Gifted Course:

S.T.E.M.

Aaron Killeen

CONSULTANT: Aaron Killeen

Aaron Killeen has been in education for eleven years. He started out as a middle school science and math teacher with a heavy emphasis on STEM and innovation in the classroom, as well as gifted instruction. After five years in the classroom, he moved into a district-level role as a 21st Century Specialist. In this capacity, the areas worked on were varied greatly, but much of the focus was on building middle school leaders, K-12 Gifted professional development and coaching, K-12 Computer Science implementation, and K-12 Science Curriculum professional development. These areas of expertise were utilized both in-district across 24 schools, as well as throughout numerous other districts and conferences. In the current unique world of education, he has shifted back into the classroom, but this time as an online-only instructor and he is loving being back working directly with students.

Class Description:

  • Students today require a structure to their instruction which illustrates the "Big Picture" orientation and integration of curricular content.

  • Using research based, S.T.E.M. strategies, this class will enable a classroom teacher to meet the social/emotional needs of gifted students as well as other students.

  • Participants will focus on evidenced-based strategies all students, but especially gifted students need to experience the connections between required content areas necessary to reach a higher standard of knowledge.

  • The class will use models, experiments and presentations requiring the teacher participant to be engaged in learning situations identical to the students’ learning situations and help close the pandemic learning gap for all students.

Course may be used toward the gifted endorsement.



Participants will develop a working definition of STEM​

  • Participants will compile a library of STEM activities

  • Participants will learn from practitioners in the field about working STEM programs

  • Participants will connect the dots for STEM lessons for all students including gifted learners

  • Participants will engage in cooperative learning to enhance their retention and ability to apply STEM to ​all student experiences


Course Syllabus:

Day One

  • Definition of STEM

  • STEM strategies and relationship to gifted education

  • Content expert presentation

Day Two - Three

  • STEM content expert presentation

  • Sample STEM activity

  • Application to regular/gifted classroom

Day Four

  • Discussion of previous days experiences

  • Participant presentations on STEM activities to be implemented in regular/gifted classrooms next year

  • Feedback/assistance developing a current activity into a STEM activity

  • Class summary