Richardson Gifted .com

Renzulli Learning Module

Bonnie — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 19:57:03 +0000

Information about the Renzulli Learning Method soon to be piloted and adopted by Richardson Independent School District.

RG in the news

Bonnie — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:25:33 +0000

Check out this article in Lake Highlands Today mentioning Richardson Gifted. Woot!

http://www.lakehighlandstoday.com/index.php/schools/article/summer_fair_offers_options_for_gifted_students/

2010 TAGT scholarships

Bonnie — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:23:41 +0000

If you missed the summer camp fair & the TAGT scholarship presentation, I am posting it here. Deadline is March 1st!2010 TAGT Scholarships [Compatibility Mode]

communication

Bonnie — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 20:24:34 +0000

Wow! When we open up the lines of communication, it starts flooding! I just heard from Brenda Payne today. Brenda is just under Joyce Wilson, Asst. Superintendent of Elem. Education. Brenda as you know was in the meeting last week. She is now on board with helping to promote Richardson Gifted to all of the principals. Angela Vaughan, MST principal, is going to speak to the others at their weekly principal meeting letting them know some of the things we are doing as parents and educators to open the lines of communication and to improve our gifted kids’ education. This is a step in the right direction, folks!

I have been hearing from several of you regarding things that aren’t working & even some things that are. Please keep the stories coming. Please continue conversations with teachers and principals. We want them to know that we are on their side. One thing that Brenda suggested in our conferences was to use an inquiring voice versus a demanding or accusing voice when speaking to them.

I heard from another parent who said their teachers are doing a weekly pull out for advanced readers and another one gets regrouped during intervention time. FYI-All schools have intervention time. Some will group the on level & above levels with a teacher for advanced instruction, some will give them independent enrichment projects to do in the classroom, and some even still will just leave them to do SSR-sustained silent reading. Ask your child what he/she does during that time. If you’d like to see more done, ask the teacher if they could group the on & aboves and create an enrichment project. Our 5th grade teachers just completed one and based on their recent TAKS simulation, they will be regrouping the students according to the scores. This is great by the way for those with asynchronous development (strong in math, but not reading or vice versa).

If you’d like to see some of these things happening in your schools, ask, but don’t demand. Use words like “could we try …”, “what if we did this instead of that”, etc. Start with the teacher & give him/her the benefit of not going directly over their head. If you don’t hear back from the teachers, then go to the principals. Again, use the same inquisitive voice. When they listen & follow through, don’t forget to thank them!

Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t remind you to officially join Richardson Gifted (www.richardsongifted.com/membership) and to spread the word to other parents of gifted children. We aren’t just for students in RISD. We are open to homeschoolers, preschoolers, private schoolers, and anyone in the area who needs support and advocacy for their gifted children.

meeting follow-up

Bonnie — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 20:19:23 +0000

The following is a recap of our meeting with Karen Adams, Brenda Payne (administrator over 14 principals & just under Joyce Wilson asst. superintendent of elem. education), Angela Vaughan (principal at MST), Bonnie Mola (parent) & myself. I think some things were clarified, but we still lots of work to do. At least now we know how to do it. The bullet points are what we can do now for this school year to make it better for our kids. The process for getting a g/t magnet is what we want to accomplish for the fall, but to do that, we have to start now!

Principals would work with the teachers to encourage them to send out a weekly email communication letting parents know what the students are working on at school. This would let the parents know how their instruction is differentiated & it would be beneficial I think for all parents-not just the parents of gifted. MST’s principal is going to let the others know what they are implementing as a result of our conference with the 5th grade teachers a few weeks ago. Keep in mind that differentiated does not mean accelerated. They should be getting depth & breadth to their instruction. What that means is higher level thinking questions causing them to think more about the lesson. It might also be getting their math in the form of word problems instead of just number sentences. HMR does have leveled readers so your child should be getting the above level books if that is their strong subject. There are also higher level scienc books & I’m sure almost every subject has bonus or challenge questions. Make sure your teacher is requiring your child to do them. It can’t be optional, because if they’re like my kids, they won’t do the optional problems. Usually means more work for them, but they might be able to do them in lieu of the others that they have mastered. Also, is it really a big deal to do one extra problem?

Parents need to open the lines of communication with their teachers and ask them how instruction is being differentiated & make them accountable if it isn’t. If necessary, parents may then take it to the principal. If you’re still not getting it from the principal, take it to the principal’s boss. Admin can help you figure out who that is.

