I hope to integrate technology more into my classroom. Many resources were given in the book, and we have been guided in how to use many in district trainings. With students working at the level that best suits them, they can grow the most (all students should grow, not just the weaker ones).
Students know so much about technology. There are some easy ways to integrate technology. Some of my GT students like the technology option a lot. On individual projects, I may give a suggestion about how to present the project, but always let students come up with their own way to present the information. Two years ago, using Prezis was popular with some of my students. I also let students create a digital interactive notebook as long as it meets all the requirements of the physical notebook. Each year, a few students, both GT and other students choose that option.
Response to Valerie Harelson: I'd love to know how to create a digital interactive notebook! I bet my kids would get a kick out of that, GT or not! I bet they already know how, too- hoping they bring just as much to the table as I do this year. It's so important for GT kids to have choices, and if they feel like they're the ones who came up with it, the work tends to be more authentic.
In response to Elizabeth H on July 16th- I feel that we are not allowing students to use their brain power with too much technology. Technology should be a tool but not take the place of a creative and active learner. We do find out much more about a student on their own creative work.
In response to elizabeth dated July 16, I would be careful about making a blanket statement about integrating technology. There are some tasks for which our devices make sense: pictures, research, polished products, etc. However, pencil and paper versions can be just as good. I would also not assume that the students know how to do as much as you think they do. Growing up with a technology does not equal mastery of it.
In response to Stacy and Jonathan, I guess I wasn't clear. I wasn't saying we should rely on technology for everything, just that it is good to be able to have all students be able to access information in various ways. Technology should not be responsible for the instruction, it should be use as a tool to supplement. Students who might not benefit from my approach to a subject, might understand if it is available to them in another format.
Stacey...I think using technology as one of your tools in teaching is a great idea. It is amazing what some of these kids can create. For those students not advanced in technology...group technology assignments give an opportunity for them to learn and grow in this area.
There are a lot of suggestions for activities, so I would keep the book with other materials I use to create lesson plans and devise activities. I have put post it notes on pages of specific activities I want to try this next year. For example, each grading period my students choose a book to read that is related to one of the topics being studied that grading period. I liked the idea of Book Logos (p.119, 123). I'm going to incorporate this into the assignment so that students can share what they read with other students. That has been a weakness of this assignment. The assignment allows the students to practice a couple of skills they need for the exams at the end of the year. Sharing their books would be a neat feature and it will be interesting to see what students tell each other about their book.
Personally, I think this is the best book I have ever had for a book study because it gives me things I can actually use! Almost all of the strategies can be simplified for my grade level and the planning sheets really break it down. I still think planning is one of the toughest things I have to do as a teacher, but this made it seem easy to plan for a variety of learning styles at all levels of thinking. I also liked the documents that help guide a student through extension work and keep track of their progress.
In response to moneyj on 7/23, I would agree about the quality of the book. Since all students would benefit from some of the activities, I would add the district needs to provide additional support teachers can implement the activities.
I agree with MoneyJ. This has been one of the more helpful book studies. I am in first and it can be difficult to adjust some the ideas or activities but I have already been able to come with some ways to incorporate certain strategies in my classroom.
I agree with moneyjJuly...planning can be very difficult and I think this book does a great job breaking the strategies down to a point where we can easily make them work in our classrooms. The ready made sheets and clever insights give us a great starting point...now all we have to do is tailor it to our students specific needs.
I plan to use it to provide the few GT kids that I currently have in a GL class with the education that their classification provides per the State of Texas. There's always room for innovation in any classroom, and I've received valuable tips on how to strategize for GT kids in mine.
In response to Charoltte McHale: I agree that the book gives many tips as well as visuals to help teachers get started with the different strategies offered in the book.
I envision using this book and ideas into my classroom by allowing students to take a personal interest in their learning. I like many of the extension ideas for book club and charts for other subject areas. I would recommend this book for any teacher teaching gifted students.
In response to Stacey L on July 23, I agree that this book gives a lot of ways for students to take a personal interest in their learning. The strategies in the book really focus on the students and how to combine their interests with the content.
In response to Stacey L on July 23, I would recommend this book to any teacher. It gives many new strategies to use to getting the most out of our students.
In response to Stacey L's comment on July 23. I agree that this is a great book to recommend. It offers lots of great strategies for new teachers of GT students as well as teachers who might just need some new ideas.
I agree with Stacey L on July 23. I would also recommend this book and hope for my students to take a personal interest in their learning. In first grade there are so many learning to read... when I have a GT student who is ready to read to learn already that kids needs to be able to move forward.
