Did you know…
Westlake Charter School’s GATE Cluster Teachers have been offered the opportunity to attend a conference by the California Association for the Gifted this November. The focus of the conference is differentiation in the GATE cluster classroom. The keynote is Susan Winebrenner, author of The Cluster Grouping Handbook. WCS is excited for its GATE cluster teachers to participate in this professional development opportunity!
Resources for Home and School for Our Gifted Students
These books are great resources to refer to when wanting to learn more about gifted students.
GATE Teacher Spotlight
We asked two of our third grade GATE cluster teachers why they love teaching GATE students and to share a favorite strategy or resource. Below are their responses!
Diana Simental
I love teaching the GATE cluster because GATE students offer a new way of looking at concepts, especially in math. When sharing their thinking, the rest of the class has the opportunity to see there are multiple ways to solve a problem.
A strategy/practice that I love to use with my GATE students is our guided reading discussions. Students come prepared to guided reading with a question based on their reading assignment. They then answer each other’s questions and use text evidence to support their thinking. It is amazing to see them push each other’s thinking!
Whitney Ueltzen
I enjoy teaching the GATE cluster because GATE students are inquisitive learners that often think about concepts in a different way. For example, students have been able to create their own real world math problems and demonstrate how to solve them using Educreations. Listening to my GATE students explain their reasoning on how they solve the problem is fascinating and inspiring. They often solve problems in ways that I haven’t thought of!
My favorite strategy for my GATE students is to provide opportunities for voice, choice and creativity. We’ve established a Tech Playground where students have the freedom to use Google Apps for Education to create something that is meaningful and relevant to their interests. My GATE students have been able to showcase their creativity and inspire others in class to also reach their fullest potential.
Wednesday GATE Sessions – November
2nd & 3rd Grade GATE Students: “Saving Water One Drop at a Time”
Our 2nd and 3rd grade students will use their second “Data Collection: Weekly Water Use” form to compile their new water conservation data into pie graphs From there, students will brainstorm and discuss any actions that worked to conserve water effectively in our homes.
4th Grade GATE Students: “Alternate Energy Fantasy Cars”
Our 4th grade students will experiment with how to generate their specific form of alternative energy. Students will share their findings from experimentation about the best way to generate their form of energy with their peers. Finally, students will begin to design their fantasy car that will be powered by alternative energy by designing a visual on graph paper with written justification for type of energy, parts, and design.
5th & 6th GATE Students: “(S.O.S) Students Out & Stranded”
Our 5th and 6th grade students will finish construction on their survival projects and complete a reflection, “What did you learn about yourself as you worked on this project?”
7th & 8th Grade GATE Students: “It’s Simply a Balancing Act”
Our 7th and 8th grade students will work on the creation of their Rube Goldberg Machines and complete the reflection, “What did you learn about yourself while working on this project?”