Course Overview
This course makes the Depth and Complexity Framework accessible and actionable for any classroom. Developed by Dr. Sandra Kaplan, the framework is built on research into how experts think differently — eleven distinct critical thinking tools that can be taught to students across grade levels and content areas.
Designed for gifted learners, the framework works for any student ready to go deeper. Instead of comparing and contrasting Washington and Lincoln, a student using these tools would compare the ethical dilemmas each president faced. That’s the shift — from surface-level content to expert-level thinking. You’ll learn how to teach and implement all eleven tools and integrate them into your existing curriculum.
GT Specialist Designation Track
This is the designation version of this course. You complete the same coursework as the standard TPAI course, plus the directed work that builds toward the GT Specialist Designation:
This track requires the program companion text, Fundamentals of Gifted Education (Callahan & Hertberg-Davis), used across all five courses. Each additional piece in this course is aimed at a specific national standard for gifted educators, so your work here becomes part of a portfolio that documents your expertise across all seven national standards. You also receive the Candidate Handbook, which lays out your work across all five courses and the capstone. Three graduate credits through CSU Pueblo, the same as the standard version.
Looking for this course outside the GT Designation? The standard version is here.
About the Authors
This is a graduate-level course intended for K–12 educators who have completed a bachelor’s degree. It is recommended that you receive board or district approval before registering with TPAI.
