Back-to-school Curriculum Night Slide Show, which includes a few links to after-school enrichment programs popular among A.C.E. students:
docs.google.com/presentation/d/1q-cDAZLGpdN4qa8J3wXGZUtxM9_PEqTmME7a4JwL3EQ/edit?usp=sharing
The Ottoson Middle School’s A.C.E. program is currently in its 46th year. A.C.E. (Academic Challenge and Enrichment) is a multiple-intelligence-based academic enrichment program. As such, it is designed to supplement, and not replace, advanced learning opportunities available within the core subjects and exploratory classrooms.
The A.C.E. program’s existence is premised on research that has established that students who are “gifted” (top 10% in one or more intelligence areas as defined by potential and identified through testing) and/or “talented” (top 10% in one or more intelligence areas as defined by performance and identified through observation) benefit from a learning environment that 1) encourages exploration of academic areas not already covered in the classroom 2) prioritizes a small- class environment (A.C.E. classes have traditionally been capped at 15 students, although now some classes are larger than this) where all students are encouraged to participate often and where material can be presented and discussed in depth and at a quick pace 3) supports highly-able students in situations where they are not the quickest problem-solver in the group and 4) encourages students to be open about their own enthusiasm for various intellectual pursuits so students can benefit from a support group of peers who also share academic interests.
While many educators and parents agree about the special academic and affective needs of gifted/talented students, there is far less agreement about the criteria that should be used to identify these children and adolescents. In years past, Arlington supported an extensive Elementary A.C. E. program that offered enrichment in six intelligence areas. The Elementary A.C.E. Coordinator spent much of her time carrying out a multi-faceted selection process that resulted in 50% of 4th and 5th graders participating in at least one of the enrichment units. The philosophy of the program was that all students have areas of strength, and therefore a student who was not enrolled in any of the A.C.E. units simply had strengths (such as music) that the A.C.E. program was not able to enrich.
The Elementary A.C.E. program and the second Ottoson A.C.E. teacher position were discontinued during the challenging economic period of the early 2000s. The current Ottoson A.C.E. job is a full-time teaching position which does not include paid time for a more formal g/t identification process. Therefore, the program's current emphasis is on serving the needs of middle-school students with above-average abstract reasoning ability and high intellectual curiosity who are personally interested in exploring additional academic areas. Rising 7th graders are enrolled in A.C.E. based upon the recommendations of their 6th grade teachers. 8th graders are enrolled in A.C.E based on either their expressed, personal desire to continue (current students choose to continue or discontinue with A.C.E. at the end of their A.C.E. term) or who enter A.C.E. as an eighth grader after a one-to-one discussion with the A.C.E. teacher about their motivation to enroll , supplemented by the recommendation of their current learning community teachers. School announcements are made in April of each year inviting students who have not participated in A.C.E. during the current year but who would like to for the next year to come talk to Mrs. Duke. Voluntary, personal motivation on the part of the enrolled students is essential to the program's success.
Ottoson A.C.E. classes are not graded (other than pass/fail) and do not include homework. The decision to forgo formal grades is a deliberate one. The pass/fail designation has been adopted to 1) encourage very capable students who often develop a fear of being "wrong" to take risks with their thinking, and 2) to encourage students to maintain a love of learning for its own sake, as an intrinsic good in and of itself, and not as a means to an extrinsic end such as a grade.
For 2023-2024, 7th and 8th graders who are enrolled in A.C.E will attend class either for one semester/two terms every other day, or for one period every day for one term. Students are scheduled for A.C.E. in place of Art, Music, F.A.C.S. or a directed study. A.C.E. students do not miss physical education, band/orchestra/chorus, or Technology Education classes. Students may enroll in both A.C.E. and Computer Science.
Intelligence Theory (Intrapersonal Intelligence):
Given that A.C.E. is Ottoson's version of a gifted/talented class, we spend time at the start of each term discussing the question "What does it mean to be smart?" We discuss the varied theories advocated by historical and current intelligence theorists (Binet, Gardner, Sternberg, and Renzulli), and the relevance of "school-smartness" to the demands of the adult world. We also discuss affective challenges that occur more often in the g/t population (perfectionism, emotional intensity, lack of study skills, etc.).
Creative Problem Solving (Inventive Thinking):
The 7th and 8th grade Inventive Thinking units are based on the Odyssey of the Mind/Destination Imagination program. Students participate in “spontaneous” creative word association exercises and also break into groups for creative hands-on construction challenges. 7th and 8th graders conclude these units with individual, longer-term problems: the “Firemouse” for 7th graders and a challenging egg-drop/ packaging design problem for 8th graders. The emphasis throughout the unit is on inventors' habits-of-mind, particularly the inventor's perseverance and ability to see "failure" as a learning opportunity and not as a reflection of lack of talent.
The Art of Mathematical Thinking (Mathematical/Scientific/Logical and Visual/Spatial intelligences)
Developing mathematical/scientific/logical intelligence includes increasing one’s ability to use deductive or inductive reasoning to arrive at either the correct or the best solution. The Ottoson ACE program enriches students’ logical thinking skills through the 7th grade Logical Mystery Tour unit and the 8th grade Topological Explorations unit. The 7th grade Logical Mystery Tour unit begins with a general overview of the five branches of philosophy, of which logic is one. It then focuses on logical thinking skills. The unit includes a variety of verbal, mathematical and visual logic puzzles that require either deductive and inductive logical reasoning skills. Activities include reading mini-mysteries as well as a Sherlock Holmes short story and solving matrix and visual logic puzzles. The 8th grade Topology Explorations (or “rubber sheet geometry”) unit provides students with challenges that rely on their logical and visual/spatial intelligences. Students work at both paper-and-pencil and hands-on activities that explore the concepts of networking and pathways, contiguous surface areas, and the division of solid three-dimensional forms.
Critical Perspectives (Inter- and Intra-personal intelligences)
The increasing pace of globalization guarantees a future that will require our students to understand the perspectives of other people and cultures and to engage in the ethical decision-making necessitated by the spread of technological expertise. In order to help prepare our gifted/talented students for these demands, we have developed a course of study focusing on cultural identity and the challenges of Globalization. The Critical Perspectives curriculum includes a Cultural Identity unit and, if there is time, a Cultural Interactions unit. The Cultural Identity unit reviews the concepts of culture and cultural identity through videos, role-plays and current events, and encourage students to differentiate between the influences of individual preference, culture, and universal human needs. The Cultural Interactions unit focuses on the challenges of globalization and the interaction of cultures. We use DVDs, Internet websites, and current event articles to gain some understanding of and appreciation for the indigenous Mentawaii, a people who live on Siberut Island in Indonesia. Students then work in teams to prepare for formal debates based on various practical and ethical challenges that have resulted from the increasing and inevitable exposure of this indigenous culture to the modern world.