EDGT 502 - Reaching and Teaching Gifted Students in the Regular Classroom

Research shows that gifted students can sometimes be the least likely to succeed in your class. How can that be?

Gifted students may be defined as ones who have “exceptional abilities in any area of learning that significantly exceeds grade-level expectations.” In other words, when gifted students are in a class with grade-age peers, the regular curriculum consists of content they either have already mastered or can master far more quickly than their classmates. That means that if you don’t make the proper curricular modifications, these students will become disengaged and not achieve all that they are capable of.

In this course, you will learn how to identify gifted students and their individual needs (including those who have added challenges, such as ADHD or learning English as a second language). You’ll also cultivate techniques for keeping them interested in school, including helping them combat perfectionism and grouping gifted students together to challenge one another. Finally, you’ll participate in practical exercises to modify your activities and differentiate your instruction to motivate and energize your gifted students.

Using the strategies from this course, you will be able to support gifted students to help them meet their true academic potential.