Curriculum: Gifted Education Endorsement

This course is an introduction to teaching children and youth who are gifted, creative, or talented. This course provides an introduction to the historical foundations and issues related to the schooling, learning and instruction of students identified as having special educational needs. The focus of this course is the foundational knowledge related to problems and characteristics of students identified as gifted, creative or talented.

This course addresses the issues of learning environments, classroom management, and classroom climate for students who are gifted, creative, or talented. Participants are also introduced to instructional strategies and materials to support students identified as gifted, creative, or talented.

This course addresses the nature and components ofeffective assessment of learners who are gifted, creative or talented. The candidate will be able to analyze and understand a variety of assessment tools, selecting the appropriate strategy for a designated purpose. In addition, various elements,such as the implications of effective assessment for professional development, and the role of biasand distortion in the assessment process will be discussed. After completing the course, the candidate will also be able to discuss contextual elements, such as cultural, ethnic and linguistic diversity and disposition that influence assessment.

This course addresses issues of collaboration, a cornerstone of effective practice in the educationof students who are gifted, creative, or talented.This course addresses concepts and methods vital to quality collaboration, consultation, and communication. This course addresses the interrelationships among cultural, linguistic, andethnic diversity and giftedness and talent development.The primary purpose of this course, consistent with this mission, is to develop knowledge, understanding, and respect for the needs and requirements of students with diverse learning needs in varied educational settings. Critical to this purpose is an understanding the role of cultural and diversity in identifying children and youth with gifts and talents, as wellas family and cultural issues.

This practicum consists of an approved 75 hour field experience and an online seminar class. The field experience provides candidates an opportunity to practice the skills and demonstratethe appropriate dispositions for meeting the needsof students who are gifted, creative, or talented.Students apply theories and methods in the teaching of gifted, talented, or creative studentsin a classroom setting by engaging in teaching andaction research activities. Teaching is self-evaluated by the student, and reviewed by thementor and university instructor. The seminar willplace emphasis on deriving instructional recommendations from online discussion of readings, self-reflections, and teaching and assessment activities for PK-grade 12 gifted, talented, or creative students conducted as part of their action research project. The methodology of instruction will provide direct opportunities for students to apply constructs learned to their field experience. Participants will also develop, use, and publish lesson plans.