Gifted and Talented Newsletter 2
by Lenora Barnes 9/4/15
THIS WEEK
This week we learned about our first Depth and Complexity Icon, details. After discussing the definition of an icon, we identified and brainstormed many different types of icons. We discovered that icons can serve many purposes such as brand recognition, providing warnings, providing instruction, and can elicit certain thoughts or feelings. We also discussed how the meaning of an icon can change over time and the reason companies might choose a particular icon. We then completed a getting to know you activity using the details icon. We worked on vocabulary, rhyming words, and syllables by completing a word brainteaser activity. For the group problem-solving task, the students were challenged to use the 21st century skills of collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and cooperation to save Fred. The students had to devise and execute a plan to save Fred the gummy worm from drowning using only paperclips. What at first seemed impossible to them, became manageable once they started to look at the problem in a more creative and thoughtful way.
Edmodo Permission Slips
Please sign and return the Edmodo permissions slips next week.
UPCOMING
Over the next several weeks we will be focusing on understanding giftedness, successful tips for gifted students, convergent and deductive thinking, logic, digital citizenship, and the Global Cardboard Challenge. In addition to these areas of focus, we will also do STEM challenges, analogies/vocabulary, number puzzles, and multiple other activities involving creativity, critical thinking, and depth and complexity.
DID YOU KNOW?
High achievers are attentive.
High achievers are receptive.
High achievers are please with their own learning.
High achievers remember the answers.
High achievers need 6 to 8 repetitions to master something new.
High achievers get A's.
Gifted learners are selectively mentally engaged.
Gifted learners are intense.
Gifted learners are self-critical.
Gifted learners pose unforeseen questions.
Gifted learners need 1 to 3 repetitions to master something new.
Gifted learners may not be motivated by grades.
Kingore, B. (2004)
MYTHBUSTERS
Myth #1-Gifted Students Don’t Need Help; They’ll Do Fine On Their Own
Would you send a star athlete to train for the Olympics without a coach? Gifted students need guidance from well-trained teachers who challenge and support them in order to fully develop their abilities. Many gifted students may be so far ahead of their same-age peers that they know more than half of the grade-level curriculum before the school year begins. Their resulting boredom and frustration can lead to low achievement, despondency, or unhealthy work habits. The role of the teacher is crucial for spotting and nurturing talents in school. - National Association of Gifted Children
Myth #2 -Gifted Students Make Everyone Else In The Class Smarter By Providing A Role Model Or A Challenge
Average or below-average students do not look to the gifted students in the class as role models. Watching or relying on someone who is expected to succeed does little to increase a struggling student’s sense of self-confidence. Similarly, gifted students benefit from classroom interactions with peers at similar performance levels and become bored, frustrated, and unmotivated when placed in classrooms with low or average-ability students.
- National Association of Gifted Children
Blog Post Recommended By The Texas Association of Gifted and Talented
Click the link below to read a great blog post that is a part of Hoagie's Gifted 101 Blog Hop. The post shares ten essential things that you must know and understand if you are a teacher or parent of gifted children.
Article - The 6 Gifted Profiles
This is a great article outlining different types of gifted students and recommendations for working with each type of student. Click the link below to read the article.