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Three Ring Triad Model is based on the intersection

of Above Average Ability, Creativity and Task
Commitment. It is within the overlap of these that
you will find the best model for creative productivity.

Gifted and Talented clearly defined separately with gifted

the raw material and talent the product. May have ability
(gift) at birth but must practice to refine it into a talent.

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DMGT emphasizes a process where the development of giftedness to

talent is fa or facilitated by several factors (internal and external).

Cautions against overgeneralization in education when

speaking about gifted students. Calls for accuracy and
delineates subgroups: moderate, high, exceptionally,
extremely. Argues programming and intervention should
be responsive to level of giftedness.

Renzulli argues there are two types of giftedness: School House Gifted
and Creative Productive. Education should be promoting the latter not
the former. Also, restrictive gifted identification formulas will often miss
the former because they may not score well on standard IQ tests.

Sternberg argues that because not everyone has the same strength
(analytical, creative, practical), teachers should vary their strategies
to increase all student achievement in the classroom. Not all will
appear smart in all settings or contexts. In fact, research has
shown that different cultures have different conceptions of what it
means to be smart and this shows up in academic achievement.

Theories on
Intelligence and
Gifted Education

IQ is a narrow measure of analytical skill and ability to acquire knowledge. If IQ is

used as the only predictor of success, you miss out on a large population of people
with potential for success according to Sternbergs definition. This has implications
for Gifted Education identification.

Sternbergs Triarchic Theory of Successful Intelligence

includes a balance of analytical, creative and practical
abilities. He argues successful individuals are able to
make the most of their strengths and compensate for
their weaknesses.
The six profiles include: Successful, Divergently Gifted, Underground,
Dropouts, Double Labeled, Autonomous. The most common gifted
student is the Successful, however, the name is misleading. These
students have figured out how to do school but lack important
autonomy skills and often are not creative thinkers or problem solvers
leading to decreased success later.

Part of his Enrichment Triad Model are the Type III enrichment
opportunities in the regular classroom. He argues enrichment
should reach as many students as possible (not just gifted). His
explanation was interesting and sounded very much like PBL!!
Also, the reading about Enrichment Clusters was interesting.
Using these as a way to develop talent potential across the
entire school population is fantastic but probably out of
budgetary reach for most schools.

Gardner originally identified seven intelligences and

later added an eighth: linguistic, logical-mathematical,
spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal,
intrapersonal, and naturalist (last added).

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George Betts

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Schools (classrooms) most often emphasize

and reward logical and linguistic thinkers.

We teach too much at too superficial a depth. If we were

more focused and direct, we could teach more process
and thinking skills which would be more beneficial,
according to Gardener, for students. I happen to agree.

Betts developed six profiles of Gifted and Talented

learners based on behavior, feelings and needs instead
of intellectual ability.

The profiles can be used to increase awareness of differences among gifted

students and to help teachers develop practical ways to work with students in their
classrooms: set learning goals, create academic projects and assignments.