LOCAL FOCUS

Dodgeville School District's Mission Statement for Gifted/Talented Education:

"Ensure success for all students by nurturing their multiple talents and potential."

Elementary Schools

Multiple Intelligences, Talents Unlimited, Challenge Activities, Extensions, Enrichments, Interest Projects, Positive Action, Teaming & CHAMPS

Middle School

Multiple Intelligences, Talents Unlimited, Challenge Activities, Co- and Extra-Curricular Activities, Integrated Curriculum, Themes, Teaming, Advisory, and Applications

High School

Multiple Intelligences, Challenge Activities, Block Schedule, Co-and-Extra Curricular Activities, Advanced Placement (AP) Courses: Art, Calculus, Chemistry, US History, Language & Composition, and Lit. & Comp.

REGIONAL FOCUS

The coordinators for Gifted/Talented Education in the 31 school districts in CESA #3 meet several times during the school year to focus on strategies to enhance academic success for all students.

STATE FOCUS

Wisconsin law Standard (t) requires school districts to adress achievemet and "potential" for giftedness in students.  Gifted/Talented education can not be elitist.  Dr. John Benson, former State Superintendent for Public Instruction, came to Dodgeville for a public forum.  He praised the Dodgeville School District for working to ensure success for all students by nurturing their gifts/talents.  Superintendent Benson co-wrote Standard (t).  He envisioned that it would touch every child in Wisconsin.  The Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted (WATG) mission statement is: "Excellence for All" by nurturing students to reach their highest potential.

NATIONAL FOCUS

The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) mission statement is to: Create environments where the potential for all students can grow and prosper.

GIFTED & TALENTED UPDATE

All of us have a tremendous potential!  We work hard in all our schools to nurture, promote, and support students' gifts/talents.  We know that students are smart in different ways.  Therefore, we use a variety of teaching strategies to help all students become more successful.  Some specific approaches that we use to help devote students' potential include: student interest projects, independent learning, accelerated academic work, problem-finding & problem solving, creative thinking skills, instruction through a theme approach, critical thinking activities, team teaching, positive leadership opportunities, community service projects, hands-on learning, integrated curriculum projects, co-curricular and extra-curricular work, pre-testing to show prior knowledge, research projects, talents unlimited approaches, multiple intelligence strategies.

MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES

Ever wonder how your children learn best? Students are smart in different ways. This is called Multiple Intelligences. By using a variety of approaches we can ensure success for our students. Try some of these ways to help your children succeed:

• Verbal/Linguistic ways to learn include talking, listening, and seeing words.  Motivate students by providing them with lots of books, opportunities to write, access to computers, and use of the library. The key is to communicate with words.
• Logical/Mathematical ways to learn involve reasoning and logic.  Motivate students with logic puzzles, brain teasers, thinking games and simulations. The key is to challenge students with real life, problem solving situations.
• Visual/Spatial ways to learn include drawing and using visual images. Motivate students with opportunities to draw, paint, build three-dimensional models, create designs & pictures, use computers, cameras, and telescopes. The key is to engage students in work that challenges them to visualize.
• Body/Kinestheticways to learn include activities that involve movement. Motivate students by engaging them in hands-on activities, role play, dramatic improvisation, create inventions, make repairs, care for animals, and use physical ways to complete work. The key is for students to learn by doing.
• Musical/Rhythmic ways  to learn use singing, melodies, beats, and rhythms.  Motivate students with opportunities to create and use music, songs, tapes, records, and CD's. Music and rhythm can enhance learning for many people. The key is that anything can be learned more easily if it is sung or tapped out.
• Intrapersonal ways to learn use reflective thinking and independent study. Motivate students with individualized projects, resources which support and expand upon their interests, and ask them to write reflections about their learning. The key is to give students time and space to think things through by themselves.
• Interpersonal ways  to learn involve interacting with other people. Motivate students by engaging them in group discussions, community activities, clubs, helping others, committees, after-school programs, volunteering, and service projects. Everyone is more successful in any career or job if they can work well with others. Developing interpersonal intelligence is a key to adult success.