Gifted Course:

GIFTED STRATEGIES 6-12

Randi Posner Cutler

Randi Posner Cutler

CONSULTANT: Randi Posner Cutler

Randi Posner  is a Gifted Specialist for Paradise Valley Unified School District. As an educator for over 17 years, she has over a decade of gifted education experience as a cluster teacher and as a gifted specialist. Randi believes that a teacher’s influence goes beyond the curriculum that they teach. She is passionate about educating the whole children. In her classroom she focuses on the social-emotional needs of her students as well as the academic needs. She is an active contributor at annual conferences of the Arizona Association for Gifted and Talented, SENG -Supporting the Social Emotional Needs of Gifted, and at the National Association for Gifted Children.  In 2015, Posner was nominated as the Arizona Gifted Teacher of the Year. She conducts a variety of professional development classes for Paradise Valley Unified inspiring others with her enthusiasm for gifted education. She was prompted to enter education after a successful career in the garment industry. She was a buyer for Talbots, Macy’s, and the Director of Private Label Sportswear at Foxcroft. Cutler is a graduate of Ithaca College and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management/Marketing along with her education certification and gifted endorsement.

Class Description:

  • This four-day workshop is designed to help teachers gain a deeper knowledge and understanding of the different types of gifted and talented learners in the classroom.

  • This will be a hands-on, active workshop that integrates simulation, collaboration, reflection, and application throughout the learning process applicable to all students.

  • Participants will explore multiple ways to meet the academic and social-emotional needs of not only the gifted and talented learner but all learners.

  • Skills and strategies learned will help close the learning gap created by the pandemic for all students.

  • Participants will understand the specific and unique needs/types of the gifted and talented students, strategies for working with this student, along with developing aligned and differentiated instruction, and assessments for the gifted and talented student.

Course may be used toward the gifted endorsement.

Objectives/Outcomes:

Participants will be able to:

  • Identify the unique characteristics of gifted students

  • Identify the characteristics of giftedness that tend to screen children out of programs

  • Understand the myths that exist about gifted learners

  • Identify and name the different ways that a student can be gifted

  • Understand the social-emotional needs of gifted students

  • Identify teaching strategies for gifted learners

  • Identify and apply questioning strategies for gifted learners

  • Determine ways to differentiate instruction and assessment

  • Develop plans for implementing instructional strategies and differentiation

  • Identify strategies to foster and challenge creativity

  • Describe the elements of a Socratic Seminar

  • Identify ways to incorporate 21st century skills - critical, collaboration, * creativity, communication into your curriculum

  • Create ways to add depth, rigor, challenge and complexity in curriculum