Comments for Teach a Gifted Kid http://teachagiftedkid.com Personally, I'm reflecting on life. Professionally, I'm a teacher of the gifted. Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:32:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 Comment on Same topic, same story, different news sites by Kevin H http://teachagiftedkid.com/2008/11/27/same-topic-same-story-different-news-sites/#comment-1709 Kevin H Sat, 29 Nov 2008 11:10:24 +0000 http://teachagiftedkid.com/?p=184#comment-1709 I love Wordle and have used it after giving students surveys, collecting their words and showing them some common phrases or ideas. It does allow you to analyze speech or patterns of articles, and I find it fascinating. Kevin I love Wordle and have used it after giving students surveys, collecting their words and showing them some common phrases or ideas. It does allow you to analyze speech or patterns of articles, and I find it fascinating.
Kevin

]]> Comment on Defeated by afcool83 http://teachagiftedkid.com/2008/11/16/defeated/#comment-1705 afcool83 Fri, 21 Nov 2008 02:57:54 +0000 http://teachagiftedkid.com/?p=180#comment-1705 oi! I blame the dog! ;-) oi! I blame the dog! ;-)

]]> Comment on Defeated by Nancy McKeand http://teachagiftedkid.com/2008/11/16/defeated/#comment-1702 Nancy McKeand Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:51:21 +0000 http://teachagiftedkid.com/?p=180#comment-1702 Yes, there are times when we have to admit defeat! On the positive side, though, he has his own apartment and you only have to see the socks when you choose to go there! Glad you got to go to the conference and stay with Adam. Kids are great, aren't they? Yes, there are times when we have to admit defeat! On the positive side, though, he has his own apartment and you only have to see the socks when you choose to go there!

Glad you got to go to the conference and stay with Adam. Kids are great, aren’t they?

]]> Comment on History in today’s paper by Nancy McKeand http://teachagiftedkid.com/2008/11/09/history-in-todays-paper/#comment-1696 Nancy McKeand Sun, 09 Nov 2008 15:10:38 +0000 http://teachagiftedkid.com/?p=172#comment-1696 Quite a collection of facts! Speaking of Obama, I was really struck by the fact that you can go on Flickr and see all the pictures of his campaign from when he announced himself as a candidate through his speech Tuesday night. And they aren't locked under copyright! He is a new kind of President! Quite a collection of facts!

Speaking of Obama, I was really struck by the fact that you can go on Flickr and see all the pictures of his campaign from when he announced himself as a candidate through his speech Tuesday night. And they aren’t locked under copyright! He is a new kind of President!

]]> Comment on Ghosts at my door by Holly Knowles http://teachagiftedkid.com/2008/11/03/ghosts-at-my-door/#comment-1693 Holly Knowles Fri, 07 Nov 2008 20:03:18 +0000 http://teachagiftedkid.com/?p=169#comment-1693 Howdy neighbor! Loved your blog...you know, I too was more than a little disappointed when I saw the lack of trick or treaters our first year in our little neighborhood here at River Park. I had decorated the house with pumpkins, filled the big bowls with candy, put a big pot of our favorite chili on the stove and waited for the crowd. My teenagers were disappointed and quickly started recanting the past halloweens in our old neighborhood. "This is the worst halloween ever!" they lamented much to my heart ache. What was a momma to do? We were thankful for the neighbor with the hayride who arrived just in the nick of time to save the night for the 6 year old pirate with his hook arm so off he went to what we learned was a our new way of celebrating here in Magnolia. The following years we made a bonfire, invited classmates over and did it up ourselves, it was fun, just different. This year we were invited to a grand event with a spooky haunted trail put on by the dads and a d.j. and great food. At the end the kids were invited to fill up their trick or treat bags with all they wanted of great candy but I have to say I remain a little nastolgic for the days of all the kids roaming the neighborhood in search of candy and the quiet neighbor who one night a year would dress up and become the dreaded werewolf, goblin or some other crazy creature. We simply waved when passing at the mailbox the rest of the year but on that night, when we least expected it, his inner child would come out and he could interact in a playful way with all of us on the street. It was fun and we miss it but we are thankful for the annual hayride here and recently found out one of our newest neighbors from one of the busier neighborhoods here in town is planning on hosting a spot in her front yard with a moonwalk, games etc. to draw the crowds next year. With time maybe we will have more going on out here during the holidays and maybe share a cup of mulled cider or ghoul punch on our porches on Halloween night as all the kids line up chanting, "trick or treat?!" Howdy neighbor! Loved your blog…you know, I too was more than a little disappointed when I saw the lack of trick or treaters our first year in our little neighborhood here at River Park. I had decorated the house with pumpkins, filled the big bowls with candy, put a big pot of our favorite chili on the stove and waited for the crowd. My teenagers were disappointed and quickly started recanting the past halloweens in our old neighborhood. “This is the worst halloween ever!” they lamented much to my heart ache. What was a momma to do? We were thankful for the neighbor with the hayride who arrived just in the nick of time to save the night for the 6 year old pirate with his hook arm so off he went to what we learned was a our new way of celebrating here in Magnolia. The following years we made a bonfire, invited classmates over and did it up ourselves, it was fun, just different. This year we were invited to a grand event with a spooky haunted trail put on by the dads and a d.j. and great food. At the end the kids were invited to fill up their trick or treat bags with all they wanted of great candy but I have to say I remain a little nastolgic for the days of all the kids roaming the neighborhood in search of candy and the quiet neighbor who one night a year would dress up and become the dreaded werewolf, goblin or some other crazy creature. We simply waved when passing at the mailbox the rest of the year but on that night, when we least expected it, his inner child would come out and he could interact in a playful way with all of us on the street. It was fun and we miss it but we are thankful for the annual hayride here and recently found out one of our newest neighbors from one of the busier neighborhoods here in town is planning on hosting a spot in her front yard with a moonwalk, games etc. to draw the crowds next year. With time maybe we will have more going on out here during the holidays and maybe share a cup of mulled cider or ghoul punch on our porches on Halloween night as all the kids line up chanting, “trick or treat?!”

