1. AIM – Gifted Services Mrs. Kathleen Zackery Third, Fourth, and Fifth Grades AIM Mountain Road Elementary School CCSD kathleen.zackery@cherokee.k12.ga.us

2. Welcome Clarify the purpose of AIM and the CCSD Advanced Academic Program Gifted Curriculum Concerns and Issues Share with you what we have learned over the years Answer Your Questions

3. An Informal Survey Knows the answers Is interested Is attentive Has good ideas, works hard Answers the questions Top group Listens with interest Learns with ease 6-8 repetitions for mastery Understands ideas Enjoys peers Grasps the meaning Completes assignments Is receptive Copies accurately Enjoys school Absorbs information Technician Good memorizer Is alert Is pleased with own learning Enjoys straightforward presentation Asks the questions Is highly curious Is mentally and physically involved Has wild, silly ideas Plays around yet tests well Beyond the group Shows strong feelings and opinions Already knows 1-2 repetitions for mastery Constructs abstractions Prefers adults Draws inferences Initiates projects Is intense Creates a new design Enjoys learning Manipulates information Inventor Good guesses Is keenly observant Is highly self critical Thrives on complexity

4. Eligibility / Qualifications National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) “Gifted individuals are those who demonstrate outstanding levels of aptitude (defined as an exceptional ability to reason and learn) or competence (documented performance or achievement in top 10% or rarer) in one or more domains. Domains include any structured area of activity with its own symbol system (e.g., mathematics, music, language) and/or set of sensory-motor skills (e.g., painting, dance, sports).” http://www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=574 http://www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=574 Cherokee County Assessment ◦ Mental Ability – Cog-AT ◦ Achievement - ITBS ◦ Motivation – Rating Scales, Interviews ◦ Creativity – Torrance

5. Gifted Curriculum Purpose according to GA SBOE Rule 160-4-2-.38: To provide gifted students with differentiated instruction that is based on content and pacing that are clearly not appropriate for more typical students at that grade level. The content of all gifted education curricula should be advanced for that grade level. Goals have been set by Cherokee County and are specified on the Advanced Academics Curriculum Maps for each grade. These include: ◦ Goal 1: Advanced Communication Skills, Affective (Social and Emotional) Class Meeting, Psychology, Multiple Intelligences ◦ Goal 2: Advanced Research Skills: Unit Study and Technology ◦ Goal 3: Creative Thinking & Creative Problem Solving Skills: includes higher level Math, elaboration, fluency and more. ◦ Goal 4: Higher Order Critical Thinking Skills: Junior Great Books

6. What we do in AIM Teach your child social and emotional skills of working with people (class meetings, small group work) Teach your child to persevere when challenged (critical thinking skills, research). Teach your child how to lead and how to respectfully follow someone else’s lead (Junior Great Books, research and presentation, brainstorming, project work). Teach your child how to solve problems (higher level thinking skills, creative problem solving – logic, real world issues). Create a place of acceptance of their gifted characteristics.

7. All Grades Creative Problem Solving: Are They Thinking? – analytical, flexible, elaborative thinking, originality, problem solving Higher Order Thinking Skills: Junior Great Books – classic stories with issues that allow us to have shared inquiry discussions. Affective/Communication: Morning Meeting, presentation and leadership skills

8. UNITS OF STUDY Third Grade Research: Discoveries Fourth Grade Research: Viewpoints and Immigration Fifth Grade Research: Viewpoints and The Human Brain

9. Concerns: Instructional Coordination Elementary students eligible for the Gifted Education Program are served through a combination of two instructional models: ◦  AIM Program (Resource Class—pull-out from the regular classroom) ◦  Grade Level Classroom (Cluster Grouping/Differentiation of Instruction) Together, both elements of instruction constitute a complete program of study for the gifted student. The single best strategy is to maintain continuing dialogue with the resource class teacher in your school as both teachers work to provide the best possible education for shared students. All students, including AIM students are responsible for mastery of the Cherokee County Standards for Student Achievement. http://portal.cherokee.k12.ga.us/departments/curriculum/Gifted%20Educati on%20Administrative%20Manual/1d%20Instructional%20Coordination%20(E nglish).pdf http://portal.cherokee.k12.ga.us/departments/curriculum/Gifted%20Educati on%20Administrative%20Manual/1d%20Instructional%20Coordination%20(E nglish).pdf

