Gifted
Education
has
moved
onto
Canvas.
All
active
students
should
have
a
card
for
Gifted
on
their
dashboard.
Please
contact
your
resource
teachers
if
you
have
any
issues
with
your
Canvas
access.
Gifted
Education
Program
at
Forest
Park
High
School
Gifted
Education
Resource
Teachers:
Mr.
Dan
Bredbenner
bredbedw@pwcs.edu
Mr.
Nicholas
Watkins
watkinnj@pwcs.edu
What
do
students
learn
in
the
high
school
gifted
program?
See
this
overview
or
read
on
for
more
information...
The
primary
method
of
instruction
in
the
high
school
gifted
program
is
interdisciplinary
seminar
discussions.
These
highly
collaborative
sessions
use
thought
provoking
activities
and
high-level
primary
readings
to
spark
academic
discussions
and
foster
development
in
thinking
skills.
While
the
topics
and
questions
change
with
each
seminar,
they
provide
an
interrelated
and
cumulative
curriculum
throughout
the
four
years
that
is
always
focused
on
using
the
various
topics
to
teach
students
how
to
improve
in
the
areas
of
Critical,
Creative,
Reflective,
and
Collaborative
Thinking.
The
ultimate
goal
is
for
students
to
reach
advanced
Conceptual
Thinking
skills
and
the
ability
to
comprehensively
and
respectfully
explore
complex
ideas
in
diverse
group
settings.
Historically,
students
who
have
been
most
consistent
in
effort
and
attendance
have
been
the
most
likely
to
achieve
this
level.
Seminar Location when schools are back to 100% open:
Students
will
report
to
room
1143
near
the
main
stairs.
Further
information
will
be
provided
if
an
alternative
location
will
be
used
for
a
particular
seminar.
Seminar Attendance
Students participating in the gifted program are expected to attend seminars on a regular basis or participate asynchronously if they have chosen that option for participation. For in school seminars, If a student is unable to attend a scheduled seminar, please make prior arrangements to attend at another time, if available. To be excused from a particular seminar, a student should submit a written note from his/her parent or guardian. The parent can also email a resource teacher prior to the beginning of the seminar.
Students who have been identified as gifted by PWCS must be provided the opportunity to receive the appropriate level of services as determined. Teachers may not forbid students to attend a seminar during a particular period. They are always welcome to contact Mr. Bredbenner prior to the scheduled period if a conflict arises and a mutually satisfactory arrangement can be made 99% of the time. If school is canceled, missed seminars will not be made up due to schedule restraints - the material will be condensed into future seminars. Access to seminars will remain available through Zoom.
Seminar Schedule
Seminar
schedules
need
to
be
custom
designed
each
year
to
minimize
conflicts
and
maximize
benefits
for
the
students.
Individual
student
schedules
are
not
available
until
mid-late
September
when
that
work
is
completed.
The
first
seminars
typically
begin
in
the
3rd
week
of
school,
but
a
maximum
of
two
grade
levels
can
be
scheduled
in
a
particular
week.
Each
Zoom
class
clearly
shows
the
schedule
of
seminars.
Future
dates
are
being
determined
as
the
PWCS
schedule
becomes
available.
When
in
school,
exact
dates
and
topics
of
all
seminars
will
be
posted
on
the
wall
outside
room
1143,
distributed
by
email
to
parents
&
teachers
and
by
paper
to
students,
and
posted
on
this
page
as
soon
as
they
are
approved.
Links
to
posted
schedules
are
on
the
menu
on
the
left
side
of
this
page.
The
Gifted
Resource
Teachers
at
Forest
Park
understand
that
it
can
be
a
challenge
to
miss
classes,
so
every
effort
is
made
to
minimize
the
impact
on
classes
while
maximizing
the
benefit
of
the
time
spent
in
the
resource
program.
When schools are back to 100% in person and seminars happen in school, all 9th and 10th grade students enrolled in HPE I and HPE II will be scheduled to attend seminars during the physical activity portion of their HPE classes. They will typically miss class for the period as a group with other students in the same section. Students who are not taking HPE I or II will attend the same seminars as HPE students, but rotate through their classes. This will mean that you must choose the best period during the two days listed.
All
11th
and
12th
grade
students
will
receive
passes
which
allow
them
to
attend
ONE
class
period
out
of
the
options
available
during
the
scheduled
days.
All
active
students
are
expected
to
participate
in
each
of
the
seminars,
but
it
will
be
left
to
them
to
make
a
responsible
decision
about
which
period
each
time.
They
may
repeat
particular
period(s)
or
choose
a
different
period
each
time
as
they
consider
their
particular
situation.
Conferences
All students will complete their Differentiated Services Plan (DSP) in seminar conferences before scheduling in February. The DSP is intended to aid students' and their parents' long range planning in pursuit of each student's personal educational goals. In addition to the DSP conferences, gifted education teachers are available to conference as needed with gifted students. Conferences can be initiated by the student or teacher. Please contact the teacher in advance to schedule a conference. Conferences can be used to address issues such as college applications, academic progress, socio-emotional issues, and other concerns.
Program Participation
All needed materials will be provided. Students identified as gifted are expected to attend seminars on a regular basis. If a student wishes to attend during a different class or withdraw from seminars on a temporary or permanent basis, he/she should have a parent contact the resource teachers to discuss options.
Make-Up Work
Prior
to
coming
to
a
seminar,
students
are
encouraged
to
go
to
the
class
they
will
be
missing,
check
in
with
their
teacher
for
attendance
purposes,
turn
in
any
work
that
is
due
and
get
any
make-up
assignments
needed
for
that
class.
Whether
they
do
that
or
not,
all
missed
work
must
be
completed
according
to
the
teacher's
make-up
work
policy
just
like
any
other
absence
from
class.
