Promise Newsletter
October, 2021
Section 5: Sharing Experiences
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Spotlight on Gifted Education: |
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A Teacher, a Selfie Stick, and a Google Meet
by Jacqueline Solecitto, G&T Teacher, Grades 7-8, solecittoj@warrenhills.org
Warren Hills Regional Middle School
We always encourage our students to find healthy challenges in life. In the 2020-2021 school year, all teachers certainly had to do just this. I’ve been teaching since 2006, and I have never had a year with more challenging circumstances. Not only were health concerns at the forefront, but our schedules and instructional formats changed so frequently making it difficult to maintain student engagement. As a teacher of gifted students, I immediately began brainstorming and crowdsourcing for creative ways to make the best out of a strange year. Suddenly, it dawned on me: “teaching remotely” does not necessarily mean “teaching from home.” One of the many benefits of living and teaching in New Jersey is that so many fascinating places exist fairly close to home. I discussed the idea with other teachers, administrators, parents, and students; they were all on board...VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS!
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Yes, it’s true, many organizations offer virtual field trips on their websites. We explored these and learned that they are usually prerecorded. Though interesting, students could view these on their own time the same way they could a Netflix documentary or YouTube video. The interactive component and personal touch were lacking. So, after having taught teenagers for over a decade, I did something I promised myself I would never do: I purchased a selfie stick. Before it arrived, I began making some calls. Duke Farms in Hillsborough was my first call, and WOW did I hit the jackpot! The education program there is led by former superintendent and G&T teacher, Kate Reilly. We had a long and fascinating conversation where we arranged my first virtual field trip.
When I arrived, I was met with Von, one of the educators at the property. I loaded my regularly scheduled Google Meet with my students, did a quick introduction, and then aimed my phone at Von. He was spectacular! He showed my class various components of the property including a green roof, tudor-style buildings, and a solar farm. The questions came rolling in immediately. Some students asked about history, some asked about environmental concerns, some asked about wildlife, and the list went on. Von responded to each student. With this, my virtual field trip curriculum was born!
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Vietnam War Memorial Wall |
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Each trip offered students authentic experiences and taught them about all of the fascinating places they could visit in our great state. I would arrive, sometimes to a very desolate location, and take my lead from the students. “Take a left here, Mrs. Solecitto! Can you zoom in on that plaque? Let’s go check out the giraffes!” We went to the Turtleback Zoo, Swallow Hill Alpaca Farm, The Museum at Bread Lock Park, the Downtown Somerville Black History Month walk-through mural, and Donaldson Farms where one of my students drove me around on a Can-Am! I even stood in the rain at the Vietnam War Memorial Wall on Veteran’s Day, interviewing a children’s comedian who happened to be visiting. This sparked another idea: virtual interviews! |
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Gifted students thrive with authentic experiences and love speaking with professionals in their fields of interest. In the craziest school year of their lives, my students were introduced to a graphic designer for Hot Wheels, a plasma physicist in Livermore, a programmer for Rent the Runway, a dietician at their local ShopRite, a local business owner (from Get-A-Grip & More), a nurse (who does Covid-19 testing and contact tracing), the production crew of the NJ Devils, and even a senator! Attendance was optional, but I came to learn that entire families were tuning in for these sessions. For some, it was their only way “out of the house.” Students would anxiously await the next trip or interview. I learned so much last year and I think they did too.
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Nurse (Covid Testing and Contact Tracing) |
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Of course, this pandemic came with multitudes of hardships, heartaches, and hecticness, but perhaps some silver linings emerged. I don’t know that this program surpassed the benefits of in-person lessons and field trips, but it certainly brought us some authentic experiences that could not have otherwise existed. For that, I am grateful.
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Programmer:
Rent the Runway
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Giftedness and Siblings
by Lori J. McEntee
I am not a parenting expert. I have made mistakes, lots of them. I am not sure when you reach the age when your children are considered grown (if ever) but my “children” are 23 and 20. A college graduate and a junior in college. Over my 24 years as a parent of two gifted children, I have learned a lot of lessons, some easy and some very challenging. I learned a crucial lesson many years too late to save me a lot of self-doubt, aggravation, research, and conferences. That lesson is that children are rarely the same as their siblings and their respective “giftedness” is not always easy to identify. The younger of my two sons would check all the standard checkmarks for giftedness. He is well-read, sails through any curriculum with ease, is comfortable speaking with peers and adults, is creative and witty and is generally the student every teacher would love to have in their classroom. His success is expected and rarely celebrated because it is just what he does.
