Gifted Education Professional Development Package

In response to the findings of the 2001 Senate Employment, Workplace Relations, Small Business and Education References Committee Report, The Education of Gifted Students (which can be found by following the links at www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee  ), the Australian Government put in place a number of initiatives to improve the education of gifted students.  These included $2.3 million for the professional development of teachers in gifted education; grants of $10,000 each to assist teacher education faculties to acquire expertise in gifted education; and $550,000 for a series of workshops for parents of gifted children in rural and remote areas. 

As part of these initiatives, the Australian Government commissioned the Gifted Education Research, Resource and Information Centre (GERRIC) at the University of New South Wales to develop the Gifted Education Professional Development Package.  

The Gifted Education Professional Learning Package consists of six modules to scaffold teachers’ learning over the course of a professional development programme.  The Package is designed to cover the most essential information every teacher needs to know to address the needs of gifted students. 

Module One. Understanding Giftedness
This module contains the essential information a teacher needs to understand the nature of giftedness and talent; what the terms mean; levels and types of giftedness.  It covers the cognitive and affective characteristics of gifted and talented students over the years of schooling and introduces teachers to key concepts.
Core Module One - Understanding Giftedness. Early Childhood    (1.9 MB)
Core Module One - Understanding Giftedness. Primary.    (1.9 MB)
Core Module One - Understanding Giftedness. Secondary.    (1.8 MB)
Extension Module One - Understanding Giftedness further. Early Childhood    (934.9 KB)
Extension Module One - Understanding Giftedness further. Primary    (943.2 KB)
Extension Module One - Understanding Giftedness further. Secondary   (951.4 KB)
Specialisation Module One – Other issues in Understanding Giftedness. Early Childhood    (1.1 MB)
Specialisation Module One – Other issues in Understanding Giftedness. Primary    (1.2 MB)
Specialisation Module One – Other issues in Understanding Giftedness. Secondary    (1.2 MB)

Module Two. The Identification of Gifted Students
This module covers a range of subjective and objective identification procedures that can be used by teachers and schools.  It pays particular attention to procedures which are effective in identifying gifted students from minority and disadvantaged groups and emphasises the use of a combination of approaches rather than a single measure to address differences in student ability and background.
Core Module Two - The Identification of Gifted Students. Early Childhood    (2.8 MB)
Core Module Two - The Identification of Gifted Students. Primary    (2.7 MB)
Core Module Two - The Identification of Gifted Students. Secondary    (2.7 MB)
Extension Module Two – Further issues in identification of Gifted and Talented students. Early Childhood    (1.1 MB)
Extension Module Two – Further issues in identification of Gifted and Talented students. Primary    (1.1 MB)
Extension Module Two – Further issues in identification of Gifted and Talented students. Secondary   (1.1 MB)
Specialisation Module Two – Other issues in the Identification of Gifted Students. Early Childhood    (1.2 MB)
Specialisation Module Two – Other issues in the Identification of Gifted Students. Primary    (1.2 MB)
Specialisation Module Two – Other issues in the Identification of Gifted Students. Secondary    (1.2 MB)

Module Three. Social and Emotional Development of Gifted Students
This module is designed to help teachers understanding the social and emotional characteristics and needs of gifted students and the ways in which gifted students may differ somewhat from their classmates in social-emotional development.  It contains advice about supporting gifted students and their parents and covers teaching strategies and class structures which foster the development of positive social attitudes and supportive peer relationships in gifted students.
Core Module Three - Social and Emotional Development of Gifted Students. Early Childhood    (2.3 MB)
Core Module Three - Social and Emotional Development of Gifted Students. Primary    (2.3 MB)
Core Module Three - Social and Emotional Development of Gifted Students. Secondary    (2.3 MB)
Extension Module Three – Further issues in Social-Emotional Development. Early Childhood    (1.4 MB)
Extension Module Three – Further issues in Social-Emotional Development. Primary    (1.4 MB)
Extension Module Three – Further issues in Social-Emotional Development. Secondary    (1.4 MB)
Specialisation Module Three – Other issues in Social-Emotional Development. Early Childhood    (1.0 MB)
Specialisation Module Three – Other issues in Social-Emotional Development. Primary    (1.0 MB)
Specialisation Module Three – Other issues in Social-Emotional Development. Secondary    (1.1 MB)

