# data[].attributes.headline
Wonderful template for progressive teaching - SOLE - Student Organized Learning Environment

# data[].attributes.subject
Wonderful template for progressive teaching - SOLE - Student Organized Learning Environment

# data[].attributes.body
I can't recommend this enough! Jeff McClellan has created something really great here and his presentation and training session showed me why this is worth considering. Play around with this website and email me, Lfannin@esclakeeriewest.org if you have questions about it.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
StartSOLE - Self Organized Learning Environments in your Classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
StartSOLE is a free iOS app & website for teachers to implement Self Organized Learning Environments in their classrooms.

# data[].attributes.body
There has been noted a need for teachers to allow students more opportunity to follow their strengths and learn in a way that allows them to use their strengths. There has also been a call for more Social Emotional Learning opportunities for students. This project marries the two!

# data[].attributes.headline
When we learn a new word we learn a new way of thinking...

# data[].attributes.subject
When we learn a new word we learn a new way of thinking...

# data[].attributes.body
This concept fascinated me and I can see ample opportunity to use this with junior high or high school kids in gifted. I'm not completely sure exactly what a lesson might look like using this (if anyone comes up with something I would LOVE to see it) but the genuine curiosity and creativity that could come from applying the concepts mentioned could bare some serious fruits from the right group of students. I learned about this from a podcast by TED called "Decoding Our Emotions."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Book - Coming Soon from Simon & Schuster! We don't have a release date yet, but I'll update this page as soon as I know. In the meantime, feel free to write me directly and describe an emotion you...

# data[].attributes.headline
Vocabulary Acquisition - Becoming a Word Nerd

# data[].attributes.subject
Vocabulary Acquisition - Becoming a Word Nerd

# data[].attributes.body
5 steps to truly knowing a word:
1. Write the definition with part of speech.
2. Use the word in RICH context.
3. Make a personal connection to the word.
4. Discover the word's morphology and etymology
5. Make semantic chunks - group words into categories that make sense to you (synonyms/antonyms/etc.)

A Word Nerd Vocabulary unit/slideshow with a game included is available on Google to share - just ask.

# data[].attributes.headline
Math Resource - Awesome, Open-ended Questions to ask

# data[].attributes.subject
Math Resource - Awesome, Open-ended Questions to ask

# data[].attributes.body
Robert Kaplinsky has created some great stuff here for math enrichment - this would also easily fit into the SOLE structure! Ask and I will explain how!

Also FYI: Kaplinsky is releasing new book soon and I intend to order a copy.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
My growing list of free real world problem-based lessons for grades 2 through high school. Includes links to download multimedia and teacher guide.

# data[].attributes.headline
Asking better questions in Math class - with gifted students in mind - from OAGC 2018 Fall Conference

# data[].attributes.subject
Asking better questions in Math class - with gifted students in mind - from OAGC 2018 Fall Conference

# data[].attributes.body
Dr. Raj Shah gave a great presentation about asking the right questions in math class that promotes a genuine curiosity within students. There is a lot of great stuff in this presentation. Explore!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Curiosity Driven Mathematics 2018 Shah - OAGC Fall Conference

# data[].attributes.headline
Visual Literacy - critical thinking in the modern setting - These particular lessons were formerly known as the Passports Program at TMA

# data[].attributes.subject
Visual Literacy - critical thinking in the modern setting - These particular lessons were formerly known as the Passports Program at TMA

# data[].attributes.body
Developed through the teacher leader program at the Toledo Museum of Art (led by Kate Blake), these lessons are a result of a two-year long collaboration between more than a dozen teachers from the local Toledo area (Luke Fannin was one of those teachers). The concepts of Visual Literacy deal primarily with a person's ability to analyze an image, whether it be an artwork, a photograph, a GIF, or meme.

Please let me know if you are curious about this - there is a lot I can share and many individual activities that can stand alone... OR ...you can use multiple pieces to enhance a writing unit, among many other possibilities.

