Anonymous
Post 06/07/2015 19:05     Subject: Re:Post article about gifted/enrichment programs
Anonymous wrote:Former SEM teacher here. SEM teachers are trained every summer at UConn and receive extensive coaching from the UConn outreach staff during the year. Training are also given directly by DCPS. I was very proud of the work that I did with students and was able to recruit law students from Georgetown School of Law to teach a cybersecurity cluster. We had a partnership with the Folger theater and were the only DCPS middle school during my year to present during the Didden Festival. Lastly, interested journalism cluster students were able to be mini reporters for the Washington Informer and interview civil rights giant, Congressman John Lewis. The SEM model allowed us the freedom to explore all of these opportunities. Some of the students were who we would call "gifted" others had strong connections to certain topics or subjects and were able to dive deeply into them. SEM, when implemented properly, works, and can be a great conduit of opportunity for experiential learning.


This is all sounds great and good educational practice, I still have issues with calling it "gifted" that doesn't make any sense to me, how are these children "gifted"? It is such a loaded term and an outdated concept, what does "gifted" even really mean in this day and age when we now recognize that IQ tests are an inaccurate measure of a child's, children learn best when they are "inspired" or "interested in a topic", hands on learning is a great tool, all children learn differently, etc, etc.
Anonymous
Post 06/07/2015 18:50     Subject: Post article about gifted/enrichment programs
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If this is DCPS' plan to attract more upper middle class parents to DCPS like gifted programs in NYC, Chicago, etc. that do, it's not going to work.

Upper middle class families with graduate degrees are not that dumb.


JO Wilson and Burrville are adding it...Burriville just tweeted it (look it up) largely because their feeder middle schools (Stuart-Hobson for JO Wilson and Kelly Miller for Burrville) have SEM.


Yup, and upper middle class families are drawn to these schools and Hardy in droves bc of SEM. Not.
Anonymous
Post 06/07/2015 18:10     Subject: Post article about gifted/enrichment programs
Anonymous wrote:If this is DCPS' plan to attract more upper middle class parents to DCPS like gifted programs in NYC, Chicago, etc. that do, it's not going to work.

Upper middle class families with graduate degrees are not that dumb.


JO Wilson and Burrville are adding it...Burriville just tweeted it (look it up) largely because their feeder middle schools (Stuart-Hobson for JO Wilson and Kelly Miller for Burrville) have SEM.
Anonymous
Post 06/07/2015 18:08     Subject: Post article about gifted/enrichment programs
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:PP, you fail to understand what "giftedness" is other than an outdated, overly-restrictive one. I understand you're just armchair-quarterbacking which is fine. However, I believe a link was provided to a peer-referenced research Article which lays out what this is and why it is this way. It may behoove you to read it.


I read the link and now being "gifted" is what? Some subjective measure where everyone is "gifted" in some way. How nice... But don't call it a "gifted" program. At least with the "overly-restrictive" measure,, there was a measure of some kind. Now everyone is "equal" and PC.

It's an enrichment program and nothing to get too excited over.


If you read it then your reading comprehension is probably not in the "gifted" range, hehe, because the theory behind it--the Three-Ring Conception of Giftedness and SEM itself is from the 1970's, long before the "PC" push that you decry came to be.
Anonymous
Post 06/07/2015 18:06     Subject: Post article about gifted/enrichment programs
Anonymous wrote:If this is DCPS' plan to attract more upper middle class parents to DCPS like gifted programs in NYC, Chicago, etc. that do, it's not going to work.

Upper middle class families with graduate degrees are not that dumb.


Actually, it is working because more schools are adding it on their own dime.
Anonymous
Post 06/07/2015 17:50     Subject: Post article about gifted/enrichment programs
Geez. What a bunch of know-nothing whiners on this board. Just impossible for you to admit that DCPS might be doing something right, huh?

My child was in this program at Hardy, and it was great. They have two teachers, one for STEM-based work and one for humanities work; both are excellent, well-trained, really great at keeping kids engaged and interested in new stuff.

