Since GCISD is lucky enough to have one GT Specialist at each elementary school this year, I have the time and opportunity to serve even more teachers and students! This year, when I am not teaching GT LEAD classes, I spend my time as a resource to classroom teachers by providing support and expertise for teachers who have students who have mastered the curriculum currently being taught in the regular classroom. Many of the resources we are sharing with classroom teachers are stored together in a convenient online file we call E2. Teachers can access these resources to help meet the needs of their students.

E2 stands for Extension and Enrichment. Many people have trouble differentiating between these two similar words. Here are two easy-to-understand definitions:

EXTENSION: activities and projects based on a subject currently being taught in the classroom that will lead to deeper understanding of the topic. These activities and projects are usually chosen by the teacher.

ENRICHMENT: activities and projects based on any topic the student is interested in that will lead to new in-depth learning. These activities and projects are usually chosen by the student.

Although your children may not be aware their teachers are using E2 to help further their learning, they are certainly reaping the benefits of the extra support available to elementary teachers in GCISD!

Last week, students had a guest speaker to wrap up "There's an App for That. Below are pictures from the event, as well as the icon that his team created to promote the app. Students have been pitching their own ideas for their apps in a Shark Tank simulation. Winners from each group won a 100 Grand prize ( chocolate bar, of course!).

As we transition from our APP Shark Tank to our Spark Talks, here are some questions you can ask your child. "What is a TED talk? How is your present work related to TED talks? What did Dr. Ryan, Superintendent of GCISD, say to you in his speech to 5th grade GT LEADers across the district? What problems does he face, and what process does he use to solve them? What are some of the problems you recognize in our school, community, and world? About which ones are you most passionate?

4th Graders are in the middle of EXPLORE, where they have been visiting a teacher-generated Blendspace about places that are still considered to be a mystery. First they analyzed the explorer's mindset. Here's what they came up with...

3rd Grade discovered the top three universities across the country in their fields of study, and they also identified the top Texas school that provided that major. There were discussions about a bachelor's and master's degree, as well as the length of time a doctor must attend college. Students were thrilled to find colleges that hosted engineering programs, medical schools, art and design schools, etc. in their own areas of interest. Some of the 3rd Graders were showcased in the last October Smore, and the remaining students are showcased below.

2nd Grade experienced critical problem solving where they were faced with "archeological artifacts/remains" and had to analyze which extinct species they might have belonged to. Students considered the species' structure, natural tendencies and how it might have become extinct. They researched the top 10 species that have are extinct and the causes (poaching, hunting, catastrophic event, disease, lack of life source). Then when looking at their creature they asked themselves which of its needs was eliminated....water, food, shelter, air, sun.....to cause the extinction.

First Graders drew a portrait of their family (pets included) and then read a book titled My Dog is as Smelly as Dirty Socks. They picked one family member to focus on and practiced writing similes about that person's or pet's traits. Then they looked for symbols to build that person/pet on piccollage. Next, they will either put it in Doceri or SeeSaw. Ask your child who he/she chose.