Parents Need Information, Too

Several weeks ago our district had a parent information meeting.  After reading through some of their forms, it reminded me of the power of sharing information with parents.   This idea reminded me of this blog that seems to get put aside.  I guess one reason the blog gets put aside is the idea of the “other needs” for our children.  Parent questions and needs are also critical for those of us raising children with advanced potential, and I feel like the blog is a great way to feed information to parents.  Shout out to our amazing parents for reminding me of this!

One question that seemed to pop out at me (with the Holidays around the corner) was, “How do we keep little Suzie (not a real person) engaged at home?”  Parents also noted the need for more help with increasing their child’s perseverance.  The first thing that popped into my mind was ThinkFun Games.  The games from this company offer critical thinking opportunities that are actually fun!  Some games can be played alone.

Check out their website.

Think Fun Games

Another thing that popped into my mind was coding.  One app I really like is LightBot.  I like this because when students “run” the program it becomes a “self-checking” device.  Students have to figure out what they did wrong.  This game also provides students with some basic knowledge about coding.  Check it out.

LightBot

Two other great places to find games…

MindWare

Fat Brain Toys

Providing games, building blocks, science kits, etc., that require imagination, thinking, and/or revisiting the problem give students an opportunity to build critical thinking skills and perseverance that will nurture potential and increase student success in many areas.  And…it’s fun.

If you have a child who likes to opt out of challenge, you may have to play the games with them and not allow your child to quit playing.  Set a timer, have your child attempt for that amount of time, and then let them walk away.  They need to revisit the challenge at a later time.

So look into some of these games to engage your children at home, but also, make them READ a BOOK.  That’s a soapbox for another day.

 

Letter About Socratic Seminar

This morning as I opened my email, this amazing letter appeared in my inbox.  This year, one goal I’ve set for myself was to try to offer at least one professional development each month.  These are posted on School Station, planned with cluster classrooms in mind, but include strategies that can be used for most students (with different end results).  All teachers are welcome!  The latest PD was about Socratic questioning.

Here’s a take-a-way:

Last week I decided to attempt the questioning technique for Socratic Seminar. I explained the procedure to the class and they were appropriately taken aback. It was quite cute to watch their faces process the assignment.

We were discussing the Harlem Renaissance and I simply asked them to discuss the main idea with supporting details because I felt inept at creating a decent question for this (Can you tell I felt just as nervous as the kids?).

For the first few minutes, they were climbing all over each other (verbally) and just asking question on top of question on top of question without responding to each others questions. So I paused the seminar and explained a little more about the questioning and how questioning builds knowledge. I explained they needed to attempt to answer each others questions with their questions and then it happened!

One of my students asked a question about why the African American’s were encouraged to move north. Instead of asking another question that wasn’t related to this one, one of my students answered with “Did the African American’s have a better life by moving north?”. This was small but POWERFUL. The students listened and suddenly they started responding with similar thoughts…giving answers to the questions being asked instead of just randomly asking questions. It was so much fun!

We tried it again another day and I could see the growth in just one attempt at this type of learning. It was really amazing to hear their little brains moving in a direction that truly shows critical thinking and critical discussion instead of surface talking.

Thank you for providing Professional Development that can be implemented the very next day in a classroom!

Thank you to this 5th grade teacher at OCE.  For two reasons…stepping out of your box even when you’re not sure of the outcome and for the amazing feedback.  I get to experience the joys of a classroom through your story!  The strategy was to ask students to speak only in questions for 10 minutes.  Each question had to guide thoughts that connected to the previous question…a connecting thought or the answer…but had to be a question.  In our professional development, we were discussing ways to grow the students’ abilities to ask questions.

If you aren’t aware of the professional development opportunities, please check School Station.  The next one is about concept mapping.  It’s closed…but I’m sure we can squeeze in a few more!  One isn’t posted yet (April 6th).  This will be a collaborative effort with Shavon.

Check it out!  And thanks for the email!

They Will Not Forget You

Ever thought about how you will be remembered by your students?  I know we might have some years (those first ones)… we’d like to go apologize.  Is that out of the ordinary or is that your ordinary?

This weekend I was talking with my mom about my school years.  I was curious how my teachers would fit into the classrooms of today, and I wondered “What would I think of myself if I were my own teacher?”  (Does that make any sense?)  I came to the conclusion that I remember the teachers that had passion and made a big difference or the ones that hurt me.  Not much about teachers that didn’t fit into one of those categories.  I also decided my teachers could have pushed me a lot harder.  They had no idea how little effort I was putting forward, nor did I.

