Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments "Push in" taking place of "pull out" AIG

Our school started this model a few years ago, at least in the middle school (don't know about elementary anymore...)

Pros- the push-in units are generally fun, creative, better than what they would be doing in regular class. They tend to be group projects where the group competes with other groups in the class, or sometimes in several classes, so those who enjoy competition enjoy it, and it helps motivate some kids.

Cons- definitely not an adequate replacement for pull-outs. However, our pull-ours are weak, and our kids haven't really cared much (they still do pull-outs, just not as many or as often). Also, the groups are often chosen by the teacher, and our kids seem to often get the least desirable (to them) team job, usually the scribe who has to record everything. There are various roles, which is definitely helpful in pointing out how different kids have different strengths (there is usually a talking role, one who gets to move around the room, often one who has to do calculations, etc). Sometimes our kids have been in more of a leadership role, which depending on your kid can be good.

Overall, my daughter kind of liked the chance to direct her own little team; it played to her people/leadership skills. She definitely liked the more flexible use of classroom time. My son was usually frustrated; he describes these activities with scorn as "those projects where the goal is for everyone to compete to see who can make the most money." Actually, I don't think all the units have focused on making profit, but they are designed to be competitive, which my son does not enjoy. The team, team, team aspect can be difficult for some kids to put up with, particularly when teams are deliberately heterogeneous with regard to ability.