Grading Scale

3 =Exemplary--student work typifies superb original creativity; illustrating a deep understanding of the assigmnent or subject matter; work extends or distinguishes itself by its degree of adaptation or modification of original content material

2 =Satisfactory--student work is somewhat creative; meets basic requirements of the assignment but does not actually show genuine ingenuity; work product depicts a general or basic understanding or knowledge of the assignment or subject matter

1 =Needs Improvement--student work is rather average or uninspired; work does not meet the basic requirements of the assignment and illustrates a sophmoric knowledge or understanding of the assignment and/or subject matter

Gradesare based on rubric requirements and specific expectations of each assignmentcoupled with established classroom norms

Writing Anyone?

Students have started writing a lot more in their EXCEL classes.  Writing, in the form of poetry, personal statements, brochures, and planning statements will be integrated into each lesson.   As they progress through the writing process, students will be challenged to develop creative written responses to everyday challenges.    

Gaming--

                    EXCEL style                

Strategic gaming is a perfect way to practice twenty-first century skills in a friendly environment.  EXCEL students participate in deliberate play to hone their ability to think critically and problem solve.  Teaching students through game play is a legitimate educational tool as students are trained to make connections between the strategies they have just learned and experienced in the game and real life situations.

A great way to reinforce what is going on in EXCEL at home is to implement family game night.  Having a game night is a wonderful opportunity to encourage appropriate risk-based thinking in a strategic context. 

http://teacherwishlist.com/wishlists/search 

 Thank You in advance for helping your child's class run smoothly!

Discipline Policy

EXCEL is a classroom like any other with rules and policies that ensure fair treatment for teachers and students alike.  Please periodically review the policy with your child as the year progresses.  As always, if you have any questions regarding the discipline policy, I will be happy to address them. 

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES

 

Completeunit assignments

Adhereto set schedules/dates

Valuethe diversity of ideas and experiences

Make satisfactory progress DAILY

Persistin seeking out solutions which enrich your learning

Pursuecuriosity even when learning is perplexing

 

CLASSROOM CONSEQUENCES

Warning

Peerand/or work area separation

Shortform or long form

Parent contact (call/note/email)

Breakdetention and/or silent lunch

Denialof special learning opportunities: guestspeakers/fieldtrips/special mini-units,etc.

School conference with parents

We will learn several vocabulary words related to our new unit.   This segment will be called------

VOCABULARY TIE-INS

Do you know the meaning of this word?

Latitude & Longitude
(Consult the Flashcards attached to this SchoolNotes Page for help.)

Lamar County School District encourages learning new terms and practicing their proper use.

Gifted Outcome Spotlight

This portion of SchoolNotes will be dedicated to explaining each of the nine state mandated gifted outcomes.  My hope is that in so doing, you will gain a clearer understanding of the types of learning tasks we complete in EXCEL.

Affective

EXCEL learning tasks that fit under the Affective Outcome challenge high ability learners to become acutely aware of other people’s thoughts and feelings just as much as they are aware of their own personal thoughts and feelings.  This domain is especially important to master, as gifted learners typically lose sight of how they can effectively interact with others as they seek what they perceive to be “the most important thing.” 

When this outcome is explored in class, students participate in activities that require them to examine their unique learning style, their thinking style, or their problem-solving style. Sometimes EXCEL students are placed in group simulation games that ask them to work together to cope with a dilemma.  Games of this sort encourage a deeper understanding of one’s strengths and weaknesses as well as one’s personality style.  Post game reflection and discussion encourages affective thinking among students as well.  Students are pushed to examine how their particular type of giftedness helped or hindered in the challenge situation. 

Importantly, no student is allowed to ridicule another during debriefing.  The entire purpose of the affective domain is to use the classroom to create an atmosphere where gifted learners can freely express themselves without fear of scrutiny.  This helps a great deal to combat gifted learners need for constant perfectionism, or alternately underachievement.

Career and Life Skills

EXCEL learning tasks that fit under the Career and Life Skills Outcome challenge high ability learners to learn about occupations and the skills associated with them.  Today’s life and work environments require far more than thinking skills and content knowledge.  In fact, students today must master a complex set of competencies in order to be considered “highly-skilled” in the global marketplace. 

EXCEL students participate in work-like situations to hone their ability to think critically and problem solve.  By doing so, they learn flexibility and adaptability; initiative and self-direction; social and cross-cultural skills; productivity and accountability; as well as leadership and responsibility. Teaching students through such simulations is a legitimate educational tool as students are trained to make connections between the strategies they have just experienced and real life.

Communication

The communication outcome deals with teaching the learner to correctly articulate thoughts, opinions, and feelings.  Since communication is basically the art of effectively espressing oneself, the student will be encouraged to select appropriate media for the most effective conveyance of a particular message.  When possible, the sutdent will  utilize multiple-media for transmisison of information.

In the EXCEL classroom activities that emphasize communication are plentiful.  Students have opportunies to write creatively and debate, to discern between fact and opinion information within math problems, to create propaganda and be swayed by other's propaganda.  Additionally, students are given a chance to speak informatively and persuasively in front of their peers. The communiation outcome also helps to polish students' skill with information retrieval and dissemination. 

Creativity

The focus of the Creativity outcome is to allow gifted students space to express thoughts, feelings and experiences in a unique way.  Students are given learning activities which can be interpreted freely, in order to challenge them to think divergently.  In this outcome area, EXCEL students are encouraged to stretch the limits of thier imaginations to create something new or  re-interpret facts or ideas.

Creative activities in the gifted classroom include opportunities for students to showcase thier work in a variety of ways.  Students may choose to even learn in a creative fashion.  Thus, each gifted classroom is designed to be deliberately non-threatening so students may have adequate time for their creative thinking to flourish.  In EXCEL curiosity, risk-taking, originality, and imagination are encouraged.

Group Dynamics

The Group Dynamics outcome allows students to experience learning in a shared environment.  Students are placed in learning 'pods' to accomplish a particular goal, solve a challenge, or answer a series of questions.  The purpose of this outcome area is to allow highly gifted students more practice with both interpersonal and intrapersonal skills. 

Within the Group Dynamics outcome students are pushed to develop task commitment, make wise choices, become independent learners, and budget their own time.  Interestingly, many gifted learners do not flourish in a group atmosphere. Gifted learners tend to seek autonomous learning modalities wherin they may excel at a task independently.  For this very reason, EXCEL classrooms are designed with group processes in mind.  Group dynamics will encourage students to teach themselves as they learn alongside others. 

Thinking Skills

The Thinking Skills outcome is designed to allow gifted learners time to think and learn differently than most people.  Gifted learning involves thinking in an unconventional way.  Students are encouraged to disregard the status quo and figure out an uncommon, although viable solution to common problems.  When thinking skills are employed properly in the EXCEL classroom students think reflectively and reasonably so as to decide on what to believe or do. 

Teachers of the gifted encourage students to problem-solve for themselves by using the Socratic dialogue method.  The goal of this strategy is to promote megacognition and the ability to analyze data on its own merit.  Thus, students must have the opportunity to be involved in experiences that willl enable them to train their minds to think critically.  Thinking skills activities teach students how to take information they are given, dissect it, and reconstruct it in order to create new solutions while continually evaluating themselves and their work.