Giftedness Coordinator program
As an educator, you inevitably interact with gifted children or adolescents, whether you're aware of it or not. Are you a teacher who occasionally suspects giftedness in some students and seeks to enhance your ability to recognize and support them effectively? Perhaps you're a student counselor or coordinator aiming to formulate a student support policy with a focus on high-achieving students within your school. Or maybe you're a school principal looking to equip your team with the necessary tools to guide this particular group of students.
"I view it as a valuable resource for effectively engaging with gifted children, providing a solid theoretical foundation and instilling greater confidence in guiding them." - Teacher
"Following the completion of the program, we developed an initial version of a school policy for (highly) gifted children. It's the beginning of an extensive effort!" - Student Counselor
If you recognize yourself in any of the situations mentioned above, then our training program for Giftedness Coordinators is definitely for you. As an education professional, you'll gain a solid, scientifically grounded foundation in giftedness and cognitive strong functioning, alongside many practical tools for immediate application within your school.
This program is designed for teachers, student counselors, and school administrators from both primary and secondary education who want to work with a group of highly functioning children and adolescents within their classrooms or the broader school environment.
Program overview
The Giftedness Coordinator program is offered in a flexible format, without fixed starting dates or set periods. This means the program no longer begins at a specific moment with a fixed cohort of participants and a predetermined duration. Instead, the trajectory is accessible throughout the year, allowing participants to join modules individually alongside participants from other trajectories or standalone modules. As a result, teachers and professionals can enter the program at any time during the year and tailor their own pathway in terms of dates and locations. Modules take place in Ghent, Mechelen, or Leuven.
The program combines theoretical knowledge with practical application, helping participants both develop a critical perspective and translate insights into practice. Eight modules are compulsory for everyone following the trajectory. In addition, participants choose five elective modules, allowing the program to better match their own needs or target group. Some electives focus more specifically on preschool education, primary education, or secondary education. You can find the compulsory and elective modules below.
Once you register for the trajectory, Sabine Sypré, coordinator of the program, will contact you as soon as possible to discuss which modules best fit your profile and interests. In this way, we create a personalized learning pathway together.
8 mandatory modules
- Introduction to giftedness models
- Identifying cognitively high-functioning students
- (No) Characteristics of giftedness
- Educational Practices for Cognitively High-functioning students
- School Policy with focus on cognitively high-functioning students
- Underachievement in the classroom: Recognition and preventive approach
Kindergartens and Primary Schools:
- Emotional and social development of cognitively gifted children
- Acceleration, doesn't that end badly?
Secondary Education:
- Compacting and enriching in secondary education
- Study choice for gifted students
5 elective modules
5 Elective Modules
Within the trajectory, you can choose from a range of elective modules, depending on the educational level you work in and the themes in which you would like to deepen your expertise. Some modules focus more specifically on preschool or primary education, while others are more oriented toward secondary education. In addition, certain modules focus on classroom practice, identification, motivation, enrichment, executive functions, or supporting specific target groups such as exceptionally gifted or twice-exceptional students.
If you mainly work within preschool or primary education, modules such as Organizing an Enrichment Classroom, Accelerated Automatization and Learning to Write in the Early Grades, Executive Functions in Cognitively Strong Learners, or Playful and Creative Philosophizing with Gifted Children may be particularly interesting. For professionals working in secondary education, modules such as Enrichment with AI for Cognitively Strong Learners in Secondary Education, Reversing Underachievement in Gifted Adolescents, or Wijs op Weg may be especially valuable. In addition, several modules are relevant across educational levels, such as Identifying Giftedness Through Screening Protocols, Twice-Exceptional Learners, Mindset and Giftedness, or The ABC of Motivation in Gifted Individuals.
In the PDFs below (in Dutch), all elective modules are explained in greater detail. They are organized from modules primarily relevant for educational professionals working in guidance and policy, to modules with a stronger focus on classroom practice and educational adaptations, and finally to modules that are less directly relevant for educational settings. Based on the content, target audience, and learning objectives, each participant can determine which modules best fit their own practice, interests, and educational context.
Practical
Other individuals who are not enrolled in the program are also welcome to register for the modules. However, to foster a sense of group cohesion, the modules are scheduled to allow the participants starting the program to stay together throughout the entire course. Each training day begins with a session for coffee or tea, during which we reflect on the previous module, followed by a communal lunch at noon. The daily schedule is as follows:
9:30 am: Introduction or reflection on the previous module
10:30 am: Start of knowledge or practical module
12:30 pm: Lunch break
2:00 pm: Start of knowledge or practical module
4:30 pm: Conclusion and debrief
Furthermore, every program concludes with a reunion day for the entire group. During this day, we allocate ample time to address any questions, review the exam for the mandatory section, or discuss the assignment for creating a final product (based on your preference). Additionally, we arrange an intervision session where participants can discuss their cases.
Study load
The workload for the course is 75 hours, consisting of 26 hours attending modules, 8 hours for reflection sessions, 7 hours for intervision and explanation of the exam or final product, 32 hours for studying or creating the final product, and 2 hours for the exam or presentation of the final product.
Certificate
Participants who attend 80% of the modules will receive a training certificate upon completion. After this program, there will be a theoretical exam (only for mandatory modules) or final project, after which, if successful, you will receive a Giftedness Coordinator Diploma.
Program coordinator
Dr. Sabine Sypré, ECHA Specialist, is responsible for training at Hoogbloeier®. She also teaches the mandatory introductory modules. Different instructors may teach the elective modules.
Planning and location
See calendar
Rates
- Early bird rate (valid until 2 months before the start of a course): €1995,- (excluding 21% VAT)
- Standard rate: €2445,- (excluding 21% VAT)
Included in the price: 13 training modules, reunion day, exam, syllabus, handouts and illustrative materials, coffee/tea/water, and lunch. An invoice will be issued for this training. Companies can also benefit from support through the KMO-portefeuille.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call +32 478 20 69 87 or email opleidingen@hoogbloeier.be.
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