07.31.07
Posted in Random 'Munchings", Writing Entries at 8:04 am by Angie
I’ve been to several blogs lately that have an entry regarding the latest release of the Harry Potter books. The blog entries all read just about the same: “you won’t be hearing from me for a while, I’m reading Harry Potter” or “don’t spoil it for me”. I hate to admit that I joined the ranks. But I am happy to report that not only did I read and finish the book this past week, I did several other things at the same time.
Amber’s home from France now and we’ve been preparing her for her final year at Tulane. We went through the house looking for things she can use in her first apartment and we decided to refinish some old furniture that we had been saving in hopes that one of our kids would need it. She’s the lucky winner! We’ve sanded and painted several pieces and now I have the job of making new cushion covers while she is gone once again (France for 3 weeks). We also went to New Orleans to see her new place and visit with old friends in Mandeville. I did not read in the car, but I did read every minute of free time that I had.
I’ll forever connect Harry Potter and the St. Louis Hotel on the corner of Bienville and Royal now. I finished the book on Sunday morning. Just like everyone else, I feel just a little sad that the story is finished. I find myself thinking about the story and the characters as I go about my everyday activities. And I do have a few questions which may be enough of a motivation to start reading the series again from the first book. If I do, I’ll let you know because you won’t be hearing from me for several days!
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07.24.07
Posted in Gifted Education, Incitement 2007 - Young Writers at 4:15 pm by Angie
I have invited Zen to be a contributing writer to my Incitement 2007 - Young Writers’ Page. Zen is a homeschooled gifted 14 year old that comes to the site through a mailing list designed just for families who are homeschooling in the Houston area. Please take a moment to visit her first posting. I expect that she will be submitting creative writing in the near future.
If you are interested in ‘infusing your creative thoughts into the world’ and you are a young writer, email me at teachagiftedkid@gmail.com about your intentions.
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Posted in Incitement 2007 - Young Writers at 9:03 am by happyzen
Alrighty, I’m Happy Zen, or Zennie. Any friends will, of course, know my real name. Ayway, I’m fourteen, and I live in Texas, which is cool. I don’t, however, plan on living here for the rest of my life. No way. I want to live in Italy….or Spain. Or both, haha.
I LOVE theoretical physics, and I have a proffesor mentoring me. I’m also a big philosophy person, and I really liked a three week class I took on philosophy of the mind. I think I’ll be a neurologist someday, so you can all look for Dr. Happy Zen when you’re older. I would probably go into neurology research though, because if anything else happens to have something to do with sticking a needle in somebody’s brain….forget it.
As far as recreational goes, I have been fencing competitively for about three…almost four years. All around, four and a half to five years. I started in foil and I am now in epee, and I love it. A recent hiatus proved that. Oh I missed it…and my Russian coach of course. So I went back this months before the competitive season really kicks off to get some lessons in which(may I add) are going fantastically. I love to write and draw, but I stick to what I know so if anyone knows a good online place to learn how to draw realistically(animals hopefully) I’d love you forever if you gave me the link.
I love Phantom of the Opera, and I saw Wicked in April, which is so amazingly fantastic and I cried in both. Hahaha, I guess that’s not saying much because it doesn’t take much to make me cry. Oh well.
TTYL,
happyZEN
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07.21.07
Posted in Gifted Education at 6:06 am by Angie
I enrolled my two children in a gifted program (daughter as a 1st grader, son as a 5th grader). As a parent, I saw their scores but had no information to compare it to. I just thought they were pretty smart. Then I received training as a gifted teacher when my daughter was in junior high and that’s where I learned that my own children were at the moderately gifted level. When I got a gifted teaching job, I reviewed all my students files to find that most of them were also at the moderately gifted level.
From my experience, I would imagine that most gifted programs in a public school situation are at that level. If my children tested higher, I would’ve never known as a parent. However, I was totally keyed into their social and emotional issues. Were they happy, were they making friends, did they want to go to school, etc., etc. Having gifted children is not all about academic challenge - raising well balanced, inquisitive, independent learners who can function in society is. Raising children who can rise above difficult circumstances, learn to adapt and use their experience to help others through difficult times is also important. If you haven’t had the chance to look at this website, please do: http://crab.rutgers.edu/~goertzel/cradles.htm Not every gifted individual throughout history had a perfect childhood! After I read the book, I gave myself breathing room to let my children struggle (some) without feeling guilty. Maybe it will do the same for you.
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07.17.07
Posted in Gifted Education at 7:08 am by Angie
It’s common knowledge with those in the field of educating the gifted, that the No Child Left Behind laws have been a detriment to educating this unique population. NCLB is great at meeting the needs of those at, just below or just above the standards laid out but those very low or very high are ‘left behind’. I was glad to see that our researchers are looking into this perception to see if it can stand up under scrutiny. The short article has links to the actual 41 page study. http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/NCLB-ActII/2007/07/bubble_kids_benefit.html
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07.13.07
Posted in Gifted Education at 7:36 pm by Angie
Gifted and High Achievers in the same ‘gifted’ classroom? My husband had a discussion today with a coworker. Most of his coworkers know that I’m a certified teacher with training in teaching gifted. Sometimes this brings up interesting discussions at his work. Today’s discussion was with a single mom who had been doing her research. She said the school officials wanted to put her daughter in a gifted class at the age of 7 or 8 years old but the daughter had not tested gifted - she was a ‘high achiever’.