# data[].attributes.headline
Teaching Emotional Intelligence (SEL) - especially for gifted

# data[].attributes.subject
Teaching Emotional Intelligence (SEL) - especially for gifted

# data[].attributes.body
It may seem like a lot to read through but take a look at this research project and decide if it's something you can use. According to Dr. Travis Bradberry, a better indicator for determining a student's future success comes after measuring their Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and not their IQ. (multiple links embedded in the project below)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Teaching Emotional Intelligence - UC ARP

# data[].attributes.headline
Making Journals with visual cues to help tell a great story

# data[].attributes.subject
Making Journals with visual cues to help tell a great story

# data[].attributes.body
Jack Gantos was the keynote speaker at last year's state competition for PenOhio (a creative writing competition for 7th and 8th graders). I also have a copy of this book if you would like to borrow it. Watch this video and decide if this technique is something for you and your students.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Writing and Telling Great Stories with Jack Gantos

# data[].attributes.headline
Making Inferences - a common weakness for JH level kids - even gifted. 

# data[].attributes.subject
Making Inferences - a common weakness for JH level kids - even gifted. 

# data[].attributes.body
Anytime the students are asked "Why..." after reading something, they are being asked to make an inference.

Dr. Keith Polette - presenter at OAGC - English professor at UTEP - is a great resource for rethinking and teaching reading skills like analyzing texts and making inferences (as this resource covers). I have a hard copy of this book if you would like to borrow it and I also have the handout from his presentation on Monday (15 Oct 2018). Here is a link to the book.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Reading Between the Lines - Inferencing Skills by Dr. Keith Polette: Pieces of Learning 9781937113643 Perfect Paperback - Books Express

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
AbeBooks.com: Reading Between the Lines - Inferencing Skills: Ships with Tracking Number! INTERNATIONAL WORLDWIDE Shipping available. Buy with confidence, excellent customer service!

# data[].attributes.headline
PBIS - not so great for gifted? Article study

# data[].attributes.subject
PBIS - not so great for gifted? Article study

# data[].attributes.body
Based on Skinner's works in behavioral psychology, and leaving the door open for comparisons to Kohlberg's 6 levels of morality, this is some great fuel for the SEL discussion when it comes to gifted. (LAF 10/30/2018)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I loathe PBIS even more than I loathe Accelerated Reader, and friends, that's a high bar.

Why I think PBIS is a terrible idea

To be fair, it's not just PBIS. It's all of the same type of behavior management systems that use often elaborate systems to punish and reward behavior in the hopes that students will behave in a way desired by schools and teachers.

All of these systems are based on the ideas of B.F. Skinner who is credited with the idea of radical behaviorism. Skinner (who died in 1990 and so can't defend himself) thought and taught that the only thing that really changed behavior was consequence: if something good happened after you did something, you'd do it more. If something bad happened, you'd do it less.

You may have heard this called the "carrot and stick" approach: reward behavior you want to see more of, and punish behavior you want to see less of. Sounds great. Except how it's not.

Here are six reasons I think PBIS is a terrible idea, and what I say about PBIS applies to all similar programs. I'm an equal opportunity hater. I could come up with way more than six, but this is a core sample.

#1: It doesn't work.

Let's just get this one out there first. It actually doesn't work. I've written about Dan Pink's book and Alfie Kohn's Punished by Rewards that explore the many, many problems with this kind of motivational theory.

The bottom line: it doesn't work.

It expects the unreasonable. It's unreasonable to think that if adults simply handled the situations better, the kids would be perfect angels. Friends, this is simply not true. Not all behavior is a result of adult interaction or lack thereof. Skinner was criticized for basing his ideas on animals, and I've even seen a pretty well-known book about PBIS that compares this dynamic to dogs and how we shouldn't blame dogs for their behavior, and instead we should blame the owners. I'm going to state the obvious: kids aren't dogs. Kids are complex humans with much more cognitive ability than canines.