I encourage you parents to contact the school board reps and encourage them to consider establishing a gifted magnet school. It seems the only way to get this is going to be to go to the school board. There are also 3 seats open & up for reelection. Anybody interested in running? David Tyson isn’t running again so his position will be open. Lanette Greenhaw is seeking re-election as is one other. I can’t remember who, but it’s on the district website. There is also a bond election this year so now is the time to hit them up as well about making one of the schools or even a few of them g/t magnets. My personal opinion is that it wouldn’t cost anything extra to do that. They could even start at a couple of schools to have a g/t school within a regular school except at the kinder level. Start testing all of the students entering a magnet school so you’re not kicking out kids in their elementary school. Another option would be to just open up another school-take over one of these empty office buildings. Harmony public charter schools did it.

We talked about ability grouping & I was under the impression that the district was against it. Then when I asked Karen Adams about it, she said she was all for ability grouping & even sent me an article supporting her beliefs. Now what I need to find out from you is if that is actually happening. If there are 5 g/t kids in your child’s grade level, are they all in the same class so that they can get differentiated instruction?

Their is going to be a new curriculum adoption for LA.

Are they bored because they’re not being challenged or because they just don’t like the subject on hand. Brenda Payne brought up an interesting scenario. We as adults don’t always like to do certain tasks because they’re boring. We still have to do them. She’s in the middle of doing 14 principals’ reviews. Each one takes 3 hours. It is mind numbing & boring, but she still has to do it. I remember hating science & social studies in school because I thought they were the most boring subjects. It doesn’t mean I wasn’t being challenged. If our kids are bored, but are still being challenged, that’s ok. That’s life & we all have to do the boring stuff. If the teacher isn’t finding things to keep the kids challenged, that’s when you need to step in & ask for some differentiation. It could be something as simple as changing the spelling words. We had to take it to our principal to get the words changed in fourth grade because they were ridicuously easy. Now my son is still missing just a few of the word on his pretest with the harder words, so I asked the teacher if he could write sentences instead of writing his words three times each. Just because he knew how to spell them, didn’t mean he knew what they meant! Last week she had those who missed only 3 – 4 or less write the words once each, but in cursive. That is differentiation. That is what you should be seeing in the classroom & coming home for homework.

I think a good majority of us would like to see acceleration going on in the classroom. Honestly that is not going to happen unless we can get a g/t magnet school started. Testing has to happen for every child entering a school. MST & ACM are a good place to start since they are already designated magnets. I encourage you to get in touch with your school board reps (good luck with that because I’ve been trying for two weeks now) & tell them we want a gifted magnet. I’ve been having conversations with my rep off & on for the past year. What I got was that the magnets were set up to offer students a choice of more arts based curriculum or more of the sciences. Now we need to tell them that we want to be able to chose a school with a gifted curriculum.

Please share with the group your successes or challenges in getting differentiated instruction. Let us know what is working so we might try it on our campus. Let us know where you’re struggling so someone might have some advice on what works. Keep us all posted on conversations with your school board reps. If they get inundated with phone calls & emails from all of us, they’ll have to stop & listen. Most importantly, forward these emails to your friends who have gifted kids & encourage them to sign up for our communications on our website & to actually join Richardson Gifted. We have lots of exciting things in store for our members & dues are only $20 a year per family. You can join & pay via paypal on our webiste. http://richardsongifted.com/membership/

SENG Model Discussion Group

Bonnie — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:44:36 +0000

Title: SENG Model Discussion Group
Location: TBA
Description: 9 week book study of Dr. Webb’s book The Parent’s guide to the Gifted Child. Meets weekly on Wed. evenings from March 3-May 5
Start Time: 19:00
Date: 2010-03-03
End Time: 20:30

Click on the SENG discussion page for registration form & flyer.

Jack Kent Cooke Young Scholars scholarship

Bonnie — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 20:12:50 +0000

This came across on the Mensa Brightkids listserve. Please pass along to any 7th grade parents you know.-Bonnie

The 2010 scholarship application for the Jack Kent Cooke Young Scholars(JKC) scholarship program is now available. The JKC program is a national scholarship program for high achieving 7th grade students with financial need. Below is the information with criteria and website contact information. It would be great if this information could get sent to your education listservs, websites, newsletters, individuals, schools, etc. It is an application that takes a little time to complete so the sooner families know about it the sooner they can get started. The JKC Young Scholars program is accepting applications now through April from those students in their 7th grade year. The program provides exceptional students with individualized educational guidance and educational services, which could include tutors, summer programs, on-line classes, computers, and possible tuition support through their high school years and continued support as they enter the college of their choice. I am eager to make this opportunity available to all that qualify. It is a scholarship program that could dramatically enhance a students academic possibilities.The Young Scholars Program is highly competitive and attracts outstanding applicants from across the United States. The specific criteria for consideration are:Current 7th grade studentsStrong academic record, awards/honors, teacher recommendation Financial need, Motivation, Leadership, An appreciation for the arts, music, literature, or similar fields The application (there is no cost to apply) has a deadline date of April 26, 2010 and can be downloaded from their site, http://www.jkcf.org/scholarships/young-scholars-program/how-to-apply/ This is a great opportunity for students that meet the criteria, it is an in-depth application so I would suggest beginning the process of completing it as early as possible.

