Welcome to Curriculum Night at Briarlake Elementary School!

This session: DISCOVERY

Instructors: Ms. Melissa McMillan

Ms. Tanya Fields

Moving Students Forward in the 21st Century

Gifted or not, we all have our

moments.

Words to live by…

• Finish each day and be done with it.  You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can.  Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.  --Ralph Waldo Emerson

• A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions. - Oliver Wendell Holmes

•  Any activity becomes creative when the doer cares about doing it right, or doing it better.  

- John Updike

What is Discovery?

• Discovery is the name given to the gifted program at the elementary level (grades 1-5) in the DeKalb County School System.

• Discovery falls under the umbrella of Exceptional Education and is funded by the state.

• Discovery is taught by a certified Teacher of the Gifted for a minimum of 225 minutes per week.

DeKalb County’s Gifted Program Goals

• To bring gifted children together to experience a variety of challenging activities.

• To support teachers in the area of educating gifted children.

• To educate and support parents of the gifted.

Gifted Delivery Models

• Resource Model- more commonly referred to as a “pull out” model where students are served for a minimum of 225 minutes per week by a certified Teacher of the Gifted. During this time, students experience interdisciplinary enrichment or extension activities.

Gifted Delivery Models

• Cluster Grouping Model- ten or fewer identified gifted students served in a regular classroom setting by a certified Teacher of the Gifted.

• Collaborative Model- gifted resource teacher collaborates and plans with the homeroom teacher to differentiate instruction for gifted students. The homeroom teacher delivers the instruction.

Qualifications for Gifted

• In Dekalb, students are automatically tested for the gifted program in grades 1, 3, 5 and 7.

• Students are given the CoGAT (a mental ability test) and the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (an achievement test) in October. The Renzulli is an assessment that measures creativity and motivation and is given in November.

• Students testing into the gifted program must qualify in 3 out of the 4 areas of gifted- mental ability, achievement, creativity and motivation.

Qualifications for Gifted

• These test scores are good for 2 years.

• Students new to DeKalb County Schools in grades 2, 4 and 6 may be referred to the gifted program to receive testing.

Qualifications for Gifted

Mental Ability

Achievement Creativity Motivation

Minimum of 96% in at least one sub-test area (CogAT)

Minimum of 90% on the total reading, total math,

or complete composite (ITBS)

Minimum of 90% on an assessment for creativity (Renzulli)

Minimum of 90% on an assessment

for motivation (Renzulli)

Gifted Curriculum

• The curriculum for Discovery at every grade level is the GPS, the Georgia Performance Standards.

• Each interdisciplinary unit correlates to the Georgia Performance Standards for that grade level, and possibly, the grade level above.

• Previous Units of Study- Interdependence, Money, Inventions, Chemistry, Life Cycles, Matter, Botany, Geology, Fables, Economics, Culture, Water and many more. Units typically last 4-6 weeks.

Curriculum Extras

*Social Studies Fair (for 5th grade; school fair by Dec. 3, county

fair on Jan. 11)

*Spelling Bee (school bee Dec. 17-Jan. 21; county bee Feb. 8)

*Essay/Poetry/Art Contests (ongoing - see teacher

websites)

*Serendipity Summer Enrichment Program

21st Century Skills

• Inventive Thinking

-Adapting and Managing Complexity

-Self-Direction

-Curiosity

-Risk Taking

-Higher Order Thinking and Sound Reasoning

• Effective Communication

-Teaming and Collaborating

-Interpersonal Skills

-Personal Responsibility

-Social and Civic Responsibility

-Interactive Communication

21st Century Skills

• High Productivity-Prioritizing, Planning, and

Managing for Results

-Effective Use of Real-World Tools

-Ability to Produce Relevant, High Quality Products

Grading System

• E = 100-90 • S = 89-80 • N = 79-70 • U = 69 and below• Conduct S, N or U

• 40% - participation & classwork

• 30% - tests/quizzes• 25% - projects• 5% - homework

Classroom Management SystemOur Classroom Agreements for 2010-20111. We agree to be polite and respectful to everyone at

Briarlake.

2. We agree to be responsible- bring our supplies everyday,

carry notes home, complete our work and PARTICIPATE.3. We agree to follow directions the first time they are given.

4. We agree to raise our hand to speak.

5. We agree to respect personal space by keeping our hands, our feet and other objects to ourselves.

See Ms. Fields’ website for her slightly modified version of classroom rules.

Classroom Management System

Rewards

The last Friday of each month is Fun Friday. Students who have not had an action plan, phone call home for behavior or a visit to the office for that month may participate in Fun Friday.

Consequences

1. Verbal warning

2. Time Out/Action Plan

3. Phone call home

4. Office visit

Discovery Schedule

McMillan Fields

8:00-8:45

5th Grade Discovery

Taylor & Laster

8:00-8:45

5th Grade DiscoveryBouda

8:45-9:30

4th Grade Discovery

McDaniel & Rich

8:45-9:42

4th Grade DiscoveryMcLarty

(Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri)

9:30-10:15

3rd Grade Discovery

Francis & Cernoch

9:45-10:30

3rd Grade DiscoveryDavis/Pittman

10:15-

11:00

2nd Grade Discoveryall classes

11:15-

12:00

1st Grade Discovery- TBD

12:30-1:15

1st Grade Discovery TBD

Useful Websites

• www.gifteddekalb.com This is the DeKalb County School System web page for gifted.

• www.gagc.org Georgia Association for Gifted Children

• www.nagc.org National Association for Gifted Children

• http://fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us/~melissa_a_mcmillan/

Ms. McMillan’s web page

• www.MsFieldsClass.com

Ms. Fields’ web page

Questions and Answers