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LINKS
FOR PARENTS
Is your child a High
Achiever, Gifted Learner or Creative Thinker ? by Bertie Kingore, Ph.D http://www.bertiekingore.com/high-gt-create.htm This a terrific site with resources for parents and teachers Other articles
for parents
http://www.bertiekingore.com/articlespar.htm Supporting
Emotional Needs of the Gifted http://www.sengifted.org/articles_index.shtml Links for Westlake Parents of Talented and Gifted Children http://tagpdx.org/articles.htm#Distance%20learning%20resources Links to websites: G/T Meta-sites http://tagpdx.org/links_to_websites.htm The grades 1-4 WINGS program explained
In WINGS class your child
is involved in diverse enrichment activities. The common theme which runs
through all activities is that each activity requires using higher level
thinking skills; analysis, synthesis and evaluation. During the school year
the activities will focus on developing the following process skills:
WINGS Language Arts Your child is engaged in a special
language arts unit designed specifically to meet the needs
of high-ability students. It was developed at The Center for Gifted Education
at the School of Education at The College of William of Mary. The goals are
as follows: > To
develop analytical and interpretive skills in literature > To
develop skills in identifying, analyzing, and using figurative language > To
develop persuasive writing skills > To
develop linguistic competency > To
develop analogical reasoning skills > To develop
understanding of the concept of change, especially changes related to
language A variety of literature selections will
provide the context for our exploration of figurative language and change.
The literature will stimulate discussion, writing, listening, and vocabulary
activities. In class, we will read and discuss numerous poems, several
picture books, and one novel. Students will keep response journals to help
them reflect on what they read. We will specifically look for examples of
figurative language in what we read, and we will learn to
understand the parts of similes and metaphors and why they are used. Further information will be sent home if
homework assignments are given. There will be opportunities for students to
work with the teacher and classmates on each project as the unit progresses. Curriculum Framework CONTENT GOALS Goal 1 To develop analytical and interpretive
skills in literature Students will be able to: 1. Describe what a selected
literary passage means; 2. State an important idea
of a reading; 3. Analyze similarities and
differences in meaning among selected works of literature; 4. Create a title for a
reading selection and provide a rationale to justify
it. Goal 2: To develop skills in identifying,
analyzing, and using figurative language Students will be able to: 1. Recognize figurative
expressions in text, including simile, metaphor, and personification; 2. Analyze a metaphorical
expression for topic, object of comparison, and
shared characteristics; 3. Use the forms of simile,
metaphor, and personification to create figurative
comparisons. Goal 3: To develop persuasive writing skills Students will be able to: 1. Write a persuasive
paragraph that includes a claim, reasons, and conclusion; 2. Revise and edit a piece of writing. Goal 4: To develop linguistic competency Students will be able to: 1. Use context dues and
analogies to discover word meanings; 2. Develop vocabulary skill commensurate
with reading. PROCESS GOAL Goal 5: To develop analogical reasoning skills
CONCEPT GOAL Students will be able to: 1. Understand that change is linked to
time; 2. Analyze changes to
determine whether they are positive or negative, natural or human in cause,
and orderly or random; 3. Recognize the change process at work in
a selection of literature; 4. Demonstrate changes in
language over time; 5. Describe changes language
can cause in human behavior and emotions. WINGS
Math Project M3 Math
( Mentoring Mathematical Minds) combines the National Council of Teachers of
Mathematics Content and Process Standards (2000). Project M³ 's increased depth, complexity, and best
practices in the field of gifted and talented curriculum development has
created the type of mathematics that is both challenging and enjoyable for
talented math students. The
program is organized in a way to present high ability learners with effective
growth opportunities. It includes advanced math content focused on critical
and creative problem solving and reasoning. It has engaging investigations,
projects and simulations involve students in active problem-solving. Rich
verbal and written mathematical communication enhances learning and promotes
higher order thinking skills in students. Students work as practicing
mathematicians, using journal entries to deepen their understanding. The program was developed was funded by the
U.S. Department of Education's Jacob K. Javits
Program. Grade
Three Math Unraveling
the Mystery of the MoLi Stone: Place Value and
Numeration Digging for Data In this unit, Data Analysis,
students explore the world of the research scientist and learn how gathering,
representing, and analyzing data are the essence of good research. The Me in Measurement In this
