ALPS

The third and fourth graders used a cooperative writing strategy last week. They used Depth and Complexity icons as their guides and wrote interesting stories with a twist. I don't think there was one person who wasn't surprised by how those stories turned out! Ask your student to retell their story if they can.

The fifth graders used an AVID strategy called Philosophical Chairs to debate whether America's 2-party system or our constitution should be changed. They spent weeks researching, and this was their chance to support their claims with evidence. Unlike most debates, Philosophical Chairs allowed students to practice the Habit of Mind remaining open to continuous learning because the strategy encourages students to change their minds and switch sides if the other side presents persuasive evidence. The students had to truly listen to one another and seek understanding.

Students reflected on our journey of mysteries. With it being our last pullout class of the year, we also reflected on our Habits of Mind goals. Some students had autonomous inquiries to present. Some students made presentations based on the Depth and Complexity they added to their core content.

In addition to the presentations, students explored some winter activities I prepared. We started with a thought experiment wherein students practiced mindfulness while slowly eating a Hershey's Kiss candy. I hope slowing down to gather data through all senses is a Habit of Mind students practice regularly to self regulate and lower stress. Next, they discovered ways to build snowmen without snow using the materials they brought for hands-on-reflections! Then the students used their senses, math estimation skills, and understanding of volume to guess what was inside my container. The students picked up lumps of coal from the floor and went "ice" fishing after that. They even ice skated! Check out some photos below.

We began a new “journey” of lessons this week in Pullout: Creative Cultivation. For the next several weeks, we will explore creativity and its impact on learning. The students were introduced to a Japanese inventor who created the art of Chindogu. Chindogu is the art of creating useless inventions that are meant to solve problems, but in so doing, they create more problems than they solve! Check out the website www.chindogu.com for some examples. Students had the opportunity to try their hand at creating their own inventions in the spirit of Chindogu. We practiced the creative thinking strategy FFOE to help us with our inventions. FFOE is an acronym to help remember the following brainstorming process:

F= Fluency (thinking of many ideas)

F= Flexibility (using things in different ways)

O= Originality (choosing the most unique ideas from a fluency list)

E= Elaboration (adding details to develop the idea)

https://www.davidsongifted.org/gifted-blog/tips-for-low-stress-holidays-for-gifted-families/

https://www.smore.com/f/604158895b64986bd2181a58

My goal is to help all students seek multiple perspectives, think critically, and solve problems creatively. Please be flexible with me as I change, learn, and grow towards the perfection of my craft.

Looking forward,

Brandi N. Jackson

Brandi.Jackson@RISD.ORG

@Brandi_NJackson

PS I found this really cool resource filled with mysterious wonders! If you have a curious kid at home, consider exploring these ideas! https://www.loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/