If I don't care about your punishment or I don't value your reward, what do you have? That would be nothing. My son's 1st grade teacher had a PBIS system of colored bears that still makes me see red when I think about it. The damage that system did to him (and me) was lasting. He rejected her system, and we battled it all year.

If one teacher doesn't do it, the whole system falls apart because it depends upon conformity. The PBIS website, which I refuse to link to, even says you shouldn't do it if 80% of the staff doesn't buy in. I've rarely seen a school where anyone actually asked teachers before they decided to do something like this, so I don't know how you'd know you had buy in, but whatever.

Under these systems, the students who behave well would probably have behaved well anyway, and the worst behaved students often end up with the most rewards.

It will probably not surprise you to learn that PBIS was invented by the federal government and the PBIS website is run by none other than the Department of Education. Your tax dollars at work. I should probably stop right here because that should tell you pretty much everything to need to know.

#2: It's disrespectful.

Skinner completely rejected the idea of free will. He believed that we only behaved the way we did because of the reinforcement we received. To me, acting as though students cannot be trusted to learn how behaving in certain ways makes it more pleasant to be at school is completely disrespectful to them.

It sends this message: You cannot be trusted to make good decisions and must be rewarded or punished over and over again. You will never "graduate" from this program. You're lucky you have us here to reward and punish you, or we'd all descend into Lord of the Flies. You are my puppet, and you dance to the pull of your strings.

It's insulting.

#3: It punishes good kids.

Our reticular activating systems are programmed to notice differences and discrepancies. Because of this, the idea that we're going to "catch kids being good" means that teachers are far more likely to notice desired behavior in kids who usually don't behave well than they are to notice it in the normally well-behaved.

This means that the "good" kids are far less likely to earn the rewards than "bad" kids who reform misbehavior, even temporarily.

I've personally witnessed kids deliberately setting up situations to get "caught" being good.

It's not about behaving well; it's about the reward. They're not learning how to live in a community. They're learning how to manipulate a system to get a reward.

That's no system. Well it is, but it's terrible.

Also, many gifted students reject the hypocrisy and inherent unfairness and may actually begin behaving less well than they otherwise would have in rebellion.

Ironically, this means they are more likely to get a reward when they do something "good."

#4: It makes it harder on those who come after.

This may come as a shock to students at PBIS schools, but when I walk around in my daily life, no one offers me reward recess for doing the right thing.

If a student gets used to being rewarded for every little thing and not having consequences for misbehavior, their view of the world will be very, very skewed.

I actually think there is a connection between this idea and tip jars popping up in places like fast food restaurants where people seem to expect to be rewarded for simply doing their jobs.

If you reward something, you'd better plan to keep rewarding it because these reward systems are like potato chips: you can't stop with just one.

#5: It puts teachers at the mercy of student behavior.

In many schools where PBIS is implemented, there are restrictions on how misbehavior is handled. The idea is that you try to ignore it and reward positive behavior.

Because of this, teachers are often not allowed to send a student to the office until certain conditions are reached (e.g., parents are called multiple times, you've tried positive reinforcement, etc.). That unecessarily hampers the ability of the teacher to intervene in often very serious situations and makes classrooms less safe.

It also makes PBIS look falsely successful. "Look how few referrals we're getting!" (Teachers aren't allowed to write them.) "Look how few suspensions we're giving!" (Even egregious behavior goes unaddressed.)

One example on the PBIS site encourages teachers to say things like, "If we can make it through this discussion without inappropriate language, you can listen to music during your independent work time at the end of class."

I've also heard these kinds of statements: "Well, we were going to do this cool activity, but I guess we won't since you guys won't/didn't/can't fill-in-the-blank."

Are you kidding me? I am the teacher. I decide when we do what, and I am not controlled by the behavior or misbehavior of students. ( See also #7 below.)

