Gifted Advocate
March 2015
God, Flag, and Country Speech Competition
Last year was my first experience with this competition, and I was moved by the sharing of personal experiences by the participants. Whether it is a class assignment or an individual choice, students 10-15 years of age have the opportunity to participate in the Fraternal Order of Eagles #302 local competition. This event will be held on Friday, February 27, at the John McIntire Library in Zanesville. If you have not received student materials from your gifted intervention specialist, please email me. Please send participants' names and ages to me by February 11. susan.Larson@mvesc.org
2014 Local Winners
10-11 Year Olds
2nd Christian Milatovich – East Muskingum
3rd Molly Beetem - East Muskingum
12-13 Year Olds
1st Lauren Lain – Coshocton
2nd Jenna Mirgon – Zanesville City
3rd Ethan Reilly – West Muskingum
14-15 Year Olds
1st Mark Mears – Northern
2nd Ryan Schilling – Franklin
3rd David Booth - East MuskingumPoetry Contest
"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood..." Robert Frost
The Zane's Trace Consortium for the Gifted (ZTCG) is once again sponsoring a poetry contest for elementary and middle school gifted students being served in English Language Arts. Awards will be given to the first through third place winners in each grade level group (3/4, 5/6, 7/8). Poems and lists of entries are due April 1. Please email me for more information. susan.larson@mvesc.org
Art and Academic Showcase
The second annual Art and Academic Showcase sponsored by the Muskingum Valley ESC Gifted Program will be held on Tuesday, May 19, at Ohio University Zanesville & Zane State Colleges in the Campus Center building. Local gifted students will display their independent and Visual Arts projects. Also, several of our musically gifted students will provide entertainment throughout the evening.
Districts may choose to offer this opportunity to students. A good starting place is with the students who have been identified in Superior Cognitive or Visual Performing Arts (music, dance, drama, or visual art). We have materials to help the students get started. The teacher's role is strictly facilitation.
Written Education Plan (WEP) Assistance
Compliance with the writing of the required WEPs has been a priority for districts this year. A WEP must be written and implemented in order to report service. Please email me if you need individual assistance in this process. susan.Larson@mvesc.org
Project-Based Learning (PBL)
Do you want your students to be engaged, self-directed learners? Learn more about the five core elements of successful PBL. http://www.edutopia.org/video/five-keys-rigorous-project-based-learning
Helpful Updates
If you are not already signed up for updates, you should consider connecting with the following sources:
ODE - http://education.ohio.gov/Media/Ed-Connection and click on the red SUBSCRIBE button
PARCC - http://parcconline.org/ and enter your email in the top right-hand corner
OAGC - http://www.oagc.com/ and click on Advocacy
OAGC Spring Teacher Academy 2015
The Ohio Association for Gifted Children is proud to present the 14th annual OAGC Teacher Academy. The Teacher Academy offers a good blend of practical and research-based sessions for gifted intervention specialists and regular classroom teachers. This year, the OAGC Teacher Academy will be held on March 30 and March 31, 2015. The academy will feature a number of sessions addressing current needs, such as gifted student growth strategies, differentiation, Ohio Learning Standards and gifted education, student learning objectives, and more. A full list of session speakers and tentative descriptions along with this registration form will be available at the OAGC Web site in February. http://www.oagc.com/teacherAcademy.asp
Differentiated Instruction
A Differentiated Approach to the Common Core: How do I help a broad range of learners succeed with challenging curriculum? (ASCD Arias)
In a mere 57 pages, Carol Ann Tomlinson and Marcia B. Imbeau outline eight steps in a differentiated approach to the Common Core and provide a self-reflection checklist:
Step 1: Planning to “Teach Up”
Step 2: Developing Learning Targets
Step 3: Designing Lessons
Step 4: Assessing Formatively
Step 5: Refining Instruction
Step 6: Scaffolding and Extending Challenge
Step 7: Assessing Summatively
Step 8: Leading and Managing for Success with Challenge
Encore: A Checklist for Reflecting on the Eight Steps for Differentiating Common Core Instruction
Muskingum Valley ESC Distance Learning Opportunities
February Professional Development for the Muskingum Valley ESC Curriculum Department
"You don’t have the moral right to hold one child back to make another child feel better." – Stephanie Tolan
Susan Larson, Gifted Coordinator
Email: susan.larson@mvesc.org
Website: www.mvesc.org
Location: 205 North 5th Street, Zanesville, OH, United States
Phone: 740-452-4518 - 109