I learned some new ways of doing things, as well as taking some things I already do and making improvements to them to make them more interesting to the students. For example, I really enjoyed how the learning centers are set up (page 161). I had never thought about including items (tips for help, rubric, and student behavior guidelines) in my learning centers. There are a lot of great suggestions for giving students more ownership in their learning.
In response to Kimberly Muske: I agree that the tips and examples in the book will help teachers set up engaging activities. I also agree that it gives students ownership of their learning
This book offers a lot of detail on getting started with GT strategies in the classroom. There are several ideas I would not have considered before. I think the best way to use this book is for the way it outlines structure to independent study projects. All of the short range goals it discusses are things that I have failed to implement when thinking about these kind of things in the past.
Response to Jonathan on July 29th... I too am excited about the independent study projects. I think the structure this book provides and goals will be helpful for me to follow through on my end and help the students with their outcome.
This book is great and offers tons of strategies, which can easily be used in my classroom! I plan on using many of the strategies, such as Socratic seminars, learning centers, The Great Friday Afternoon Event, and many of the vocabulary activities, like the vocabulary web, super sentences, and vocabulary builders.
I see myself using many of the strategies I have learned about in this book. I like the learning centers and the note taking , and the personal learning ideas.Great book!
I will use this book to plan learning centers for my 3rd graders in language arts. Many of my students would enjoy the choice, and I would know they were doing something of substance.
This book has a ton of strategies I can use for differentiate and accomodate all kinds of learners. I hope to incorporate the different strategies little by little into plans and save them for the following year. I have another GT book that is also filled with more strategies. I hope that I can slow down enough to try them out.
I agree with Shauna Capuchino (August 7th), After reading this book, I have many new strategies and more ideas floating around. I'm pleased to have all of these fresh ideas at the beginning of the new year!
This was a really good book and can't wait to use it in the classroom this year. There are so many great resources to use like the product choice chart, the independent study guide agreement, etc. So many more to choose from. I think it will encourage and excite the students to be able to have different choices for learning.
i see myself trying some of the strategies and ideas that were presented in the book. I would really like to start using the Learning Centers. I can't wait to see how it goes this year.
I have already shared some of the ideas I read from this book. My partner and I are working on our plan to implement the personal interest strategy and how we will adjust our grading. I am very excited about the students sharing their discoveries with the class...we will all be learning great things this year.
I think that reading this book allowed me to revisit some of the things I forgot about working with GT students. I think that I will really be more aware of how all my students learn and try to differentiate more appropriately. I also love the idea of doing some pre-assessment with students so I can see more of what they know and offer extension activities to keep them engaged and learning.
First, I will be using some of the menus and forms in this book. This book reminded me of how important it is to identify my GT students and to make sure I meet their needs. It gave me some great ideas that I will implement. I plan to keep it close by so that I can refer to it throughout the year.
In response to kibbeek on August 23- I also plan on using the menus in this book. I think it is a great way to keep the students motivated throughout the year.
Response to Valerie Harelson (7/16): I too plan on keeping this book with my other resources so that I can use it when creating lessons and activities. I have no doubt that as I scroll down my lists of students and see the initials GT by some of the names, I will think about how I am differentiating instruction for these kiddos.
I will definitely be using this book in my classroom. I like that there are so many different strategies to use for both teaching and assessment. Many of theses strategies can be used for all kinds of students not just the GT students.
I really enjoyed reading this book. The authors seem like they still remember what it is like to "live" the classroom life. My favorite parts of the book were the Q& A sections and all the examples of the strategies and the blacklines. Excellent resource.
Since I plan on implementing the two approaches of Tiered Lesson Planning and Socratic Seminars I will keep it close at hand. In my "spare time" I would like to work on developing a lesson using the Kaplan Model. I think this model goes along with our rigor and relevance model.
I plan on using this book as often as I can when I am planning my lessons and considering assessments. One easy way to differentiate instruction is to use the products choice and the independent study guide. Also, I plan on implementing some aspect of the Socratic circle and the vocabulary builder.
I agree with Catherine on September 1. I would also recommend this book. I have three GT students in my class this year and they can certainly work on things of interest or explore topics in more depth, within our regular classroom framework, using some of the strategies mentioned in the book.
I hope to integrate technology more into my classroom. Many resources were given in the book, and we have been guided in how to use many in district trainings. With students working at the level that best suits them, they can grow the most (all students should grow, not just the weaker ones).
