This course will explore current research and material relevant to the social and emotional issues that may arise for some gifted and talented students. Some topics include perfectionism, hyper-sensitivities, gender issues, underachievement, and special populations. Students must have a copy of the required text. All required supplementary readings will be provided by the instructor on a weekly basis. Since the course is conducted online, it is essential that students are familiar with technologies required (e.g., saving and sending Word documents in rtf format; opening PDF files, posting and properly threading discussion responses on the Vista platform, etc.). Students must recognize that the written word is their sole form of interaction and evaluation and thus, all student work should be carefully constructed and edited before submitted. Students should complete the assigned readings before posting a discussion response.

The extent to which gifted and talented students have unique social and emotional needs is not universally agreed upon. Therefore, it is expected that within our class students will hold a variety of perceptions on this topic. Through reading of the current research, thoughtful discussions, and practical projects we will develop a deeper understanding of social and emotional issues that students with gifts and talents experience.