Additionally, we shouldn't need to praise kids for behaving in ways they already knew they should behave. That is false and hollow praise.

One example of good implementation on the PBIS website is that if a student isn't using lab equipment correctly who already knew how, you stop, remind them how to use it correctly, and then praise them for using it correctly.

I think you can tell how I feel about that.

#6: It's coercive and manipulative.

PBIS recommends comments like, "I like the way Aisha is sitting."

Theoretically, the other students are supposed to A) care about what the teacher likes, and B) want to be like Aisha.

The reality is that they now hate Aisha, and she is very likely to end up getting razzed by other students if this kind of thing happens often. Bullying is not off of the table, either.

Also, the other kids who were also sitting appropriately but who didn't get singled out for this manipulative false praise are thinking, "Why didn't he say anything about how I am sitting? I'm sitting nicely." And next time, they just might not even care how they're sitting because they know they won't be noticed anyway.

Inherent in the praise of one student is the silent criticism of another. This sets up an unhealthy competitive environment that pits student against student.

It is poor practice to use the behavior of a peer to try to force the behavior of another. Think of it this way: In a family, we would all agree it's a bad idea to say to one sibling, "Why can't you be more like your brother?"

And yet, this is exactly what this dynamic is. It's not healthy in homes, and it's not healthy in schools.

PBIS is terrible.

I didn't even mention how fake it can feel, how often kids don't even care about the rewards, how much time it wastes, and how it often results in group punishment/reward.

Some may be wondering what I suggest you do instead. Well, frankly, just about anything. That sounds flippant, and I don't mean it that way, but there are some basic practices that help:

consistency and clarity in expectation

building of true relationships

excellent parenting

real consequences for unacceptable behavior

recognition of the fact that children are still learning and growing

None of these are easy, and none of them is a panacea.

I know that it is likely that some with disagree with me, and I would invite those of you who do disagree to actually read some of the real research done on the danger of rewards and true motivational theory.

In the meantime, you get five minutes of reward recess for finishing the article.

You may also enjoy:

Note: Sometimes I use affiliate links, which means that if you click through and buy something, I get a few pennies (to buy books!). It will never cost you anything extra.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
6 Reasons Why PBIS is a Terrible Idea and Should be Discarded

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I loathe PBIS even more than I loathe Accelerated Reader, and friends, that's a high bar. To be fair, it's not just PBIS. It's all of the same type of behavior management systems that use often elaborate systems to punish and reward behavior in the hopes that students will behave in a way desired by schools and teachers.

# data[].attributes.headline
Social and Emotional Learning in a math class - gifted students. 

# data[].attributes.subject
Social and Emotional Learning in a math class - gifted students. 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
SEL, Mathematics and Gifted - Poston - 2018 OAGC Fall Conference

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Ever heard of the "affect heuristic"? Short version: How we feel is how we think. Positive feelings lead to higher motivation and willingness to try new things.

I've never been a doodler but I sketch frequently in class to aid comprehension. The kids laugh at my silly drawings but also learn from them. I began to wonder: How could I build on that joy?

I decided to learn more about visual notetaking (also known as graphic visualization or sketchnoting) and began practicing at home. Yes, practicing. Building my own "visual library" has been oh-so-helpful-a creative activity that keeps me thinking about the best ideas to represent in the curriculum.

Rewiring the Brain

Sure, I could sketch concepts in advance. It would be expedient-and more polished.

But instead, I started drawing in class more frequently: sketchnoting while we were reading complex ideas and sequences out loud, while we were learning vocabulary. I even built these "visual moments" into bigger sketches in front of the kids. Near-instant synthesis! The kids were gloriously engaged and interested.

There was just one problem: I was learning more than my students.

Thinking in metaphors. Viewing content through a new lens. My retrieval and consolidation of information were improving, the connections easier to create. Here was neuroplasticity in its finest form-my brain was learning new skills quickly, rewiring neural connections as I changed my habits of thought.

