Grades K-3: Advanced Thinking Skills lessons
For the 2018-19 school year, I will be teaching bi-weekly lessons in every 1st-3rd grade classroom. I will be using the PETS (Primary Education Thinking Skills) curriculum. This program serves the dual purpose of helping in the identification of intellectually and academically talented students as well as teaching all students higher-level thinking skills. Every student will have instruction in higher-level convergent, divergent, evaluative, and visual thinking. Small-group instruction will provide additional challenges for students who exhibit strengths in these areas.
Grades 4 and 5: Engineering
4th and 5th graders will work on several projects this year. We will start with the creative Cardboard Challenge, learn to program in Basic C using our Botball robots, complete several Engineering Design Challenges, investigate and create with Virtual Reality, and more! 5th graders will also complete the FabSLAM competition using the 3D printer, and explore their own interests with Passion Projects.
For the 2018-19 school year, I will be teaching bi-weekly lessons in every 1st-3rd grade classroom. I will be using the PETS (Primary Education Thinking Skills) curriculum. This program serves the dual purpose of helping in the identification of intellectually and academically talented students as well as teaching all students higher-level thinking skills. Every student will have instruction in higher-level convergent, divergent, evaluative, and visual thinking. Small-group instruction will provide additional challenges for students who exhibit strengths in these areas.
Grades 4 and 5: Engineering
4th and 5th graders will work on several projects this year. We will start with the creative Cardboard Challenge, learn to program in Basic C using our Botball robots, complete several Engineering Design Challenges, investigate and create with Virtual Reality, and more! 5th graders will also complete the FabSLAM competition using the 3D printer, and explore their own interests with Passion Projects.
10 skills that I hope to promote for your child through this program:
- Develop a growth mindset- help students develop a belief that their abilities can change, grow, and improve with practice and study.
- Resiliency- helping students understand that success and failure often go hand and hand. My goal is to encourage them to take risks and to see “so- called” failures are opportunities to grow and learn.
- Work on the edge of one’s competence- provide opportunities for students to grow and improve in areas that success and high achievement is not guaranteed.
- Grit- helping students understand that people who make creative contributions to society were in it for the long haul.
- Optimism- helping students learn to address areas of weakness without losing confidence to try again.
- Find meaningfulness in learning-help students find more personal and meaning in their learning.
- Being an autonomous learner-help students decide on projects and goals and being able to initiate learning independently.
- Self-control –helping students regulate behavior, attention, and emotion to meet personal goals and standards.
- Learn to deal with stress and control anxiety- helping students see areas of stress and anxiety as stepping stones toward accomplishment of their goals.
- Enjoyment of solitude- use of time alone to pursue independent projects productively.