using Gifted Education Plans (EPs) and CELLA data from elementary school students in Florida, ensuring the authenticity of the interaction. Additionally, the newest student, Ji-ho, is physically, artistically and affectively based on a real student as an avatar. Extensive research uses mixed methods in a quazi-experimental design with pre-post surveys, forum responses, classroom observations and interviews. This presentation will discuss the process of creating new identities for the virtual simulated classroom, the meshing of fiction and reality to create life-like personalities in the avatars, the professional development plan, lessons learned from the teacher sessions, and a chance to interact with Ji-ho, the newest avatar!