Handbook of Cultural Studies and Education

Abstract

In public education, mainstream programs cater to all students. Schools strive to cater to the needs to their diverse student population by developing effective and engaging programming. There exist some specialized programs to appeal to and nurture particular facets of their students. Gifted programs have been developed to allow students identified to be the best and brightest to flourish. Through accounts of former gifted students' school experiences, aspects of the gifted program that positively contributed to their learning experience are identified. In our society, we want all children to have a high-quality education. Although developed for a specific demographic, do gifted programs provide some insight as to how best we can support the needs of all students?A classroom is filled with students, each with their own set of skills, abilities, and preferences. Schools strive to cater to the needs to their students by developing effective and engaging programming. Similarly, schools create a nurturing environment in which their students may thrive. The majority of Canadian classrooms are integrated in that it is up to the teachers to celebrate the individual and varied strengths and challenges that each student brings to the classroom. Yet, some specialized programs exist to appeal to and nurture particular facets of their students. For example, there are programs for students who are interested in the arts, athletics, music, or science. Some programs offer curricula to students not typically received in the Canadian public school system (e.g., International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement). Other programs cater to students who are hearing or visually impaired. Still others meet the needs of students with learning difficulties or are gifted. This chapter explores one such specialized program, specifically developed to support gifted students. The intent is not to critique or debate the merits of such a program (for this, see for example: Borland, 2005;Reis & Renzulli, 2010). Rather, the gifted program serves an example of a program developed to cater to a specific student demographic providing a context to explore different facets of an educational program. Gifted Students and Their NeedsTo better understand the priorities of many gifted programs, it is important to first understand the needs of the students to which they serve.