The Development of Products and Performances

This self-directed online course meets the requirement for a six hour update for teachers who serve gifted and talented students.

There are a large variety of differentiation techniques that can be used with advanced learners. This course presents differentiation techniques related to the use of independent study and projects that lead to the development of products and performances.

The main objectives of this course include:

• We will review the basics of differentiated instruction and how it applies to gifted students.
• We will study various models of differentiation that will support our classroom instruction.
• We will explore various aspects of independent research. We will align the the skills needed for independent research to the skills we teach in class, as well as the skills we assess during student presentations. We will also compare the different approaches to independent research that are dependent on the modality with which we implement them.
  
• We will explore the Texas Performance Standards Project resource as an opportunity to differentiate instruction for advanced learners.
  
• We will utilize PBL as a differentiation strategy for advanced learners.