What Will We Learn?

Our time in GT together this year will be centered upon a classroom community that engages, challenges, and nurtures each and every student. Utilizing the "4 Cs" that comprise 21st century skills is of utmost importance in our classroom. These include critical thinking, communication, creativity, and collaboration and are considered crucial in promoting success in college, career, and citizenry in this age and time. In addition, we will celebrate one another's successes, learn to embrace challenges as learning experiences, and reflect upon our processing skills, learning, and achievements.

A portion of our work will entail a study of Greek and Latin "stems" to promote vocabulary development and increased reading comprehension and novel units will be employed when and where possible to develop critical literacy and deepen students' understanding of science and/or social studies content. Mathematics instruction will be based on the M3 curriculum, Mentoring Mathematical Minds, which consists of a variety of investigations, simulations, and projects that demand creative and critical problem-solving and reasoning. Students live and work as mathematicians as they communicate with one another using oral and written mathematical language.

We will approach our work through an inquiry-based model utilizing problem and/or project based learning (PBL) as well as STEM activities (when possible) to promote authentic experiences that allow students to make connections to the world outside classroom walls. In essence, they will develop a greater appreciation of the voice and choice they have in their academic growth and mature into more autonomous individuals and self-reliant, tenacious learners.