GIFTED AND TALENTED - TEACHER TRAINING TOPICS - TWO

What content is covered in gifted and talented training?

The Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented
recommends the following topics for basic training:

1. Identification and Assessment of the Gifted Learner

The educator:

• Uses broad-based, multifaceted identification procedures, including varied sources of
  information and qualitative and quantitative measures that match specific areas of ability.
• Interprets assessment results from both qualitative and quantitative measures to other
  professionals and parents for their use in determining placement and in planning specific
  program activities for each gifted and talented student.
• Understands the characteristics of special groups of gifted and talented students such as
  lower income, handicapped, Black, Hispanic, and limited English proficient.
• Understands how to provide equal access to programs for gifted and talented students.

2. Nature and Needs of the Gifted Learner

The educator:

• Understands basic terminology, current definitions, theories, and models of giftedness.
• Understands the characteristics of special groups of G/T students, such as lower income,
  handicapped, Black, Hispanic, Limited English Proficient, and/or underachiever.
• Understands the potential influence of these characteristics on the student’s representation
  in programs for the gifted.
• Understands the characteristics of different types and levels of giftedness, such as, the highly
  gifted and those gifted in specific academic areas, in the arts, in leadership, and in creative inventiveness.
• Demonstrates the ability to collaborate with general education professionals in the development and
  coordination of programs for the gifted.

3. Social and Emotional Needs of the Gifted Learner

The educator:

• Identifies individuals (family members, teachers, peers, and others) and environments
  (school, home, and community) that influence the social and emotional development
  of gifted and talented students.
• Identifies how characteristics of special groups of gifted and talented students influence
  their social and emotional development.
• Uses strategies for nurturing the social and emotional development of gifted and talented
  students at home and in school.
• Understands approaches for educating and involving parents, the community, and other
  professionals in supporting gifted and talented children.

4. Differentiated Curriculum for the Gifted Learner

The educator:

• Applies the basic principles of a differentiated curriculum to the cognitive,
  affective, and physical development of each gifted and talented student.
• Demonstrates knowledge of cognitive and affective content as related to each academic
  discipline, to multiple disciplines, and to broad-based themes, issues, and problems.
• Develops activities to encourage original research, independent study, and
  problem solving that are authentic to each discipline.
• Includes meaningful products in the curriculum that engage the gifted and
  talented student in real life experiences and promote lifelong learning.
• Collaborates with general education professionals in the development and
  coordination of programs for gifted and talented students.

5. Leadership and Creativity with the Gifted and Talented

The educator:

• Understands the characteristics of gifted and talented students and the influence of these
  characteristics on instructional strategies used in the classrooms for the gifted and talented.
• Designs lessons within, and across disciplines that teach strategies for
  nurturing creative and critical thinking in gifted and talented students.
• Locates and develops resources for assisting gifted and talented students
  in the fulfillment of their creative and leadership potential.
• Adapts the classroom to the learning differences of each gifted and talented learner
  including the management of large and small groups and independent learning.
• Identifies strategies from gifted education that can be used in the regular classroom.

Our basic training covers these five areas with the 1-5 coding. Other training sites may not use
exactly the same coding, but the full 30 hours of basic training is still accepted. If you have less
than the basic 30 hours with a different coding system, we can let you know what you are missing.