creating a virtual learning environment for gifted and talented learners christopher f. mulrine our school has just elimi- constantly playing computer games nated the gifted and tal- and uses the computer for his class- yented pull-out program room and homework assignments. due to budgetary constraints. Although this student is gifted, he Therefore, all gifted and talented also has a disability. His low vision students will now be taught in the requires assistive technology to aid general education classroom. One him in reading text. You query this of your kindergarten students, predicament: “How can I meet Sean, is academically gifted and Sean’s educational needs while is advanced beyond his peers in simultaneously reaching out to the math, social studies, and science. needs of the other students in my He is computer literate. Sean is class?” gifted child today 37 Creating a Virtual Learning Environment This is a common scenario for many teachers in today’s conceptual thematic units, questioning strategies, devel- schools. Among the many diverse challenges being faced opment centers, independent study, and mentorships by the general education teacher, one challenge is particu- (Troxclair, 2000). larly perplexing. How does one address both the special needs of students with extraordinary academic ability Best Practices (Wallace, 2005) and the needs of those students who are in Information Technology not as advanced? Unfortunately, the harsh reality of over- crowding and budget cuts makes it increasingly difficult Computers can be used as a resource to help plan curric- to meet the educational needs of every student. Teacher- ular activities (Veronikas & Shaughnessy, 2006). In recent centered instruction, or teaching the same curricula to all years, information technology has become a common students, is no longer a viable solution (Rapp, 2005). instructional method used with gifted and talented learn- Teachers have to find creative ways to stimulate think- ers (Kalchman & Case, 1999; Wallace, 2005; Wasserman, ing and to create higher order learning opportunities for all 2001). It can be used to enhance and replace existing deliv- students, especially gifted and talented learners. Teachers ery methods and to improve education for the gifted stu- of the gifted and talented need to be creative to effectively dent (McKinnon & Nolan, 1999). This same information develop or modify programs and curricula for their stu- technology can also be used to design a virtual learning dents (Rejskind, 2000). One way to modify the curricu- environment that allows for enriched learning experiences lum is through an enrichment activity that merges subject and more advanced study for these high-ability learners. matter with computer technology. This article illustrates how teachers can infuse best practices from both gifted Creating a Virtual Learning and talented education and information technology to benefit gifted and talented students through the creation of Environment a virtual classroom learning environment. I have used this assignment in an assistive technology course as an assign- Creating a virtual learning environment is a way to dif- ment for teacher preparation candidates. It is important ferentiate instruction by merging the fields of gifted and to prepare teachers to not only use technology but also to talented education and information technology. Children integrate it into instruction (Sandholtz, 2001). This type of every ability level are motivated to create technology- of activity can be used by teachers of gifted and talented enhanced projects using the Internet, online databases, students to merge their subject matter with the Internet. scanned pictures and drawings, video clips, and hyperlinks (Bergen, 2002). A Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) Best Practices refers to computer-based environments for delivering learning materials on the Internet (Wilson, 1996). VLEs in Gifted and Talented Education may be used to develop cultural experiences in the visual, creative, and performing arts; visit all types of museums, To effectively teach the gifted and talented learner, industries, governmental agencies, and institutions; expose teachers need specialized knowledge on best practices students to different ideas through prominent and/or con- from the field. One common strategy used for teaching troversial persons; and provide advanced study in the con- gifted and talented students is to differentiate instruc- tent areas that include research activities (Belcastro, 2005). tion, which can be accomplished through several meth- They can be an exciting learning approach for students ods, including curriculum compacting and enrichment. because of the unlimited amount of information that is Curriculum compacting is an instructional technique used available online. Instant information is as close as a search for modifying the regular curriculum to meet the needs engine away (Will, 2005). of high-ability students by carefully assessing the work they already know and substituting or streamlining it for Creating a Virtual Thematic Unit more challenging content through curriculum enrichment (Reis, Burns, & Renzulli, 1992). Curriculum enrichment Thematic units are used as a strategy to integrate abstract, is a technique used to deepen students understanding of complex ideas into the curriculum (Riley, 2003). To begin issues (Wasserman, 2001). Several instructional strategies developing a virtual learning environment, a teacher needs and curricular enrichment activities that are commonly to choose the content for an integrated thematic unit. found in classrooms for the gifted and talented student are Teachers can use Internet sites such as A–Z Teacher Stuff 38 spring 2007 • vol 30, no 2 Creating a Virtual Learning Environment (see http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/Themes) to find http://www.abilityhub.com). There are a number of dif- thematic units on topics such as Harry Potter, St. Patrick’s ferent types of assistive technology available for students Day, Martin Luther King, oceans, magnets, and many oth- with low vision. These include large screen programs, large ers. These units include lesson plans, activities, and other faced keyboards, and even the magnifier feature found in interesting information. The C.O.O.R school district’s Microsoft Word. Web site (see http://www.coorisd.k12.mi.us) includes Virtual Museum Tours. Next, the teacher needs to other examples of integrated thematic units. It is helpful identify any Internet resources that might enhance the to ask a librarian for assistance in planning these learning concepts within the unit and make the lessons more inter- activities and recommendations for additional resources. esting. One method for integrating additional content is The content for the virtual thematic unit used in this through virtual museum tours. A virtual museum tour is article focuses on multicultural awareness that integrates useful because field trips to museums can spark intense technology with the curricula. It was designed with the gifted kindergarten student in mind, using accelerated student interest and nurture thinking skills, but they are grade-level learning standards. This unit can be used as not always geographically feasible (Cromwell, 2005). To a 2-week independent study activity using designated find online museum tours to supplement virtual unit les- sites on the Internet—with a minimal amount of teacher sons, teachers can access Eduscapes’ Digital and Virtual involvement. Museums (see http://eduscapes.com/tap/topic35a.htm) or In this particular unit, students study Korean, African, Education World (see http://www.education-world.com/ and Mexican cultures in order to gain an appreciation for a_curr/curr057.shtml), which provide links to art muse- other cultures. Third-grade language arts standards were used as a basis for the unit, and sixth-grade social studies and seventh-grade World Languages standards were also river plaza included. 9 west broad street stamford, ct 06902 Hyperlinks to Lessons. Teachers first need to locate vir- www.nsgt.org tual lessons from the Internet to enrich the concepts from their unit. There are many lesson plan sites that can be found on the Internet. Two good examples for virtual les- sons can be found at The Educator’s Reference Desk (see We invite you to become a member of the http://www.eduref.org/Virtual/Lessons), where a teacher National Society of the Gifted and Talented! can browse or search for lesson plans from all subject areas or grade levels. Another good resource is Web Sites Students, parents and teachers will receive a and Resources for Teachers (see http://www.sitesforteachers. one-year membership with the following benefits: com/resources_sharp), which includes lesson plans, instructional materials, online activities and projects, and • Information on programs, scholarships, and virtual trips to museums and countries around the world. related gifted articles & much more There are many lessons available that can enrich the con- • Access to the AIFS educational Planning Portal cepts taught in the multicultural awareness unit. • Access to the Renzulli Learning System of Assistive Technology. Teachers next need to adapt these enrichment activities, created by board member lessons for any students who may have special needs. At Joseph Renzulli the beginning of this article, there was a mention of Sean, the low-vision student requiring assistance with his read- Criteria: students must provide a national test ing. Assistive technology is any item, piece