Staff Development Specializing in Differentiated Instruction
from Pieces of Learning

Jim Delisle's Topics

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   Workshop Descriptions

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Highly Gifted, Barely Served: The Legacy of Inclusion

In this provocative "interactive lecture", a rationale will be presented that gifted children have had their social and emotional needs unmet by the inclusion movement. Dr. Delisle will present his rationale that the Theory of Multiple Intelligences and the popular trend towards school wide enrichment have watered down the field of gifted education for more than two decades, causing gifted children to be shortchanged in schools. A 4-point plan for reinstating legitimacy to the gifted child education field will be offered, followed by audience dialogue.

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Growing Good Kids:
The Top Twelve Writing Activities for Teaching and Reaching Middle School Students

When middle school students say, “I hate to write!” what they often mean is “I don’t have anything interesting to write about!” The intent of this session is to describe many practical, classroom-tested writing projects that allow students to share important parts of their lives through writing. Some humorous, some serious, and all requiring introspection, these activities will turn even the most reluctant writers into wordsmiths.

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Meeting the Intellectual and Emotional Needs of Gifted Children in a School Setting

Gifted children possess unique intellectual and emotional needs that must be understood and appreciated before they can be addressed in a classroom setting. In this session, Dr. Delisle will review these needs, including understanding the intensities that accompany giftedness, accepting personal imperfections, finding and keeping true friends, and enjoying one’s abilities in the context of the wider world. Following this introduction, Dr. Delisle will highlight more than 20 classroom-tested lessons that educators can use to instill compassion, self-awareness and leadership among gifted children.

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Differentiation Requires HOPE:
Opening New Doors to Learning for Every Student

Everybody’s doing it...or at least they SAY they are: differentiating classroom instruction to benefit all levels of learners. But how is this done, exactly? Is differentiation simply a set of procedures, or is it more complex than that? In this session, you will learn the four steps required for successful differentiation.

 Heart
 Outlook
 Procedures
 Expectations

Through the use of student examples and specific, useable activities, you will learn the basics of differentiation...and more.

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The Top Ten Strategies for Raising a Happy and Successful Gifted Child

(For Parents)

Although there are no “hidden secrets” to raising a gifted child who is both academically engaged and personally content, there are some strategies and insights which are helpful to know.  In this session, Dr. Delisle will review ten strategies that he and others have used to help parents of gifted children better understand the complex life of a gifted child.  Issues related to how a gifted child’s emotional intensities impact relationships at home and in school will also be reviewed.  A question period follows the presentation. 

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