Recognizing
and Nurturing Gifted
Potential:
Grades
K-8
This
session focuses on features of the
Kingore Observation Inventory (KOI)
that guide identification of gifted
potential by 1) clarifying learning
patterns to observe over time, 2)
providing ongoing high-level learning
opportunities for all students to
reveal potentials, and 3) initiating a
standard that documents teachers'
insights about their students. The
system enables teachers to immediately
initiate appropriate differentiation
and effectively communicate with
parents.
Recommended
materials:
The
Kingore Observation Inventory (KOI),
2nd
ed.
Recognizing
Gifted Potential: Planned
Experiences with the
KOI
Differentiation:
Multiple Strategies to Support Diverse
Needs
This
workshop will present a variety of
differentiation strategies that
demonstrate the power of well-designed
lessons that support the needs of
diverse learners. Participants will
examine eight kinds of diversity and
focus on the needs related to
motivational, socio-economic and
intellectual differences. A special
emphasis will be placed on the
following areas:
Assessment
Assisted Instruction
Learn how to make assessment an
interesting and exciting part of the
learning cycle. This workshop
will provide a big picture of
assessment and its relationship to the
needs of a diverse student population
and curriculum that focuses on enduring
understandings. A continuum of
assessments will be presented with
connections to curriculum and
instructional strategies.
Brain
Research and Supporting Strategies
This workshop will present an overview
of the brain structure and its
functions along with key findings of
brain research. Implications for
educational practice will include
strategies that support student growth
for gifted, standard, and special
education students. Participants will
examine twelve brain/mind learning
principles. Some strategies that
support these principles include
differentiation, thematic instruction,
essential questions, strategic reading
strategies and experiential
activities.
Critical
and Creative Thinking
This workshop is designed to assist
students with strategies to think
critically and creatively, explore
issues more fully, and be open to new
and different approaches to learning.
It will include critical thinking
elements and standards along with
problem solving and decision making
models.
Differentiating
Curriculum to Support the Needs of
Gifted, Standard and Special Education
Students
Just what makes learning come alive for
students? How can a teacher
encourage students to delight and
participate in thoughtful
discussions? This workshop will
present a variety of differentiation
strategies that demonstrate the power
of well-designed lessons that support
the needs of diverse learners.
Participants will examine eight kinds
of diversity and focus on the needs
related to motivational, socio-economic
and intellectual differences. A
substantial handout will support the
strategies for implementation.
Digging
Deeper &endash; Content Complexity and
its Connection to Strategic Reading and
Thinking
Rigorous content provides the platform
for application of strategic reading
and thinking skills. Participants
will analyze the attributes that
contribute to content complexity. These
include issues, problems, themes,
language & literary features,
patterns, trends, vocabulary and text
structure. Lessons will be modeled to
provide appropriate links between
rigorous content and the skills
students need to dig deeper.
Non-fiction
Reading and Writing Strategies
How can a teacher encourage students to
delight and participate in thoughtful
discussions around non-fiction
topics? This workshop will
present a variety of strategies that
support instruction for non-fiction
text. Participants will analyze a
fiction/nonfiction continuum to
evaluate the essential differences
between the genres and examine the
attributes for selecting high quality
non-fiction materials. This workshop
will also explore the essential role of
vocabulary instruction in
non-fiction.
Super
Strategies &endash; Before, During and
After Reading, Grades 2-8
Brain research explains that classrooms
that support active, meaningful
learning with a variety of rich
stimulating activities maximize student
potential for learning. This workshop
will present a variety of strategies
that demonstrate the power of engaging
students in literature analysis.
The class will be organized around
Before, During and After reading
strategies and the following six habits
will support those strategies: 1.
Organizing text information 2.
Connecting to background information 3.
Making predictions and inferences 4.
Generating and answering questions 5.
Understanding and remembering word
meanings 6. Monitoring one’s own
comprehension
Using
Picture Books to Teach Literary Devices
This workshop will present a variety of
strategies to demonstrate the power of
literary devices. Picture books
can be an engaging way to teach
literary devices such as alliteration,
foreshadowing, metaphor, parody,
personification and simile.
Strategies for including these
techniques in writing will also be
included.
Vocabulary
Strategies That Support Student Growth
Building academic vocabulary is
probably the strongest action a teacher
can take to ensure that students have
the background they need to understand
the content. Teachers will
analyze five phases that provide the
structure of vocabulary instruction and
analyze multiple strategies to support
student growth. ;
