I have been visiting Lower School classrooms recently. One of my greatest joys is spending time in classrooms, observing students as they learn and explore new ideas.
Today, in the Sharks (1st grade) classroom, students participated in an inquiry science project about plant growth. Students had learned previously that plants need air, water and soil to grow, but wanted to explore what would happen if they made changes to these elements. Stop by the Sharks room over the next week or so to see what happens as seeds they planted today try to grow in sea water, in 7-Up or Coke, in sand or rocks, or in the dark. Students had a million questions related to plant growth! Once each student decided on his or her question for investigation and wrote up their hypotheses, the planting began. The discussion in the classroom as they talked about controlling variables and about stating questions so that answers can be measured was far beyond what one would typically think first graders were capable of. That’s the gift of Seabury. The opportunity to explore the “what ifs” and take ideas as far as they can go.
I have been fortunate to frequently witness this process in every Seabury classroom, because inquiry is at the core of what we do. Recently, I observed the Explorers (4th/5th grade) experimenting with prisms and then with bubbles. I could hardly keep up with the rapid fire questions that each new observation generated. Earlier this week, the Navigators (3rd grade) tried to figure out how to use a battery and wire to light up a light bulb, and then went on to new questions about circuits and electricity. The Superstars (PreK/K) tried to figure out how the smell of vanilla escapes from a balloon when the liquid doesn’t. And the middle school students explored the best way to program their LEGO® vehicle’s computer to get it through the FIRST LEGO league obstacle course.
The inquiry process not only gives students the opportunity to BE scientists (as opposed to passively learning ABOUT science), it develops their thinking and problem solving skills, and allows them to explore ideas in greater depth than in a more traditional / fact directed lesson. The process of inquiry is at the heart of Seabury’s program, and is infused in all subject areas.
Later this spring we will be expanding our ability to offer inquiry science as we purchase additional materials with monies raised through our auction’s Fund an Item project. We can only imagine the new “What Ifs” these materials will allow our students to explore. We appreciate the generosity of all who contributed to the project, and look forward to sharing our new discoveries with you!
See how we do gifted at Seabury School and learn more about what makes the highly capable child tick
Friday, March 19, 2010
Monday, January 4, 2010
This I Believe
Just before the holidays, Seabury's middle school students participated in a writing project based on the NPR radio series, "This I Believe, in which people share essays about the core values and personal philosophies that influence their lives. After working through a variety of activities designed to encourage students to consider their own core values and beliefs, each student wrote his or her own "This I Believe" essay.
The insights our sixth and seventh graders had into the people and events in their lives that helped shape them were incredible. Students wrote about injuries and illnesses and things their parents have done that let them know they are loved. Funny things. Tragedies. Special experiences. Many of the students wrote about incidents that happened at school - like getting sick at camp or being injured and not being able to play soccer. Incidents I had witnessed in many cases, but had no idea what transformative experiences they had been for the students.
One student, sixth grader Nick Schulaner, wrote about the experience of losing his stepfather, Patrick Maher, a police officer killed in the line of duty, when Nick was in kindergarten. Nick's essay, in which he shared his wish to offer hope to the families of officers involved in recent shootings in Seattle, Lakewood and Eatonville, was featured in a local news story and on a local news blog. His words not only had a profound impact on his classmates, but brought comfort to many who are grieving in the community.
What a gift these students are. It is a privilege to work with such insightful, inspiring young people!
The insights our sixth and seventh graders had into the people and events in their lives that helped shape them were incredible. Students wrote about injuries and illnesses and things their parents have done that let them know they are loved. Funny things. Tragedies. Special experiences. Many of the students wrote about incidents that happened at school - like getting sick at camp or being injured and not being able to play soccer. Incidents I had witnessed in many cases, but had no idea what transformative experiences they had been for the students.
One student, sixth grader Nick Schulaner, wrote about the experience of losing his stepfather, Patrick Maher, a police officer killed in the line of duty, when Nick was in kindergarten. Nick's essay, in which he shared his wish to offer hope to the families of officers involved in recent shootings in Seattle, Lakewood and Eatonville, was featured in a local news story and on a local news blog. His words not only had a profound impact on his classmates, but brought comfort to many who are grieving in the community.
What a gift these students are. It is a privilege to work with such insightful, inspiring young people!
Monday, December 7, 2009
What if...
I love the way Seabury kids think! Their minds are filled with limitless possibilities for everything, so discussions with them can go in such interesting directions...
Last Friday at our weekly Lower School Gathering, two girls from the Explorers class (4th and 5th grade students) presented an issue to the student body. It seems that we had thirteen playground balls available to students for recess on the first day of school and now we now only have five because so many balls have gone sailing over the fence and down the hill. What to do?!
Our girls had discussed the issue with Ms. Nancy, our PE teacher, and offered both the problem and a solution to students at Gathering. Their solution? For every ten days in a row students can go without kicking balls over the fence, Ms. Nancy will add a new ball to the playground equipment. They asked students to work together to keep balls on the playground so that they can earn new balls and have more to play with.
Immediately hands shot up all over the room. "What if a ball goes over the fence, but is still in the driveway on school property - does that count?" The girls pondered the question and determined, yes, that counts as over the fence and they would have to start the ten day count over again.
Another child asked, "What if the ball lands in the street, and a neighbor walking or driving by picks it up and throws it right back - does that count?"