Getting Started With Visual Notetaking

Visual notetaking was making me think differently. But shouldn't my students be experiencing that cognitive stretch, too? Here's my advice on how to scaffold this, helping students use quick sketches to synthesize and summarize:

While reading together, stop at predetermined places and briefly discuss how you could visualize that part of the story or passage. Yes, it's merely a simple twist on "what just happened?"-a time to gauge comprehension. But it's also an opportunity to incorporate discussion etiquette, build on others' ideas, and draw conclusions (pun intended).

Begin with simple sketches kids "direct." You draw, but elicit input from your students. Talk about the best way to encapsulate an event, a feeling, or other point of focus.

Let your students see you make mistakes or draw imperfectly. This gives them permission to do the same. Conjuring up visual metaphors is not easy; it requires us to tap deeper into our imaginations and link ideas together into larger patterns. Constructing the "big picture" interactively, in the moment, is challenging.

Some students will be ready to sketch independently, so offer opportunities to do so after the group discussion. A one-minute time limit discourages perfection while encouraging an immediate and reflexive response. It's crucial to let students know that craft matters far less than concept here. Emphasize the essence of the sketch over artistic detail and, if you add an oral component, focus on the act of summarizing over perfect grammar.

Invite those who are struggling to copy your sketches. The act of copying may not be creative but it allows students the benefits of processing time and helps them gain confidence.

Advanced Practice

Limit drawing space. Depending on the number of stop-and-draw points I've planned for a class, I sometimes ask students to fold their papers into four, six, or eight squares. The limited space is far less daunting than a full sheet of blank whiteness-and keeps our lessons on track.

Ask students to explain. Extend and cement students' learning by asking them to write brief sentences about their visual notetaking and to share out loud with a partner or the group.

Use graphic visualization as a strategy for mindful engagement. Reel students in for one-minute thinking rallies, as a scaffolding tool for muddling through tough ideas and as a transition or change of pace.

Learn from what they produce. My students surprised me, conjuring images as if they'd always done it. For many, visual assignments were their "way in" to the content. Listening to their discussions of details demonstrated their critical-thinking skills were more advanced than I'd realized-and I could better help them transfer these skills into writing and verbal communication.

Why Does This Work?

What characteristics make visual notetaking such a powerful approach? The "armchair neuroscientist" in me can explain the benefits:

Holism. It exercises students' kinesthetic, auditory, linguistic, and verbal modalities.

Feedback. Visuals offer tangible, immediate insight that teachers can use to gauge and build upon comprehension.

Chemical changes. It can generate a much-needed dopamine surge for pleasure, oxytocin surge due to love and trust that undergirds success, and a decrease in cortisol associated with stress.

Connectivity. Ideas filtered through visual notes leap off the page and nourish the brain's love for connections, imagery, and storytelling.

Fun. Big-picture comprehension. Deep thinking and imagining. Synthesizing information. Cerebral satisfaction. A "brain break." A chance to revisit content. Listening. Laughing.

Visual notetaking wraps up all kinds of critical thinking, synthesizing, and problem-solving goodness! What are you waiting for? Start drawing!

Web Only

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.
Back to Top

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ever heard of the "affect heuristic"? Short version: How we feel is how we think. Positive feelings lead to higher motivation and willingness to try new things. I've never been a doodler but I sketch frequently in class to aid comprehension. The kids laugh at my silly drawings but also learn from them.

# data[].attributes.body
Also, have you ever tried the "C only Rubric" ? Just leave the other areas blank and force the student to figure out what they think should be "A" or "B" work. You can make this discussion an activity and it promotes critical thinking.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A format that provides students with personalized feedback and works to keep them from focusing solely on their grade.

