On Friday, the ASPIRE 5 scholars were presented with the opportunity to create their own schedule. After math class in the morning, we gave everyone a passport that contained assignments and tasks for language arts, social studies, science, and social/emotional time. Tasks with stars beside them were required, as they were items we had been working on throughout the week and needed to be finished. We challenged the students to choose one new assignment from each category, and to record their start and stop time for everything they worked on. We conducted passport checks several times throughout the day to monitor their progress, and to make sure they were working on a variety of tasks. At the end of the day, scholars reflected on their experience, and what they had accomplished.
I believe this was a very successful way to organize our day. First, the scholars were remarkably productive. They worked very hard and with purpose for the entire day. Many of them even voluntarily gave up some of their their recess time to come inside and work. Next, it provided the teachers with some very valuable time to meet individually with students to finalize their digital goal-setting notebook, and to facilitate various projects throughout the day. The feedback we received from the students was extremely positive. They enjoyed the freedom to choose their work, and when they wanted to complete it.
As GCISD continues to move in the direction of individual learning plans, this kind of flexible scheduling is part of a larger vision we have for our ASPIRE 5 students. As we break from the traditional constraints of a typical classroom, students will be presented with opportunities to advance at their own pace, and dive into the curriculum with more depth and complexity than ever before. Research shows that gifted students thrive in environments that provide various forms of acceleration and flexible scheduling (Feldhusen; 2003; Shiever & Maker, 2003; Renzulli & Reis, 2003; Clasen & Clasen, 2003), and we are committed to doing whatever it takes to meet their needs. For now, it was a great day to try something new, and we commended the scholars for their positive attitudes and willingness to work outside of their comfort zone. We learned many ways that we could make this kind of day even more successful, so stay tuned as we continue to grow throughout the year!
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Gallery Walks, Stickers, and Post-It Notes!
One of the cornerstone beliefs in ASPIRE 5 is that our scholars have the ability to learn from each other. During the first month of the new school year, we have provided many opportunities for them to gather information, synthesize it, and present it to others. One of our favorite methods has become the gallery walk.
This week, one such opportunity arose when we studied alternative energy. After exploring several recommended websites, the scholars were placed in groups, and given a series of ladder analysis questions, which requires them to start with lower-level thinking, and advance to higher-level thinking. (See my earlier post on ladder analysis questions here.) Scholars were required to make summaries, icons, generalizations, inferences, and predictions, among other tasks, on large posters.
Here is where the magic began. Mrs. Fullhart and I gave each scholar ten stickers and a five Post-It notes. We instructed them to place two stickers beside something that stood out to them, and to write one comment on a Post-It note for each poster. After a silent gallery walk, scholars returned to their own poster to read the comments and look at the placement of the stickers.
This was a successful activity in my opinion for several reasons. First, the ASPIRE 5 scholars were able to learn about alternative energy in a way they may have not considered as they conducted their own research. We constantly teach them about the importance of multiple perspectives, and this activity allows our scholars to learn about ideas that have been influenced by the wide variety of experiences of their peers. Next, one of the intellectual traits we have focused on during the beginning of the year is intellectual humility. It can be challenging sometimes to disagree with the viewpoints of others and maintain humility. Leaving Post-It notes and comments that praise the work of their peers, or questions them in a safe way leads to more sensitive students and a climate of trust in our classroom. In addition, the feedback left for students allowed them to consider changes they could make to improve future products, and gave them praise from their peers which can improve academic confidence and self-esteem.
Overall I believe the scholars enjoyed the experience, and learned more about alternative energy than if they had done the work on their own. Collaboration and communication are major parts of the LEAD 2021 initiative, and this activity lends itself to the traits we are striving to instill in our graduates. Thank you to all of the parents who provided Post-It notes for our classrooms this year. This is just one example of how we use them on a regular basis, and it would not be possible without your help. We truly appreciate your support!
This week, one such opportunity arose when we studied alternative energy. After exploring several recommended websites, the scholars were placed in groups, and given a series of ladder analysis questions, which requires them to start with lower-level thinking, and advance to higher-level thinking. (See my earlier post on ladder analysis questions here.) Scholars were required to make summaries, icons, generalizations, inferences, and predictions, among other tasks, on large posters.
