Great topic! Now more than ever, our attention to the GT program has been lacking due to NCLB and the increasing implementation of RTI. Don’t get me wrong, as an intervention teacher I see the need and feel the sense of responsibility that we must help those students narrow the achievement gap so they too, can have a chance to be leaders in our society. However, I’ve also wondered about the students at the other end of the spectrum? This is especially important to me now that my little one has begun school and shows some signs of possibly being gifted like his dad. We need more action research like yours to help focus our attention, or at least more of our attention, on our GT population since these students are the ones who will most likely be the future leading researchers, developers, scientist, presidents and other numerous leaders that will make great changes and contributions to our society. I have a couple of questions about your research: Since you are using identified and non-identified GT students in your study, do you think you should make that distinction in your question? Maybe something like, How is this current GT curriculum meeting the needs of our identified and non-identified students enrolled in our GT program? I think a distinction is needed since, if I’m understanding the underlying concern for the inquiry correctly, you feel that the current curriculum might not be challenging the identified GT students appropriately… is that correct? Are those non-identified GT students high achievers and that is why they were grouped with the other students or where they put there at random? Your study might show that the curriculum met the needs of the non-identified GT students (AKA higher achievers) but not the identified GT students.
I agree. I know the lowest of the low are important, but we are missing our GT kids and we are also missing, more than ever that average learner. There is no help available for those students. It is hard to get all the kids, but NCLB is leaving behind many and not pushing most to their fullest potential and that has to be addressed!
Vertical alignment is more important now than ever. As data has shown, more students are going to high school not prepared with the foundational mathematical vocabulary and concepts that they need to be successful. "Algebra Readiness" is the "hot" topic of mathematics. The students of today are not prepared to enter the classroom doors of most college campuses. As their teachers we are responsible for increasing the rigor and aligning the concepts that need to be taught from year to year. I look forward to following your action research study. Great topic!
My son is a sophomore in high school and told me to get my daughter into my district, as he felt the high school he graduated from and our neighborhood school did not prepare him for college!! He graduated top 10 percent of his class and he was in AP/Pre-AP classes in everything except math!
Terri - After teaching 3rd grade math for almost 5 years, I understand the importance of having consistent vocabulary across grade levels. I taught 3rd grade math and my husband currently teaches 6th grade math. We're on two different campuses so we've always discussed how fragmented the strategies and vocabulary are among the 4 elementary campuses coming into the intermediate. Years ago our district adopted a problem solving strategy called IPAC - Information, process, answer, check - to hopefully gain some consistency among grade levels in the district. Thanks for giving your input on my blog as well. I look forward to learning more about your research as to hopefully gain insight into what we can do to help our campus improve.
I could not get word to recognize my blog!! So I had to play with it! Hope this works!!
ReplyDeleteGreat topic! Now more than ever, our attention to the GT program has been lacking due to NCLB and the increasing implementation of RTI. Don’t get me wrong, as an intervention teacher I see the need and feel the sense of responsibility that we must help those students narrow the achievement gap so they too, can have a chance to be leaders in our society. However, I’ve also wondered about the students at the other end of the spectrum? This is especially important to me now that my little one has begun school and shows some signs of possibly being gifted like his dad. We need more action research like yours to help focus our attention, or at least more of our attention, on our GT population since these students are the ones who will most likely be the future leading researchers, developers, scientist, presidents and other numerous leaders that will make great changes and contributions to our society.
ReplyDeleteI have a couple of questions about your research:
Since you are using identified and non-identified GT students in your study, do you think you should make that distinction in your question? Maybe something like, How is this current GT curriculum meeting the needs of our identified and non-identified students enrolled in our GT program? I think a distinction is needed since, if I’m understanding the underlying concern for the inquiry correctly, you feel that the current curriculum might not be challenging the identified GT students appropriately… is that correct? Are those non-identified GT students high achievers and that is why they were grouped with the other students or where they put there at random? Your study might show that the curriculum met the needs of the non-identified GT students (AKA higher achievers) but not the identified GT students.
The above was from me. Having trouble with my account.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I know the lowest of the low are important, but we are missing our GT kids and we are also missing, more than ever that average learner. There is no help available for those students. It is hard to get all the kids, but NCLB is leaving behind many and not pushing most to their fullest potential and that has to be addressed!
ReplyDeleteVertical alignment is more important now than ever. As data has shown, more students are going to high school not prepared with the foundational mathematical vocabulary and concepts that they need to be successful. "Algebra Readiness" is the "hot" topic of mathematics. The students of today are not prepared to enter the classroom doors of most college campuses. As their teachers we are responsible for increasing the rigor and aligning the concepts that need to be taught from year to year.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to following your action research study. Great topic!
My son is a sophomore in high school and told me to get my daughter into my district, as he felt the high school he graduated from and our neighborhood school did not prepare him for college!! He graduated top 10 percent of his class and he was in AP/Pre-AP classes in everything except math!
ReplyDeleteTerri - After teaching 3rd grade math for almost 5 years, I understand the importance of having consistent vocabulary across grade levels. I taught 3rd grade math and my husband currently teaches 6th grade math. We're on two different campuses so we've always discussed how fragmented the strategies and vocabulary are among the 4 elementary campuses coming into the intermediate. Years ago our district adopted a problem solving strategy called IPAC - Information, process, answer, check - to hopefully gain some consistency among grade levels in the district. Thanks for giving your input on my blog as well. I look forward to learning more about your research as to hopefully gain insight into what we can do to help our campus improve.
ReplyDelete