Engagement Raises Achievement Connecting the Curriculum to Kids’ Lives

Engagement Raises AchievementConnecting the Curriculum to Kids’ Lives

Agenda • Overview • Renzulli Profiler & My Activities • Teacher Site • Creating Virtual Assignments • Classroom Management • District-Level Access • Q&A

Where did the Idea come from ? A “marriage” between… …30 years & $30-million of R&D on enrichment learning and teaching… and the programming and personalization power of the internet.

Where did the Idea come from ? I A U C C T P The 3-Ring Conception of Giftedness • Drawing out Gifted Attributes in Students… • In Certain People • Under Certain Circumstances • At Certain Times

Where did the Idea come from ? Our take… N o C hild eft … L B ored!

Where did the Idea come from ? The Current Environment… … THIS WEEK WE TOOK A TEST TO SEE IF WE’RE READY FOR THE TEST THAT TESTS OUR TEST SKILLS… … Wait until KINDERGARTEN

Where did the Idea come from ? A E The three “E’s” raise achievement Engagement Enthusiasm Achievement Encouragement Renzulli earns students’ trust by first helping them identify their passions (i.e. relevance), then provides rigor (Renzulli, 2004)

Inspiring Students to Learn, Dream, & Achieve 1. Motivation through an individualized strength assessment 2. Differentiation through matched resource utilization 3. Empowerment throughan open-ended, portable learning environment 4. Opportunities to contribute through the application of knowledge to real world issues of personal interest

Fulton Participation • All K-8 TAG students and teachers • 12 Elementary Schools (Abbotts Hill, Campbell, Conley Hills, Crabapple Crossing, Lake Windward, Liberty Point, Mountain Park, New Prospect, Love T. Nolan, Renaissance, Spalding Drive Charter, Woodland Charter) • 15 Middle Schools (Autrey Mill, Bear Creek, Camp Creek, Crabapple, Haynes Bridge, Holcomb Bridge, Renaissance, Ridgeview Charter, River Trail, Sandtown, Sandy Springs, Taylor Road, Webb Bridge, Paul D. West, Woodland)

Engaging the Entire Community • Unique environments for the entire learning community: • Students: Strength-based, differentiated content & work product creation tools • Teachers: Classroom management, reporting, & accountability • Parents: Read-only access to their child(ren)’s activity • Managers: Administrator “Balcony View” of utilization

Linking Students to Teachers Students will be prompted to select their teachers at their first log in

Teacher Self-Select Rosters “Authorized” teachers can self-select their student rosters from any registered student account

Student StrengthAssessment

Sample Strength Assessment K-4 Ability-level Profiler

Sample Strength Assessment Grade 5-12 Ability-level Profiler

Sample Strength Assessment Spanish Language Profiler

Top 3 Interest Areas Top 3 Learning Styles Top 3 Expression Styles

Six-years & 100,000 Hours Finding & Categorizing Resources… Renzulli’s Curricular Database Currently 30,000 resources categorized / catalogued by Interest, Learning & Expression Style, Grade & Ability level, and the Georgia Performance Standards

Strength-based Differentiation EngineTM Matching Resources to Learning Profiles 1,200 Total Virtual FieldTrips This child received48 VFT’s based on his interests & learning style 30,000 Resources24,000 Online6,000 Offline Each child receivesapprox. 2,000 recommended resources

Let’s Take the Freedom example… Freedom: 200mm • Google Search of “freedom” yields: • 200mm results • Complete with advertisements and uncertainty • Requiring hours of surfing to find lesson-friendly sites

With human [educators] editorial help… Freedom: 200mm >> 179 • Renzulli Search of “freedom” yields: • 179 results • Covering exploratory opportunities, creativity & analytical “how-to” training, and work product creation

With human [educators] editorial help… Freedom: 200mm >> 179 >> ~20 • Individual Student Searches of “freedom” yields: • 10 - 30 results • Categorized across 14 Enrichment areas • Filtered by the child’s interest, learning, and expressions style

Lynne’s Top 3 Interests:Reading :: Social Action :: Writing A search of the concept of “freedom” brings different activities to each student based on their top interest area, learning style and expression style…

Lynne’s interests in reading, writing, and social action are engaged by these selected activities…

Frank’s Top 3 Learning Styles:Learning Games :: Technology :: Lecture A search of the concept of “freedom” brings different activities to each student based on their top interest area, learning style and expression style…

Franklin’s learning styles of games, technology, and lecture are engaged by these selected activities…

Lesson Planning Tools

Making the Web Accountable for Teachers… • Thumbnails for quick analysis • All resources one-click from an assessmentor work product • Track student activity

Personalized, PortableTotal Talent Portfolios Students become lifelong learners by building a portfolio of their favorite / best work over many years Students build a Total Talent Portfolio over their entire school career Students upload their projects for safe, portable storage

Implementation Ideas • Intermittent supplemental class-wide teacher presentations during a unit of instruction • Computer center for students with classroom computers • Class-wide visits to the computer lab • Independent Study, Reading, or Inquiry time for individual students • Strategic compacting throughout a unit of study • 30-minute small group Wizard Project sessions

SignificantAchievement Gains • In less than a semester (16-weeks) • With weekly access (2-3 hours / wk)

Reading Comprehension Results • Random Assignment Achievement Gap Difference between pre and post Iowa Test of Basic Skills Reading Comprehension by group for all students

Your Turn www.renzullilearning.com

Comparing Learning Styles • Group Work • Simulation • Peer Tutoring • Technology • Discussion • Lecture • Games • Programmed Instruction • Independent Study

Engagement Raises Achievement Connecting the Curriculum to Kids’ Lives