unit on measurement, students are actively engaged in the measurement process
and connect it to their own personal worlds. As mathematicians, they measure objects
in their classrooms, at home, and even their own bodies. They make estimates,
develop personal benchmarks, and focus on accuracy and precision of
measurement. They also examine irregular shapes and develop strategies to
find their areas. This
unit builds upon students' early primary grade experiences where they used
nonstandard units of measure such as lima beans, straws and paper clips to
measure. Specifically, this unit introduces standard units of measure and the
need to select units appropriate to the attribute being measured. As students
explore the attributes of length, area, and volume, they are immersed in
problem-solving situations that require them to use a variety of other
mathematical concepts and skills from number (such as computation and
fractions) and geometry (such as the properties of shapes). Awesome Algebra: Looking for
Patterns In this
unit students are encouraged to study patterns and determine how they change,
how they can be extended or repeated and /or how they grow. They then move
beyond this to organize the information systematically and analyze it to
develop generalizations about mathematical relationships in the patterns.
There is a strong focus on mathematical communication of algebraic thinking
or reasoning.. Grade
Four Math Factors,
Multiples, and Leftovers: Linking Multiplication and Division
Student extend their thinking about multiplication to
factors and multiples, and also look at relationships among prime, composite,
square, odd and even numbers. At the Mall
with Algebra: Working with Variables and Equations As students represent and analyze
mathematical situations using algebraic symbols, they come to understand the basic
notion of equality and equivalent expressions. They learn how variables are
used to represent change in quantities and also to represent a specific
unknown in an equation. The idea that the same variables represent the same
quantity in a given equation or set of equations is a fundamental algebraic
concept that students will use throughout their mathematical learning. In this unit, students'
understanding of these concepts comes out of informal problem solving in
which they use mathematics to make sense of the situations posed, just like
real mathematicians. Students are intrigued to figure out the mathematics
behind number tricks and to solve variable puzzles. These experiences and
discussions in the unit will provide a rich context for introducing students
to algebraic thinking while strengthening their problem solving and
mathematical communication skills. Getting into Shapes In Getting Into Shapes,
students explore 2- and 3-dimensional shapes with a focus on their
properties, relationships among them and spatial visualization. The reasoning
skills that they build upon in this unit help them to develop an
understanding of more complex geometric concepts. They learn new, more
specialized vocabulary and learn how to describe properties of shapes with this
terminology allowing for greater clarity and precision in their explanations.
They move from describing properties to comparing and contrasting properties
of 2- and 3-dimensional shapes by classifying them into different groups
based on their properties. Analyze This!
Representing and Interpreting Data In this unit, students
develop a deeper understanding of data analysis. Specifically, they learn
what categorical data are and how to represent and analyze categorical data
using new, more sophisticated ways including Venn diagrams and pie graphs.
They also work with continuous data as they learn to construct and analyze
line graphs. They will collect data through the same research process that
they have previously learned in third grade. The steps in the
research process include formulating a research question, making a
hypothesis, gathering data to answer the question and then representing and
analyzing the data. Finally, they will draw conclusions and present their
results. Thinking
About Math Instruction… ( This article was
targeted to classroom teachers but I thought that WINGS parents would benefit
from Marilyn Burn’s ideas. I agree with her philosophy.) Marilyn Burns: 10 Big Math Ideas Everyone's favorite math guru shares the top 10 ways you can
enhance your child’s math learning, test scores, and skills By Marilyn Burns Several
years ago, Michael, one of my third graders, wrote this in his journal: “I
never used to look forward to math. All we did was add
and subtract. Now I like it more. We work together in class, and we still
learn math
but in a
better way.” In a sense, Michael described the challenge we face as math
teachers—to help students become flexible thinkers who are comfortable with all
the content areas of mathematics and able to apply their learning to problem-solving situations. I have to
admit—my early teaching resembled the math class Michael described, but over time I have found more
engaging and effective approaches. Here are the ten “big ideas” I now embrace for helping children learn,
understand, and enjoy math class. 1. Success comes from understanding. Set
the following expectation for your students: Do only what makes sense to you.
