by Krissy.Venosdale | Dec 17, 2011 | Reflect
I like to imagine one day, many years ago, Walt Disney and some other creative minds were gathered around and making plans for the building of the first Disney themepark. Someone, at one point, said “Hey, what about giant spinning teacups that you can ride in?” Of course. Why not? Then, some people turned around and made it happen.
This is what we need in education. We have tons, and tons, and tons of proposals. We have lots of people standing in lines, with excuses. The idea for the teacups? It’s there. We just need some people to make it happen. What is it going to take? It’s going to take the same thing it took to build the teacup ride. Taking risks. Modifying plans along the way. Building. Collaborating. Making it work. Joining together all of the things we already KNOW work well. Compromising. Fusing what we know and fusing it with the unknown.
So, let’s get to work, because the line to get on the ride has already formed…. we just need to build it. Who’s ready to take a spin?
by Krissy.Venosdale | Dec 13, 2011 | Reflect
I have seen the poem “Here’s to the kids who are different...” and have always thought that no matter what field of education you teach in, it will apply in some way. It’s not about just seeing the differences, but in really seeing the child.
When you see a child with autism, do you just see their inability to communicate?
When you watch a child throwing a tantrum, do you assume they are “spoiled” and fail to see their environment it overstimulating?
When you see a child struggling to walk do you assume that their parents did not get them to see the doctors or specialists that might have been able to help?
When a child cannot behave in your class, do you fail to see that those behaviors are actually far better and he has come a very long way?
When a child is brilliant in math, do you fail to acknowledge it because he cannot tie his shoes?
When a child is highly-sensitive, do you complain that she is ‘whining’ and not see the fact that she’s so full of anxiety she needs to talk about it?
When he crumples up his paper do you call him a “troublemaker” when he actually crumpled it because he’s so terrified to fail and nobody sees that?
When you see a child with Aspergers, do you understand he sees things differently from you and just needs your understanding?
Next time you look at a child, think about what you see. See where they have grown, understand their needs, and most of all, appreciate who they are.
by Krissy.Venosdale | Dec 4, 2011 | Reflect
Do you ever have those conversations with your class? You know the ones, that come up, at random, opportune times where you talk about risks, about never giving up, and about reaching for the highest star?
Want to remind them to never give up? Make them think about their goals, even when they seem different from everyone else’s, and how to achieve them? Share this video. 288,000 jelly beans and 22 months of creativity and hard work made this video. Don’t wait for your students to be inspired… Inspire them.
by Krissy.Venosdale | Dec 4, 2011 | Reflect
Differentiation. Enrichment. Affective needs. Technology Integration. Inquiry Based Learning. These are all things that make a learning environment a great one. They are the things I read about almost daily that make gifted education work. We know what works. We know HOW kids learn, WHAT motivates them, WHEN to let them drive their learning. There are years worth of gifted education research that define WHAT works for exceptional learners. But, why don’t these things happen in education for kids? Instead, they barely happen for ANY kids.
What if you were going to learn something new? Let’s say you wanted to become fluent in Chinese language. You have the choice to sign up for two different learning situations:
1.) Chinese Experience: You will receive books about Chinese Language. After a study, you will attend support classes and have a “Chinese Language Coach” who will visit you every week to practice with you and model the use of the language. At the end of the year long session, you will go to China, and implement your new language skills in a real-world experience.
2.) Chinese: The PowerPoint: You will receive a 30 minute PowerPoint session in which the presenter will speak to you about the Chinese language and how to speak it. You may take a handout with you to study later on. Even though you don’t know anyone else who speaks Chinese, you can try some of the techniques with yourself and see how it works.
Now, which would you choose? The experience or the powerpoint? When we try to learn a new “language” in education, like the language of differentiation, backward design, and inquiry, which option are we offered by our current system?
Of course things, as a whole education system, don’t change. We need to change our everyday experience. We need to dig in. It’s not going to be a quick 30 minutes that will change our schools for our kids. It’s going to take understanding, time, and support. It’s going to take those uncomfortable conversations where you’re just not quite sure if you’re using the right words. It’s like learning a whole new language. It’s never going to happen overnight. It won’t even happen in a year. Our goal? Complete and total fluency in learning.
by Krissy.Venosdale | Dec 3, 2011 | Reflect
There are two worlds in gifted education. The world we wished we live in, and the reality of the one we actually live in. The wordle below represents a paper I’ve been writing on gifted education. Look at the words that stand out: gifted, students, program, education, needs. Look at the words that are dwarfed like grade, scores, data. This is how it should be! How did education get so far off from what is truly important? It’s not about scores, tests, or grades. It’s about kids needs. Wordle gets it. We can’t reduce our kids to numbers and expect them to become productive learners. Instead, we need to do the things, everyday, that will inspire them to become productive learners through practice, authentic experiences, and real-life situations. I’ll keep reading through stacks and stacks of research that remind me of the same thing…. we’re failing our kids if we keep on this path of traditional education.
Here’s one more Wordle… this one is an article explaining No Child Left Behind. No Child Left Behind left gifted kids sitting by the road waiting in the dust. Where are the needs? Where is the learning? It’s all buried under assessments. Funding. Tests. This is the world we currently live in. This is the world we need to change. It’s the world we need to, ironically, leave behind.
