Because professional development for teachers has historically taken the
form of coursework,
advanced degree programs, and workshops, teacher - education faculty will be faced with another stiff challenge.
Because professional development has historically taken the
form of coursework,
advanced degree programs, and workshops that are led by teacher education faculty, this change will be another stiff challenge to the status quo.
«Sending money to private schools in the
form of school vouchers, reducing public school budgets, telling us our
advanced degrees are not appreciated, and now McCrory says experience is not appreciated?
The National Education Association (NEA) believes that attaining
advanced degrees professionalize teaching as a career and should be recognized as a
form of professional development that improves a practitioner's skill and knowledge to improve student learning.
The following are common characteristics
of gifted children, although not all will necessarily apply to every gifted child: • Has an extensive and detailed memory, particularly in a specific area
of interest • Has
advanced vocabulary for his or her age; uses precocious language • Has communication skills
advanced for his or her age and is able to express ideas and feelings • Asks intelligent and complex questions • Is able to identify the important characteristics
of new concepts and problems • Learns information quickly • Uses logic in arriving at common sense answers • Has a broad base
of knowledge; a large quantity
of information • Understands abstract ideas and complex concepts • Uses analogical thinking, problem solving, or reasoning • Observes relationships and sees connections • Finds and solves difficult and unusual problems • Understands principles,
forms generalizations, and uses them in new situations • Wants to learn and is curious • Works conscientiously and has a high
degree of concentration in areas
of interest • Understands and uses various symbol systems • Is reflective about learning • Is enraptured by a specific subject • Has reading comprehension skills
advanced for his or her age • Has
advanced writing abilities for his or her age • Has strong artistic or musical abilities • Concentrates intensely for long periods
of time, particularly in a specific area
of interest • Is more aware, stimulated, and affected by surroundings • Experiences extreme positive or negative feelings • Experiences a strong physical reaction to emotion • Has a strong affective memory, re-living or re-feeling things long after the triggering event