Too often, students see math as a collection of steps and tricks that they must learn.
And this misconception leads to common recurring errors—when subtracting, students will subtract the
smaller from the larger rather than regrouping or when dividing, they'll omit
a zero and wind up with an answer that is ten times too small. In these instances, students
arrive at answers that make no sense, and they rarely know why. Help students
understand that they should always try to make sense of what they do in math.
Always encourage them to
explain the purpose for what they're doing, the logic of their procedures,
and the
reasonableness
of their solutions. 2. Have students explain their reasoning. It's
insufficient and shortsighted to rely on quick, right answers as indications
of students' mathematical power. During math lessons, probe children's thinking when
they respond. Ask: Why do you think that? Why does that make sense? Convince us. Prove it. Does anyone have
a different way to think about the problem? Does anyone have another explanation? When children are
asked to explain their thinking, they are forced to organize their ideas.
They have the opportunity to develop and extend their understanding. Teachers are
accustomed to asking students to explain their thinking when their responses are incorrect.
It's important, however, to ask children to explain their reasoning at all
times. 3. Math class is a time for talk. Communication
is essential for learning. Having students work quietly—and by
themselves—limits their learning opportunities. Interaction helps children clarify their
ideas, get feedback for their thinking, and hear other points of view.
Students can learn from one another as well as from their teachers. Make student talk a
regular part of your lessons. Partner talk—sometimes called “turn and talk”
or “thinkpair- share”—encourages students to voice their ideas. Giving them a
minute or so to talk with a neighbor also helps students get ready to contribute to a discussion.
It's especially beneficial to students who are generally hesitant to share in front of the whole class. 4. Make writing a part of math learning. Communication
in math class should include writing as well as talking. In his book Writing
to Learn (Harper, 1993), William Zinsser states: “Writing is how we think our
way into a subject and make it our own.” When children write in math class, they have to revisit their
thinking and reflect on their ideas. And student writing gives teachers a way to assess how their students are thinking and
what they understand. Writing in math class best extends from children's talking.
When partner talk, small-group interaction, or a whole-class discussion
precedes a writing assignment, students have a chance to formulate their
ideas before they're
expected to write. Vary writing assignments. At the end of a lesson, students
can write in their math journals or logs about what they learned and what questions
they have. Or ask them to write about a particular math idea—“what I know about multiplication so
far,” or “what happens to the sums and products when adding even and odd numbers.” When solving a problem,
encourage students to record how they reasoned. Writing prompts on the board can help students get
started writing. For example: Today I learned ..., I am still not sure about ..., I think the answer is ...,
I think this because.... 5. Present math activities in contexts. Real-world
contexts can give students access to otherwise abstract mathematical ideas. Contexts stimulate student interest and provides
a purpose for learning. When connected to situations, mathematics comes alive. Contexts can
draw on real-world examples. For example, ask students to figure out what you
might have bought and how much it cost if, after paying for it, you
received $0.35 change. Or ask children to figure out how much money
each of four children would get if they shared $5.00 equally. Or ask a group
of children to estimate and then figure out how many raisins each of them
would get if they shared a snack-size box. Contexts
can also be created from imaginary situations, and children's books are ideal
starting points for classroom math lessons. After reading Eric Carle's Rooster's
Off to See the World (Simon & Schuster, 1991), for example, ask children if they can figure out how
many animals went traveling. Or ask children to follow the calculations in Judith Viorst's
Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday (Simon & Schuster, 1978), and figure out
how Alexander spent his money. For a ready-to-use, literature-linked math
lesson, see
“A
Step-by-Step Lesson with Marilyn Burns,” above. 6. Support learning with manipulatives. Manipulative
materials help make abstract mathematical ideas concrete. They give children
the chance to grab onto mathematics ideas, turn them around, and view them
in different ways. Manipulative materials can serve in several ways—to introduce concepts, to pose problems, and
to use as tools to figure out solutions. It's important that manipulatives
are not relegated to the early grades but are also available to older students. 7. Let your students push the curriculum. Avoid
having the curriculum push the children. Choose depth over breadth and avoid
having your math program be a mile wide and an inch deep. As David Hawkins said
in The Having of Wonderful Ideas, by Eleanor Duckworth (Teachers College Press, 1996), “You don't
want to cover a subject; you want to uncover it.” There are many pressures on teachers, and the school year
passes very quickly. But students' understanding is key and doesn't always happen according to a set schedule.
