Pre-Assessments

The idea of pre-assessing students prior to planning a lesson or differentiating seems daunting.  I KNOW it feels like one more thing to do.   Ever heard the phrase, “Sometimes you have to spend money to make money?”  That’s the same concept for pre-assessments.  It feels like it’s taking away from instructional time; however, when we teach what they need to know instead of spending time on what they already know, we actually “buy” time.

I think the hardest thing to do with all of the current shifts in education right now is to shift our own thinking.  We CAN do this, but probably not by the same method we have been using.  We need to shift our thinking.  Apply some action research and find new pathways.  Time for us to use our own critical and creative thinking.  Time for us to research instead of just expecting our students to research.  Time to try new, even though we might fail the first few rounds.  To grow, we must be open to change.

Pre-assessment might not look the way we have pictured it all these years.  Know your “big idea” when you plan.  What is it you want the students to know when the lesson is over.  Then pre-assess to see which students know it before you ever start.  Gifted students really need the opportunity to be exposed to new information.  All students do.

I found these tips to be insightful.  This site has some other good thoughts for gifted education, too.  By now you should know, I think these strategies benefit ALL students.

Gripes of Gifted Give Insight for Assessments

Set a small goal if you are not currently pre-assessing.  Baby steps.  But try something. If you want to collaborate and need help to decide what to do first, use the instruction team.  We’d be happy to help!!

Lions, Tigers, and Bears! Oh MY!

Assessment ideas.  Strategies. Writing across the curriculum.  Vocabulary tips.  Oh my!!!  My personal interest right now is “STEAM,” and I ordered a book called STEAM Point.  The chapter on assessments gave some  websites with resources.  Immediately I thought “blog”!  Happy exploring!  Personal favorites were using RAFT across the content area for writing, formative assessments strategies, and vocabulary games (like the board game Taboo).  Be sure to check out response logs, too.

Teach21

Formative Assessments

Yes, Virginia

I like to come home on Friday, order pizza with my family, and watch TV.  Not this Friday night.  I went to my first ever Bradley Academy performance.  WOW!  It was a last minute decision, and I am so glad I went.  It was fascinating watching the kids perform with such courage and talent.  Each character came alive with the charm from each actor.  Polished and adorable.  I am so glad I skipped the Friday pizza.

You should really consider going to see the productions at Bradley.  I’ll definitely be going to each one from this point on!  They won me over.

For more information…Yes, Virginia Musical.

To Be Continued…

As promised, I am going to finish my random thought from a previous blog.  Let’s continue to explore the idea of “knowledge.”

Do you lead your students to knowledge?  Is that good or bad?

And you thought I was going to answer this for you?  Well, “to be continued… AGAIN.”

The answer will depend on your comments.  Let’s learn a new strategy!  I love this strategy.  It’s called, “Save the Last Word for Me.”  Once you all participate in the discussion (to the level I’m searching for with this thought), I’ll complete my thoughts about this idea and blog, finalizing my own thinking with you.

The rules are simple.  I start the discussion and you talk until I say the last word.  This is a great way to encourage discussion in your classroom. They get uncomfortable but realize the day is going to be pretty long if someone doesn’t start talking!  Don’t speak (at all) until you get the discussion you want out of the students.

Let’s play.  I’ll begin the game.  So, again, the question is…Do you lead your students to knowledge?  Is that good or bad?

Accelerated Reader and the Gifted Child

This combination often presents itself when working with setting goals for gifted students.  I realize there are multiple viewpoints, and we all have conviction which is why we  make the choices we make as teachers in our classroom.  The following is simply another window for viewing, and I hope it will be something to help you reflect as you decide on the  requirements for students.

When evaluating whether or not to place AR requirements on your gifted students (or others for that matter), remember the “why.”  What is your purpose?  Most of us are trying to get kids to read  (motivate), monitor reading levels, and/or do a simple check to make sure they are really reading.

If we are trying to reach those goals, we must periodically ask ourselves “Is AR working for this child?”  Reading some research, I came upon a dissertation from Renee Stewart.  I thought she had some interesting findings.

• Of the sample of students, what they found was requirement or not, the gifted students who liked AR would participate regardless of requirements; however, that was an extremely small group.
• Over time, without AR requirements, the student began to read fewer books…at higher reading levels and books with more pages.  (What are we as educators trying to obtain?  Make sure you monitor your “why” before you answer.)
• Without ANY requirement (AR or just reading), the amount of read grew significantly less over time.  In other words, when the students weren’t required to read, they didn’t.

