Professional Development

	The Gifted Edge Professional Development
	Gifted Edge : The Big Picture
	TKI - Ministry of Education Website
	Gifted Edge mini-conferences in 2005

Professional Development - The Gifted Edge

The Gifted Edge is a Professional Learning Contract that is funded by the Ministry of Education to improve learning outcomes for the students that have enrolled on The Gifted Kids Programme.

All schools that have students attending are eligible to be part of this three-year initiative which is supported by national and international experts in the field of Gifted and Talented Education. In order to maximise the outcomes for gifted and talented students who attend the programme it is important that

(a) their complex needs and interests are acknowledged,

(b) their potential to achieve at a high level of performance is recognised and

(c) a suitable learning environment is created that is responsive to their needs.

The Gifted Kids Programme provides support to their students by offering professional development to the contributing schools teachers and associated personnel of these students on an ongoing basis. Provision for gifted and talented learners should be supported by ongoing high quality teacher education. Research shows that teachers that undergo high quality professional development:

	Develop more positive attitudes towards gifted students (Gross, 1994a, 1997a),
	Are significantly more effective in identifying gifted students (Gear, 1978),
	Demonstrate superior teaching skills, from the perspective of the student and the observer and will establish a more positive classroom climate. (Hansen and Feldhusen, 1994)

The students that attend the Gifted Kids Programme are not just gifted for one day of the week. In order to fully support these students the Professional Development Team has scaffolded a framework for them that is empathetic to their cognitive, social and emotional needs. This enables their teachers to increase their knowledge and pedagogical skills of Best Practice which will improve learning outcomes for their gifted and talented students through their own improved professional learning. This will further strengthen and enhance the gifted and talented programmes within the contributing schools currently involved in the programme. Topics covered include Concepts of Giftedness, Characteristics and Definitions, Identification, Cultural Perspectives, Policy Design and Implementation, Cognitive, Social, Emotional and Spiritual Intelligence and Curriculum Provision.

“All learners have a right to an education that acknowledges and respects their individuality and that offers them maximum opportunities to develop their strengths and abilities. Gifted and talented children will flourish in a society that acknowledges and respects individual difference and recognises and celebrates the abilities of the most able.”
(Working Party on Gifted Education: Report to the Minister of Education, 200, p.16).

Teacher Workshops 2004


Auckland professional development day	GKP teachers at their professional development day

The Gifted Edge - Feedback from Teachers

	Absolutely empowering and motivating. Has built upon knowledge learnt from the programme last year. Shelley Wells (Whangarei Intermediate)
	Most inspiring, excellent quality professional development. Gives me a bigger picture of what is going on in the wider field of Gifted Education.You are drawing on high-quality professionals who are giving a very practical approach. Stephanie Jewell (Churchill Park)
	Wonderful ideas that could be implemented in the classroom immediately. I have since shared these with my syndicate. Lee Overdevest (Malfroy Primary)
	Being part of The Gifted Edge has given me an awareness of catering for our gifted students ALL the time - at GKP, Home and School, with a more sophisticated understanding of their situation. Jenny Wilson (Maungakaramea Primary)