10. Concerns Perfectionism: … allow their strong desire for excellent achievement to develop into unhealthy perfectionism, which can be paralyzing and cause a child to become overwhelmed with concern about making a mistake or not being the best. Underachievement: …the unanticipated difference between accomplishment and aptitude. Organization Skills: Many factors may cause the disorganization that is contributing to your child’s achievement problems.

11. More Concerns Peer Relationships / Social Skills / Bullies Gifted children will have moments when they are unavoidably “out of step” with age mates. Twice-Exceptional (Gifted with Special Needs) “Gifted children, with their high potential and abilities, may also have learning problems that act as a roadblock for the development of their gifts.” How can a child have an amazing memory for airplane trivia but not be able to test well on basic multiplication facts?”

12. Parental Support Be open, flexible and ready to advocate for your child. Realize that the gifted classes require your child to work harder with amazing results for the future. If you have questions about your gifted child or the AIM program PLEASE CONTACT US.

13. Engagement of Learning… According to Cushman, (2006), engaging activities are necessary for retention of skills and knowledge as she states: Students are not trying to avoid academic challenge when they ask for more interesting classes. They want work that will build on what they know and care about, in exciting ways that stretch their thinking and leave them wanting more. And when they get engaged in exploring something actively, they retain what they learn. (p.35)

14. Differentiation In AIM? According to Carolan and Guinn (2007), differentiation can be a perplexing concept, as these researchers state: Many educators mistakenly think that differentiation means teaching everything in at least three different ways- that a differentiated classroom functions like a dinner buffet. This is not differentiation, nor is it practical. A classroom in which teaching is tailored to the individual needs of students does look different from a one-size-fits-all classroom, but often these differences are less dramatic than teachers believe. For example, a teacher who conjures up a metaphor matched to a student’s cognitive ability and personal interests is differentiating, as is a teacher who pushes the thinking of an advanced student during a whole- class discussion. (p.44)

15. Junior Great Books As stated by Bloom & Green (1984): As a social process, reading is used to establish, structure, and maintain social relationships between and among people. As a linguistic process, reading is used to communicate intentions and meanings, not only between an author and a reader, but also between people involved in a reading event. (p. 395)

16. Central Premises for Writing in AIM "If we want our student to understand the value writing can play in their lives, maybe we should consider shifting instruction away from strict adherence to the traditional discourses and begin having our students explore the reasons why writers write"(Gallagher, 2006, p. 122).

17. Resources for Parents National Association for Gifted Children http://www.nagc.org/ http://www.nagc.org/ GAGC: The Georgia Association for Gifted Children http://www.gagc.org/http://www.gagc.org/ Perfectionism: What’s Bad About Being Too Good? by Miriam Adderholdt, Ph.D and Jan Goldberg The Gifted Kids’ Survival Guide by Judy Galbraith, M.A. Publishers of many gifted resources: Prufrock Press http://www.prufrock.com/http://www.prufrock.com/ Free Spirit Press http://www.freespirit.com/http://www.freespirit.com/

18. QUESTIONS? Please contact me at kathleen.zackery@cherokee.k12.ga.us

19. References Bloome, D., & Green, J. (1984). Directions in the sociolinguistic study of reading. In P. D. Pearson, R.. Barr, M. Kamil, & P. Mosemthal (Eds.). Handbook of reading research (p. 395). New York: Longman. Carolan, J. & Guinn. A.(2007).Differentiation: Lessons from master teachers. Educational Leadership, 44. Gallagher, K. (2011). Write like this: teaching real-world writing through modeling & mentor texts (p. 50). Portland, ME: Stenhouse. Hansen, D. (2005). Creativity in teaching and building a meaningful life as a teacher. Journal of Aesthetic Education, 39, 58. Retrieved October 26, 2009, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3527376