UC Irvine Extension Offers Online Gate Course for U.S. K-12 Teachers

Business Wire, April 23, 2008

Courses Prepare Nation's Teachers to Recognize Learning Styles of Gifted and Talented Students

IRVINE, Calif. -- In an effort to help U.S. k-12 teachers better understand and motivate gifted and talented students, the University of California, Irvine Extension is offering an online course titled, "Learning Styles" as a required course for the Gifted and Talented Teacher Education (GATE) Specialized Studies Program. The course will begin on May 5 and continue through May 30, 2008.

"The GATE Specialized Studies Program has been steadily generating a great deal of interest among educators across the country," said David Ghoogasian, a GATE program instructor with UC Irvine Extension, founder of The Lyceum, and an award-winning educational consultant/trainer. "The 'Learning Styles' course will help educators to better accommodate the accelerated learning needs of gifted and talented students."

Offered as an online course, "Learning Styles," explores learning styles and Gardner's theory of "multiple intelligences," which investigates the various ways in which students may learn best regardless of gender, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. Educators will identify their own strengths, areas of attention and dominant teaching styles. In addition, they will also develop effective strategies and appropriate lessons which reflect various learning styles and Multiple Intelligence Theory.

"We're pleased to have David Ghoogasian lead our new online 'Learning Styles' course. As an instructor himself, he has unique insight into the needs of advanced students and the challenges that teachers face trying to provide real solutions that help these students further excel in school," said Angela Jeantet, director of UC Irvine Extension's Teacher Education Programs.

UC Irvine Extension is known for its exceptional G.A.T.E. programming. Its programs provide options for k-12 teachers with focused professional development sessions, individual courses and entire certificate programs aligned with the California Association for the Gifted (CAG), the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), and state standards for excellence. For more information about UC Irvine Extension's GATE Certificate Program or to enroll in "Learning Styles," please contact the Education Programs Department at 949-824-9304.

About the University of California, Irvine Extension: As the continuing education arm of UCI, UC Irvine Extension is dedicated to providing a university-level learning experience for students, offering thousands of exciting courses and programs to local, regional, and global constituencies. UC Irvine Extension offers a rich array of academic and community programs to support a diverse audience, from a wide selection of academic programs to numerous campus activities. For more information, please visit www.extension.uci.edu.

About the University of California, Irvine: The University of California, Irvine is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Founded in 1965, UCI is among the fastest-growing University of California campuses, with more than 27,000 undergraduate and graduate students and about 1,400 faculty members. The second-largest employer in dynamic Orange County, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $3.3 billion. For more UCI news, visit www.today.uci.edu.