Stay with topics that interest children, explore them more deeply, and take the time for side
investigations that can extend lessons in different directions. 8. The best activities meet the needs of all students. Keep
an eye out for instructional activities that are accessible to students with
different levels of interest and experience. A wonderful quality of good children's books is
that they delight adults as well. Of course, adults appreciate books for different reasons than children do, but enjoyment
and learning can occur simultaneously at all levels. The same holds true for math.
Look for activities that allow for students to seek their own level and
that also lend themselves to extensions. For example, challenge children to find the sum of three
consecutive numbers, such as 4 + 5 + 6. Ask them to do at least five different problems and see if they can
discover how the sum relates to the addends. (The sum is always the
middle number tripled.) Allowing the children to select their own numbers to
add is a way for students to choose problems that are appropriate for them.
Even those students who don't discover the relationship will benefit from the addition practice. Invite
more able students to write about why they think the sum is always three times
the middle number, or to investigate the sums of four consecutive numbers. 9. Confusion is part of the process. Remember
that confusion and partial understanding are natural to the learning process.
Don't expect all children to learn everything at the same time, and don't
expect all children to get the same message from every lesson. Although
we want all students to be successful, it's hard to reach every student with
every lesson. Learning should be viewed as a long-range goal, not as a
lesson objective. It's important that children do not feel deficient, hopeless, or excluded from
learning mathematics. The classroom culture should reinforce the belief that errors are opportunities for
learning and should support children taking risks without fear of failure
or embarrassment. 10. Encourage different ways of thinking. There's
no one way to think about any mathematical problem. After children respond to
a question (and, of course, have explained their thinking!), ask: Does anyone have
a different idea? Keep asking until all children who volunteer have offered their ideas. By
encouraging participation, you'll not only learn more about individual
children's thinking, but you'll also send the message that there's more than
one way to look at any problem or situation. That's when the potential for
delight occurs. Marilyn Burns is the creator and founder of Math Solutions
Professional Development, dedicated to improving the teaching of K–8 mathematics
through providing inservice, teacher resource books,videotapes, audiotapes, children's books, and more.
Visit Marilyn on the Web at www.mathsolutions.com. This article was originally published in the April 2004 issue
of Instructor. LINKS
FOR PARENTS
Is your child a High
Achiever, Gifted Learner or Creative Thinker ? by Bertie Kingore, Ph.D http://www.bertiekingore.com/high-gt-create.htm This a terrific site with resources for parents and teachers Other articles
for parents
http://www.bertiekingore.com/articlespar.htm Supporting
Emotional Needs of the Gifted http://www.sengifted.org/articles_index.shtml Links for Westlake Parents
of Talented and Gifted Children http://tagpdx.org/articles.htm#Distance%20learning%20resources |
