Gifted and Talented Learners

There are multiple characteristics to help classify a student as a gifted and talented learner with or without a disability. For example, a gifted students without a disability would have the ability to learn basic skills quickly and easily and retain information with less repetition. A gifted student with a disability however would struggle to learn basic skills due to cognitive processing difficulties; need to learn compensatory strategies in order to acquire basic skills and information. Here are some other examples of characteristics of gifted learners. Being able to identify the process will allow the instructor to be able to demonstrate appropriate instruction. Some other strategies to implement for students with special learning disabilities (SLD's) with difficulty in for example composition, oral/written expression and/or a hearing or visual loss could include: using voice-recognition software, spell check, or reteaching these strategies for students who have not yet mastered the editing process.

Schools today have a hard time funding programs for gifted and talented learners in specific, so most of the time the teacher in a general education classroom must learn how to accommodate these learners and best fit their needs in the classroom. There are multiple learning activities to help provide technology solutions to these types of learners.

Having a virtual learning environment (VLE) available to your students is essential in helping to differentiate lessons and curriculum to each individual learners, gifted, learning impaired, or not. By using a VLE the teacher can create creative lesson plans and develop or modify these lessons to fit the needs and interests of the students. Integrating technology into the classroom is important to help implement challenging curriculum content effectively. By having an technology outlet (VLE's) you can ensure that each individual will be allowed an enriched learning experience and advanced study for learners at any level.