What the coworker discovered was that high achieving students do quite well with the gifted student up to about grade 5. Then a wide gap in processing and thinking becomes noticeable to the students. The high achiever losses confidence at about this age for a number of reasons but to add the fact that ‘you used to be smart’ when compared to others in an ‘elite’ class can do some serious damage to a young person’s academic confidence. It becomes even more complex if the parent has talked up having their child in a gifted program.
My husband’s coworker really feels strongly that there should be classes for the high achievers but she felt that clumping them with the gifted may not be the answer. There are several school districts in the area that have adopted this strategy. Through my professional training, I was encouraged to locate and read research from both sides of an issue before making a decision regarding the education of any child. I would hope that these school districts have done their research.
I’m always impressed with parents who spend the time really digging through the complex issues of rearing a gifted child or any child for that matter. We all want to do our best for our children. I’ve listed several great sites on my “For Gifted Minds: Parents & Teachers” link to start researching the difference between a high achieving student (which the world truly needs) and the gifted child (which the world truly needs) and begin educating them appropriately.
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Posted in Incitement 2007 - Young Writers at 2:16 pm by Rishabh042296
My HomeBy Rishabh
I see a red brick house with damp green grass. When it is spring where the birds sing on the branches of the trees. When I come closer I feel like I’m going in to the future. When I open the door there is a rush of cold air that hits my face and smells like modern appliances. I see a leather couch ahead and a new polished dining table at my right. I go to my left and open a door to be welcomed by peaceful music. Now I feel I am going into the past with all the simple painting on the walls. I come closer to an instrument, my favorite instrument. I examine like I have never seen it before. I go upstairs to go into the future with video games and DS lites. Where there are laptops, computers, remote controlled vehicles and other things to see. Then, I enter the kitchen being confronted by new and refreshing smells of different kinds of foods. I now feel I’m in the present time. Next I go to the bedroom and I feel cozy and sleepy. Feeling that the bed is pulling me towards itself and telling me to take a nap, a short nap. I thought maybe another time, and I walked out to the backyard where nature welcomed me with lots of things to do, I walked back to the bedroom and looked at the time and fell asleep on the cozy warm bed saying its bed time.
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Posted in Incitement 2007 - Young Writers at 2:15 pm by manisha
7/13/07
Guided Writing
Of My House
By: Manisha
I am right across from my house and I see a big tree on the left. There is a palm tree, bushes, and a few flowers on the right, same for the left side of my house. When you enter there are to sago palms and a gate.
You enter the gate into a small courtyard then there is a door, my front door. The door has shiny windows on it. It is bordered by an olive green color.
When I open the door there is a living room and on my left there is a hallway. The living room is in front of me. You can sort of see the backyard.
I will enter the living room and there will be a door to the kitchen. I go to the kitchen first thing. Usually my cat(s) are there meowing for water from the sink. The cats are usually on the counter or the kitchen table.
I like the fridge, because when I walk to it I’m hungry. I also like the pantry, that’s where the good food is. I am hungry when I go to these places.
Next, I go to the bathroom, because when I come home I usually have to go to the bathroom.
I have 4 cats and 2 dogs. The dogs are in the backyard. The cats are usually in the kitchen or in my mom’s bedroom. I also have 2 fish, but there at my dad’s house.
In my kitchen there is a table. That’s where I eat, or I eat at the counter where there are a few stools. I have memories of conversations with my family and eating. Well of course eating, because it’s a kitchen!
Then I go thru the dining room into the hallway into my bedroom. I like sitting on my bed with a laptop or with my cat purring while I pet her. I like to pace in my room while I talk on the phone. I also like to read in my bed. I like my bed, because I like sleeping in it and it used to be my sister’s.
I walk thru the hallway, and into the living room, out the back door in the kitchen or the living room. I see my dogs, usually sitting or sleeping. I look at the rocks and trees behind it; I take a deep breath and Splash! I’m in the pool and swimming in the heat of the sun.
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Posted in Incitement 2007 - Young Writers at 2:14 pm by jerelfoo
My House
Jerel
I see a 1 story house with 3 pine trees; the driveway is empty, and the curving path to the front door is surrounded by bushes. The bricks are red. I walk towards the front door, and I see a regular-sized door with a beautifully designed window. I see a tile with a rug in the middle; straight ahead I see my living room. To my right I see my music room, and to my left I see a hallway. I go to my living room, and I see my parents. I can smell something cooking, and my 1-year old brother is walking around. I move towards my brother. He makes me happy when he giggles. He looks at me and starts laughing. I go to my room and I play with my miniature basketball toy. It makes me smile. I have a hamster, and his name is Fidgety. He is cleaning his face. I go to my kitchen my dad is there. He is cooking my favorite food, steak. It smells very good. I see the sink full of dishes. As I go back to my room, I walk past the hall. I see pictures of me when I was young. I trot into my room, and I get my baseball cards. They are special to me because I have collected them for a long time, and now I have a huge collection. I look at the pictures of the players, and then I turn them around and look at their statistics. I remember when I got my first baseball card. I go to my backyard and it is very muddy. I sit down in a chair, and it is hot and humid. I look at the clouds. For awhile, I just sit there, thinking of how lucky I am compared to some people in the world.
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07.12.07
Posted in Incitement 2007 - Young Writers at 1:24 pm by scotty24
You got to warm up a frog slowly,
By Scott
First, put a frog on a bed of wood. Then, get a long, straight, sturdy stick and rub it on the frog. Blow on it. Don’t let it in contact with wind. After five minutes, it should elongate and turn brown. Then it should ignite. A perfect campfire!
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