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It isn't either/or
8 years ago
Monday, February 9, 2009
Session 2 - Question 4
A book study should help you generate new ideas for working with your students. Your reading might provide you positive reinforcement for things you've tried or help explain why things you're doing work. Your reading might help you tweak things or give you entirely new ideas to try. Based on your reading of chapters 5- 7, what things will you be tweaking or trying out for the first time? (Please give us page numbers so we can re-read those sections and think about how those passages have affected us.)
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I liked the comment on page 95 about the use of textbooks, “Textbooks are dandy- they may even come in handy every now and then- but textbooks are like pieces of dry bread.” With the GT students you need to go far beyond the dry “Facts” in their text books and make the material mean something to them in the real world. I have tried to create open ended projects that are relevant to real problems scientists are working on now. This year I am trying an astronomy project that is a search for life outside of Earth’s system. The students are required to take a star type different from Earth’s star and create possible life forms for that environment. It will, hopefully, cause the students to research star types, detection methods and to consider what “life” is. They will need the basic facts, but they need to go beyond these to the “what if “side of science where they can let their imagination run a little wild.
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ReplyDeleteCh.5, p54 It states that gifted children who strive for accurate details usually shows signs of this at a very young age. As an early childhood teacher, I feel that I need to tweak my approach to looking at what might be signs of giftedness in the very young. The few kids that I have had over the years that have had the attention to detail have had lots of problems (ED, ODD for example)I want to make sure that when I see excessive curiosity, intensity (from previous chapters), perfectionism, attention to detail that because of my experience, I don't always jump to the negative. Ch.6 p.69. I will continue to use humor as a tool. It really is intersting to think of humor as a tool. I just think it comes naturally in every life situation, including the classroom.Ch.7 p.94 A very powerful statement..."Gifted teachers often have an instinctive ability to make every kid feel special.....They tolerate, accept, appreciate and encourage their student's divergent thinking." I would like to think that I do this every day but in reality some days are better than others. I'm going to put these words on an index card, hang it by my table and read them every morning to help me remember that we all need to do this.
ReplyDeleteThe unpronounceable professor's name nailed it. (p. 78) I want to try to create projects for my kids that they can get their hearts and minds involved. One of the best compliments I hear is, "Wow--this class went fast! Can I stay?"I also want to remember that "creativity and divergent thinking are connected at the hip". (p. 87) I try very hard to think outside the box with my GT kids. (p. 93) Unfortunately, TAKS has tied our hands and the challenge is to get outside the TAKS box and still cover the material necessary
ReplyDeleteI love the quote, pg. 93, by General George S. Patton, "If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking." What a wonderful job we have in helping children think. With TAKS and increasing accountability it is sometimes hard to remember to honor our students intelligence and keep them thinking beyond the basics. Thank goodness our students remind us with their questions of "Who says?", "Why?" and "What if?" On page 98 it reminds us that teaching tools are everywhere and we need to teach beyond the box of testing... especially since knowledge is earned. I think I'll tweak my teaching be giving ownership and more choice to my students in creating how they complete units of study therefore they will experience more of their knowledge being earned.
ReplyDeleteI will work on injecting more humor into the classroom. I will look for more and more cartoons that address units that we study in SPIRAL. I will work to incorporate more and more of these into my flipcharts. I would also like to try out the "kick the bucket" technique described on pg. 100. We teach many historical figures and the students really enjoy hearing personal anecdotes about the people--including the if, when and how of their death.
ReplyDeleteOn page 99, it talks about turning your room into a museum of history...I'd like to do something like that. Because I also teach LA, my room is fully of books...but I haven't done the same with history. I have some U.S. History memorbilia, but I think I can do a better job ot it...to really immerse my students in it more.
ReplyDeleteI, also, like the idea on page 99 about turning your classroom into a museum. I think I could do more of that to engage my Kindergarten class. I think it would open up a lot of opertunites to get them really envolved and make their creative sides come out. The thing I want to tweak the most--is to use what I am learning in this book about the G/T characteristics to help me identify and nominate possible G/T candidates. Also to help reach their needs until they are qualified as G/T students.
ReplyDeleteSomething that stood out to me in the humor chapter (p. 72) was turning chapter questions into games like Hollywood Squares, Family Feud, etc. I used to always prepare a Jeopardy game or Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? activity as a way to prepare for TAKS or major tests. I have gotten away from it some and was thinking about how I could bring this back in a more current form...maybe an American Idol format??? I do think we have to do more to help kids develop study skills. Making up words to songs of the facts they have to learn and playing games would make it certainly less painful and maybe even fun.
ReplyDeleteI also want to find a way to tap creative resources in the school community by perhaps sending out a survey at the beginning of the school year.
