GREAT THINKING THURSDAY
For Klein ISD Educators of Gifted/Advanced Learners
April 23, 2020
The Buzz About Bees
Hassler Kindergarten Researcher-At Home Learning Presentation!!
Shared by Veronica Sexton
Hassler Elementary School
GT Advocate
A student’s first experience with Renzulli Learning is with the Renzulli Profiler, a detailed online questionnaire that allows the Renzulli software to generate a personal profile of each student’s top interests, learning styles, and expression styles, making it easier for teachers to get to know their students and effectively differentiate instruction. Once a profile is generated, students and teachers may use it to guide their exploration of the 40,000 online educational resources in the Renzulli database. Students can engage in self-directed learning by exploring safe, fully-vetted resources that have been specifically matched to their individual profiles, and teachers can browse the database of resources to find activities that align to specific objectives, skills, or state.
This resource can be used for:
- Analyze informational texts, argue and defend a point of view
- Research and draw information from multiple sources
- Use mathematics to describe and solve real-world problems
- Demonstrate deeper learning through projects and tasks
The resources in the Renzulli Learning System place a strong emphasis on the problem-solving, creativity, and critical thinking skills that are often neglected in a “drill-and-kill” environment. This helps ensure that learners become college and career ready while developing the thinking and reasoning skills
This is available until August 15, 2020! REGISTER HERE
What’s Going On in This Picture?
Shared by Jessica Jasper, Program Coordinator, Advanced Academics
If you are looking to develop visual literacy, check out the New York Times weekly activity What’s Going On in This Picture. Each Monday, an image stripped of its caption is posted and students are invited to dive deep into the image and discuss what’s going on in the picture. This provides an engaging opportunity to not just dive deeper into visual images, but also explore differing perspectives while promoting critical thinking.
If you are interested in learning more, there is a free 45-minute webinar that discusses a variety of ways to use What’s Going On in This Picture in your classroom.
Cross Campus Collaboration
Book Choice, Classic Literature, Virtual Discussions!
By Carrie Raiyawa, Program Coordinator, Advanced Academics
During this time of At Home Learning, we have a unique chance to disrupt the status quo. While, sadly, we cannot see our students in our classrooms or on our campuses, we are also not confined by those walls. We can share and learn together in many ways that would not be possible in the traditional classroom setting.
The teachers of the 6th grade Humanities classes recognized this and wanted to offer their students something different and special. Currently, each student is reading a book of choice from classic literature along with a few other students in their class. Because of the flexible nature of virtual learning, the teachers wanted to offer students the chance to discuss literature not only with their class peers, but also with peers from other campuses that are reading the same novels. They created groups within Schoology for each novel and created discussion boards, so that students could converse with those from other campuses. Here is an example of an exchange between two students from different campuses about the book, Pride and Prejudice.
Learn about the Social-Emotional Impact of the WHOLE CHILD
By: Antoinette Hernandez
Klein Cain AVID Site Coordinator & Elective Teacher
When we think about the impact of everything that our kids are going through and the social-emotional impact that we will see in our classrooms for years to come because of it, and even right now, The WHOLE CHILD SUMMIT IS THE KEY. CharacterStrong is bringing amazing speakers from across the nation (educators, educational advocates, speakers, and researchers) to speak through what it means to reach the WHOLE CHILD, how important it is, and what we need to do to address all the needs of our students is so important for any educator.
They release three new speakers each day. After each speaker, I don’t think it can get better, but somehow they have managed to do it. And don’t worry about missing any of the previous presentations; all of the videos are available on The Whole Child Virtual Summit website (http://wholechildvirtualsummit.com/watch2020/).
While we are pouring into our kids from afar right now, allow this summit to pour into you.
2020 AP Exam Experience: Upcoming Webinars
Trevor Packer and the course leads will host additional webinars to help walk teachers through the at-home exam day experience. They'll also share new resources you can encourage your students to use, including a video demonstration and an at-home testing guide. Register Here
April 28
5:00 p.m. CST: English teachers
6:15 p.m. CST: Science teachers
7:30 p.m. CST: Math and Computer Science A teachers
April 29
6:00 p.m. CST: History teachers
7:15 p.m. CST: Social Sciences: Psychology, Government and Politics, Economics, and Human Geography teachers
April 30
4:30 p.m. CST: World Language and Culture teachers
7:15 p.m. CST: Music Theory teachers
Professional Learning:
A Meaningful Mess:
Live Meeting with Andi McNair
Please make plans to join us in a TAGT Book Study session of A Meaningful Mess by Andi McNair (see more on her book here).
We'll be meeting live with @Andi McNair to discuss her book and some of the reflection questions included in the book at 11:30 a.m. on May 8, 2020. Participants will need to read the book on their own, then join us for conversation.
To participate in this book study and session AND to enter to win one of 10 free books donated by Prufrock Press, please sign up here. Must be signed up by April 23 to be entered to win. A Meaningful Mess Book Study Sign-Up
todd finley's brain blast
Family and Community Involvement
When visiting Advanced Academics-Gifted/Talented page, scroll down to the bottom and check out SUPERCHARGED SCIENCE-truly an incredible site!