For gifted students, choice is extremely important (I personally feel this is good for all kids.).  If you find yourself in a place, with your AR requirement, wondering why the gifted child isn’t reaching the goal for AR, perhaps it’s not working for them.  Re-evaluate the requirements.  Require reading but include student choice and interests.  Then ask the student to design a plan to show you what they learned as they read the book.  The results may surprise you because they typically go far beyond what we would have asked when given the opportunity to “invent.”

Disclaimer:  This is not a stamp of approval or against this specific program.  I am simply saying have a purpose and monitor to make sure you are on a path that will insure your student arrives at the destination!

Bottom line?  If you want your students to read, you must require them to read.   A teacher can only monitor “real reading” if students are required to produce something from the book showing his/her thinking.  I believe we call it assessment…and I don’t mean a 10 question recall quiz.  We need to build reading stamina in our students.

When was the last time you reflected over your reading requirements?

Gifted or High Achieving?

Often times people are searching for THE definition of giftedness.  That’s impossible because gifted individuals are unique within their own uniqueness.  As our district revisits a plan for meeting the needs of the gifted learners (while we are striving to meet the needs of all learners), it’s important for us to take a deeper look at the realities of giftedness.  Myths can keep us running in many directions, getting our attention focused in the wrong direction.  In education, we can’t afford the discourse.   We can’t afford to lose a child’s love for learning.

There’s only one way to clear up myths, confusion, misconceptions…call it what works for you.  Clarity.  Clarity is the result of knowledge.  I wish I could tell you to read  “this” and it will grant you 100% clarity!  Unfortunately, we’ve lived long enough to know, deeper knowledge comes over time.

(Hum.  Pause the blog…I wonder…what would I find if I googled “How do you get knowledge?”  Very first answer…it may come from the following methods: observation or experience, reason or logic, testimony, and revelation.  Wait.  The second answer is pretty cool too.  I’m thinking that’s another blog. To Be Continued…)

We need clarity about giftedness.  Until we have it, there will be confusion.  (For fun, I asked google “When is confusion good?…and it wanted to talk about health plans.  Not quite what I was looking for even though I agree!)

Confusion.  Unsettled. Uncommitted.  Lacking direction.  Left hanging.  Not properly attached. Lacking coherence.  Fragmented.  The way I see it, that’s not a good place to be for a long period of time.  Not productive.

SO, let’s seek clarity.  Get settled.  Get committed.  Find direction.  Grab hold of something.  Attach and seek coherence.  Repair fragments.  That sounds like stability.

I’ll be blogging tidbits as I find pieces to bridge our knowledge to lead us to clarity.  Observations and experiences.  Reason.  Logic.  Testimonies (because giftedness is real and not always easy).  Hopefully these tidbits will lead to a revelation (disclosure of something not previously known or realized).

I would like you to begin this journey with me by reading this article.  How is a high achieving student different than a gifted student?  There’s more than one right/wrong answer.  But this is a fantastic explanation for our first step toward clarity.

Article by Cheri Brubake

And the blog wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t BEG for a comment.  What did you learn that you didn’t know before reading the article?

Parent Requested

Several parents have asked me to suggest some of my favorite books for parenting gifted children.  I thought others (parents & teachers) might also like to see a few suggestions.

Parenting Gifted Kids: Tips for Raising Happy and Successful Gifted Children by James Delisle

When Gifted Kids Don’t Have All the Answers: How to Meet their Social and Emotional Needs by Ph.D. Jim Delisle & Judy Galbraith

Living With Intensity by Susan Daniels and Michael M. Piechowski

Add your favorites by leaving a comment.

Divergent and Convergent Thinking

Shout out to Bradley Academy!!!  I was working with amazing ladies at Bradley as we brainstormed ways to continue raising the level of thinking in the classroom…for ALL students.  (Bradley has AMAZING things happening!  Check them out!)  It was so much fun collaborating and growing each other.  We talked about giving the unit end test as a pretest or conferencing as a pretest.  The 5th grade history test was so challenging they have to finish it tomorrow!  (You know I love to hear that!!)  The 5th and 6th grade team there couldn’t wait to get their hands on the resources…holding Mrs. Allison to those promised copies!  It was so refreshing being surrounded by knowledge seekers, and I’m not talking about the kids.  I’m talking about the teachers.  I can honestly say, I think every teacher in the building loves collaborating and growing!  I know I LOVE collaborating and growing with them.  They love their jobs, and it shows!

