George Betts' Autonomous Learners Model

The Autonomous Learners Model for the Gifted and Talented (ALM) was developed by George Betts (1996) to meet the diverse cognitive, emotional, and social needs of gifted and talented students. Over time, the model has become incorporated into regular education programs as well (Betts, 1996). At issue herein is an analysis of the ALM focusing on its central assumptions, its strengths and weaknesses, and how it is used in terms of teaching gifted children.

Betts (2008) states that the ALM emphasizes meeting the individualized needs of a learner through the use of activities in five major dimensions, which are orientation, individual development, enrichment, seminars, and in-depth study. The model is designed to provide multiple learning opportunities that can be tailored to the interests as well as the skill levels of students.

Orientation gives students and teachers an opportunity to develop a foundation for the program while individual development serves as a launching pad for providing students with the cognitive, emotional, and social skills; concepts; and attitudes that they need for lifelong autonomous learning (Gifted and talented students..., 20008). Enrichment activities are designed to provide students with opportunities to explore a variety of concepts and ideas. Seminars serve as an avenue for groups of students to research a topic and present a seminar on the topic to other students. Seminars include the presentation

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she will learn. Betts (2004) identifies three levels of curriculum and instruction as follows: level one, in which students are given a prescribed curriculum and instruction; level two, at which a teacher-differentiated curriculum gives students new options for addressing their cognitive needs; and level three, a learner-differentiated curriculum in which students participate directly in shaping what they learn and how they will learn it while addressing what Betts (2004) calls their passions or interests. The current school reform program as described by Uresti, Goertz, and Bernal (2002) tends to focus upon inclusionary educational placement, in which students with a variety of special needs are placed in regular or general education classrooms. This practice includes gifted and talented students as well as students with physical disabilities or learning disabilities. Because this is the case, using the ALM may be somewhat problematic because a typical classroom is likely to have a very small number of gifted and talented students or other special education students and as Uresti, et al (2002) maintain, a teacher in such a setting must meet the needs of the vast majority of students who do not have such special requirem

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