Welcome to Nature and Needs of Students Who Are Gifted!
You are about to embark upon a journey that will take you through the ongoing evolution of gifted education on the national, state, and local levels; inform you of events that have affected gifted education in the past; and acquaint you with major policies and procedures governing the delivery of gifted education. You will also be introduced to the diverse population of students who are identified as gifted, their needs, and their social, cognitive, and emotional characteristics. This course will also help you develop an awareness of the different strategies that can be used to create an exceptional educational environment for this unique population!
Things You Need to Know
Before getting into the content for this week, there are a few items that need to be addressed. First prepare your computer to view the various types of media that this course may contain. Click here to test that your computer has the necessary plug-ins to view video and flash interactives. This course may contain links to video and/or articles that are pertinent to the course content but are located on commercial websites. Broward Virtual University does not endorse in whole or in part any product or service offered or promoted by any of these commercial websites.
No matter if this is your first online course or you are an experienced online learner, your online experience will benefit from reviewing the Start Here section of the course. Once you have started the course, if you need to review any of the information, you can access the Start Here menu by clicking Home. Click on the Help button to obtain assistance if you experience any technical difficulties.
Please review the information found in the Instructional Strategies That Work section. This Instructional Strategies That Work resource section contains a plethora of important information for addressing the needs of students with different learning styles, particularly students with disabilities, students with special learning needs (including gifted and talented students) and students with limited English proficiency. It is imperative that we identify early and appropriate interventions to help students learn and that improve student behavior in the classroom. Take some time to read the best practices strategies that will enhance your teaching as you differentiate instruction.
Some of the information you will learn throughout the course can be shared with parents as they assist their children in the learning process. The icon at the left indicates such information. We need to keep in mind that parents are our students’ first teachers.
Each week you will have content to read and assigned tasks to complete. Print the assignment checklist that is provided so you will know what is expected to successfully complete this course. ALL course requirements must be completed independently by the participant and not plagiarized from any other source or person.
About This Course
Upon completion of this course you will have a better understanding of:
- the teacher’s role in the identification process,
- the process used by your district for identifying gifted students,
- the cognitive and affective characteristics of children who are gifted,
- the basic issues involved with the planning, developing, and implementing programs for gifted children.
The topics explored in this course have been categorized into four broad key questions:
- Who are they?
- How do you find them?
- Why do gifted students need different programs and curricular options?
- What else should you consider?
This course is an overview. The purpose is to help you understand the necessity of gifted programs and to encourage you to advocate for this often underserved group of students.