ReplyDeleteStudents know so much about technology. There are some easy ways to integrate technology. Some of my GT students like the technology option a lot. On individual projects, I may give a suggestion about how to present the project, but always let students come up with their own way to present the information. Two years ago, using Prezis was popular with some of my students. I also let students create a digital interactive notebook as long as it meets all the requirements of the physical notebook. Each year, a few students, both GT and other students choose that option.
DeleteResponse to Valerie Harelson: I'd love to know how to create a digital interactive notebook! I bet my kids would get a kick out of that, GT or not! I bet they already know how, too- hoping they bring just as much to the table as I do this year. It's so important for GT kids to have choices, and if they feel like they're the ones who came up with it, the work tends to be more authentic.
DeleteIn response to Elizabeth H on July 16th- I feel that we are not allowing students to use their brain power with too much technology. Technology should be a tool but not take the place of a creative and active learner. We do find out much more about a student on their own creative work.
DeleteIn response to elizabeth dated July 16, I would be careful about making a blanket statement about integrating technology. There are some tasks for which our devices make sense: pictures, research, polished products, etc. However, pencil and paper versions can be just as good. I would also not assume that the students know how to do as much as you think they do. Growing up with a technology does not equal mastery of it.
DeleteIn response to Stacy and Jonathan, I guess I wasn't clear. I wasn't saying we should rely on technology for everything, just that it is good to be able to have all students be able to access information in various ways. Technology should not be responsible for the instruction, it should be use as a tool to supplement. Students who might not benefit from my approach to a subject, might understand if it is available to them in another format.
DeleteStacey...I think using technology as one of your tools in teaching is a great idea. It is amazing what some of these kids can create. For those students not advanced in technology...group technology assignments give an opportunity for them to learn and grow in this area.
DeleteThere are a lot of suggestions for activities, so I would keep the book with other materials I use to create lesson plans and devise activities. I have put post it notes on pages of specific activities I want to try this next year. For example, each grading period my students choose a book to read that is related to one of the topics being studied that grading period. I liked the idea of Book Logos (p.119, 123). I'm going to incorporate this into the assignment so that students can share what they read with other students. That has been a weakness of this assignment. The assignment allows the students to practice a couple of skills they need for the exams at the end of the year. Sharing their books would be a neat feature and it will be interesting to see what students tell each other about their book.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think this is the best book I have ever had for a book study because it gives me things I can actually use! Almost all of the strategies can be simplified for my grade level and the planning sheets really break it down. I still think planning is one of the toughest things I have to do as a teacher, but this made it seem easy to plan for a variety of learning styles at all levels of thinking. I also liked the documents that help guide a student through extension work and keep track of their progress.
ReplyDeleteIn response to moneyj on 7/23, I would agree about the quality of the book. Since all students would benefit from some of the activities, I would add the district needs to provide additional support teachers can implement the activities.
DeleteI agree with MoneyJ. This has been one of the more helpful book studies. I am in first and it can be difficult to adjust some the ideas or activities but I have already been able to come with some ways to incorporate certain strategies in my classroom.
DeleteI agree with moneyjJuly 23, 2014 at 6:17 AM. the book gave me a lot of ideas that i can use with all of my students and not just the g/t students.
DeleteI agree with moneyjJuly...planning can be very difficult and I think this book does a great job breaking the strategies down to a point where we can easily make them work in our classrooms. The ready made sheets and clever insights give us a great starting point...now all we have to do is tailor it to our students specific needs.
DeleteI plan to use it to provide the few GT kids that I currently have in a GL class with the education that their classification provides per the State of Texas. There's always room for innovation in any classroom, and I've received valuable tips on how to strategize for GT kids in mine.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Charoltte McHale:
DeleteI agree that the book gives many tips as well as visuals to help teachers get started with the different strategies offered in the book.
I envision using this book and ideas into my classroom by allowing students to take a personal interest in their learning. I like many of the extension ideas for book club and charts for other subject areas. I would recommend this book for any teacher teaching gifted students.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Stacey L on July 23, I agree that this book gives a lot of ways for students to take a personal interest in their learning. The strategies in the book really focus on the students and how to combine their interests with the content.
DeleteIn response to Stacey L on July 23, I would recommend this book to any teacher. It gives many new strategies to use to getting the most out of our students.
DeleteIn response to Stacey L's comment on July 23. I agree that this is a great book to recommend. It offers lots of great strategies for new teachers of GT students as well as teachers who might just need some new ideas.
DeleteI agree with Stacey L on July 23. I would also recommend this book and hope for my students to take a personal interest in their learning. In first grade there are so many learning to read... when I have a GT student who is ready to read to learn already that kids needs to be able to move forward.