For
seminars
that
occur
through
Zoom,
we
will
utilize
office
hours
time.
Canvas
modules
will
be
available
for
asynchronous
access
anytime.
Peer Nominations
Students are welcome to nominate peers for the gifted program. Nominees must go through an eligibility process to be identified as gifted and participate in the program. Nominations should be made to a gifted resource teacher.
Evaluation
Evaluations
are
currently
being
revised
for
the
2020-2021
school
year.
The
previous
explanation
for
evaluations
has
been
left
up
to
provide
a
sense
of
how
students
growth
is
assessed
each
year.
The
new
version
should
be
more
user
friendly
and
we
will
post
it
as
soon
as
possible...
Seminars
are
an
ungraded
environment
where
all
ideas
are
considered
and
intellectual
risks
can
be
taken
without
the
fear
of
a
low
grade.
However,
at
the
end
of
each
school
year,
students
are
evaluated
by
themselves
and
their
teachers
using
the
rubric
below.
Students
tend
to
enter
high
school
on
the
left
side
of
this
chart,
but
those
who
participate
regularly
throughout
their
high
school
careers
tend
to
reach
the
right
side
by
graduation.
The
seminar
program
is
designed
to
foster
four
different
types
of
thinking,
each
with
its
own
sets
of
foundational,
advanced
and
mastery
level
skills.
Students
are
self-
and
teacher-evaluated
annually
with
a
range
reflecting
their
least
and
most
mature
thinking.
The
growth
marks
in
each
area
are:
Novice
-
inconsistently
uses
these
skills
Developing
-
frequently
uses
these
skills
Reaching
(proficiency)
-
regularly
uses
these
skills
Proficient
-
reliably
uses
and
models
these
skills
to
peers
CRITICAL Thinking |
FOUNDATIONAL |
ADVANCED |
MASTERY |
|||||||||||||
Defines and clarifies concepts and distinctions |
Attempts to analyze and clarify concepts; may use conflicting or inaccurate definitions |
Uses reasonable and appropriate definitions when analyzing and clarifying concepts |
Uses succinct and precise definitions and distinctions to analyze and clarify concepts |
|||||||||||||
Student |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
|||||
Teacher |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
|||||
Questions and evaluates sources, information, and conclusions |
May accept novel ideas with little scrutiny; and/or challenges ideas which differ from own position, supports those which confirm |
Considers quality of source materials and conclusions; looks for strengths and weaknesses in familiar and novel ideas |
Evaluates the quality and validity of all source materials and conclusions |
|||||||||||||
Student |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
|||||
Teacher |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
|||||
Reasons to develop positions and to respond to differing positions |
Understands the reasoning behind some positions |
Uses logic in developing positions; may use reasoning in considering differing positions |
Uses logic and reasoning in developing own positions and in reacting to differing ones |
|||||||||||||
Student |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
|||||
Teacher |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
|||||
CONCEPTUAL Thinking |
FOUNDATIONAL |
ADVANCED |
MASTERY |
|||||||||
Grasps, Explains, and Constructs Meaning
|
Grasps some abstract concepts; Expresses meaning that reflects standard definition |
Understands abstract concepts, Builds own meaning that is appropriate and satisfactory |
Explains abstract concepts concisely; Creates new meaning that is comprehensive |
|||||||||
Student |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
|
Teacher |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
|
Extends and refines concepts |
Understands how concepts relate and looks for internal and external connections |
Enlarges aspects of concepts; relates new to previous concepts and seeks implications |
Finds new aspects of concepts; explores assumptions, consequences, implications |
|||||||||
Student |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
|
Teacher |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
|
Expresses point of view supported by evidence |
Expresses conventional point of view; may not have considered issue personally |
Expresses a viewpoint adapted or combined from others |
Expresses a distinct and consistent individual viewpoint based on evidence |
|||||||||
Student |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
|
Teacher |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
REFLECTIVE Thinking |
FOUNDATIONAL |
ADVANCED |
MASTERY |
|||||||||
Exhibits independent insight |
Shows willingness to explore personal connections to develop insight |
Reflects on new concepts in developing new awareness and insight |
Reflects on previous and new concepts in developing connections, new awareness, and insight |
|||||||||
Student |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
|
Teacher |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
|
Examines, combines, and transforms ideas |
Examines and considers ideas |
Examines, considers, and combines ideas |
Examines, considers, combines, and transforms ideas |
|||||||||
Student |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
|
Teacher |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
|
Evaluates to improve own performance |
Evaluates own performance with personal point of view |
Evaluates own performance and listens to the formal or informal feedback of others |
Evaluates own performance in detail and incorporates evaluation of others to improve performance |
|||||||||
Student |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
|
Teacher |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
COLLABORATIVE |
FOUNDATIONAL |
ADVANCED |
MASTERY |
||||||||||||||||||
Thinking |
|||||||||||||||||||||
Cooperates with peers |
Participates in group process; attempts communication with people who have different feelings and ideas |
Helps facilitate group process; communicates well with people who have different feelings and ideas |
Actively facilitates group process; is sensitive to the feelings and ideas of others |
||||||||||||||||||
Student |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
||||||||||
Teacher |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
||||||||||
Initiates and furthers discussion |
Initiates discussion when prompted; provides feedback when prompted |
Initiates discussion when interested in material; provides positive feedback spontaneously |
Willingly initiates discussions; provides useful and positive feedback |
||||||||||||||||||
Student |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
||||||||||
Teacher |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
||||||||||
Learns through collaboration |
Recognizes concepts; recognizes different ideas |
Examines concepts; is open-minded to different ideas |
Explores concepts; encourages different ideas |
||||||||||||||||||
Student |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
||||||||||
Teacher |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
N |
D |
R |
P |
||||||||||