Transcript Talent Development in 4th & 5th Grades

Talent Development
in
Grades 4 and 5
April 11, 2012
By Trinette Atri
TD/Catalyst Teacher
It is the supreme art
of the teacher to
awaken joy in
creative expression
and knowledge. –
Albert Einstein
Our Mission:
To provide gifted
students the
opportunity to
maximize their
potential,
demonstrate their
motivation, and
realize their
contributions to self
and the global
community.
Our Goal:
To support the
development of a
content-rich
educational
experience for
students from all
cultural and
socioeconomic
backgrounds
throughout CMS.
The TD program provides
opportunities and resources for
learners to…
 attain levels of academic achievement consistent
with their abilities
 engage in abstract, creative, and affective reasoning
 apply insightful questioning
 develop a capacity to see interconnections among
disciplines
 practice self-directed learning and independent
problem solving
 strive for self actualization
 maximize their leadership potential
 become active participants in the global community
The Catalyst Model
“Gifted learners are gifted all the time”
– Mary S. Landrum
Therefore, gifted education is not an
add on for ninety minutes a week.
The focus of the Catalyst Model is to
differentiate instruction for the gifted
and high performing students.
So how does the Catalyst
Model work?
• The classroom teacher and TD/Catalyst
teacher share responsibility for the education
of gifted students
• The TD/Catalyst teacher provides lessons and
activities for teachers to use in the
heterogeneous classroom or teaches students
directly
• The TD/Catalyst teacher provides enrichment
and acceleration for students who have
shown mastery (90% +) of objectives being
taught in the regular classroom through direct
or indirect instruction
What are Direct Services?
 Direct services, or “face time,” are lessons
that are created and taught by the
TD/Catalyst Teacher
 Direct services can be “pull out” (students
pulled into TD/Catalyst classroom) or “push
in” (students remain with classroom teacher
when TD/Catalyst teacher comes in to coteach with classroom teacher)
What are Indirect Services?
 Indirect services are lessons and activities
developed by the TD/Catalyst teacher and
provided to the classroom teacher for
him/her to use in his/her classroom
 Examples are: centers, independent
contracts, projects, alternative
homework/classwork, lessons
What is the breakdown for
direct and indirect services?
Services for TD Certified Students
Direct
Indirect
Why the need for direct and
indirect services?
• Often there are too many students for one person to
reach alone. Differentiation is required in the regular
classroom to provide all students with the education
they need and deserve.
• Since the TD/Catalyst teacher cannot see all children,
all day, every day, the classroom teacher requires
activities and lessons from the TD/Catalyst teacher
for those students while they are in the regular
classroom.
• Without differentiation, everyone would move at the
same pace, be evaluated in the same way, and
complete the same activities – regardless of their
prior knowledge or individual needs
How do I teach gifted and
high ability learners?
O Focus on creative thinking, problem solving and logic
O Ask higher level questions during novel studies,
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rather than lower, “knowledge” level questions
(Bloom’s Taxonomy)
Engage students through project-based learning
Utilize research-based resources for gifted students
(William & Mary, etc.)
Work in abstract thinking and concepts – symbolism,
themes, etc.
Increase awareness of the global community through
novel studies and discussion
Teach problem solving strategies in math
How do you determine who is in your
math and reading groups?
 Depends on pre-assessments – math and reading;
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behavior and ability to work independently; class work;
space in the classroom; formative testing; teachercreated assessments – MANY data points
Groups are flexible and can change from unit to unit,
novel to novel, and/or quarter to quarter
See both TD certified and catalyst students
Direct – 40%, Indirect – 60% services
Students can be seen for both or just reading or just
math, depending on their individual needs and the
factors listed above
The man who
does not read
good books has
no advantage
over the man
who cannot read
them.
- Mark Twain
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4
Grade DWT
 Students are pre-assessed for reading
levels and comprehension using CMS and
teacher-created assessments
 Students showing mastery on 90% of the
objectives pre-tested are placed into DWT
group until the class cap is reached
 Students will work on novel studies,
figurative language, themes/concepts
and higher order thinking
 Students will also focus on academic
writing – that is responding to literary
questions through essay writing
Examples of 4th Grade
Literature Units & Novels
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SEM-R (School-wide Enrichment Model for Reading) –
students pick own appropriately challenging novels
Art Mystery Unit: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E.
Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg, Chasing Vermeer by Blue
Balliet and Masterpiece by Elise Broach
Survival Unit: Hatchet by Gary Paulsen and Island of the Blue
Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
Spy Unit: I, Q: Independence Hall by Roland Smith, The
Genius Files: Mission Unstoppable by Dan Gutman and
Keepers of the School: We the Children by Andrew
Clements
Poetry Unit: Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, Edgar Allen Poe,
Carl Sandburg, Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes,
analyzing poetry
th
5
Grade DWT
 Students are pre-assessed for reading
levels and comprehension using CMS and
teacher-created assessments
 Students showing mastery on 90% of the
objectives pre-tested placed into DWT
group until the class cap is reached
 Students will work on novel studies,
figurative language, concepts/themes,
and higher order thinking
 Students have been working on essays
and academic writing to prepare them
for the expectations in middle school
Examples of 5th Grade
Literature Units & Novels
 SEM-R (School-wide Enrichment Model for Reading)
 Holocaust Unit: Number the Stars by Lois Lowry, Yellow Star
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by Jennifer Roy & Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli
Utopias/Dystopias Unit: The Giver, Gathering Blue, and The
Messenger by Lois Lowry (trilogy) & Tunnels by Roderick
Gordon
The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg
Civil War Unit: Sarny: A Life Remembered by Gary Paulsen,
Chasing Lincoln’s Killer by James L. Swanson, & Bloody Times
by James L. Swanson
Afghanistan Unit: The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis, Three
Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and Extra Credit by Andrew
Clements
Mystery Unit: The Name of This Book Is Secret by
Pseudonymous Bosch, The Mysterious Benedict Society by
Trenton Lee Stewart, & The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
The essence of
mathematics is
not to make
simple things
complicated, but
to make
complicated
things simple.
– S. Gudder
4th Grade Mathematics
Enrichment
• Math Superstars (problem solving – often given as
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weekly homework – given Thurs., due next Thurs.)
Math Olympiad (problem solving) – 5 contests per
year, starting in November in class
Number Systems study (Roman, Egyptian, Babylonian,
Primitive, additive and place value)
March Madness (decimals, fractions, probability,
graphing, measurement conversion)
K’Nex Math – using building toys to understand
geometric concepts
Hands On Equations (algebra)
Junk Mail graphing project (science, math & writing)
5th Grade Mathematics Enrichment
• Math Superstars (problem solving - usually given as
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weekly homework – given Thurs., due next Thurs.)
Math Olympiad (problem solving) – 5 contests per
year, starting in November in class
Number Systems study (different base systems)
Geometry and Finances (bridge building – ties in with
science, cooperative learning)
Stock Market Game (decimals, percents and
investing)
Amaze-ing Shapes/Polyhedraville (geometry –
cooperative learning)
March Madness (percents, decimals, fractions,
graphing/data collection, essay, measurement
conversion)
Hands On Equations (algebra)
Student Performance Ratings
At the end of each year, each TD certified student in
grades 2-5 receives a TD student performance rating, in
addition to their regular report card. Each of the 4
sections are scored from 1-4, as follows:
O1 – Needs immediate improvement
O2 – Needs some improvement
O3 – Meets expectations
O4 – Exceeds expectations
Opportunities for Gifted
Students
O Chess Club
O Odyssey of the Mind (OM)
O Science Olympiad
O Lego Robotics Club
O Duke T.I.P. (Talent Identification Program)
Middle School
 No formal “TD” program in middle schools –
Honors Classes
 Students must score between 97-98
percentile on EOGs in 5th grade to place into
Honors classes
 EOG scores alone are NOT to be used to
place TD certified students in middle school,
per department instructions
 Alternative schools: magnet schools (I.B. –
Randolph, Performing Arts – Northwest,
Languages – E.E. Waddell)
Questions?
 You may contact me at
school:
(980) 343-3755
 Or via email (fastest):
[email protected]
 Homework, projects and
newsletters or updates will
be posted on my website:
http://www.giftedteaching
.com