Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Session 4 - Question 2

What is something from this book study that you will implement in your classroom or role as an educator? Explain why.

14 comments:

  1. I think that I would use the idea of having a list of questions to be answered prior to making a big decision. I also like the idea of making a list of things to do before you leave. I teach middle school, but it could be implemented for something other than leaving for college.

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  2. I think i would use the idea of giving students choices. the book listed the choices students have if they want to post pone college until they are older. I think studetns should have a list of choices in lots of instances. Even though i teach middle school, i will try to implement a list of choices for students to have on projects, etc so they can choose the optin they like the best.

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  3. As an educator, I want to offer the best advice I can for my gifted students. There are many viewpoints as to what will be best for the gifted child, and all must be considered when deciding the future of an early entrant. I feel that it’s important that I make my contribution with a solid knowledge base of what the student’s options may be.

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  4. There are many opportunities for our gifted students. We must recognize the readiness for advancement – academically, socially, and emotionally. Communication with student and parent are essential before giant leaps are made. Small, careful steps are to be taken…lots of analysis, lots of considerations.

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  5. As a middle school teacher I think that the best thing I can implement in my classroom is related to a recurring theme I noticed from the student comments. Adults would probably describe it as “work ethic” while the students seemed to call it time management and commitment. We need to make sure we present a challenging rigorous program for these students that push them academically and teach real world behaviors that they are going to need in college and life. If we give assignments and projects that are so easy they can continue to coast through school they will not develop the survival skills that they are going to need in college. A due date should mean exactly that, it is due; complete, correct and well thought out, not a quick cut and paste from the internet. This means that teachers need to be honest when we evaluate work and provide feedback to students. If they know we are going to hold them to a much higher standard they will work to that new standard. I also think that they will realize that this new standard of excellence will allow them more freedom and choice in their academic work.

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  6. Victoria GutierrezJuly 25, 2011 at 2:52 PM

    As a highschool teacher, this book is definitely helpful as a resource to the variety of colleges, the demands and expectations of higher education, and steps to success while attending a university. In order for me to prepare my students for college, I must adhere to collegiate expectations while still allowing a wiggle room for maturity. Teaching solid study skills and fostering a good work ethic based around the student's perspective of success is my main goal. I am all the better for having joined this book group and thank my collegues for their insight.

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  7. To be honest, no since I'm an elementary school librarian. I drop the the term "college" into conversation as often as possible & where my UT and FSU T-shirts on college daysbut that's about the extent of it. I wanted to read this book because I found the concept interesting and it was something I didn't know about. I now know much more so it meet my expectations.

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  8. oliverl, that's so true about giving rigorous assignments - so many GT kids are so used to coasting through school. They never really learn good study skills.

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  9. I want to up the rigor of some of my assignments. If it is to be a true Pre-ap preparation for the AP World History class in the 10th grade, I want to implement more writing this year as well as spatial skills.

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  10. I think that I will raise the bar on my students even further. By raising the expectations and communicating to them the importance of a strong work ethic, as well as giving them the support needed to meet those expectations, my students will have to work harder, and enjoy the benefits of such efforts. I also think that during my Open House night, I will mention participating in this book study, and share with my parents the importance of a well developed work ethic, and reiterate that good work habits have to start early, and parents can play a key role in establishing those habits. I will probably have a couple of pages on my Open House flipchart that address this. This book is a great resource for teachers of the gifted, and I am glad that I participated. My colleagues’ postings also gave me much to think about. Enjoy the rest of your summer, everyone!

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  11. In my 10+ years of teaching gifted kids, I have never encountered any student who was planning to enter college early. I really wouldn't use anything from this book. It was a nice guide for parents and counselors, but there was nothing practical for teachers. In my opinion this book fell into the "Nice To Know" and not the "Need To Know".

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  12. The one thing that stood out for me was reasons behind students wanting to leave their middle school or high school environment for reasons other than academic advancement. I teach at the middle school level, so in my case I plan on being sensitive to reasons why students move into or out of Pre-AP and academic classes. I also agree with svankampen, I like the having a list of questions (for reflection purposes) and creating a list. This concept can be applied to learning and internalizing material being covered in the classroom.

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  13. I teach all seniors and each year we start off with the college essay and students spend most of the first semester getting all of their applications in. I have a lot of discussions with students on what to expect when they get to college, how to choose the right school, what they will study, etc. I really liked the student and parent testimonials in this book and I think that many of them are applicable to any student experiencing college for the first time. I would share a number of those with my students to give them a snapshot of what they may expect. I also liked svankampen's idea of having a list of questions to help find an answer and that would definitely be something I could use in my classroom, either dealing with which college essay to use, or as an editing piece once the essay has been written.

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  14. As a teacher of gifted fifth graders, I have seen situations where students are advancing beyond their peers, skipping grades. I can see that many will be facing the question of early college entrance in a few years. This book has clarified, those aspects that will help to ensure the success of my students. Personally, I will continue to be a supportive teacher, encouraging curiosity and personal responsibility in my students. Students should have and develop good study skills that are imperative for success. I will emphasize the student's need for develping time management skills. These two, study skills and time management skills, are far reaching and should be addressed sooner than later, as they look to their future. As PKassir said, these issues could be addressed at Open House and throughout the year in conferences and correspondence with parents. At this age, parents are the key in helping their children develop in these areas.

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