For Educators

The VAGTC welcomes all teachers interested in enrichment and extension education. We believe that effective curriculum for these special students needs to be built on a real understanding of characteristics of gifted and talented learners, and requires a focus on higher levels of thinking beyond acquisition and memory.

We support the recommendation that curriculum development needs to be focussed across all aspects of the curriculum, including content, process, product and environment. (Maker,1982) We commend to you a range of gifted education goals of curriculum enrichment

including:

• investigation of real problems or topics using appropriate methods of enquiry,

• students taking an active part in formulating problems to be  investigated and methods by which the problem will be attacked,

• students using as raw data rather than simply reporting about  conclusions reached by others that inquiry be directed toward some tangible product. (Renzulli,1977)

We encourage you to join with the VAGTC as we explore gifted and talented education, share resources, develop professionally and support our colleagues in this endeavour.