GFT/505 - Critical Thinking Skills for Gifted and Talented Learners

Course Description

This course prepares participants to enhance critical thinking skills in gifted and talented learners. Participants explore theories, teaching and assessment methods, instructional strategies, and technology related to the development of critical thinking skills in gifted and talented learners. Characteristics of gifted and talented learners, differentiated instruction, creative thinking, twice exceptional learners, and student engagement are also addressed.

This graduate course is 4 weeks.

PLEASE NOTE:
Attendance and participation are mandatory in all university courses, and specific requirements may differ by course. If attendance requirements are not met, a student may be removed from the course. Please review the Course Attendance Policy in the Catalog for more information.

This course is not available for enrollment to residents of Alabama, Arkansas, and Kentucky.

Course Objectives

Critical Thinking: Overview of Gifted and Talented Learners; Teaching and Assessment Methods for Gifted and Talented Learners

• Describe the characteristics of gifted and talented learners.
• Identify gifted education programming standards and curriculum models.
• Analyze the teaching and assessment implications of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) on gifted education.
• Describe critical thinking theories and new developments in improving students’ thinking.
• Analyze the influence of problem-based and project-based learning on the development of critical thinking skills.
• Describe methods for differentiating the process of learning for gifted learners.
• Support the case for developing research skills in gifted and talented learners.
• Identify methods of assessing critical thinking skills in gifted and talented learners.

Critical Thinking: Instructional Strategies for Gifted and Talented Learners

• Identify approaches to teaching analytical and critical thinking skills.
• Describe specific instructional strategies that foster critical thinking.
• Describe an educational environment that encourages critical thinking dispositions.
• Analyze teaching strategies that cultivate creativity alongside critical thinking.

Critical Thinking: Twice Exceptional Learners

• Describe the characteristics of twice exceptional learners.
• Identify guiding principles of curriculum development for twice exceptional learners.
• Create instructional strategies to enrich critical thinking in twice exceptional learners.

Critical Thinking: Beyond the Classroom

• Evaluate methods of integrating critical thinking across the curriculum.
• Plan a schoolwide program that supports critical thinking.
• Propose ways to encourage families to foster critical thinking at home.
• Identify ways to use technology to support critical thinking in and beyond the classroom.

Disclaimers

The University of Phoenix reserves the right to modify courses.

Although our continuing teacher education courses are accepted by some state agencies in the United States toward teacher certifications and endorsements, this may not be the case in all states or foreign jurisdictions. If you plan to use courses for certification or endorsement, please check with your own state agency and your school district for applicability. Continuing teacher education courses are not eligible to apply to degree programs at University of Phoenix. These courses are not eligible for federal financial aid.

Transferability of credit is at the discretion of the receiving institution. It is the student’s responsibility to confirm whether or not credits earned at University of Phoenix will be accepted by another institution of the student’s choice.

While widely available, not all programs are available in all locations or in both online and on-campus formats. Please check with an Enrollment Representative.