Candidates will examine the concept of a defensible curriculum for gifted students and explore strategies for heterogeneous and homogeneous groupings. Strategies and techniques for teaching the gifted student are presented. Candidates will also create lessons using methods to enhance creativity and critical thinking skills for all students as well as develop an understanding of what it means to provide an appropriate education for gifted learners with emphasis on pre and post assessment and state and national learning standards. Research supporting the development of gifted students from various backgrounds and in a variety of settings will also be introduced. The concepts of sharing strategies with peers, teacher leaders, co-teaching and collaboration, acceleration, cluster grouping, and the creation and evaluation of honors courses are addressed.

This course is designed to provide teachers with the appropriate instructional strategies and materials needed to meet the needs of a wide range of gifted learners in a variety of educational settings.

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

No details available.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the candidate will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (4)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the candidate is required to provide a thread in response to the provided prompt. Each thread must be at least 400 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge from the course text. In addition to the thread, the candidate is required to reply to 2 other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be at least 200 words. For the initial thread, the candidate must include at least 3 citations in total in APA format. Two of these citations must be pulled from the assigned readings mentioned within the discussion prompt. These assigned readings will come from the same modules of which each discussion is assigned. The third required citation must be pulled from one peer-reviewed journal of the candidate’s choice from the field of gifted education published within the last 10 years. In addition, each thread should include a brief (three to four sentence) conclusion made from the standpoint of a Biblical worldview. Each reply must incorporate 1 scholarly citation in APA format. For the Discussion Thread: Teaching the Gifted and Discussion Thread: Nurturing Creativity specifically, the candidate should review the assignment instructions for more information on citation requirements for the initial thread, as the requirements are slightly different than the standard initial thread. (CLO: A, B, D, E)

Gifted Curriculum Analysis Chart Assignment

The candidate will complete a chart on two (2) gifted curriculum models introduced in this course using the provided template. This submission must include at least 3 peer-reviewed or scholarly references in current APA format and include the information presented in the course text and readings. A minimum of 500 words is per model is expected. The candidate should be sure to include a title and reference page in current APA format. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E)

Gifted Strategy Teaching Resource File Assignment

The candidate will choose and review five appropriate strategies from course assigned readings and websites for teaching gifted learners and write an overview of each strategy, including teaching ideas for how they can be used by both gifted and regular education teachers to support gifted students. A minimum of one page per strategy is expected. The strategies should be combined into one paper and turned in as one document. The resource file should include a title page and a reference page. The paper should use current APA formatting. (CLO: A, B, D, E, F)

Appropriate Strategy Case Study Assignment

The candidate will decide a course of action to best support a gifted learner from one (1) study from a selection of case studies. This response will include an introductory paragraph summarizing the student in the selected case, a rationale, a strategy to engage the student on an appropriate level, a discussion for how a general education teacher could use that teaching strategy in the classroom, and research support for the choice. The study will be at least two pages not including the title and reference page. At least three appropriate sources will be used to support the work. The candidate is expected to provide five (5) citations from these sources to complete the assignment. The Heacox and Cash course textbook will count as the first of the three required sources for the assignment. For the other two sources, one or more of the sources must come from other assigned readings or websites used in this course. If only one source is chosen from the course material, then the candidate’s third source must be a peer-reviewed journal article of his/her choice that regards gifted education. This assignment should be formatted according to current APA style. (CLO: C, D, E)

Gifted Learner Mini Unit Assignments (2)

Gifted Learner Mini Unit: Plan Organizer Assignment

Gifted Leadership Training Project Assignment

The candidate will create a screencast video that includes visuals and audio of the candidate actively sharing a self-created (i.e., original) PowerPoint presentation containing at least ten content slides that will be used to give a brief, focused training for teachers or school officials. The presentation must explain in explicit detail how to use an appropriate instructional (not grouping) strategy studied in this course for gifted learners. The presentation should provide at least one detailed example of how the instructional (not grouping) strategy could be used to teach gifted learners in the classroom. This presentation must cite at least three peer-reviewed or scholarly references in the current APA format and include the information presented in the course text and readings. One of the three required sources must the main Heacox and Cash course textbook. For the other two sources, at least one of the sources must come from other assigned readings/websites used in the course. If only one source is chosen from course material, then the candidate’s third source should be from peer-reviewed journal articles/scholarly sources. A title and reference slide are required and are not included in the minimum slide expectation. The length of the presentation should be at least 13 minutes and no longer than 15 minutes. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H)