COE Hosting Group of Korean Educators for Training in Gifted and Creative Education

A group of about two dozen Korean teachers, administrators and university faculty are visiting the College of Education during the last two weeks of June to receive training in the evolving methodology used to guide gifted and creative education.
 
Since the Korean Government passed legislation in 2002 requiring that gifted and creative education be a part of each school curriculum, many Korean teachers, especially in science and mathematics, have sought training in gifted and creative education.

“The U.S. has been a leader in gifted and creative education. And Korea, like other Asian countries, realizes that creativity is the key to innovation and economic preeminence in the world today,” says Bonnie Cramond, professor in educational psychology and co-organizer of the program.

UGA was among just a handful of U.S. universities the Koreans chose for their training in gifted education due to its continuous support and emphasis on creativity. The  Torrance Center for Creativity and Talent Development, based in the College’s department of educational psychology and instructional technology, has been known internationally as a pioneering force in the field for the past 30 years.

During the two-week intensive training session, members of the Korean delegation will participate in classes and seminars on the UGA campus that focus on giftedness, creativity and science education. The sessions will be taught by faculty members from several departments in the College of Education, including educational psychology and instructional technology, and elementary and science education, as well as faculty from the College of Arts and Sciences who have taught science classes or led field experiences.  Several teachers from Clarke and Cobb county school systems who are exemplary science or gifted education teachers will also teach courses on implementing creativity within science curriculum.

The Korean delegation, made up of representatives from Kyung Hee University, and the departments of education in Busan, Daegu, KyungBuk and JeonBuk, is the sixth training group that the College has hosted since 2002.

Tuesday,  June 21, 2005

Writer: Katherine Dodd, 706/542-5889, katdodd@uga.edu
Contact: Bonnie Cramond, 706/542-4248, bonnie@uga.edu
      Kyung Hee Kim, 706/ 542-5104, kyunghee@uga.edu