I will be sharing resources for Gifted and Talented teachers, parents, and students. I want to discuss the needs of Gifted and Talented students. I will also discuss teaching strategies and instruction for whole class and small group instruction.
I have been thinking about tinkering lately. My advanced students are currently working on their passion projects (some call it genius hour) and I had to remind them that it's ok if their original project didn't work out, it's called tinkering.
So, what is tinkering? It can be something simple like picking up an instrument and listening to the sounds of each string and what notes sound good together. As you keep tinkering over time it turns into mastering the instrument and playing songs. It could also continue on and add creativity with it as you create your own songs. Tinkering can be with whatever your mind creates or wants to learn more of. I was researching more about it after a Masters course I had taken which introduced tinkering to me in my classroom. It's called Invent To Learn by Sylvia Libow Martinez & Gary Stager, Ph.D.
After reading this book there were so many apps, websites, products that I wanted to tinker with myself and introduce the to my students. So I did just that. I picked one of the apps Sketchup for my students to tinker with. It was a total fail! I was so disappointed that my students didn't take right off with it. As I reflected on what went wrong I realized that I didn't prepare my students at all on how to tinker in the first place. I didn't teach them that struggling and exploring is good. I also didn't know much about the app as I was tinkering with it myself. So we paused and went on to do something else while I knew I needed to train myself in their so I can guide my students in their own tinkering.
As I was researching more about tinkering I came across this resource: What You Need to Know About Tinkering, Making and Engineering. This is a good guide for me as I prepare to guide my students with tinkering. I foolishly thought it would be so fun and easy but we live and learn.
One of my students is tinkering with a different 3D design app and along the way we are tinkering together. I've bought a wireless mouse for my student to create through the app. We've also discovered that an apple pencil would be nice to have too but right now we'll have to do without. It goes on my request list if I ever get a grant or something. This is how we learn, we scrape, we struggle, we explore in order to learn. Having ups and downs is normal, it's enlightening. If I want my students to continue to tinker then I need to model it for them as well.
As teachers we strive to be prepared, put together lesson plans, build relationships with our students and the list can go on and on. In Instruction: A Models Approach is states, “…the most important, the teacher is responsible for providing students the opportunity to be successful” (pg. 291). Yes, I want my students to be successful and I know just how to provide those opportunities my students need. My classroom is a place where my students feel safe to express their thoughts, be themselves, feel order, and know my expectations. I believe that “…students learn best when they believe they can learn and are challenged” (pg. 294).
I want my students to develop a love for learning, not a love for getting answers right. That means I need to continue learning myself. What better way than to learn from my students. They teach me so much! I also have professional development days where I can learn from and bring insights to my classroom and my teaching. This past year I was a part of a tech training for the whole year. I loved what I learned in this training. I was able to use it in my classroom too and my students benefited from my newfound knowledge. Things like…
With this website I used it to introduce content that I was teaching my students. Or I used it to introduce a book study. I can tweak the videos to include questions I want specifically asked towards my students. It has videos available to view but it also stops periodically to ask students questions. I feel this kept my students more engaged rather then having them tune out during the video.
I used this app for creating what my students learned or found interesting in our book study groups. They can add pictures, text, backgrounds to make a summary of chapters and interesting facts.
I’m also improving myself and continuing with learning by working on my Gifted and Talented endorsement and my Master’s Degree. It’s been less then a year since I started this journey but I feel like the knowledge I’ve gained has been instrumental in my teaching. Along with being life long learners and in order to have a love for learning I need to motive, encourage, and spark my students curiosity. “…if teachers can pique the curiosity of learners, they will make what they teach interesting to learners” (pg. 300).
I have an advanced gifted group that is called ALO which stands for Advanced Learning Opportunity. With this group we work on various inquiry based learning, cooperative learning, and project-based learning. As I’ve been reading in Invent to Learn by Sylvia Martinez & Garry Stager, P.h.D, I have been creating a list of things I want to explore with these students. There are just so many awesome things to check out, it’s a good thing it’s summer so I can play with them all. “Learning together with students keeps the adventure interesting” (pg. 195). Another new program that I read about from this book that sounds adventurous is Scratch.
My goal for this group is to have them working on projects of interest and at a higher level of learning. My students get one hour a week with me to able to tinker, create and make things and I can’t wait to play with all the fabrications and computing and see what my students create.
