Curriculum Night

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Welcome
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Curriculum Night

• Highly Academically Gifted Program
• Brunson Elementary School
• Bud Harrelson, AIG Program Specialist
• June 7, 2010

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What is an HAG student?

• HAG students strive to be...

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HAG students strive to be

• Academic Achievers
• Communicators
• Compassionate Citizens
• Critical Thinkers

• Independent Learners
• Knowledge Seekers
• Principled Individuals
• Problem Solvers

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Academic Achievers

• They embrace academic rigor in the content areas,
  investing themselves fully as they explore
  complex ideas and advanced content at an
  accelerated pace.

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Communicators

• They read, write, listen, speak, and use
  technology with thought and skill to facilitate
  the exchange of ideas. They are confident and
  articulate in expressing their ideas.

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Compassionate Citizens

• They show sensitivity to, tolerance of, and
  concern for others. They express and act on
  their feelings to positively impact the world
  around them.

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Critical Thinkers

• They analyze, synthesize, and evaluate
  information and experiences, engaging their minds
  as they encounter novel situations and ideas.

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Independent Learners

• They face new situations with self-assurance,
  forethought, and resilience. They have the
  fortitude to pursue pathways that set them apart
  from their peers.

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Knowledge Seekers

• They demonstrate intellectual curiosity,
  motivation, risk-taking, open-mindedness, and a
  strong work ethic as they pursue understanding of
  skills, concepts, and alternative viewpoints

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Principled Individuals

• They demonstrate positive character traits such
  as perseverance, trust, honesty, respect, and
  responsibility.

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Problem Solvers

• They are collaborative and flexible in their
  problem solving approach. By developing and
  applying divergent strategies in conjunction with
  known methods, they generate original solutions.

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• I want rigorous coursework for my highly gifted
  studentbut what does that mean?

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What is rigor?

• Quality of thinking, not quantity, and that can
  occur in any grade and at any subject (Bogess,
  2007).

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What is rigor?

• High expectations are important, and must include
  effort on the part of the learner (Wasley,
  Hampel, Mojkowki, 2006).

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What is rigor?

• Goal of helping students develop the capacity to
  understand content that is complex, ambiguous,
  provocative, and personally or emotionally
  challenging (Strong, Silver, and Perrini, 2001).

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What is rigor?

• Rigor is creating an environment in which each
  student is expected to learn at high levels, each
  student is supported so he or she can learn at
  high levels, and each student demonstrates
  learning at high levels (Blackburn, B., 2008).

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My life has turned upside down
Managing the transition

• Schedule
• Homework
• Projects
• Time Management
• Grade expectations

• Extra-curricular activities
• Enrichment at home
• Communication

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Schedule

• Morning and evening routine
• Weekly routine
• Protected meal time
• Protected homework time
• Play and fun
• Reading

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Homework

• Generally 45 minutes each night
• Will be different
• No longer worksheet
• Producing authentic work
• Struggle is time management
• Minimize distractions

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Projects

• HAG students are projected to death
• Critical Thinking
• Application in predictable and unpredictable
  situations

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Rigor/Relevance Framework
D
C
Adaptation
Assimilation
RIGOR
High
B
A
Acquisition
Application
Low
High
Low
RELEVANCE
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Rigor/Relevance Framework
Teacher/Student Roles
D
C
Student Think
Student Think Work
RIGOR
High
B
A
Teacher Work
Student Work
Low
High
Low
RELEVANCE
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Rigor/Relevance Framework
KNOWLEDGE
Problems
D
C
Projects
Activities
B
A
A P P L I C A T I O N
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Time Management

• Calendar / Agenda
• Priorities
• To-do list
• Understanding the family schedule

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Grade expectations

• My child makes all As
• My child is bored in the traditional classroom
• I want my child challenged with rigorous
  coursework
• My child may no longer make straight As

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Extra-curriculuar

• Please involve your student in activities outside
  of school
• Be conscious of over involvement

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Communication

• Partnership
• Student
• Teacher
• Principal
• AIG Specialist
• We need to talk regularly

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• Bud Harrelson
• AIG Program Specialist
• 336.748.3426
• charrelson_at_wsfcs.k12.nc.us