]]> Comment on Ghosts at my door by Nancy McKeand http://teachagiftedkid.com/2008/11/03/ghosts-at-my-door/#comment-1690 Nancy McKeand Tue, 04 Nov 2008 02:34:04 +0000 http://teachagiftedkid.com/?p=169#comment-1690 We had exactly no trick-or-treaters. Of course, we didn't have any where we lived in Covington, either. Here Halloween is downplayed a lot. The local K-2 (I think) elementary school had teddy bear week last week, culminating in a teddy bear parade on Friday. In our neighborhood there are a few houses with kids, and I have no idea what they did on Halloween because we never saw them! Fortunately, I didn't buy any candy! Although I could go for a little Snickers bar right about now! We had exactly no trick-or-treaters. Of course, we didn’t have any where we lived in Covington, either.

Here Halloween is downplayed a lot. The local K-2 (I think) elementary school had teddy bear week last week, culminating in a teddy bear parade on Friday. In our neighborhood there are a few houses with kids, and I have no idea what they did on Halloween because we never saw them!

Fortunately, I didn’t buy any candy! Although I could go for a little Snickers bar right about now!

]]> Comment on What a great idea! by Nancy McKeand http://teachagiftedkid.com/2008/10/15/what-a-great-idea/#comment-1638 Nancy McKeand Thu, 16 Oct 2008 12:42:52 +0000 http://teachagiftedkid.com/?p=162#comment-1638 That is a great idea, Angie! Thanks for taking the time to share it! That is a great idea, Angie! Thanks for taking the time to share it!

]]> Comment on Let them soar! by Angie http://teachagiftedkid.com/2008/10/15/161/#comment-1635 Angie Thu, 16 Oct 2008 01:43:07 +0000 http://teachagiftedkid.com/?p=161#comment-1635 Ahh, the mathematically inclined gifted child, just like my husband. And guess what, he is not strong in the languages. He's learned how to write technically for his job only because of sheer effort. I am most familiar with the type but I haven't had much experience in working with them in the classroom. However, Dave and I have talked about his struggle with having to sit through yet another review of the material covered several times before. He talks about solving math problems well before any other student even grasped the concepts and correcting teachers when they calculated incorrectly. I would suggest a math mentor, most likely outside the school environment but you may get lucky and find someone at school that would spend some time encouraging your grandson to soar. You will also have to work closely with the teacher to see if he/she would be willing to provide additional challenges on the topic under study. There is a fine line between additional challenge and additional work (and your grandson will spot the difference immediately!) Another idea is to find a good math problem of the day site online for his level, you can reward him for time spent on the problem. Notice, I said "time" because he does not always have to complete the problem - he will make connections even if he just "tinkers" with the concepts. I'll forward you a good site for just plain manipulating math and science concepts online soon. Hope that was helpful! Ahh, the mathematically inclined gifted child, just like my husband. And guess what, he is not strong in the languages. He’s learned how to write technically for his job only because of sheer effort. I am most familiar with the type but I haven’t had much experience in working with them in the classroom. However, Dave and I have talked about his struggle with having to sit through yet another review of the material covered several times before. He talks about solving math problems well before any other student even grasped the concepts and correcting teachers when they calculated incorrectly.

I would suggest a math mentor, most likely outside the school environment but you may get lucky and find someone at school that would spend some time encouraging your grandson to soar. You will also have to work closely with the teacher to see if he/she would be willing to provide additional challenges on the topic under study. There is a fine line between additional challenge and additional work (and your grandson will spot the difference immediately!)

Another idea is to find a good math problem of the day site online for his level, you can reward him for time spent on the problem. Notice, I said “time” because he does not always have to complete the problem - he will make connections even if he just “tinkers” with the concepts. I’ll forward you a good site for just plain manipulating math and science concepts online soon.

Hope that was helpful!

]]> Comment on Let them soar! by Nancy McKeand http://teachagiftedkid.com/2008/10/15/161/#comment-1634 Nancy McKeand Thu, 16 Oct 2008 00:33:05 +0000 http://teachagiftedkid.com/?p=161#comment-1634 Angie, you know I agree with you, but I had to laugh when I read your post. And shake my head a little. Your writing assignment example is a great one. What an easy way to differentiate instruction without making life harder for the teacher! But what I have discovered, as the grandmother of a mathematically gifted child and what you already know, is that everyone assumes if you are gifted, you are gifted in language. Do you have any suggestions for the teacher of a child like my grandson? Teachers seem to have no idea how to work with him or children like him. Angie, you know I agree with you, but I had to laugh when I read your post. And shake my head a little.

Your writing assignment example is a great one. What an easy way to differentiate instruction without making life harder for the teacher! But what I have discovered, as the grandmother of a mathematically gifted child and what you already know, is that everyone assumes if you are gifted, you are gifted in language. Do you have any suggestions for the teacher of a child like my grandson? Teachers seem to have no idea how to work with him or children like him.

]]> Comment on Another Hurricane Experience by Kathy http://teachagiftedkid.com/2008/09/21/another-hurricane-experience/#comment-1620 Kathy Fri, 10 Oct 2008 04:49:00 +0000 http://teachagiftedkid.com/?p=156#comment-1620 I too was pregnant during Alicia, 6 months! Yeah, did you forget hurricane George? I too was pregnant during Alicia, 6 months! Yeah, did you forget hurricane George?

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