Module Four. Underachievement in Gifted Students
This module covers the causes of underachievement in gifted students.  It provides solutions for teachers to identify gifted underachievers and plan interventions to prevent and reverse cycles of underachievement.
Core Module Four - Underachievement in Gifted Students. Early Childhood    (2.1 MB)
Core Module Four - Underachievement in Gifted Students. Primary    (2.1 MB)
Core Module Four - Underachievement in Gifted Students. Secondary    (2.1 MB)
Extension Module Four – Further issues in Understanding Underachievement in Gifted Students. Early Childhood    (1.4 MB)
Extension Module Four – Further issues in Understanding Underachievement in Gifted Students. Primary    (1.4 MB)
Extension Module Four – Further issues in Understanding Underachievement in Gifted Students. Secondary    (1.4 MB)
Specialisation Module Four – Other issues in Underachievement in Gifted Students. Early Childhood    (1.4 MB)
Specialisation Module Four – Other issues in Underachievement in Gifted Students. Primary    (1.4 MB)
Specialisation Module Four – Other issues in Underachievement in Gifted Students. Secondary    (1.4 MB)

Module Five. Curriculum Differentiation for Gifted Students
This module is perhaps the key module of the Package.  Building on the information in the first four modules, this module covers teaching strategies and methods of curriculum differentiation to enhance the learning of gifted students in the mainstream classroom.  It covers appropriate use of different, well-known enrichment models that international research has found to be effective with gifted and talented students, such as Bloom, Williams, Maker and Kaplan.  It includes practical applications of pre-testing, curriculum compacting and individualised programming for teachers.  It also contains templates for teachers to use in re-designing their own curriculum programmes to cover the needs of all students.
Core Module Five - Curriculum Differentiation for Gifted Students. Early Childhood    (1.3 MB)
Core Module Five - Curriculum Differentiation for Gifted Students. Primary    (1.4 MB)
Core Module Five - Curriculum Differentiation for Gifted Students. Secondary    (1.4 MB)
Extension Module Five – Further aspects of Curriculum Differentiation for Gifted Students. Early Childhood    (1.1 MB)
Extension Module Five – Further aspects of Curriculum Differentiation for Gifted Students. Primary    (1.1 MB)
Extension Module Five – Further aspects of Curriculum Differentiation for Gifted Students. Secondary    (1.1 MB)
Specialisation Module Five – Other issues in Curriculum Differentiation for Gifted Students. Early Childhood    (1.2 MB)
Specialisation Module Five – Other issues in Curriculum Differentiation for Gifted Students. Primary    (1.2 MB)
Specialisation Module Five – Other issues in Curriculum Differentiation for Gifted Students. Secondary    (1.2 MB)

Module Six.  Developing Programmes and Provisions for Gifted Students
This model covers practical strategies for the establishment and monitoring of ability, achievement or interest grouping in classes, and the many forms of accelerated progression through schooling.  Particular attention is paid to the effects of various strategies on students’ academic and social development.
Core Module Six -  Developing Programmes and Provisions for Gifted Students. Early Childhood    (881.6 KB)
Core Module Six -  Developing Programmes and Provisions for Gifted Students. Primary    (887.7 KB)
Core Module Six -  Developing Programmes and Provisions for Gifted Students. Secondary    (894.1 KB)
Extension Module Six – Further issues in Developing Programmes and Provisions for Gifted Students. Early Childhood    (1.1 MB)
Extension Module Six – Further issues in Developing Programmes and Provisions for Gifted Students. Primary    (1.1 MB)
Extension Module Six – Further issues in Developing Programmes and Provisions for Gifted Students. Secondary    (1.1 MB)
Specialisation Module Six – Other issues in Developing Programmes and Provisions for Gifted Students. Early Childhood    (1.0 MB)
Specialisation Module Six – Other issues in Developing Programmes and Provisions for Gifted Students. Primary    (1.0 MB)
Specialisation Module Six – Other issues in Developing Programmes and Provisions for Gifted Students. Secondary    (1.0 MB)