Models of Gifted Programming Services in Ontario

Each school board in Ontario is responsible for developing its own models for fulfilling the programming requirements for students who are gifted. One popular model that continues to receive a lot of attention in Ontario is:

School Wide Enrichment Triad - A model that incorporates three levels of activity: 
General Exploratory Activities - Students are exposed to a wide variety of experiences that may or may not be available in the essential curriculum. Guest speakers, demonstrations, field trips, documentaries and other resources are available to expose students to a wide variety of disciplines, topics, occupations, and hobbies. The goal of general exploratory activities is to stimulate new interests that individuals or small groups of students may choose to pursue through intensive study.
Group Training Activities - Students learn and develop advanced research skills and thinking skills such as critical inquiry, problem solving, and creative thinking. Activities or lessons usually occur in the classroom or in small group settings. These learning activities encourage high-level thinking and reasoning skills.
Individual or Small-Group Investigations - Individual students or small groups of students engage in research investigations in an area of personal interest. These learning activities allow students to think, feel, and act like practicing professionals. Students conduct research, gather data, solve problems, and create a final product that is shared with an appropriate audience. 

               For example:  Ball Institute 

Designed for students in Grade One

Balls, balls, balls. Let’s play ball and come have a ball!

Multiple Intelligences: Logical-Mathematical, Spatial, Kinesthetic, Interpersonal
Driving Question: Given what we discover about balls, what conclusions can we make about the qualities of balls to create a ball demonstration for children in other classrooms?

Which ball bounces higher: a small ball or a large ball?
How many different kinds of spheres can you list and what are their functions?
If we roll a ball on the carpet how far might it roll? What about on other surfaces?
Did you ever examine the surface of footballs, basketballs, or softball? How do they compare to one another? How can they be used in a game?
Can balls be used to paint?
What is the relationship between a ball and a hoop?
What is the circumference of a marble? How does it compare to the size of the earth?
Balls, balls, balls. Let’s play ball and come have a ball!

For more information, see:
http://www.casenex.com/casenex/cecReadings/revisitingTheSchoolwide.pdf