FULL STEAM AHEAD: Igniting Passions in Gifted Learners

This research project addressed EPSB recommendations based on the completers’ survey results. Recommendations indicated a need for additional content and training addressing the gifted population. The most essential content and training needed were knowledge of the educational needs of the gifted, expertise in promoting high-level thinking, capability to develop creative problem solving, skill to develop appropriate curricular units for the gifted, and the ability to facilitate independent research and knowledge of gifted students’ affective needs. The STEAM curriculum was chosen due to the potential of challenging students and expanding their level of thinking through relating science and math to their daily lives; utilizing hands-on inquiry tasks involving group work; using authentic, real-world activities; incorporating novel student decision making; and ensuring important topics in various disciplines, and the implementation of the engineering design process (EDP). This presented a challenging endeavor for preservice teachers, but equips them with a toolbox of approaches to stimulate the interest of many students, yet flexible enough to meet the needs of a wide variety of diverse learning needs, who have a wide variety of interests.https://encompass.eku.edu/swps_facultygallery/1044/thumbnail.jp