Gifted and Talented Education: The Global Perspective

Tim Dracuptim.dracup1@gmail.com

Gifted Phoenix's Blog: http://giftedphoenix.wordpress.com/

Outline

Analysis of Global Practice

Globalisation

Increasing worldwide economic integration, through trade, transport and communication

Removes barriers to flow of goods, capital, services and labour

Began at end of 19th Century; increased over last 40 years

Global higher education market

Global labour market, especially for highly- educated and highly-skilled

Knowledge-based economies

Recognise the role of human capital and technology in increasing economic growth

Know-what (facts), know-why (science), know-how (skills), know who (networks)

High demand for highly-skilled 'knowledge workers'; innovation

Rapid expansion in IT, education, communications sectors - often an explicit link to STEM

Human capital as key to national competitiveness in a globalised market?

National plans to transform countries into KBEs

Some Notes of Caution

More education does not necessarily produce more growth

Formal education versus on-the-job training

The quality of education matters as much as the quantity

Higher levels of education may signal innate ability

International studies do not show clear results – importance of interaction with wider reforms

Growth can generate education as well as vice-versa

The Economics of Gifted Education

KBEs must balance higher standards for all v developingelite 'knowledge workers'

The latter is typically associated with HE but may require foundations in compulsory education = G&T

Examples include Singapore, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia

Little systematic study of the economic basis of such decisions

The economic cost of 'excellence gaps'; 'Smart Fraction'

The Role of Social Media

Sharing knowledge and information was previously via books, research journals, conferences, training

– Slow; inefficient; hierarchical

Social media has brought immediacy, sharing, democracy, unreliability, 'crowdsourcing'

Personal Learning Network via:– Connectors (blogs, Twitter, FB, SL)– Sifters (RSS, social bookmarking, search engines)– Organisers (multimedia aggregators, maps)

Benchmarking or Policy Tourism?

International Quality Standards?

Common flexible standards framework for national and

state-wide provision

Linked improvement benchmarks based on best performance

Case studies library exemplifies variation in practice

within standards

Linked tools and resources to support improvement

Social media interaction keeps every element under

permanent (crowdsourced) review

International Observatory and Research Network?

Open access global gifted education database

Open access online gifted education research library

Research map shows under-researched and

over-researched areas

Social media network supports collaborative peer-to-peer

and master-student interaction

Accredited online and blended learning opportunities

International Federation of Parents' Organisations?

Single online meeting point for all national and state parents' associations

Build online map/repository of information and resources

Link together multiple forums/listservs

Deploy full armoury of multimedia collaboration tools

Foster bilateral and multi-lateral partnership

Pool resources to achieve economies of scale

Accredit best practice; publicise worst practice

Influence international bodies and national governments

Your Global Perspectives?