GT COURSE OPTIONS

GT Center support at the high school looks very different for a variety of students. Our GT Center is about flexibility, community, individualization, and building autonomous learners. Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior years are all distinct from each other in their own unique ways. Each level of the program utilizes engaging, age-appropriate tasks and projects, in order to foster their development academically, socially, and emotionally throughout their high school experience.

The multiple options shown below are also illustrated on the chart at the link above.

Scroll below to see all GT course descriptions.

GT Center Options and Course Descriptions

Level 1

This course will provide a great environment to practice creativity, work on projects based around their personal interests and passions, and receive support for all academic classes. This class will also focus on the affective needs of many of the gifted learners throughout the different spectrums. Some of the most important goals of Level 1 of the program is that the student becomes comfortable with Autonomous Learner Model, get their needs met to thrive in high school, and succeed academically in the most foundationally important year of their high school career.

Level 2

In level 2, students will continue much of the same work, and even in some areas be able to build upon the work they did in level 1. However, there's much more ability to explore areas of passion and interest in level 2. This level will continue focusing on academic rigor and pushing the students to the best of their ability, but at the same time allow them to guide themselves on many of their projects. This level also focuses on a leadership aspect in the center. Level 2 students have the opportunity to work on committees of other Level 2 students to choose the theme, activities, organization, and every aspect of our two major events: the Fall Retreat and the Spring GT Night. The students also have many smaller opportunities throughout the school year to have a voice in decision-making for the center and the day-to-day activities we do. The goal for this level, however, is to have students move into being fully autonomous, becoming stronger leaders, and able to seek, put together, and present information to their highest ability.

Level 3

The third level of the GT Program is focused on the future lives of our students. All students have the ability to work on their own projects at their own level, including any of the opportunities of the previous two levels. However, if students choose to take part in the activities in level 3, they will be guided towards looking into their futures. This includes a book study using a class set of books focused on college preparation, specifically for gifted students (Book entitled: College Planning for Gifted Students). We also begin our two year-long book study of the book Adulting, in order to support our asynchronous students, who may be very strong academically, but more support to get ready to go into the adult world and live on their own. This level also includes choice projects built around their passions, but the students have the choice in this level to focus their projects around their future plans.

Level 4

Level 4 of GT programming implements the Autonomous Learner Model (ALM) at its highest level, where the student operates as a self-directed learner with the support of a GT-trained facilitator. In this level, the student will be completing a multitude of challenging, demanding, but thoughtful tasks related to their future choice of college or career. Students will spend time alongside the trained GT educator to complete College Applications, Scholarships, and ensure the student is ready to move into the next step of their life, no matter what their choice is. Students will also finish their two year-long book study of the Adulting book in whole class settings. This level is designed to meet the student where they are at, in order to help prepare them for the next step of their life, in whichever way they choose. Some students use this level to apply to colleges, get scholarships, and get set for a higher education step, and others choose to use it for an internship opportunity, getting connected to a future employer, or to look into and enroll in a trade school. The focus is just to meet the level 4 student's needs in any way possible.

GT Satellite

This option is worth .25 of an elective credit, or .5 of an elective credit if taken for the whole year. This is an alternative grouping option offered to assist and support GT Center students whose schedules do not accommodate a regular GT Center course and/or choose not to enroll in an option that meets in class every day. Students can choose a variety of options to complete their GT Satellite course, but not all of them result in getting the .25 elective credit. Here are the options:

• .25 Elective Credit Option 1 - The student can choose to complete projects as a normal GT student would, and continue to meet with the teachers on a regular basis, in order to keep up with and complete their independent project. The student is also required to keep up with their ALP Progress, and can choose to complete their projects based around their ALP goal, in order to receive full credit.

• .25 Elective Credit Option 2 - The student can also choose to complete a non-project-based option similar to the option above. In this option, instead of completing projects based around their ALP, the student will attend events, either related to their ALP, or GT Events such as the Fall Retreat in the Fall semester, or GT Night in the Spring semester. The student will attend these events, then turn in their catalogue of their hours spent, in order to receive credit for the class and for their ALP evidence.

• No Credit Option - This option is for students who just want to keep GT on their schedule, in order for ALP tracking. All students who have spent at least a semester in the GT Center will be automatically moved into this option, strictly so the students can be grouped to keep up with their ALP goals.