DeleteI learned some new ways of doing things, as well as taking some things I already do and making improvements to them to make them more interesting to the students. For example, I really enjoyed how the learning centers are set up (page 161). I had never thought about including items (tips for help, rubric, and student behavior guidelines) in my learning centers. There are a lot of great suggestions for giving students more ownership in their learning.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Kimberly Muske on July 23, 2014 at 5:02 PM
DeleteI also enjoyed the learning centers strategy and love the idea of including the student behavior guidelines in the center as well .
In response to Kimberly Muske: I agree that the tips and examples in the book will help teachers set up engaging activities. I also agree that it gives students ownership of their learning
DeleteThis book offers a lot of detail on getting started with GT strategies in the classroom. There are several ideas I would not have considered before. I think the best way to use this book is for the way it outlines structure to independent study projects. All of the short range goals it discusses are things that I have failed to implement when thinking about these kind of things in the past.
ReplyDeleteResponse to Jonathan on July 29th... I too am excited about the independent study projects. I think the structure this book provides and goals will be helpful for me to follow through on my end and help the students with their outcome.
DeleteThis book is great and offers tons of strategies, which can easily be used in my classroom! I plan on using many of the strategies, such as Socratic seminars, learning centers, The Great Friday Afternoon Event, and many of the vocabulary activities, like the vocabulary web, super sentences, and vocabulary builders.
ReplyDeleteI see myself using many of the strategies I have learned about in this book. I like the learning centers and the note taking , and the personal learning ideas.Great book!
ReplyDeleteI will use this book to plan learning centers for my 3rd graders in language arts. Many of my students would enjoy the choice, and I would know they were doing something of substance.
ReplyDeleteThis book has a ton of strategies I can use for differentiate and accomodate all kinds of learners. I hope to incorporate the different strategies little by little into plans and save them for the following year. I have another GT book that is also filled with more strategies. I hope that I can slow down enough to try them out.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Shauna Capuchino (August 7th), After reading this book, I have many new strategies and more ideas floating around. I'm pleased to have all of these fresh ideas at the beginning of the new year!
DeleteThis was a really good book and can't wait to use it in the classroom this year. There are so many great resources to use like the product choice chart, the independent study guide agreement, etc. So many more to choose from. I think it will encourage and excite the students to be able to have different choices for learning.
ReplyDeletei see myself trying some of the strategies and ideas that were presented in the book.
ReplyDeleteI would really like to start using the Learning Centers. I can't wait to see how it goes this year.
I have already shared some of the ideas I read from this book. My partner and I are working on our plan to implement the personal interest strategy and how we will adjust our grading. I am very excited about the students sharing their discoveries with the class...we will all be learning great things this year.
ReplyDeleteI think that reading this book allowed me to revisit some of the things I forgot about working with GT students. I think that I will really be more aware of how all my students learn and try to differentiate more appropriately. I also love the idea of doing some pre-assessment with students so I can see more of what they know and offer extension activities to keep them engaged and learning.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I will be using some of the menus and forms in this book. This book reminded me of how important it is to identify my GT students and to make sure I meet their needs. It gave me some great ideas that I will implement. I plan to keep it close by so that I can refer to it throughout the year.
ReplyDeleteIn response to kibbeek on August 23-
DeleteI also plan on using the menus in this book. I think it is a great way to keep the students motivated throughout the year.
Response to Valerie Harelson (7/16): I too plan on keeping this book with my other resources so that I can use it when creating lessons and activities. I have no doubt that as I scroll down my lists of students and see the initials GT by some of the names, I will think about how I am differentiating instruction for these kiddos.
ReplyDeleteI will definitely be using this book in my classroom. I like that there are so many different strategies to use for both teaching and assessment. Many of theses strategies can be used for all kinds of students not just the GT students.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this book. The authors seem like they still remember what it is like to "live" the classroom life. My favorite parts of the book were the Q& A sections and all the examples of the strategies and the blacklines. Excellent resource.
ReplyDeleteSince I plan on implementing the two approaches of Tiered Lesson Planning and Socratic Seminars I will keep it close at hand. In my "spare time" I would like to work on developing a lesson using the Kaplan Model. I think this model goes along with our rigor and relevance model.
ReplyDeleteI plan on using this book as often as I can when I am planning my lessons and considering assessments. One easy way to differentiate instruction is to use the products choice and the independent study guide. Also,
ReplyDeleteI plan on implementing some aspect of the Socratic circle and the vocabulary builder.
I agree with Catherine on September 1. I would also recommend this book. I have three GT students in my class this year and they can certainly work on things of interest or explore topics in more depth, within our regular classroom framework, using some of the strategies mentioned in the book.
ReplyDelete