|
|
|
|
Special education for the gifted is rooted in the idea that gifted learners present demands on the school for which the institution is ill prepared (Coleman & Cross, 2001). Therefore, for the past two decades, there have been major efforts to expand opportunities for gifted learners outside the confines of traditional schooling. The research literature reveals these efforts have largely been directed toward four types of experiences that include university-based programs, specialized schools both private and public, homeschooling, and technology-based options (VanTassel-Baska, 1998). The technology based options have employed technology as a delivery system for high-powered curriculum such as Stanford University's Education Program for Gifted Youth (EPGY), an Internet-based accelerated program in mathematics and physics, as well as innovative uses of technology for developing programs and projects for gifted learners. Joyce Zitkovich, a graduate of YSU's Master's Program in Gifted and Talented Education, developed an innovative technology project for Boardman Local Schools, Boardman, Ohio entitled Our Lake Online Project. This science expedition, which involved more than a year of planning, was the first-of-its kind to be conducted in Ohio or on one of the Great Lakes. The Our Lake Online Project represents the collaborative efforts of a public school system, a county joint vocational school, a non-profit outdoor learning organization, telecom corporations, a state park system, a state division of wildlife, and universities to launch a digital expedition to study environmental conditions of the Lake Erie shoreline. Gifted students in grades four, five, and six conducted group investigations and individual inquiry-based investigations at Lake Erie and showcased their investigations online. Using mobile digital communications and environmental analysis tools, this community of learners created a dynamic web record of their discoveries. The students' Internet-enabled outdoor learning adventure can be viewed at the website: [http://www,digitalexplorers.tzo.com/erie/default.htm].
|
Send mail to mkdove@cc.ysu.edu with questions or comments about this web site.Copyright © 2000
Marianne K. Dove
|
