GREAT THINKING THURSDAY
For Klein ISD Educators of Gifted
March 28, 2019
Writing Pathways: Genius Hour!
Brittany Baldwin, 4th Grade Teacher
Zwink Elementary, GT Advocate
The fourth graders at Zwink Elementary eagerly wait for writing class so they can work on their Genius Hour project! Students who have mastered grade level material are given the opportunity to participate in this inquiry-based, student directed learning method. During Genius Hour, students research and develop an original passion project of their choice! Students working on this pathway follow the steps:
Develop a topic
Formulate guiding questions
Research
Compose an expository essay
Share/ Celebrate writing
Receive feedback
Revise for improvements
Develop visual presentation
Share/Celebrate visual presentation
Create a Google Website
Genius Hour Pathway Boards
These boards were created using Google Slides. They are uploaded into the Google Classroom where students can access from their own account.
GT Expo: McDougle Lions' Experience!
Did you explore the Globally Gifted Expo this year? The McDougle Lions certainly did, and thoroughly enjoyed themselves while doing it. We were so excited to be in attendance and present the research our students put their all into this year. They enjoyed talking to others students who dropped by to ask them about their hard work, and also having the chance to walk around to see what other students were interested in. They felt super special having name tags and passports that allowed amazing support and feedback to be given about their research by other GT scholars from all over the district. The experience was so exciting for them that they are already planning their projects for next year.
Our amazing students researched everything from the formation of crystals to environmental issues that affect the world. Our scholars include students who participate/d in Coding Club, Klein In Space, Math club, and STEAM club. They love researching new ideas and having fun while doing it. Our students also use a number of pathways for their research such as Thrively, Envision, and Gale to name a few. They can’t wait to present their current and past research to parents and students at our McDougle Campus Expo this Spring. I can’t wait to see what they think of next. They continue to amaze us everyday. I could not do this without the amazing support of all of our teachers and staff at McDougle Elementary. Our students, staff, and teachers are AWESOME! Goooo Lions!
Written by:
Kristy Adams
GT Advocate
McDougle Elementary
ROBOTICS TEAM VORTX WINS BIG AT COMPETITION!
Robotics Leader Shares Experience!
Written by:
KOHS Senior IB Student
Savannah Smith
My name is Savannah Smith, I am a senior at Klein Oak High School and have been on the Klein ISD Robotics Team, VorTX 3735 since my freshman year and have since served the team as Chairman's Lead, Business Lead, and Team Captain. Being in FIRST robotics has given me the opportunity to meet others worldwide, help others, and pursue my interests in engineering and community service.
This past weekend at the FIT Greenville District event, the Klein ISD robotics team, VorTX 3735 won the District Chairman's award. This award is the most prestigious award at FIRST, it honors the team that best represents a model for other teams to emulate and best embodies the mission of FIRST. It was created to keep the central focus of FIRST Robotics Competition on the ultimate goal of transforming the culture in ways that will inspire greater levels of respect and honor for science and technology, as well as encouraging more of today’s youth to become science and technology leaders.
For the past six months, the robotics team has been working on their essay and video submissions for the award, as well as their presentation. This award is a compilation of over 5 years of work for these students, through community service, volunteering, and mentoring throughout the district and the world. The Chairman's Team includes Samantha Taylor (Senior, KOHS), Alea Nablan (Junior, KOHS), Zahid Hossain (Senior, KCHS), Kimberly Wang (Junior, KOHS), and Shruthi Anish (Sophomore, KCHS).
This is the first time the team has won the Chairman's award, and they will be competing for it again next weekend at the FIT District Championship in Austin, TX.
Check out our WINNING VIDEO Below!
35 AP subjects will receive Course and Exam Description (CED) binders this year. These binders refine and clarify the scope of content that can be assessed on the AP Exam for college credit, and provide teachers with a suggested topic and skill sequence they can adapt to their needs rather than having to build from scratch. Order your free copy at this link: FREE AP BINDER
AP teachers in the United States who have completed the AP Course Audit can request a free copy of the binder by January 31, 2020. New AP teachers should wait to request their binder until their Course Audit form for 2019-20 has been approved by their administrator. CED binders will be mailed beginning in June 2019.
Anyone, worldwide, can download these materials beginning late May 2019.
Note: CED binders aren’t available for AP Computer Science Principles, AP Seminar, and AP Research, because those subjects follow a different curricular model than the other AP subjects.
KHS Octathlon District Winners!
DESTINATION IMAGINATION TEAMS GOING TO KANSAS CITY!
#WednesdayWisdom
Klein Collins AVID students apply all WICOR strategies in Philosophical Chairs, sharing their "side" regarding childhood vaccinations.
What are Philosophical Chairs?
Philosophical Chairs is a format for classroom discussion that ensures respectful dialogue, mutual understanding, and deep engagement into the subject matter. Once a statement is provided, participants select a side, either for/against, pro/con. Discussion takes place and participants are encouraged to switch sides if their opinion is changed throughout the discussion.
For more information regarding Philosophical Chairs-please message Christy Phillips, Klein Collins AVID Teacher, @ChristyPhil4