My older child is a master at disguising his abilities and camouflaging himself as a “typical” boy with “average” abilities. He loves to be outside, has read a total of one book in his lifetime (a big shout out to Mrs. Hill who was the only teacher to ever make that happen), is quick to make comments to his neighbors in class, is always the “witness” to some sort of mischief and though enrolled in higher level classes, was always on the edge of failing at least one class (always because, he would state, “The teacher doesn’t like me). I am no proponent of the victim mentality, but I can easily see how a teacher would be annoyed by his commentary and general laissez-faire approach to school. He chose a college based on which golf coach and team was a good fit. He did not have a concern for academics in the least. He chose finance as a major with no real reason other than his friends were in the same classes. His grades were solid, and he graduated in four years. In that time, he became very interested in the stock market and investing and has developed a very considerable portfolio for a 23-year-old. He prides himself on being in the top 1% of incomes for his age group. He is also a top golf caddy at one of the most exclusive courses in the country. He is patient, well-spoken, respectful and is at ease with the multi-millionaires and celebrities he works with every day. Recently, he decided to sit for the SIE exam (Securities Industry Essentials). He committed himself to studying for many hours and passed on his first attempt.
I don’t state these facts to brag about my children, though I am extremely proud to be their mom. My older son was considered an “under-achiever” by academia and has proven the doubters wrong, even though it took a little longer than the “usual gifted student.” Giftedness is not always easily identified by a number, statistic, or grade. As parents and educators, we have been conditioned to believe that our children are gifted if their IQ is a certain number, or their test scores are in a certain range. The truth is much more complicated. Children who are truly gifted are not a number, they are full of wonder and creativity. They excel in many areas, not all academic. They are witty and funny, though not always appropriately, because they see connections between ideas all the time and can’t stop themselves from sharing. Parents know their children the best and are their children’s best advocates. If you see a spark in your child, help them start a fire, encourage them to follow their passions, even if they don’t meet the conventional idea of what a gifted child should do. Though it can be very frustrating, be patient with your children, they all develop their gifts at their own pace. They will get there, just maybe not as fast as their siblings.
Lori J. McEntee is a mom of two awesome sons and a middle school teacher in South Jersey.
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Retired & Writing!
by Joan Ruddiman, EdD.
I have come to realize that though I retired from daily classroom teaching, I will never retire from being a teacher. Certainly, being a grandmother stirs a myriad of old interests and new innovations — namely writing children’s books.
Little Children, BIG Feelings was inspired by my lifelong love of words. After years of motivating middle schoolers to find the precise word to express their ideas and feelings, I saw the same need in the little ones that are now such an important part of my life.
Today Cara Goes to Kindergarten is the actual story of Cara’s first day of school, and how she and her parents manage the jitters and joys of that adventure.
Both books have been awarded the Gold seal from Mom’s Choice Awards. More importantly, readers — both adults and children — have responded with high praise. I’m honored that Sally Reiss endorsed Today Cara Goes to Kindergarten, as well as the number of teachers and librarians who have noted their support of both books. But best of all are the youngsters who have been intrigued and engaged with the books, from a 16-month-old to school age children, some of which I share on my website.
Though new to social media, I have discovered the joy of connecting with readers. But it is through the website that I relate the back stories and share thoughts with supporters. My daughter, a teacher in her own right, provides creative activities for children and adults to do together. My blog — “I’ve been thinking…” deepens connections and shares moments from readers. Several books are in the works. This is a continuing adventure!
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Joan Ruddiman is retired from the West Windsor-Plainsboro School District where she guided gifted education programs for students and teachers in the middle schools and then Kindergarten through 12th grade. Dr. Ruddiman was an active member of NJAGC, serving as editor of Promise and heading the annual conference. She remains active with New Jersey History Day and NJ Future Problem Solving, community work, and her venture into writing award winning children’s books. For more on Joan and her books, go to www.JoanRuddimanEdD.com
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