Personalized Learning in Gifted Education

Book excerpt: Gifted students can exhibit extreme variance in both their abilities and their interests, yet they are often treated within schools as one homogeneous, specialized population. Personalized Learning in Gifted Education helps educators strengthen their differentiation of both instruction and services. This book: Helps educators develop the specific gifts and talents of the gifted students they serve. Includes a yearlong plan for professional learning communities seeking to transform their programs. Helps educators utilize the wealth of data they have at their disposal. Provides a rationale and blueprint for a stronger, more personalized approach to gifted education. Offers suggestions for both elementary and secondary schools. Recommendations center around five features of personalized learning: personalized learning plans, project- or problem-based learning, competency-based progression through the curriculum, criterion-referenced assessments, and multiyear mentoring.