Webinars from UC Irvine

Bonnie — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 04:00:00 +0000

We’re Back!

UC Irvine Extension proudly presents the 2 ^nd Annual Free GATE

Webinar Series

It’s a new year and that means we are bringing you new presenters and hot topics in Gifted and Talented Education. UC Irvine Extension will be hosting another FREE, month-long series to address current legislative and economic impacts on gifted programming and to give GATE educators the opportunity to gain knowledge, skills, and experience from experts in the field. Although this webinar series is designed specifically for K-12 teachers, registration is open to the public. If you strive for a better understanding of the needs and capabilities of today’s gifted and talented students, sign up for this series today! To register, visit http://unex.uci.edu/certificates/education/gate/. Credit option available (see below). For more information, please contact Lisa Kadowaki at Lkadowak@uci.edu or (949) 824-9427. Please see schedule details below.

Gifted and Talented Instruction on a Budget

Wednesday, February 3^rd: 8pm – 9pm PST

Tough economic times have slashed school budgets across the nation. How can teachers differentiate for gifted learners without money for additional textbooks or classroom materials? Attend this webinar to learn about free and accessible ways to add depth, complexity, acceleration, and novelty to your instructional program.

Implications for Educators of Gifted Minority Students

Wednesday, February 10^th: 7pm – 8pm PST

This webinar will address critical issues regarding diverse learners in gifted education and will provide tips on how to meet their educational needs. Cultural and academic considerations will be explored as well as the challenges minority students confront in dealing with the American education system.

Troubleshooting Today’s GATE Programming Obstacles

Wednesday, February 17^th: 8pm – 9pm PST

Trying times in education can actually be an opportunity and catalyst for change that is needed to propel our programs forward. Three district GATE coordinators will share what they consider to be program obstacles and how they have used them to effect positive change, keeping focus on student success.

Classroom Applications of 21^st Century Skills

Wednesday, February 24^th: 8pm – 9pm PST

21^st century learning is providing curriculum and instruction designed to engage this generation of digital-native students. Learn how 21^st century skills can be implemented into the classroom to add critical thinking, collaboration, and complex curriculum through an interdisciplinary, integrated, project-based approach.

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Online GATE Mentorship (credit option)

This independent study course is designed for educators who are interested in earning continuing education credit while gaining skills and knowledge from experts in the field of gifted and talented education. Through various assignments, fieldwork, and synchronous meetings, students will develop a deeper understanding of current issues in gifted and talented education under the guidance of a UC Irvine Extension approved mentor. The mentorship will be offered as an elective for UC Irvine Extension’s online Gifted and Talented Education Specialized Studies program.

Where: Online (March 1-August 31, 2010)

Credit: 1.5 units

Deadline to enroll: March 31, 2010

For more information about the mentorship and to obtain an official enrollment form, please contact Lisa Kadowaki at lkadowak@uci.edu or (949) 824-9427.

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Lisa Kadowaki

Program Representative

Human Resources Coordinator

UC Irvine Extension & Summer Session

(949) 824-9427

Fax: (949) 824-3651

lkadowak@uci.edu

Webinar: Does Your Gifted Child Feel “At Home” in School?

Bonnie — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:01:33 +0000

Title: Webinar: Does Your Gifted Child Feel “At Home” in School?
Location: MST Library, 450 Abrams Rd., Richardson, TX 75081
Description: Paid members will have access to viewing this webinar for free. Haven’t paid your RG membership dues yet? Do so now to take advantage of this & other great programs!

This webinar resource is for the parent who might be asking, “Where can I find a place for my gifted child to learn and feel good about himself?” and “How can I convince my child’s school to try something different for him or her?” It is also for the educator who seeks to meet the needs of all students – including gifted students – even when the school may have little or no funds for gifted education. This webinar will also benefit health professionals and counselors who work with gifted children and their parents.

Start Time: 18:30
Date: 2010-02-25

Region 10 Focus Group

Bonnie — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:42:26 +0000

Title: Region 10 Focus Group
Location: 400 E. Spring Valley Rd. Hunt Rm
Link out: Click here
Description: This event, which includes teachers, administrators, and parents, will review the current G/T Standards, the new 2009 Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted/Talented Students, the Texas Performance Standards Project, HB 3 Section 39.236 and its impact on G/T Standards.
Start Time: 08:30
Date: 2010-02-17
End Time: 15:30