Interest/Learning Style Surveys

A large number of documents related to interest and learning style surveys have been added to the UEN site (there is an "Interest/Learning Styles" folder in the Documents list).  Take a look, and see if there's something you'd like to use with your class after returning from winter break - it's a great time to re-evaluate and re-visit who your students "are!"

Language Arts Fun

Two websites for language arts fun worth checking out are Wordle and Write Rhymes. Experiment with them yourself, and then turn your students loose to see what they create!

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Gifted Readers

One of the most readily-identified types of high-ability learner is the student who is reading far above grade level.  A student in this situation poses interesting challenges for both teachers and parents.  There are several good articles addressing this topic; we'll list a few here to get you started. Click on the article title to download or be linked to the source.

• "Supporting an Advanced Reader" from Scholastic, Inc.
• "Advanced Readers" on Tamara Fisher's Unwrapping the Gifted blog
• "Guiding the Gifted Reader" from KidSource Online via ERIC
• "The Gifted Reader's Bill of Rights" by Bertie Kingore
• "Guiding the Gifted Reader" on the Davidson Institute for Talent Development website

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Virtual Field Trips

Ever wanted to take your students on a fields trip to a historical location or site of scientific importance, but couldn’t due to distance, funding, or other issues?  Want to add depth and breadth to the curriculum for your high-ability students, and create a richer learning environment in your classroom?  Virtual field trips are a tool you can use to accomplish just that!

Check out eFieldTrips for a wide variety of virtual adventures including bat study at the Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, understanding of the impact of  key historical events such as the Dred Scott Decision and Brown v. Board of Education, investigating the events prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, exploring the geological effects of earthquakes, and more.

The Utah Education Network (UEN) also offers a number of Utah-oriented virtual field trips on their site, as well as a tool to create your own virtual field trip – what a GREAT multi-media extension project for high-ability students!

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Technology integration in action

Technology is a key tool in reaching gifted kids! Many gifted researchers have written extensively on this topic, including current NAGC President Dr. Del Siegle. Read an interview on this subject with Dr. Siegle here, and do your own Google search for many articles he's written on the topic.

This story from the Standard Examiner highlights technology integration in the Ogden School District. Maybe you'll be inspired!