I’m also interested in hosting a STEM night or a Maker Day which is similar. Maker Day “…is about creativity and collaboration” (pg. 219). It’s also a night to display and show what students have created. A STEM night is more of trying out programs and projects or demonstrations. Either platform would be an excellent outsource for all students. Some more activities that were suggested in the book that I’d like to try out are:
I feel like a kid in a candy store with all this information at my finger tips. I am fortunate to be able to continue learning and I am grateful that I can use that knowledge to improve my teaching and my students in how they learn.
References
Answergarden.ch
App.bookcreator.com
Edpuzzle.com
Estes H., Thomas. Mintz, L., Susan. Instruction: A Models Approach Seventh Edition. 2016. Pearson Education, Inc.
Technology has changed continuously in my life. I joke with my students that I am older than Google, I am a pioneer child of technology. In elementary school, computers were brand new, and I lived for playing Oregon Trail when it was computer day. I had to take a computer class in high school to learn how to type. My parents bought a word processor so I could type all my assignments in high school. I really wished they would have bought a real computer that had the internet but that would tie up the phone, a huge dilemma. In college I truly learned how to type fast and research beyond the encyclopedia. Now, I have a computer I can walk around with, my students have their own mini computers, and the possibilities of learning are endless. I believe using technology in my classroom is a great tool for learning…within moderation. I also believe it is a great tool for differentiation. I agree with the book How to Differentiate Instruction by Carol Ann Tomlinson when it states that another factor of differentiation is to give students a voice and choice for the work they will do, and take ownership in learning (pg. 77).
When using technology in my classroom I feel like my students take ownership of their own learning. “If tasks ignite curiosity or passion in a student, and if students have the freedom to work in a way that is more efficient or that makes learning more accessible for them...” then I think I’m teaching my students the right way (pg. 83). With my Gifted and Talented students I follow the rule to choose a level above their current proficiency and provide the choice and resources to work up, to push my students a little bit beyond their comfort zones (pg. 94). Some of the strategies I provide are:
1. Orbitals "...are easily adapted for all learning styles. Orbital studies usually last for three to six weeks. Students select their own topic for orbitals, and they work with the guidance of their teacher to develop more expertise both on the topic and on becoming an independent investigator."
2. Design-a-Day: students decide what to work on, set a goal, set a timeline, assess their own progress (Tomlinson, 106). I've used SMART goals with my advanced gifted students before we work on a specific project. Sometimes I want my students to set personal goals this way so that they can accomplish them and know it can be attainable.
4. Learning Contracts: "Learning contracts are a great strategy for a differentiated classroom because they combine a sense of shared goals with individual appropriateness and an independent work format" (Tomlinson, 128).
Using differentiation for technology is where my students thrive. This generation has known technology their whole lives. Their brains are wired to work with iPads, chrome books, computers, etc. I want my students to explore, discover, tinker, and create things. I think this will spark their curiosity in a way no other tool can. After reading Invent to Learn by Sylvia Libow Martinez, and Gary Stager, Ph.D., I was blown away by all the options of creating and exploring through technology and tinkering. This book called them "The Game Changers". My focus is on the fabrication and programming through computers. "While there are many options for creativity in the classroom, we believe there are three technologies that have the most potential to provide the kinds of learning experiences that change children's views of themselves as competent learners" (pg. 97). Those three technologies are: Fabrication, Physical Computing, and Programming.
Fabrication is technology based through a computer-aided design using 3 dimensional printing or laser and other cutters (pg. 97).
You can use these programs to fabricate any type of creating. 3D printers and laser cutters make the creations into a 3 dimensional object. I looked into how much these would cost and if you're like me and don't really have a budget to purchase one for your class you can outsource your work to a company who will make it for you. These companies are:
The second of the three technologies is physical computing which "... provides a tactile context for STEM, complete with all of the messiness, surprise, and occasional frustration associated with real science and engineering" (pg. 125). This is that part of differentiation I had mentioned earlier where I try to challenge my gifted students above their proficiency level and to take ownership of their own learning. These technologies are excellent tools to use for this purpose. Some of my favorite programs for physical computing are the following...
"We find that is the quickest and easiest way for learners of all ages to create interactive projects while having a rich coding and engineering experience" (Martinez, & Stager, 142).
I could have spent a lot longer just playing around and researching all the sites that Invent to Learn gave me but these were ones I want to try with my students. I do currently use the Lego Mindstorm for robotics which is also a great physical computing program. I also use the Sphero bolt and app for my students which we explore java script. There is so much technology out there that can be used for so much good in school. It is my goal to let my students explore and create by tinkering through these programs and differentiated by knowing my students and their interests which is most definitely technology.
