Tim Dracup, Education Consultant, Gifted Education Advocate and Trustee of the National Association for Gifted Children looks at how countries worldwide support their gifted learners. Copyright Tim Dracup @ 2011

1. Giftedkids.ie Webinar Series
Global Perspectives
On Gifted Education
Presented by
Tim Dracup
Education Consultant,
Gifted Advocate,
Trustee - National Association for
Gifted Children UK
Supported by
Social Entrepreneurs Ireland,
C.T.Y.I. & N.C.T.E.

2. Gifted and Talented Education:
The Global Perspective
A Webinar for GiftedKids.ie
Thursday 14 April 2011
by
Tim Dracup
tim.dracup1@gmail.com
Copyright: Tim Dracup @ 2011

3. Excellence and Equity
Policies and personal positions are partly defined by the balance
between excellence and equity.
Equity involves improving the performance of the disadvantaged
at a relatively faster rate, not depressing the performance of the
advantaged.
Where do you stand?
Copyright: Tim Dracup @ 2011

4. 'Dracup's Rule': The Three Key Variables
NB The extreme positions are tenable within gifted education
making it a very broad church indeed!
Copyright: Tim Dracup @ 2011

5. Where Do You Stand?
Where do you fit against the three polarities?
Are you broadly 'liberal' or 'broadly conservative'?
Or do you have a 'spiky profile'?
Do you hold different positions for different 'levels of giftedness', or
are you broadly consistent?
If there is a dissonance between your views and the policy of your
state/country, can it be explained in these terms?
Is there an 'orthodox position'? Has it changed over time?
Copyright: Tim Dracup @ 2011

6. Outline
Copyright: Tim Dracup @ 2011

7. 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
The HE and labour markets need a 'pipeline' to feed them
Copyright: Tim Dracup @ 2011

8. Knowledge-based economies
Recognise the role of human capital in increasing economic growth
Human capital the key to economic competitiveness and success?
Human capital is not just education: know-what (facts), know-why
(science), know-how (skills), know who (networks)
KBEs require 'knowledge workers', innovation, IT/communications
expertise, strong STEM skills
National plans to transform countries into KBEs sometimes identify
the role of G&T education in the 'pipeline' eg Hong Kong,
Singapore, Saudi Arabia
Copyright: Tim Dracup @ 2011

9. Human Capital Investment is not a Panacea
More education does not necessarily produce more growth
Education is only part of the equation
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

10. 'The Economics of Gifted Education'?
Relatively little systematic study of the economic case for
investment in gifted education
What is the effect on personal and social rates of return; on the
generation of economic growth?
Richard Florida: 'the creative class'
Hanushek and Woessmann: the impact of cognitive ability on
economic growth
La Griffe du Lion: Smart Fraction
Rindemann, Sailer + Thompson: Smart Fractions defined against
international benchmarking studies
Copyright: Tim Dracup @ 2011

11. Benchmarking or Policy Tourism (work in
progress)
International Benchmarking (PISA, TIMSS, PIRLS) is highly
fashionable
It can show what is possible, inform national targets and trajectories,
validate progress but...
Can policy solutions be lifted from their environment and applied in
another context with equal success?
Can policy elements be isolated and transferred piecemeal?
Outcomes are a 'snapshot': there are timelags between policy
implementation and results
Issues about benchmarking samples and test items
Copyright: Tim Dracup @ 2011

12. Mentionmapp (Twitter)
Copyright: Tim Dracup @ 2011

13. Touchgraph Facebook Browser
Copyright: Tim Dracup @ 2011

14. The Role of Social Media
Sharing knowledge and information was previously via books,
research journals, conferences, training
That was slow, inefficient, hierarchical, reliable
Social media has brought immediacy, 'crowdsourcing', co-
construction, democracy, unreliability
Personal Learning Network via:
– Connectors (blogs, Twitter, FB, SL)
– Sifters (RSS, social bookmarking, search engines)
– Organisers (multimedia aggregators, maps)
Copyright: Tim Dracup @ 2011

15. The Unexploited Potential of Social Media
Combining media and applications in new combinations...
...A powerful advocacy tool
...For international partnership and collaboration
...To 'crowdsource' solutions
...To support student learning, professional development and
research communities
...To extend the reach of traditional conferences and workshops
...To map and connect the multitude of disparate resources online
Copyright: Tim Dracup @ 2011

16. International Quality Standards?
Common flexible standards framework for national and state-wide
provision
Defined elements; 3 tiers – entry, improving, exemplary
Linked improvement trajectory and benchmarks
An audit, evaluation, improvement planning and advocacy tool
A lingua franca for comparative analysis and research
A basis for organising an online library of support material
(exemplifying variation of practice within standards)
Copyright: Tim Dracup @ 2011

17. 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
Copyright: Tim Dracup @ 2011

18. 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 multilateral partnership
Pool resources to achieve economies of scale
Accredit best practice; publicise worst practice
Influence international bodies and national governments
Copyright: Tim Dracup @ 2011

19. My Global Perspective
Copyright: Tim Dracup @ 2011

20. Your Global Perspectives?
Copyright: Tim Dracup @ 2011

21. Thanks – and for more please visit...
tim.dracup1@gmail.com
@GiftedPhoenix
Gifted Phoenix's Blog
Copyright: Tim Dracup @ 2011

22. Thanks to . .

23. Connect . .
– http://www.twitter.com/Giftedkidsie
– http://www.twitter.com/MissionVHQ
– http://www.facebook.com/Giftedkids.ie
– http://www.facebook.com/MissionV
‒ http://www.slideshare.net/Giftedkids
‒ http://www.youtube.com/GKie1
‒ Webinar recordings are available

24. The 7th Global Virtual Meeting for Gifted Education
April 23rd 2011 at 9pm CEST, 8pm GMT in SecondLife
Guest Speaker: Professor George Betts USA
To Join:
1. Please create an avatar in
secondlife
(http://secondlife.com/what
is/avatar/?lang=en-US)
2. Send your avatar´s name to
info@begabungszentrum-
bayern.de
3. To participate in this
meeting you need a headset.
4. The meeting will take place
in
http://slurl.com/secondlife
/Degar/229/86/59
24