Here is where the magic began. Mrs. Fullhart and I gave each scholar ten stickers and a five Post-It notes. We instructed them to place two stickers beside something that stood out to them, and to write one comment on a Post-It note for each poster. After a silent gallery walk, scholars returned to their own poster to read the comments and look at the placement of the stickers.
This was a successful activity in my opinion for several reasons. First, the ASPIRE 5 scholars were able to learn about alternative energy in a way they may have not considered as they conducted their own research. We constantly teach them about the importance of multiple perspectives, and this activity allows our scholars to learn about ideas that have been influenced by the wide variety of experiences of their peers. Next, one of the intellectual traits we have focused on during the beginning of the year is intellectual humility. It can be challenging sometimes to disagree with the viewpoints of others and maintain humility. Leaving Post-It notes and comments that praise the work of their peers, or questions them in a safe way leads to more sensitive students and a climate of trust in our classroom. In addition, the feedback left for students allowed them to consider changes they could make to improve future products, and gave them praise from their peers which can improve academic confidence and self-esteem.
Overall I believe the scholars enjoyed the experience, and learned more about alternative energy than if they had done the work on their own. Collaboration and communication are major parts of the LEAD 2021 initiative, and this activity lends itself to the traits we are striving to instill in our graduates. Thank you to all of the parents who provided Post-It notes for our classrooms this year. This is just one example of how we use them on a regular basis, and it would not be possible without your help. We truly appreciate your support!
Friday, September 11, 2015
Team Teaching and the Water Cycle
This week, the ASPIRE 5 scholars explored how the Sun and the ocean interact in the water cycle. The lesson was a good example of how Mrs. Fullhart and I plan to team teach this year. With the help of our student teacher, we designed three stations. In the first station, scholars created a Doceri video on their iPad that explained the key concepts of the water cycle. For the second station, students created a "Graffiti Wall" to represent each part of the water cycle. Scholars drew the first thing that came to their mind for each card, which included condensation, precipitation, accumulation, evaporation, and energy source. In the third station, scholars completed a lab, which allowed them to view parts of the water cycle in a water bottle. Scholars had two days to complete all three stations, and they were free to complete them in any order.
So what are the advantages of the team teaching model, and how does it help highly gifted students? First, having the ability to stage multiple events in the classroom at the same time gives the scholars flexibility and choice. Student autonomy is very powerful, and the freedom to move between the stations at their own pace gave them control of their own learning. Next, having a teacher at each station allows us to identify individual and whole group strengths and weaknesses. Each day we were able to communicate what we thought the students grasped, and what we needed to improve. In the future, we are committed to using team teaching to make our lessons differentiated, and to give the students more choices. With three teachers in the classroom, we will be able to design tiered lessons, and still provide the necessary facilitation while the scholars work. We also will be offering scholars choices of activities that match their interests and special talents. While choice has always been a staple of ASPIRE, being able to get directly involved in student groups will allow us to better serve them with more direction, analysis, and feedback.
We are very excited about the potential of our open classroom design. The possibilities seem endless, as we keep thinking of new ways to take advantage of our physical space every day. In the end, it is the scholars who are benefiting the most, as they receive more individual attention and support. How successful will it be? Stay tuned all year long to find out.
So what are the advantages of the team teaching model, and how does it help highly gifted students? First, having the ability to stage multiple events in the classroom at the same time gives the scholars flexibility and choice. Student autonomy is very powerful, and the freedom to move between the stations at their own pace gave them control of their own learning. Next, having a teacher at each station allows us to identify individual and whole group strengths and weaknesses. Each day we were able to communicate what we thought the students grasped, and what we needed to improve. In the future, we are committed to using team teaching to make our lessons differentiated, and to give the students more choices. With three teachers in the classroom, we will be able to design tiered lessons, and still provide the necessary facilitation while the scholars work. We also will be offering scholars choices of activities that match their interests and special talents. While choice has always been a staple of ASPIRE, being able to get directly involved in student groups will allow us to better serve them with more direction, analysis, and feedback.
We are very excited about the potential of our open classroom design. The possibilities seem endless, as we keep thinking of new ways to take advantage of our physical space every day. In the end, it is the scholars who are benefiting the most, as they receive more individual attention and support. How successful will it be? Stay tuned all year long to find out.
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