Nurturing Gifts: 1/18/15

Friday, January 23, 2015

January is Gifted Education Month!!!!!

New Gifted/Talent Development Units of Study

Dear Parents,

Your child has begun a new unit in Challenge/Talent Development. The unit for 1st-2nd grade is entitled Money Makes the World Go Round. In this unit students will engage in an Advanced Research unit that deepens their knowledge and understanding of the cost and benefits of personal spending and saving. At the end of the unit, students will be able to:
• Explain how money evolved.
• Create an advertisement.
• Create a new system for trading goods and services.
• Make responsible decisions before spending.
• Count money.
• Devise a plan for saving money and a debt free plan.
• Use the 10-20-70 formula.
• Create a budget.
• Engage in advance research, hypothesized, and predicted.
• State ways children can earn money.

Students in 3rd-5th grades are engaging in the unit All Systems Go: Weather from Sun to Storms. The unit is designed to allow students to gain new understandings about the weather systems that allow Earth to sustain human life. They will learn about the tools that meteorologists use, they will create the tools, and use them to take measurements and predict the weather. By the end of the unit, students will be able to:
• Understand and use the scientific process to answer relevant questions
• Analyze different systems
• Use evidence to analyze data in order to develop descriptions, explanations, predictions, and
models
• Communicate scientific procedures and explanations
• Build at least one piece of a weather station
• Demonstrate one weather phenomenon
• Complete a research project of their choice on the weather’s impact on natural disasters

All students are required to bring to class weekly a three ring binder with paper, pencil, and pocket size pencil sharpener. All assignments, class notes, and homework should be kept in the binder and brought to class each week. Occasional binder checks will be done throughout the unit to ensure students are being responsible with keeping up their binders. In addition, the class will have to complete homework assignments and independent study projects. Please contact me with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,
Mrs. L. Dickson
Itinerant Gifted/Talented Development Teacher
M. Agnes Jones Elementary School
(404)802-3900
Cascade Elementary School
(404)802-8100
ldickson@atlanta.k12.ga.us

Teacher Bio

Certification: Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Howard University, Master of Education in Educational Psychology (Gifted & Creative Education) from the University of Georgia

Teaching Philosophy: For students to be successful in a global 21st century environment, teachers must ignite students’ passion for learning while transforming them to become critical thinkers, advanced communicators, creative problem solvers, and advanced researchers of the future.

Special Interests: Mrs. Dickson enjoys reading, decorating, arts and crafts, family activities, traveling, and spending time with her family and dog.

As your Gifted Teacher, you can expect the following: I will provide students with meaningful and engaging opportunities to develop their abilities and explore academic subjects and interests with both rigor and creativity.

My Focus: Creating opportunities to expose all learners to gifted and talented pedagogy in an effort to improve achievement and increase the identification of underrepresented students in the program.

About This Class

Click here for the Atlanta Public Schools Office of Gifted and Talented Website

Welcome to our class blog

Class Overview

Welcome parents and students to the Gifted/Talent Development Program! I am Mrs. Dickson and I will provide Gifted and Talented as well as Talent Development instruction beginning the week of August 14th. The classroom will be a place the gifts, talents, multiple intelligences, and learning styles of both gifted and Talent Development students alike are embraced, while critical thinking and problem solving skills are better developed. Classroom curriculum is developed from interdisciplinary, differentiated, and standards-based lessons and activities for high ability learners. Units of study are aligned with the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards, as well as the Atlanta Public School’s Gifted and Talented Program Standards, which focus on advanced communication skills, advanced research skills, creative thinking and problem solving skills, and higher order critical thinking skills.

Curriculum

Supplies/Student Expectations

To ensure academic success, all students must come prepared every week on their assigned Challenge day with 1) a 2-inch wide three ring binder (new or recycled) with paper, 2) pencils, and 3) a composition book for journaling. Without these materials students will not be able to complete tasks, assignments, or the end of the unit project. The projects require students to synthesize all learning gained through note taking, handouts, discussions, research, and experiences documented in the binder. One project will be expected at the end of each large unit of study. Projects related to the mini units of study will be completed in class. Although homework tasks will be reviewed in class weekly, students may also visit the class blog (QR code linked below), to retrieve assignments and participate in any posted tasks or discussion questions. EdModo will be a classroom collaboration tool. Students will be expected to retain their login information and abide by the Edmodo Code of Conduct whenever they are utilizing this tool to collaborate about learning tasks, either at school or home. All behavior standards and expectations in the gifted and Talent Development classroom reflect and mirror those of the school.

Lastly, the class newsletter will keep you abreast of what is taking place in the classroom, celebrate student successes, such as becoming student of the month, and share essential gifted education news and resources. As always, I look forward to having a successful year of teaching and learning with our students. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.