Gifted Education: Characteristics of Gifted Learners, Understanding and Meeting Their Needs. http://varvelcapstone2014.weebly.com/instructional-strategies.html
I was a substitute teacher for YEARS! I adapted to the teaching styles of those teachers every time I did a long term sub position. What I learned by subbing was so valuable because I could take all their teaching styles, see which ones worked the best, create some of my own, and use it in my own classroom. One style of teaching that I observed to be most effective to have students behave and become motivated in their own learning is building student relationships. Here are some steps to use to build those student relationships...
I would say #5 is the main key in building those relationships. In every classroom I have taught in, this has proven to be true. It is not just in elementary school, this concept is still true for high school students too. In How to Differentiate Instruction by Carol Ann Tomlinson it concurs that: "Most students need to feel cared about before they will care about academics" (pg. 39). I see a change in my students when they feel that the classroom is a safe place for them. They start to be a little more brutally honest but they also start to grow, come out of their shell, and bloom. To continue to have my students bloom, I use a differentiated instruction model so my students can learn at the same time, in their own way, and reach their own potential.
Differentiated Instruction is a difficult concept to adapt in teaching at first but I just takes baby steps to get it down. I have had many teachers ask me: "what can I do with the advanced students in the classrooms that finish early?" I tell them, this is why we differentiate. And then I get a blank stare. And the next questions is usually, "how do I do that?" This is not just a 30 second solution I can give as we pass in the hallway. It's a method that needs to be integrated into the teaching style. Teachers feel like it's overwhelming to differentiated but "Differentiation doesn't suggest that a teacher can be all things to all individuals all the time. It does, however, mandate that a teacher create a reasonable range of approaches to learning much of the time, so that most students find learning a fit much of the time" (pg. 35). Teachers are already using all the instructional models like direct instruction, cooperative learning, inquiry based learning, etc. We need to change it up so students can learn in different ways so one way will be a perfect fit for one student and another instructional model might be a perfect fit for another student.
When I plan my lessons this is where I've learned to differentiate. I think of each student and how this lesson will impact them. Where can I extend their thinking, how much time will this group need, should I hold a small group after my direct instruction? Like in the book How to Differentiate Instruction we need to look through the eyes of the advanced learners, learners who struggle, English language learners, and learners "in the middle" (pg.14).
I focus on the advanced learners. Since we meet in small groups I still go through these steps and differentiate because even though they are identified as gifted and talented. Each student learns differently and that includes gifted students.
With my gifted students I put an emphasis on growth mindset. We have lessons to teach my students that failing is ok, it's part of learning. These students are so use to having all the right answers in class that when they do fail, it's difficult for them to keep going, it can be crushing. I want my students to: "fail to reach self-efficacy...stretching yourself to achieve a goal you thought was beyond your reach" (Tomlinson, 21). This is an introductory video I share with my students every year for growth mindset.
Another part of Differentiating is to create a certain environment in the classroom. In Tomlinson's book it mentions strategies for managing a differentiated classroom. One is to study your students, which I mentioned earlier. Another one, that is important to me, is to make sure this happens in my gifted and talented groups is to give students as much responsibility for their learning (pg. 72). This goes with their growth mindset too. They can fail as many times necessary to find success and in that process they have taken their learning upon themselves, they have taken on responsibility that they want to learn this, they have that motivation. I have seen this take place when my students are working on an inquiry based project or various other forms of projects. In Invent to Learn by Sylvia Martinez and Gary Stager, Ph.D., they suggest 8 elements of a good project. One of them is "connection". The student and the project have that connection where the student is involved in their own learning, not matter how much time has passed the result is their interest in learning (pg. 72).
I know my students love to learn when it is something that interests them. But they need that differentiation and relationship with their teacher. I know teachers who struggle with differentiating instruction because they think it will create too much work. But it can be done! Start making those small changes that you think you can do in your lesson planning. You will start to see how you can adapt to each students needs within the lesson as time and practice go on. I'm not an expert on differentiation but I continue to work on mine and it's getting better each time.
References
Instructional Methods, Strategies and Technologies to Meet the Needs of All Learners. Granit State College. https://granite.pressbooks.pub/teachingdiverselearners/chapter/differentiated-instruction-2/
Martinez, Sylvia Libow, & Stager, Gary Ph.D. Invent to Learn. Construction Modern Knowledge Press, CA. 2019.
Tomlinson, Carol Ann. How to Differentiate Instruction. ASCD, VA. 2017.
Woodard, Cecily. 6 Strategies for Building Student Relationships. Edutopia. August 7, 2019.
