Fox 9 Girls & Science 2009 October 21, 2009
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While reading online news this evening, I came upon this event. It is very soon – Saturday, October 24 – but sounds like a wonderful opportunity full of interesting topics. Follow the link below:
http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/subindex/community/girls_and_science
Affective Needs Based Classes October 19, 2009
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We’ve been busy learning about the brain, psychology, and creativity/test-taking during our affective sessions this month.
- Grade 2 – Multiple intelligences, personal strengths, rhythm and rhyme, protecting the brain from injury, motivation, brainstorming, and test taking skills
- Grade 3 – Multiple intelligences, selective attention, parts of the brain, competition/performance, and analogies
- Grade 4 – Multiple intelligences, right and left hemispheres of the brain, optimist/pessimist, extrovert/introvert, persistence, cloze strategies and following directions
- Grade 5 – multiple intelligences and learning styles, optical illusions and how the brain/eyes work together, acronyms, perfectionism and factors that influence learning, SCAMPER, and spatial problem solving
- Grade 6 – Multiple intelligences and learning styles, sleep/exercise/stress and the brain, meaningful recall, challenges and positives of academic giftedness, writing an essay and using graphic organizers.
Watch for information regarding the next round of Needs Based Classes (non-verbal) beginning in November.
CML competitions will now be occuring in grade level classrooms beginning in November. (Grades 2-3 do not start competitions until January. ) Many students will now be exposed to the problem solving strategies used for CML.
I’m also working to collaborate with teachers at WD on how to best meet the needs of the children in their classrooms through differentiation. This will be an ongoing theme this year at WD.
The best 3rd grade question! October 5, 2009
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Today, while eliciting questions from 3rd graders regarding what they’d like to learn about the brain, this question was raised:
“Is the brain like a hotel with all of the separate rooms, and when they all fill up is that when your head hurts?”
Gotta love those inquiring minds!
October GE News October 4, 2009
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Needs Based Classes in Affective Education will begin this week for identified students in grades 2-6. During these class sessions, students will learn about the brain, test taking strategies, creativity and psychology.
During the month of October, I will also be spending time collaborating with classroom teachers at WD in planning for differentiated instruction.
Changes in GE Programming: The district website, GE flyers, and parent informational meeting have kept many of you informed of the changes that are being implemented during the 2009-2010 school year. These include:
- Needs Based Classes (pull-out) have replaced ExCEL classes
- More services in the regular classroom are provided by the GE teacher in collaboration with the classroom teacher
- CML (Continental Math League) is no longer an instructional class offered by GE programs but is being offered in classrooms
- GE services now include Kindergarten and first grade
I will be at Woodland during Fall conference times. Feel free to stop by room 22 for a visit.
Information for sixth graders and their parents: Regarding junior high classes for next year’s seventh graders-
- The first trimester grades earned by sixth graders are a critical factor in determining placement in seventh grade classes.
- RIT scores from the NWEA/MAP assessment will be another data point in determining appropriate placement in grade seven.
Welcome to Gifted Education at Woodland September 22, 2009
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Welcome to my blog! I am excited to be the new Gifted Education teacher at Woodland. We have had a busy start to the school year.
- Most WD students in grades 2 – 6 have taken the Multiple Intelligences Survey or the Learning Styles Survey in their classroom this fall. This is a great tool for students to understand their learning in a different way. It is also a great tool for teachers as they plan lessons to meet the needs of all students. More to come on Multiple Intelligences!
- A parent informational meeting was held on September 14, reviewing identification, testing, and programming information.
- NBC – Needs Based Class – Students attending these classes have been identified based on data showing academic need.
- The Affective NBC will start during the week of October 5.
- The Non-Verbal NBC will begin in November.
It will be a busy fall for teachers as our cluster teachers attend training in differentiation. We will collaborate using that new information as teachers plan their lessons.
Much more information to come!