Okay…so back to the resource I wanted to share…as we discussed divergent and convergent thinking, we looked at ways to make this thinking visible for students.  The use of graphic organizers can be helpful, but are we making them as useful as they can be?  Do you name the graphic organizers, use them for specific purposes with clear explanations?  Do your students know which organizers to use independently?  While researching, could they decide which graphic organizer would help them to make sense of the information?

When our students get accustomed to these tools with specific purpose and strong metacognition, they begin to read informational text through the organizational formats…making sense of the information.  They can also start to build tools to help them learn how to push their own thinking.  Do they know how to formulate their own questions to drive a deeper understanding?

Well, this website had some really good explanations of some graphic organizers, templates, and samples.

graphic_organizers

I know it’s for economics, but we are teachers!  We create NEW (synthesize) all the time.  See what you think.  Share ideas. Comment.  This blog can be a useful tool for all of us.  (Or it can be a place to hear Lea Bartch ramble.  That’s not a comforting thought to me.)  I’d like to hear some of YOUR ideas.

(Thanks to those who have commented! It’s nice to know there are people out there!)

Color Tile Fraction Puzzles

While at the National Association for Gifted Convention last weekend, one of the highlights outside of the amazing sessions is the exhibit hall.  One of the things I found and feel in love…Color Tile Fraction Puzzles.

Color Tile Fraction Puzzles

Cards have directions like this:   I am a rectangle.  I am made of 10 tiles.  I am 1/5 yellow, 1/5 green.  The rest is blue. (Set was for grades 3-4.)

Using color tiles, the student construct the rectangle.  How fun and engaging! Makes the student think.  So, check it out and take a look at the other products.  Let me know if you see anything else that is engaging and makes the student think!

People With Vision

It has been a long week for me.  Let me explain.  Last week I went to the National Association for Gifted Convention in Indianapolis.  I roomed with two ladies, and we traveled with ten other fabulous ladies (one from each MCS school).  You need to know Indianapolis is an hour ahead.  At the age of 32 (Okay, that’s a guess.  I don’t remember when it happened.), staying up past bedtime was no longer a good decision.  Unlike the nights at college, losing sleep had a cost that I didn’t care to pay for the entire next week.

I LOVED the fact that the ladies stayed up to talk each night.  I stayed up until there was nothing left of me…which was way past my bedtime.  You are probably wondering where I’m going with this…so I’ll get to the point.  I’m tired.

But wait!  There’s more.  Today at a meeting, I had the pleasure of hearing Paul Vaughan speak.  He was explaining his connection to the Jones Foundation (Ironically, this foundation is responsible for our trip to NAGC!).  Among other things, he said that the Foundation is about people and the lives of children.

Tired me (Okay.  Translation:  emotional me) began to think about the learning that occurred among the 13 of us.  And the bonding of individuals across the district.  And students that need us to be as knowledgeable as we can…all students!  All teachers.  Hanging in there with eyes beginning to fill…I desperately begin heavy self talk…”Hold it.  Hold it.  Don’t fill up! Much more…and…and…too late.  Overflow!  Here I go!”

Then it happened.  He didn’t leave it at that.  He said, “I looked for people that had a vision.  People that were going to follow through with the vision to touch the lives of children.”

Done.  Tear dropped.  Geepers.  I am tired.  I had to get up and collect myself in the bathroom. (Told you…I’m tired.)

This might not be a post that hits you as you read it.  Perhaps you aren’t a sap, like me.  Maybe today just isn’t the day you’re “feeling it.”  That’s okay because we all have our way of being motivated to get up every day to do this job because of touching the lives of people, especially children.

Developing a plan to help reach our high achieving and gifted learners isn’t always easy.  People don’t always understand.  There’s a lot to learn and lots for each of us to share with one another.  Sometimes my vision seems bigger than me.  Sometimes I feel like I am going in circles or even backwards.  And when I’m tired, I forget why I’m here.  It all grows like the monster under your bed at night! (Don’t tell me you didn’t have those!)

Murfreesboro City Schools.  We share a vision to educate the whole child.  To meet each child where they are and design learning to grow ALL of them.

Even when I’m tired, I can’t give up.  A vision is waiting on me…and you.   We need each other because it IS big.  It’s not easy.  We are going to get tired.  We will probably cry (You don’t have to admit it!).  We might even wonder what on earth we are doing!

Then…one person will say something.  “People with vision will follow through to touch the lives of children.”  Or a child will ask, “When will I see you again?”

So, I will press on through the week.  I’ll rest over the weekend. And I will follow through.  I am so glad there are people like you to help  change the world.

How about making my week….comment anyone? 🙂  You know you want to!