It is a good thing to come out of your comfort zone and grow as a person. Sometimes I fight it because I don't want the challenge but I am a much better person as I reflect on what I just went through. As a teacher I am constantly being placed out of my comfort zone for my own growth. Adding another tool to my tool belt. At the same time I am asking my students to do the same. Why? Because I know it is for their own good. I know that they will grow, learn, and become better than when they started in my class. I can see the whole picture. I see the potential, I establish the expectation, and I use my tools to get them to the goals they set. My tools are my instructional models I can use interchangeably depending on my students, and our environment.
One tool is the Concept Attainment Model. In Instruction: A Models Approach by Thomas Estes and Susan Mintz, it explains that this type of teaching instruction helps students to categorize their thinking by comparing and contrasting examples (p. 62). Some items to be categorized can be relatively simple such as an apple or banana.
FRUIT
Winsap Gala McIntosh Jazz Fuji
As students become older they can learn more abstract concepts in the same model. "...students can learn the important distinctions between examples and non examples-allowing development for more sophisticated ideas and generalization." (p. 63). I would use the more abstract concepts for my gifted and talented students. One of the goals in the gifted and talented program is to expand the higher level of thinking and to have my students know how to be able to use their reasoning skills with deductive and inductive reasoning. A great lesson on how to use the Concept Attainment Model is from "Cult of Pedagogy":
I just love how straight forward it is with the examples and non examples used for this model.
Another tool for instructional strategies is The Concept Development Model. "Concept development moves beyond the definition to inferences that are not observable" (p. 83). To be able to infer is a difficult concept for many students to understand at first. What exactly is inference? This website explains what it is and how to teach it to students:
My gifted students seem trained to be the first ones to answer a question or solve an equation, but when I ask open ended questions from a book that doesn't necessarily give them the answer they struggle to know what to say. They'll say: "Mrs. P, that wasn't in the book!" I often explain that inferring is the message in-between the lines. What it is saying without saying it. Once, my students understand how to do this our group discussion become incredible. In the Concept Development Model the teacher is usually the guide/facilitator to provide the opportunity for students to link those concepts (p.84). I've also mentioned how important differentiating is in my past post and it still holds true to me as a teacher. "The concept development model is inherently differentiated-it means a variety of student needs in the way it is structured and implemented" (p.91).
The next tool I want to write about is the Cause-and-Effect Model. As a gifted and talented teacher my role is to guide and facilitate my students to that higher level of thinking. I don't teach a ton of new subjects, my students come to me for enrichment in subjects they've already mastered. But I still could use this model for my small groups I just honestly don't use it very often. "The cause-and-effect model begins by examining a specific situation and ends by generalizing about courses of action in similar situations" (p. 99).
This next model is one I use more often and that is the Cooperative Learning Models. It's perfect for my small groups. The main part of this model is that students get that face-to-face interaction. Here they can explain how to solve problems, share information, and make those connections with their prior knowledge (p. 184). In this model there are four different learning models: jigsaw, graffiti, academic controversy, and student teams-achievement division. In the jigsaw model for cooperative learning there is an expert group and a learning group. I use this type of model when I set up my Literature Circles.
One students is the "expert" for that week of our reading. It can be the discussion director or creative connector. They become the expert in that area while reading our book then the next week they come together into that learning center and teach their group what they found while reading through that lens. This website provides more detail here about how to hold literature circles.
I find that through these literature circles, my students are following the cooperative learning model and are using that higher level of learning. "Many studies have shown that when correctly implemented, cooperative learning improves, information acquisition and retention, higher-level thinking skills, interpersonal and communication skills, and self-confidence" (p. 201).
The last tool I want to talk about is the Inquiry Model. Typically this is used in science based studies but I have found I can use it when my students do their genius hour projects. My students research their chosen topic, they will introduce their process and present the problem or project. Next, they will gather data, create a visual, explain, analyze and evaluate their projects. The only thing we don't use from the Inquiry Model is the hypothesis portion. I like this type of instructional tool because I see my students interests and work ethic become more personal to them. They want to learn more because they have chosen it for themselves. The Inquiry Model creates the shift from extrinsic to intrinsic rewards (p.211).
See, there are so many tools in my tool belt to use for whatever purposes my students need. I hope you can come to find one instructional strategy that you have found to be most useful to try in your own classroom. Come out of your comfort zone, explore, and learn alongside your students. It much more rewarding.
References
Estesm H., Thomas. Mintz, L., Susan. Instruction: A Models Approach Seventh Edition. 2016. Pearson Education, Inc.