Pause. Hmmm... "Yes, that counts."
"What if the ball goes over the roof rather than over the fence?"
Thoughtful silence. "Counts."
"What if the ball goes over the net, but lands between the net and the fence, so it is still, technically, inside the fence?"
Hmmmmm... "That wouldn't count. That would be ok."
After about twenty questions like that, it was time to "continue the discussion in classrooms and move on," but the discussion could have easily gone on all day. What a Seabury moment!
Our kids love to think about possibilities. To dream about all the "What if's" they can come up with - about why the dinosaurs died out, about what it would be like to visit Africa, about what would happen if robots took over the world, about how it must feel to be homeless on a cold night like last night - about everything under the sun. It's one of the things that makes working with gifted children so much fun and so challenging at the same time. There is no end to the wondering. What a gift to celebrate!
Last Friday at our weekly Lower School Gathering, two girls from the Explorers class (4th and 5th grade students) presented an issue to the student body. It seems that we had thirteen playground balls available to students for recess on the first day of school and now we now only have five because so many balls have gone sailing over the fence and down the hill. What to do?!
Our girls had discussed the issue with Ms. Nancy, our PE teacher, and offered both the problem and a solution to students at Gathering. Their solution? For every ten days in a row students can go without kicking balls over the fence, Ms. Nancy will add a new ball to the playground equipment. They asked students to work together to keep balls on the playground so that they can earn new balls and have more to play with.
Immediately hands shot up all over the room. "What if a ball goes over the fence, but is still in the driveway on school property - does that count?" The girls pondered the question and determined, yes, that counts as over the fence and they would have to start the ten day count over again.
Another child asked, "What if the ball lands in the street, and a neighbor walking or driving by picks it up and throws it right back - does that count?"
Pause. Hmmm... "Yes, that counts."
"What if the ball goes over the roof rather than over the fence?"
Thoughtful silence. "Counts."
"What if the ball goes over the net, but lands between the net and the fence, so it is still, technically, inside the fence?"
Hmmmmm... "That wouldn't count. That would be ok."
After about twenty questions like that, it was time to "continue the discussion in classrooms and move on," but the discussion could have easily gone on all day. What a Seabury moment!
Our kids love to think about possibilities. To dream about all the "What if's" they can come up with - about why the dinosaurs died out, about what it would be like to visit Africa, about what would happen if robots took over the world, about how it must feel to be homeless on a cold night like last night - about everything under the sun. It's one of the things that makes working with gifted children so much fun and so challenging at the same time. There is no end to the wondering. What a gift to celebrate!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Getting Started
It's my turn! Seabury's teachers have been doing a great job blogging about life in their classrooms at Seabury. I've decided it's time for me to join in the fun and share some of my thoughts and observations about life at Seabury and about the adventure of working with gifted children.
Just for the record, I struggle every time I use the term "gifted." It is the term used in the educaton community and in the media to talk about the children we serve at Seabury. But it can conjure up so many myths and wrong assumptions about our students and about our attitudes toward children. Many times in my career in gifted education I have had both parents and educators tell me, "I don't believe in gifted education - I believe ALL children have gifts." I couldn't agree more. It is true. ALL children - without exception - have gifts. And all children deserve to have their gifts recognized, nurtured and supported.
We generally recognize that students who show exceptional promise in athletics or in the arts require special training tailored to their individual ability level if they are to develop those talents. One writer pointed out that we don't train our Olympic swimmers by having them teach beginning swimming. "Gifted" education is nothing more than that. It is appropriate education for students who think and learn differently than typical kids their age. They are kids who might be reading early or showing exceptional ability in math. Students who understand things that others their age don't, or who have the insatiable desire to know everything there is to know about a subject that interests them. These children aren't more special. They just think and learn in a special way.
That's why I'm at Seabury. Because I believe every child deserves to learn something new at school every day. Because I believe all children have gifts and can use those gifts to make the world a better place. And because "gifted" kids, just like all kids, thrive when they are challenged and stretched and have the chance to think big thoughts and explore big ideas.
I look forward to sharing stories about our kids and their educational journey with you!
Just for the record, I struggle every time I use the term "gifted." It is the term used in the educaton community and in the media to talk about the children we serve at Seabury. But it can conjure up so many myths and wrong assumptions about our students and about our attitudes toward children. Many times in my career in gifted education I have had both parents and educators tell me, "I don't believe in gifted education - I believe ALL children have gifts." I couldn't agree more. It is true. ALL children - without exception - have gifts. And all children deserve to have their gifts recognized, nurtured and supported.
We generally recognize that students who show exceptional promise in athletics or in the arts require special training tailored to their individual ability level if they are to develop those talents. One writer pointed out that we don't train our Olympic swimmers by having them teach beginning swimming. "Gifted" education is nothing more than that. It is appropriate education for students who think and learn differently than typical kids their age. They are kids who might be reading early or showing exceptional ability in math. Students who understand things that others their age don't, or who have the insatiable desire to know everything there is to know about a subject that interests them. These children aren't more special. They just think and learn in a special way.
That's why I'm at Seabury. Because I believe every child deserves to learn something new at school every day. Because I believe all children have gifts and can use those gifts to make the world a better place. And because "gifted" kids, just like all kids, thrive when they are challenged and stretched and have the chance to think big thoughts and explore big ideas.
I look forward to sharing stories about our kids and their educational journey with you!
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