It's made Hardy (which DC enjoys immensely) even more interesting and fun, and has taught DC new ways to look at the world and solve problems.

This is a good program, and I'm glad it is at Hardy. Please go talk to Principal Pride about it if you have quesitons.
Anonymous
Post 06/07/2015 17:46     Subject: Re:Post article about gifted/enrichment programs
Former SEM teacher here. SEM teachers are trained every summer at UConn and receive extensive coaching from the UConn outreach staff during the year. Training are also given directly by DCPS. I was very proud of the work that I did with students and was able to recruit law students from Georgetown School of Law to teach a cybersecurity cluster. We had a partnership with the Folger theater and were the only DCPS middle school during my year to present during the Didden Festival. Lastly, interested journalism cluster students were able to be mini reporters for the Washington Informer and interview civil rights giant, Congressman John Lewis. The SEM model allowed us the freedom to explore all of these opportunities. Some of the students were who we would call "gifted" others had strong connections to certain topics or subjects and were able to dive deeply into them. SEM, when implemented properly, works, and can be a great conduit of opportunity for experiential learning.
Anonymous
Post 06/07/2015 17:38     Subject: Re:Post article about gifted/enrichment programs
Anonymous wrote:Don't be too confident with DCPS. Seeing will be believing, and I hold little hope that they can ever get it right. DCPS is the biggest obstacle to economic development in this city.


Have you been asleep since 2000 or so? Do you live in Ward 8 and never leave the neighborhood?

Bad schools are mutually exclusive of DC economic development. Period.
Anonymous
Post 06/07/2015 17:14     Subject: Post article about gifted/enrichment programs
Anonymous wrote:So it is utterly subjective and the teacher just decides who is interested in a topic?


No, all student fill out a screening/interest test of some sort that is used to identify their top three areas of interest. That is used to form the enrichment groups. Then the SEM teacher plans the curriculum/activity for the group based their shared area of interest. Then at some point in the year,each group meets for their activities.
Anonymous
Post 06/07/2015 16:05     Subject: Post article about gifted/enrichment programs
I agree with PP 100%.
Anonymous
Post 06/07/2015 15:53     Subject: Post article about gifted/enrichment programs
If this is DCPS' plan to attract more upper middle class parents to DCPS like gifted programs in NYC, Chicago, etc. that do, it's not going to work.

Upper middle class families with graduate degrees are not that dumb.
Anonymous
Post 06/07/2015 14:21     Subject: Post article about gifted/enrichment programs
Anonymous wrote:PP, you fail to understand what "giftedness" is other than an outdated, overly-restrictive one. I understand you're just armchair-quarterbacking which is fine. However, I believe a link was provided to a peer-referenced research Article which lays out what this is and why it is this way. It may behoove you to read it.


I read the link and now being "gifted" is what? Some subjective measure where everyone is "gifted" in some way. How nice... But don't call it a "gifted" program. At least with the "overly-restrictive" measure,, there was a measure of some kind. Now everyone is "equal" and PC.

It's an enrichment program and nothing to get too excited over.
Anonymous
Post 06/07/2015 14:12     Subject: Re:Post article about gifted/enrichment programs
Don't be too confident with DCPS. Seeing will be believing, and I hold little hope that they can ever get it right. DCPS is the biggest obstacle to economic development in this city.
Anonymous
Post 06/07/2015 14:06     Subject: Post article about gifted/enrichment programs
Anonymous wrote:People want their children challenged, that is fairly universal.

I diasagrre. This is not about challenge. Yes, we don't want our kids bored all day- but in our work life we are not continually challenged, right? Sometimes we do routine stuff? I'm wanting us to dig beyond the eduspeak of challenge and get to the issue.
Anonymous
Post 06/07/2015 14:01     Subject: Post article about gifted/enrichment programs
People want their children challenged, that is fairly universal.