If you’re looking for a novel topic of study that involves exploring MYSTERIES and UNANSWERED QUESTIONS, you might like to introduce your students to the ocean’s twilight zone! Some are calling it the next frontier because so little is known about this ecosystem. What has been discovered so far will fascinate and perhaps surprise your … Read more
The photo of my classroom shown here is one I took a few years back and I promise- I did not spend a lot of time or energy putting things on walls. As the year progressed, I added things, but here are some things you can put up very quickly that promote ongoing learning and … Read more
Recently, GT teacher Julia Dweck (@GiftedTawk) posted on Twitter about her class competing in the math game 24 with a group of college students. One video she shared of her students competing in a Variables round was amazing! I confess: I was not aware of the many different versions of the game! I was inspired … Read more
Who doesn’t love the beach, and this time of year who isn’t already dreaming about summer days? So, why not turn that into an opportunity for learning? Recently, 5th-grade teacher Jen Pillman reached out on social media asking teachers for “beach-themed” ideas. Through direct messaging, Jen shared she uses THEME DAYS as rewards in her … Read more
Here is an activity that I used for enrichment with Kinder and 1st grade during a time when we were working on visual-spatial discrimination (In the P.E.T.S.™ curriculum, this is Max the Magician’s specialty). I was so surprised by the results! It had me wondering if this activity could even aid in identifying gifted kinder … Read more
Even if you don’t recognize this principle, I’m confident that you’re familiar with it. The Premack Principle is also known as “Grandma’s rule” and the gist is “no dessert until you eat your dinner!” More specifically stated, it is delaying a preferred activity until a less preferred activity has been completed. What does this have … Read more
Do you do novel studies with your students? If so, this is a culminating project I can recommend for both general education and gifted classes, particularly in middle school. No doubt you’ve heard of one-pagers and may have even assigned them. You’ll find many great write-ups and resources listed below. I thought I’d share some … Read more
Many moons ago, before I started teaching GT classes, I had never heard of S.C.A.M.P.E.R., Six-Hat Thinking, FFOE… and the list goes on. After just a few months, I found myself using thinking strategies all the time, and – decades later- I continue to use them! The big-picture concept of a Thinker’s Toolbox, a phrase … Read more
Now every teacher can do a VR project! Panoform provides an easy way to turn a 2-D (flat) piece of art into a 3-D VR experience! All you need to do is follow these three easy steps: STEP ONE: Download the BASIC GRID page found HERE on the Panoform website. It looks like this: STEP … Read more
We’ve come a long way from the annual EGG DROP Challenge, Design and engineering challenges are ubiquitous and for good reason. Students love them, they promote the application of academic skills and concepts, they connect to things happening in the world, and they introduce students to the roles of engineers, logisticians, research and development teams, … Read more
