Supporting Our Advanced Learners

November 2021: AIG News, Updates, and Information

Explore AIG at our school, find resources and sites to support students, teachers and parents with advanced learning.

What's Happening in the AIG Classroom?

Elementary: All 3rd and 4th grade students completed the CogAt test in October. These scores will be used to determine the next level of testing, the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, in November. Data will be reviewed to make AIG nominations for the spring semester.

Ms. Harris continues to meet with grade level PLTs to review data and design lessons to support and extend the reading and math curricula for our advanced learners in 4th and 5th grade. AIG and Talent Development students attend pullout classes on Mondays, Tuesdays, and some Wednesdays.

Middle: The School Based Committee on Gifted Education reviewed AIG nominations, including student data, to make referrals for fall AIG testing. Ms. Harris continues to consult with core teachers and to meet with ELA and math PLTs to offer differentiated lessons and assessments, as well as enrichment and extension for our middle grade advanced learners.

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Exploring Gods and Goddesses in Greek Mythology

6th grade ELA classes (Papes, Petersen & Parker) participated in extension lessons on gods and goddesses in Greek mythology. Students explored one specific god or goddess, analyzed the realm and symbols, and synthesized the information through a pretend social media exercise.

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Know Yourself! Tell Your Story! in Middle School

During STING time, AIG 7th grade students are now rotating through three days to complete a self-exploration mini project. Students employ critical thinking skills to discuss internal and external driving forces, the impact on their lives, and a story to support their understanding of the driving forces concept.

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Using Details to Identify Theme

During 4th AIG reading, students explored theme using details from the story and about the characters. Students read the autobiography of Miss Rumphius to understand and make connections with theme.

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Quarter 2 Focus in 5th Grade Reading

Students are reading to understand new words, vocabulary and meaning by using context clues and details. In support of the EL curriculum, students will also be summarizing text and writing more this quarter.

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Quarter 2 Focus in 4th Grade Math

Students reviewed time, area and perimeter with a Halloween-themed timeline and trick-or-treating path. They will continue to review measurement and data and move into more complex operations with whole numbers as well as numbers and operations in base ten.

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Themes and Symbols in Bradbury's Short Story

8th grade ELA students (Polk, Enns, Flint) read the Bradbury short story, There Will Come Soft Rains, and explored the themes and symbols in the story. Students collaborated in groups or partners and one class used the Chalk Talk protocol to reflect on themes in the story. (See below for more information about this strategy.)

Chalk Talk Protocol in the Classroom

The Chalk Talk Protoco l is a silent way to reflect, generate ideas, or check learning. The teacher may post one question, thought, or idea on each board or poster, and students move quietly around the room jotting down their answers, thoughts, and reflections.

Differentiation with Webb's Depth of Knowledge

What level of understanding is required to answer a question or perform an activity? Assessments should include all levels of knowledge in order to move a student to proficiency on standards -- from the most basic to the most complex and abstract of units.

How should you use this in your classroom with students, especially advanced learners? Similar to Bloom's Taxonomy, the Depth of Knowledge wheel should be used to create and design higher-level tasks for students. These more complex tasks allow students to show with more accuracy the full extent of their abilities.

Differentiation for our advanced learners should include challenging them to analyze and evaluate more deeply and to employ problem-solving skills and strategies within more open-ended tasks. The ultimate goal is to support our advanced learners through increased rigor and appropriate learning environment for them.

Read more about Webb's Depth of Knowledge HERE.

Supporting Our Advanced Learners, September 2021