Tonight, I was on Pinterest and somehow, I ended up at this article.  WARNING…it’s powerful.  BUT, know this…if you feel like you want to add more critical and creative thinking in your rooms…and you don’t want this to be your students… take some baby steps. Trying is a GREAT start.

Is this your student?

Who’s in for 2015?  Show your passion and make the year unforgettable for amazing reasons!!  It’s not too late for the students you have right now.

A “Convergence” of Circumstances

National Association for Gifted Convention in Baltimore, Maryland.  With a program book that is 174 pages, sessions for time slots that exceed 30 options, choosing what to attend isn’t an easy task.  Keeping your brain from overload and shutting down is no small task either!  Heather Knox (Hobgood), Christy Robinson (Black Fox), and Cherry Ross (Overall Creek), and I rarely cross paths in this convention center that overlooks the Orioles’ Stadium.  You can only image how many ideas we are collecting to bring back to our system.

Tonight we thought we’d share some of our favorite “a-ha’s” from today.

• Concept maps are an avenue to help us make stronger connections to content we already know, both cross-curricular and among grade levels.
• We all need to keep in mind that the realistic path for gifted students is not usually a straight line.
• Math is about problem solving, and the answer is only a small percentage of what we are trying to achieve.  Teachers focus on what they’ve been taught.
• As teachers, we have to be very careful of our words.  Criticism sounds very loud in the brains of our students, especially for students with exceptionalities.  It can shut them down.
• When we say, “Kids these days can’t think,” they’ve learned to answer our questions.
• As soon as you step up out of college, worksheets don’t show up in your “in box.”  You have to problem solve.
• Sixty to eighty percent of elementary math books are review from year-to-year.  With a focus on problem solving and stronger connections to prior learning, we can make more strides in growth.
• For students that are gifted or ADHD, complex information is comprehended very easily through infographics.
• If we know that the “stand and deliver” method of teaching is not effective, why do we still do it?  What’s best for “me” isn’t always best for “them.”  Student interviews make students feel like the curriculum is about “them” and will reveal the truth about student needs.
• Teachers teach strategies, not skills.  Complex tasks will require strategies.
• The more highly gifted a student is, the more wait time they need to think and compose their thoughts.
• Homework has little to no affect on student achievement.  The homework they have should grow study habits.  The MOST IMPORTANT thing gifted kids need (all grades) is 20 minutes of reading at night and conversation at the dinner table.  Ouch!

A final thought for the night…

At the first session this morning that I attended, one of the speakers shared the story of the ship called “Tenacious” that was part of the Fastnet Race of 1979 in England. One of the worst days in history.  A freak storm that struck 300 vessels came with little or no warning. During the storm, everything mattered.  Life or death decisions.

In education, we are at a time when we aren’t sure what’s coming.  During this storm, everything matters.  From the skippers to the direction of our sails, we must be mindful of every choice we make each day.  As the day in 1979 when Tenacious won even in the face of the disaster, we can be certain, those who are tenacious will be a top finisher in the race.  Persisting in existence.  Perhaps we just need to adjust our sails.

Higher order thinking is for all students.  Not just gifted students.  These strategies work for all students.

How’s your ship sailing?

Two Days As a Student…What Would YOU say?

I love when I get links to amazing articles that stimulate self-reflection.  Recently I got this one…

ARTICLE

One thing that works very well with gifted students (ALL students actually) is teaching them to consider the viewpoint of others.  It’s one thing to TEACH the concept…but what about our belief system…do you believe it with conviction?  Do you LIVE it?  Or just believe this process should be taught?

Think of the benefits of considering the viewpoint of others.  Problem-solving.  Critical thinking.  Compassion.  Patience. Relationship building.  Who couldn’t get better at any of those??  I like to use this document to give students (and teachers or parents) a tool to help create that thinking groove, if you will.  You can see it here.

reasoningevent(1)

This idea is important.  But don’t let the big idea of the article slip by you.  Considering the point of view is a vehicle that delivers you to the important place…the main reason I decided to write today.

Let’s paint a picture that relates to you…long day.  Plans didn’t go right.  Parent email.  Evaluation is tomorrow.  Raining outside.  Oh…it’s a short week.  Students were out on Monday (Why are those weeks always longer?).  You forgot to turn in paper work that was due on Friday.  Your head is killing you.  The headache is probably because you didn’t get to eat lunch which means you are starving.  Good news!  It’s faculty meeting day.  You arrive.  Get an agenda but the first thing out of the principal’s mouth is…the agenda has changed.  We have a few guests coming as well as covering the other 10 items.  Fifteen minutes.  Twenty.  Thirty.  Forty.  On item 3 and 4 guest speakers to go.  OH…DEAR!

