Maximizing Learning Potential: Time Flies!

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Time Flies!

OMG!! I just noticed that it's been over a month since I made my last post. Where has the time gone?

Hunter spent a week at Grandma's house. It was a much needed break for him AND the rest of the family. He came back refreshed and happy. We told him that he was a big boy and that he couldn't wear pullups any more. At first, he was angry. However, he's only had a couple accidents in the past week. I think we're finally on the right track.

We traveled to Chicago last week as a family and met up with some good friends up in Gurnee, Illinois. It is always wonderful to catch up with great friends. Kari and I have known each other for 30 years. (Makes me seem soooo old :) The kids all get along fabulously, as well. We all spent the afternoon at the beach and the kids camped out in the Kunkle's backyard.

The past month has been a whirlwind around here! Haley has made a decision to go back to school. She heard about a wonderful teacher that is new to Emge this year and decided that she'd like to meet her. She met Mrs. Billingsley at the Bread Company and loved her! I think it's going to be a great year for her. She will attend school W/Th/F mornings only. She will participate in science, social studies, language, specials and lunch. She will be taking Algebra II, Native American History and Spanish at the Learning Center on Tuesdays. JET is on Mondays as it was last year. Basically, my role in homeschooling is going to be making sure she completes her work. We are going to do some units at home because she LOVES to learn about the topics and really enjoys doing research. We have begun to study Africa and eventially are going to compare and contrast Africa and Asia.

Maddie is going to school almost a full day. She will attend 2nd grade in the morning for language arts and reading. She will then travel to her homeroom (1st grade) classroom for science/social studies/lunch/specials. I will pick her up at 2:35 each day to complete math at home. It's really an ideal situation for her. I was so pleased that the school worked so hard to come up with an educational plan that will benefit her the most! I will also pull her out on Tuesdays to take Native American History and Spanish with Haley for two hours.

The girls had their first day of school today. Haley was just excited; Maddie had a twinge of nervousness mixed in with her excitement. I am hoping that all will go well today. They both have wonderful teachers and I have met with them on a couple different occasions this summer.

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Is it a Cheetah?

When we think of cheetahs we are likely to think first of their speed. It's flashy. It is impressive. It's unique. If a cheetah is confined to a 10 X 12 foot cage, though it may pace or fling itself against the bars in restless frustration, it won't run 70 mph.

IS IT STILL A CHEETAH?

If a cheetah has only 20 mph rabbits to chase for food, it won't run 70 mph while hunting.

A school system that defines giftedness (or talent) as behavior, achievement and performance is as compromised in its ability to recognize its highly gifted students and to give them what they need as a zoo would be to recognize and provide for its cheetahs if it looked only for speed.

However, schools are to extraordinarily intelligent children what zoos are to cheetahs. Many schools provide a 10 x 12 foot cage, giving the unusual mind no room to get up to speed. Many highly gifted children sit in the classroom the way big cats sit in their cages, dull-eyed and silent. Some, unable to resist the urge from inside even though they can't exercise it, pace the bars, snarl and lash out at their keepers, or throw themselves against the bars until they do themselves damage.
In some schools brilliant children are asked to do what they were never designed to do while the attributes that are a natural aspect of unusual mental capacity -- intensity, passion, high energy, independence, moral reasoning, curiosity, humor, unusual interests and insistence on truth and accuracy -- are considered problems that need fixing.

Exerpts from Stephanie S. Tolan ©1996

Work Samples

Manatees (unedited)
By Haley
05/14/09

Manatees are very different than other animals. Manatees are aquatic mammals. They are also endangered. Manatees live in warm waters. They are very slow. Manatees are related to elephants. Manatees never hurt any other animal.

Manatees are funny looking creatures. Manatees are a grey- brown color. They are known as sea cows. A baby manatee weighs about 60 pounds. A grown manatee weighs about 1000 pounds. Sharp propellers from motor boats scar the manatees back.

Manatees have to lots of things after they have a baby. A mother manatee always stays near her calf. Manatees always teach there calf which plants are safe to eat. Manatees usally have one baby at a time every three years. The first thing a baby manatee does after it gets born it rises to the surface to breath. Last, a female manatee becomes an adult when it is five.

Manatees were used in lots of different ways. Its skin was burned as fuel. Also its bones where used as medican and jewelry. Its skin was made into shoes. Manatees fed many people.

Manatees are endangered animals. People need to protect them and not hurt them so they don’t dye out!