There aren’t a lot of opportunities in a standard curriculum for students to think philosophically. Hopefully, teachers still find ways to give them time for such discussions. In the past, I’ve written about the Kids Philosophy Slam and Teaching Children Philosophy as resources for integrating philosophy into the classroom. Both of those offer ways for students for K-12 … Read more
If you visit my Pinterest Board of Books for Gifted Students, you will see The Giver, by Lois Lowry, is prominently featured. I read this dystopian novel along with my 5th grade Gifted and Talented students every year, and those of you who know me are aware that I don’t often do the same thing more than … Read more
Several years ago, I got a fabulous idea from a book called What’s On Your Mind? by Joel Anderson and Joan Brinkman. One of the lessons recommends that gifted students create an “Eight Trait Floor Plan.” The students are asked to think metaphorically about what a blueprint of their attributes might look like. Which “rooms” would … Read more
In past posts, I’ve mentioned using “Socratic Dialogue” with my students. Sometimes this is referred to as “Socratic Method”, “Socratic Seminar”, or “Socratic Circles.” You can learn more about this teaching technique here and in my post on “Socratic Questions.” I recently ran across an excellent post on the Langwitches blog called, “Socratic Seminar and … Read more
My daughter, 11, is a synchronized swimmer. She also, recently, has become deeply interested in archery (along with most females her age who have read The Hunger Games). So, it was providential when I ran across this video this weekend right after our Regional Synchronized Swimming Meet. Last year, one of the routines my daughter … Read more
Don’t be mislead by the title of this site. You are not required to download any software, and the math resources here are fun and free. Although primarily designed for middle and high school students, there seem to be a lot of activities that could be used in upper elementary – and it would be a … Read more