Person-Centered Approach to Organizing a Study Group of Computer Science With Gifted Schoolchildren

Abstract

In the article the main factors (dialogical, creative, professional and reflexive), the observance of which contributes to the productive implementation of a personally oriented approach, are analyzed. The authors have identified these factors as psychological and pedagogical prerequisites for the implementation of a personally-oriented approach to learning, providing assistance to students in order to improve their self-esteem, achievement of self-confidence, inspiration in the intellectual and emotional process of discovering his/her own personality (including traits) in the sphere of knowledge and development of talents. The article reveals the essence of the concept of "extracurricular activities" and distinguishes its advantages over the conventional school educational process. The authors emphasize that this type of activity allows to clearly reveal the needs of students, enables them to act in new social roles. The article determines that the most common group form of organization of extracurricular work is a circle (work group); the main types of circles in computer science are described and discussed. On the basis of experience of "Applied software" work group (circle) the authors have formulated the skills and abilities the pupils are to acquire during their extracurricular activities. The authors described the ways to implement a person-centered approach when organizing group work. The article concludes that the involvement of gifted students in various projects within the circle work helps them develop teamwork cooperation, deepen their knowledge and improve their skills in both computer science and other subjects, as well as to open new facets of knowledge concerning the surrounding world. In the long run pupils lean to adapt to different conditions of their future profession, as well as to perceive themselves as highly-qualified specialists.