Learning and Teaching
Professional learning
The DEEWR Gifted Education Professional Learning Package consists of six core and extension and specialization modules to scaffold teachers’ learning over the course of a professional development program. The modules cover all levels of schooling: early childhood (the initial years of schooling), Primary (later years of primary schools), and secondary (secondary school) and is designed to cover the most essential information every teacher needs to know to address the needs of gifted students.
For more information about the DEEWR Learning Package see: Gifted Education Professional Development Package
Ideas for planning Teacher Professional Leave with a gifted focus
The following options may help teachers interested in pursuing Teacher Professional Leave in the area of gifted education:
School visits
- Shadow a coordinator: shadow a gifted coordinator in a school (or two) with an established gifted program e.g. Selective Entry Accelerated Learning (SEAL) school or a primary school with multi-age grouping. Try to find some different approaches.
- Secondary school: if you are a primary teacher, visit a secondary school with gifted programs operating, or visit the secondary schools that take your Year 6 students to establish what they have in place for gifted students and to strengthen collaborative project opportunities.
- Primary school: if you are a secondary teacher, visit a primary school with a gifted program operating or visit a couple of feeder schools to identify what they have in place.
University visits
Spend time at a university reading the research and meeting with academics with some expertise in gifted education.
University of Melbourne - Find out what they have on offer for gifted education and speak to experts.
Krongold Centre - Based at Monash University, find out what they have on offer for gifted education and speak to experts.
GERRIC - Gifted Education Research Resource and Information Centre - The gifted education department at the University of New South Wales provides a number of seminars, lectures and programs.
Useful websites
Victorian Association for Gifted and Talented Children (VAGTC) - A statewide body providing resources for professional learning and teaching in gifted education.
CHIP Foundation - Association dedicated to education and innovation in gifted teaching and learning.
Gifted Resources - A resources centre provided by GERRIC at the University of New South Wales.
Aussie Education - A website which lists the majority of online resources for gifted education.
Formal study
Consider some formal study. Find out what local universities have on offer. Some interstate universities also offer suitable courses during holidays or by distance education.
Certificate in Effective Practice in Gifted Education
This course has been developed by Rosemary Cathcart’s REACH Education Consultancy in New Zealand. It is now available in Australia.
This online course is for gifted and talented learners and is a practical course on identifying and catering for the gifted students in your school.
The REACH organisation can be contacted at reacheducation@xtra.co.nz or by phone on 64 7357 4232 in New Zealand.
The REACH Education Consultancy contains a prospectus and registration form for this course.
Other ideas
- Book some time to meet with an active gifted network coordinator and discuss how they provide support in their area
- Speak to your Regional Gifted Contact
- Conduct action research in your school, for example:
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- develop and trial an identification process for students
- develop a position, paper, resources or models on how your school might go about differentiating the curriculum
- establish methodology for identification of students from language backgrounds other than English, from low SES backgrounds etc.
- develop a whole-school plan to integrate thinking across the curriculum using high challenge thinking models applied to big picture concept integrated curriculum design
- Talk to parents of gifted children
- Talk to older gifted students