UC Irvine Extension Gears Up for Fourth Annual Gifted and Talented Education Webinar Series

Nov. 22, 2011 - PRLog -- IRVINE, Calif. (November 18, 2011) — The University of California, Irvine Extension announces the fourth annual “Gifted and Talented Education Webinar Series,” to begin Wednesday, Feb. 1 and runs through Feb. 22. This series of free online presentations will educate teachers and parents about the continued evolution of the gifted and talented education (GATE) curriculum, teaching methods and solutions. The webinar also offers educators the option to receive credit for attending all webinar sessions.

“This annual free webinar series will provide participants with useful tools including how to understand and support emotional attributes tied to the gifted, which can be used in the classroom or at home with gifted children,” said Angela Jeantet, director of UC Irvine Extension’s Education Programs Department. “It is important that teachers remain informed of the latest teaching techniques and strategies for success that can be nurtured in students during their primary and secondary educational years.”

Developed for teachers, administrators and parents of the gifted, the free webinar is led by several leading GATE educators and professionals, who will lead feature presentations including:
•   Cluster Grouping: A Paradigm Shift in Gifted Education ― (Wednesday, Feb. 1 from 8-9 p.m. PST) ― This webinar will address the benefits of integrating clusters of gifted students into a heterogeneous class, including the rising academic achievement of all students.
•    Understanding and Supporting the Emotional Aspects of Giftedness ― (Wednesday, Feb. 8 from 8-9 p.m. PST) ― This session will focus on the emotional attributes associated with the gifted and will provide strategies of how to work with gifted children to increase student outcomes.
•   Indentifying, Serving and Enfranchising Our Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Gifted Students ― (Wednesday, Feb. 15 from 8-9 p.m. PST) ― The webinar will provide educators with tips on how to structure instruction based on general intelligence, develop potential in content areas and teach the intellectual levels of English as a second language students.
•   Technology Tools for GATE Teachers ― (Wednesday, Feb. 22 from 8-9 p.m. PST) ― This webinar will explore the ways educators can incorporate technology into daily curriculum including the development of a thematic movie trailer for a piece of literature or how best to use PowerPoint during instruction.  

In order to receive one quarter unit of credit from UC Irvine Extension, participants must attend all four live webinars (totaling four hours). Credit will not be given for watching recordings of the webinars. Participants are required to write a two or three page reflection paper summarizing what was learned from each of the four webinars, along with how they will apply what they learned to their teaching methods. Another requirement also is to submit a one or two page lesson plan highlighting strategies from a single webinar, which must be submitted before April 1, 2012. The one unit of credit can be applied toward UC Irvine Extension’s Gifted and Talented Education Specialized Studies online program.

UC Irvine Extension is known for its exceptional GATE programming. Its Gifted and Talented Education Specialized Studies program provides options for K-12 teachers with focused professional development sessions, individual courses and entire certificate programs aligned with the California Association for the Gifted (CAG), the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) and state standards for excellence.

To register for these free online presentations, visit http://unex.uci.edu/services/events/. For further information on this webinar series, please contact Lisa Kadowaki at lkadowak@uci.edu or 949-824-9304.  

About UC Irvine Extension
University of California, Irvine Extension is the continuing education arm of UC Irvine. Through thousands of courses and programs offered on campus, online and on site, UC Irvine Extension helps adult learners reach their career advancement and personal enrichment goals — and is celebrating 50 years of providing universally accessible, university-level learning to local, regional, and global communities. Learn more at extension.uci.edu, or join us on Facebook at facebook.com/uciextension.

About the University of California, Irvine
Founded in 1965, UCI is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Led by Chancellor Michael Drake since 2005, UCI is among the most dynamic campuses in the University of California system, with nearly 28,000 undergraduate and graduate students, 1,100 faculty and 9,000 staff. Orange County’s largest employer, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $4.2 billion. For more UCI news, visit www.today.uci.edu.