# data[].attributes.headline
Teaching Poetry - having students memorize in order to develop language. 

# data[].attributes.subject
Teaching Poetry - having students memorize in order to develop language. 

# data[].attributes.body
http://www.mensaforkids.org/read/a-year-of-living-poetically/

"Memorizing poetry turns on kids' language capability. It not only teaches them to articulate English words; it heightens their feel for the intricacies and complexities of the English language — an indispensable attainment if they are to go on to speak, write, and read English with ease." - Susan Wise

# data[].attributes.headline
Teaching Philosophy with Persuasion - for the gifted student

# data[].attributes.subject
Teaching Philosophy with Persuasion - for the gifted student

# data[].attributes.body
Something I've found to be true for MANY gifted students is they comprehend at a much earlier age how to think critically. With a call back to 7th grade Social Studies, digging into the ancient Greeks like Socrates and Plato and the questions they asked, and writing about them, can be an inspiring and galvanizing experience for young people. Take a look at this list of 4 writing prompts that follow this description of Socrates - taken from a book by Mark Stephens called "The Philosopher's Notebook."

As a side note - there is a great video that explains how the artist. J. L. David, made his neoclassical work "The Death of Socrates." (pictured in the PDF below) This might be a good chance to talk about how to analyze artwork - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKhfFBbVtFg&index=18&list=PLwg4AG1KkgLwv68sdgTCCK8F8OjhSjbMl

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Socrates - Information and writing exercises

# data[].attributes.headline
Another Great Gifted Resource - especially for you to show parents! 

# data[].attributes.subject
Another Great Gifted Resource - especially for you to show parents! 

# data[].attributes.body
http://oedb.org/ilibrarian/50-essential-links-for-the-parents-of-gifted-children/

# data[].attributes.headline
Ask me about these vocabulary activities!

# data[].attributes.subject
Ask me about these vocabulary activities!

# data[].attributes.body
Word Sort - helps students learn to group words in different ways thereby strengthening the connections to each word. These word lists would best come from a book/article/research piece the class is reading. Could easily be used across the curriculum for domain specific vocabulary acquisition. Also connects to Word Nerd (below), step 5 - Semantic Chunking.

Partial Poetry - by strategically omitting certain words from poetry and allowing the students to use context clues from the remaining parts of the poem, you can increase comprehension levels by allowing students to make guesses regarding what word goes in the blank and discussing what words might or might not work. It really assists in comprehending difficult poetry or even exerts of challenging literature. (I've actually never tried this in a classroom so this is very much a raw idea). Let's talk and see if this is something you could do and if we can develop an actual assignment out of this.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
OAGC Fall 2019 - Siegle -- UnderservedPopulations

# data[].attributes.headline
Avoiding Logical Fallacies - Persuasive Writing

# data[].attributes.subject
Avoiding Logical Fallacies - Persuasive Writing

# data[].attributes.body
https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/

Teaching persuasive writing can be hard enough but teaching it to gifted kids without going into greater depth can be detrimental to their attention span. Use this link to have students test their arguments and reasoning in order to find out if they have successfully avoided all logical fallacies - it actually is extremely difficult... just read any argument on social media and you'll see how often people commit these errors.

# data[].attributes.body
Keynote presentation by Ian Byrd from 2017 OAGC fall conference.

# data[].attributes.headline
Dr. James Webb - Keynote speaker at OAGC Fall 2017 conference.

# data[].attributes.subject
Dr. James Webb - Keynote speaker at OAGC Fall 2017 conference.

# data[].attributes.body
This is loaded with great insight and resources - about gifted regarding Social Emotional needs.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Webb.Social and Emotional Needs of Gifted Children and Gifted Parent Burnout.revised

# data[].attributes.body
http://byrdseed.com/

If you decide to explore, check out the short videos on the Byrdseed.TV about social/emotional support for gifted kiddos.

# data[].attributes.headline
Research is More Than Google - Del Siegle

# data[].attributes.subject
Research is More Than Google - Del Siegle

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Siegle -- Research is More than Google - OAGC 2019