My journey with the tools of Depth and Complexity has been ongoing. At first, the elements greatly influenced my PLANNING of lessons and units and even the types of questions I would ask. When J.Taylor began offering resources and Ian Byrd and Lisa van Gemert began sharing their experiences using the tools, I joined others … Read more
by The GATEway Gals Emily Hollett and Anna Cassalia, aka The GATEway Gals, recently contacted me with exciting news! They have just completed work on a five-book series on thinking skills targeted toward gifted learners in grades 3-5 and published by Prufrock Press (Routledge /Taylor & Francis). If you are a fan of the P.E.T.S. … Read more
After sharing about Snowflake Sudoku, I began creating similar Sudoku puzzles made with hexagonal shapes. I’ve started calling them Hex-Doku puzzles and this will serve as a landing page with a list of all that are available. The newest addition to those listed below is a fall-themed PUMPKIN HEX-DOKU. If hexagonal Sudoku puzzles are new … Read more
This is an activity you can do with students before they read or listen to a challenging chapter, poem, or text. If you know they will encounter some advanced words, this is an engaging and maybe a bit sneaky way to introduce the vocabulary. I call it “Playful Predictions” and it combines a fun prediction … Read more
Your students are being called “the Artemis generation.” The plans for NASA’s Artemis missions don’t include going to “infinity,” but they are bold and exciting and set the stage for missions to Mars. I’ve spent some time viewing videos and exploring NASA’s educational resources, and used a little of everything to create what I hope … Read more
The two stories below are meant to serve as an inspiration to us all. I hope to highlight more of these positive stories in future posts. If you have a story to share about how your students have impacted their community or school, please consider leaving a comment below so we can celebrate it with … Read more
by Crystal Koenig Crystal Koenig is a Gifted Education Facilitator and SGE Robotics Coach with 21 years of experience in education. She also serves as an eMINTS Affiliate Trainer and Director of Gifted Association of Missouri Region 1. This post is the result of a conversation in the Big Ideas Facebook group, specifically our Summer … Read more
A MIND-STRETCHING SET OF CHALLENGES THAT REQUIRES ZERO PREP! How many tasks can be inspired by a simple two-digit number? When I began playing around with this idea, my brain exploded. This is just the kind of task we want for our students, right? mind-blowing and brain-stretching? And the best part? The challenge sets below … Read more
by Taylor Halliday This summer, we’re having a Summer Share & Tell in our Facebook group. In one of our great discussions, Taylor Halliday, a Gifted Intervention Specialist working with grades 3-8, shared her enthusiasm for the math game MUGGINS! We all wanted to learn more! She agreed to elaborate in a blog post so … Read more
Here are some ideas to keep in mind for future days when you and your students are in a bit of a slump and need to be energized! These activities will get your students out of their seats and thinking on their feet! All require very few materials and very little prep time (five minutes … Read more