L. Oliver said it right, textbooks are not enough, we need more than just basic facts. I would like to incorporate more project based learning. They need to be able to go deeper and 'steer their own ship'. I need to not spend so much time trying to cover all basics, I need to allow the students interests to guide us a bit more. I plan to find a happy medium between the students interest and curriculum. I would like to also try to model more 'making mistakes', to help the kids see that is is human to make mistakes. I was really touched by p 100, 'A teacher is a unique and interesting individual presenting knowledge and thinking opportunities to a group of fresh individual brains who all have the capacity to process it in their own unique ways and turn it into who knows what and run in every direction with it. A teacher has the opportunity to teach in a way that no other person can. What a deal!'.... WOW, we are so blessed to have the opportunity to work with these amazing kids. I learn so much from them.
ReplyDeleteI like how Melissa A talked about turning chapter questions, studying, or even TAKS review into fun games. The kids love the change and fun. I have a jeopardy game for all the major science units and love to surprise the kids with them. It might even be fun to give the kids the task of creating a game or the questions/rules, etc. This is another was to give them a task and let them lead the way. I LOVE the idea about the american idol idea, the kids would LOVE that!!!
ReplyDeleteI think textbooks are becoming obsolete - like the encyclopedia. I LOVE the American Idol idea. If we hook them, that's half the battle.
ReplyDeleteTeachers play an incredible role in children's lives. Sometimes we forget that as we get bogged down in doing our jobs and living our lives. I need some post-its in strategic places to remember the difference each of us can make.
I will be trying for the first time to seek out “untapped resources” and network to enrich my students’ learning. I really need to let go of my fears in regards to taking risks. I am going to “decide which rules are the most important” for my students, “and learn to let stuff go” (pg. 92). I am a rigid rule follower 95% of the time. I know, I have always known, that this is a hindrance for me and my students. I really want to break free of this and allow my students some freedom to create their own learning, understanding, and pursue personal interests (related to the subject of history of course; a non-negotiable rule).
ReplyDeleteI also like the quote, “Textbooks are dandy- they may even come in handy every now and then- but textbooks are like pieces of dry bread.”
ReplyDeleteIt is something that even if the district gives us textbook pages in the curriculum a goal for me is to make sure I pair it with a hands on activity or even an enrichment activity. Anything to get the students moving and using the information not just reading it and writing notes about it (boring).
I liked the little story about the girl witht he sticker on her nose. (page 92) I hope I would be the teacher that would comment on the beautiful flower that makes her eyes shine.That is what I am going to work on. Trying to let my kids show themselves whenever possible. As I htink over hte last couple of weeks I have let one of my new challening students take the creativity and fun out of our class. And it show inthe raised sterss levels and shorter fuses all around. t also show in the depth and variety of answers that come forth. I can see that I really need to work on.
ReplyDeleteI agree with weberp about the statement in chapter 7. On p.94 the author states "Gifted teachers often have an instinctive ability to make every kid feel special.....They tolerate, accept, appreciate and encourage their student's divergent thinking." I like to think that I did this in my classroom and continue to do it with my special education students. I hope my kiddos realize how much I value them.
ReplyDeleteThe question asks about how we might "tweak" the things we do with our students. I feel like I am constantly tweaking lessons or trying to reinvent the way I present information to my students. I use multi-sensory lessons whenever possible. I never know what will make sense to the kids, so I try just about anything.
Chapter 6 entitled Sense of Humor was a delightful read. Located on page 64 in the second paragraph is the following quote, “if knowledge is brain food, then humor is the dessert”…and I am all about dessert! It would be ludicrous of me to say I am going to “tweak” or try humor for the first time. Working with gifted students and assisting to create a learning environment directed by a student’s desire to learn is a gift in itself and the gift of humor may very well be one of the best tools to use and appreciate while working with students who are gifted.
ReplyDeletemelissa a, I agree with your comment that more still needs to be done to develop gifted student's study skills so these students will have the tools available to them when the course of their learning takes a turn onto the unpaved path over the "this is not easy" road.
ReplyDeleteJ Canon's comment (moved to correct postin by LB): ...in answer to #4 that I want to use more humor in the classroom. I want to appreciate the "nonconformists" more who prefer their own divergent thinking and creativity to what is expected. I want to encourage their creativity more and help them to value their uniqueness because I value them.
ReplyDeleteIn general, I am going to ‘build in’ more opportunities for instrumental and movement improvisation. Specifically, I will expand upon traditional children’s nursery rhymes. Together, the class will add details to the story, sing melodic fragments, add movement and instruments. Through collectively creating, they will build a relationship to the material. (p. 100)
ReplyDeleteOne thing for sure that this book club has mad me want to do is comb my resources better. So, I am going to " get creative with my resources." p85 Mostly, i want to use a blog to tap into parents/relatives of students as experts in their fields.
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