Want to scream?  Hard to focus?  Frustrated?  Hate it when people read the PowerPoint to you?  Leave you in your seat for an hour?  Don’t stick to a plan?  Bite off more than you can chew?  Have trouble focusing when you’re tired and hungry…and have a headache?

Wouldn’t it have been nice if the principal re-organized, prioritized, and presented the info in a way that would be easier to absorb?  Frustrating, isn’t it?  What if the principal called you up during your planning with an email that said, “Come see me.  I need your input.  I’d like to consolidate the info for today’s meeting and would like to see what you think.”  Or something similar.  How would you feel?

Why do we forget that our students are people, too?  They need us to hear them and consider their point of view.  Funny thing is…everyone would win if we did this more often.

Don’t get so caught up in the “To Do” list that you lose sight of the purpose and possibilities.  You know how you feel when someone wastes your time, ask you to do busy work or work you don’t see relevant, or how you feel on those impossible days.  Imagine what would happen if you consider the view point of others…and it built…Problem-solving.  Critical thinking.  Compassion.  Patience. Relationships.  Sounds like a really good formula for amazing teacher to me!

What would you write about yourself from your students’ point of view, and what are you going to do about it?

Who’s Asking the Questions?

Take a moment and reflect…is there more teacher talk than student talk in your classroom? The problem with too much teacher talk (besides lack of engagement), is that if students are not talking, they are not thinking.

Last year I ran across a book called Make Just One Change. You can view more about it at this link:  rightquestion.org.  So of course when the article appeared in Educational Leadership this month, I couldn’t resist.  A blog entry was in the making.  Not only does the article and book discuss the concept, it provides a process to help you achieve the goal.  (article)

Perhaps we should get together and have a PD session in the future.  Powerful stuff.  These types of activities will transform your classroom into a “think tank.”

As for a blog entry, for the record, I have many entry ideas.  I just lose them before I get a chance to sit down and write them.  I write this wondering if anyone has even noticed my lack of entries since the school year started.  Are you wondering why this entry made it? (Probably not, but I’m telling you anyway.)  After a nice relaxing fall break, I sat down to catch up on a week’s worth of emails.  Sitting in my recliner, dog sleeping on my lap, calendar with PENCIL (dates will change as I work my way UP the emails), I ran across the article in my email.  This blog has been on my mind, and I decided there was no time like the present.

Perhaps if I had more comments from dedicated followers I would feel the pressure to deliver a plethora of entries.  Hint, hint.

Hope your fall break was relaxing, and you are rejuvenated!  You have little brains eager to return to your classroom. Okay, so maybe not so eager.  So my thinking returns back to my original question, who’s doing the talking/thinking in your classroom?

Useless Trivia…But Intriguing.

I know!  I know!  I’ve missed posting okay?  It’s been busy!  You read Dr. Gilbert’s email…that was truly amazing…all the things WE ALL HAVE ACCOMPLISHED.

I just think this is super cool.  (Please don’t tell me if this is old news.  Let me think I’ve found something new.)  Have you ever noticed the A113 in the Disney Movies?  Monster’s Inc, Cars, Finding Nemo, UP, A Bug’s Life…In the movies, they “hide” A113.  I NEVER noticed it.  Here’s the reason why:

“A113 is a classroom number at the California Institute of Arts, which is where most professional animators who work at the big studios studied their craft.  The alumni try to include the code in their work as a subtle wink to their former classmates.”

How cool is that!!!

Chris Van Allsburg (my FAVORITE children’s author) hides something in his books.  Ever noticed the dog? And the Pigeon…hidden in Mo Willems’ books?

Signatures.  Be creative and teach your students to be, too.

 

Why Do We Make School Boring?

What boy wouldn’t like doing math if you used LEGOS?  Look what I stumbled upon today.  I love to find those ideas that 1) create instant engagement and 2) make our jobs easier!

Are we afraid kids might accidentally have fun?  Wouldn’t that be a crime.  When did learning become a “school” thing instead of a “life” thing?  Step out of the box.  The world is depending on you.

LEGOs Build Math Concepts

More ideas with LEGOs.

Quest

(This could become an activity to use for curriculum compacting.)

VTS

I’m done after this.  But trust me, you’ll like this.  Check out the video that shows VTS with CCSS.

Visual Thinking

“Caption”less?

Quick cool idea!

What’s Going On in This Picture?

My brain is going crazy with the possibilities…especially since writing and research seems to be such a tough area on TCAP.  Let me know if you use this and how!!!