I am on a journey that has multiple roads I must go down at the same time. One road of my journey is being a Gifted and Talented Teacher. Another road is leading me down my aspirations of coaching. My other road is my path to study and earn my Masters degree. These roads don't mention my personal journey I am on as well. Some days I would love my journey to be a Netflix and Chill kind of routine. But, I am grateful for the opportunity to be stretched and continuously learning in this chapter of my life. My classes bring subjects and content of things I might not have had the motivation to learn on my own.
I have been a part of the classroom for many years. I have incorporated many types of models of instruction for each classroom and matched it to my students needs. I learned what type of learners they were: visual, auditory, verbal, physical, logical, social, and solitary and which teaching instruction would give my students to best path to learn. This infographic of 7 Different Types of Learning Styles Infographic summarizes each type of learning style.
Also, in the book Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom by Thomas Armstrong, he gives teachers fountain of information on the importance of teaching with different techniques to reach all students learning intelligence. He states: "MI theory makes its greatest contribution to education by suggesting that teachers need to expand their repertoire of techniques, tools and strategies, beyond the typical Word Smart and Number/Logic Smart abilities predominantly tapped in the U.S. Classroom." I have also, and still am, refining my teaching style. There are so many amazing teachers out there who actually share there art with other teachers like me and I just can't get enough. I am a firm believer that I should continually improve myself as a person and educator, stay out of my comfort zone, and keep striving for greatness.
My focus today is on one of the instructional models, Direct Instruction. This type of model is one of the most commonly used by teachers in our teaching instruction. In Instruction: A Models Approach by Thomas H. Este and Susan L. Mintz it summarizes that the goal for our students is to have clear targets, diagnostic testing, realistic goals, tasks in single steps, positive reinforcements, and good records (pg. 43). As we teach with direct instruction we are able to teach a targeted goal of what was learned, what is to be learned, and guided practice with independent practice to further student mastery skills and understanding. After that process it is impetrative to review the new content and provide corrective feedback.
Since Direct Instruction has multiple steps to guide our students to understand learning. not all students learn the same way as I have previously suggested with multiple intelligences. Also, not all students learn at the same level which is why differentiation is so important for student engagement. I usually differentiate direct instruction to fit the needs of my gifted students. In a general education classrooms there must be differentiating since student learning is on so many various levels. My gifted students meet in small groups of about 4-14 students. There is still differentiating within these groups of giftedness. The book Instruction: A Models Approach the direct instruction strategy is to:
1. Have flexible grouping which allows students to practice new knowledge and skills with peers of similar interest, skills, and achievement.
2. Produce various questioning based on the learner's readiness, experiences, and interest (pg. 55).
The questioning comes from the well known: Blooms Taxonomy. It coincides with exactly what I want to accomplish and the strategies to get my students to think in certain ways. It is adaptable in many ways so I can teach my gifted students at the higher level they need.
As for Gifted Students I focus on an enrichment approach with an emphasis on the analysis, evaluating, and creating from Blooms Taxonomy. My students quickly gain understanding of new materials so they need to spend more of their time on analyzing, and evaluating. Naphtali Hoff reiterates the importance of differentiation...
Direct Instruction also has a certain routine for students. It shows repetition, the ability for teachers to fix mistakes so students can correct themselves, teachers use signals, and involved questioning. My school district has recently adapted the ECRI program into our primary grade levels. The repetition and routine is what makes this a successful adaptation for primary students learning the sounds of letters, forming their words, and decoding. Research has shown that repetition gives the student the ability to remember what is being taught. APL nextED shared an article encouraging the importance of repetition which says: "Repetition is a key learning aid because it helps transition a skill from the conscious to the subconscious."
My gifted students are a part of ECRI repetition and routine but come to their groups with me to enhance their knowledge and focus on the advancement levels with their needs once a week for a 30-45 min. I've used many different instructional models but when I do use Direct Instruction I spend more time on the independent practice. This is where I monitor my students using their new skills, oversee what they create, design, demonstrate, and how they creatively invent other various creations. I know my students do not need as much time going over new content but what they do need is the enriching activities where their minds connect the new skills they've learned. My students are producing what Seymour Papert, a well known advocate for children's learning process, has established as "constructionism". In Invent to Learn by Sylvia Libow Martinez, and Gary Stager, Ph.D. they mentioned that constructionism is the students learning as a reconstruction rather than a transmission of knowledge. Also, that students can extend an idea with manipulative materials to construct a meaningful product. (p. 35-36). My students are being makers, tinkers, and engineers and I am there to direct them. Direct Instruction can be a powerful tool for students to master new skills. What can be even more empowering for students is, as teachers, know what their learning styles are and create a direct instructional model that fits each students' needs.
"We believe in kid power and know that teachers hold the key to liberating the learner." -Invent to Learn
