Educators
The Belin-Blank Center believes that educators, along with parents, play a key role in whether a gifted and talent student is able to reach his/her full potential.
The Belin-Blank Center has many professional development opportunities for teachers who are interested in gifted education. Understanding the tremendous demands of time and energy on educators, we have designed courses intended to optimize teachers' schedules and needs.
The State of Iowa Department of Education has mandated the Talented and Gifted Endorsement for pre-K through grade 12 gifted educators and coordinators. B-BC professional development courses through the Belin-Blank Center are available in the four required strands, and fulfill the 12-semester-hour endorsement. Courses and workshops are available at the graduate or undergraduate level. They are available during the summer and/or the academic year, and may be taken online and/or face-to-face.
The Belin-Blank Fellowship Program in Gifted Education is for teachers NEW to gifted education. The one-week residential program is held each summer on the campus of The University of Iowa. Those selected as Belin-Blank Fellows receive room-and-board as well as specialized coursework and materials in gifted education.
There is a great deal of research that attests to the value of Advanced Placement® coursework in the gifted student’s curriculum. The Advanced Placement Teacher Training Institute (APTTI) provides instruction to educators on teaching AP® courses to their students. APTTI courses are offered for five days each summer in Des Moines, Iowa, in a variety of study areas.
Gifted Education teachers are invited to subscribe to the Belin-Blank Center’s Professional Development Listserv, where participants may inquire, learn, and share with their colleagues.