z2011-2012+Seminar+Archive

For Seminar Assignments - scroll down to bottom of page Gifted Seminar 2011 -2012 will meet in ROOM 25 – (Mrs. Knorr) Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. +Attendance is a requirement as a part of the Gifted Program and should take precedence over other events. + If you will be missing Gifted Seminar you should: - notify Mr. Guenther in advance when it is known beforehand. - See Mr. Guenther to determine what was missed, either before or very soon after the absence - Plan to sit in on a different day’s session when appropriate and cleared through Mr. Guenther + Goals for the year were included on your GIEP + Meeting dates are every Monday (14 students), Tuesday (13 students, including Swing Choir), Wednesday (9 students) and Thursday (9 students). Students have been scheduled for a particular day to help balance the groups. However, if a conflict arises students may attend another session or arrange to meet with Mr. Guenther during 10-15 minutes of "free time." Friday Resource period can be used as a potential make-up time. 2012-2013 Gifted Seminar 1 Oct 2,3 The Big Test - PSAT / SAT

__ SEMINAR ASSIGNMENTS & TOPICS: __ . Discussed the Resume Chec-Bric a bit more closely to determine what would constitute a score of a “4” within each row. The ultimate goal is to find ways to make the resume more effective by clarifying what information to include, how to “package” it, and how to give it greater impact or efficiency. Next week, students will evaluate their own resumes and write suggestions to themselves on how to improve upon it for next year. Session 8's discussion will make that process easier. Too often people self-evaluate their resume and say, “this is good enough” and score themselves all fours. The goal is to use a more critical eye, not for criticism sake, but to take something that may be good and make it excellent.
 * __Session # 8__ 12/5, 12/6, 12/8 Chec-Bric Analysis - What does a "4" look like? **

A make-up session was scheduled for 11/22 but was preempted by a Junior Class meeting. Discussed at great length during last year's junior (now senior) seminar,this would be "relatively" new information for this year's juniors. In trying to achieve the best product, students need to be "smart" in finding tools to save time and be effective in meeting the expected outcomes. Look at the project from the recipent's perspective, anticipate what they think would make this a good product. Often this step is simplified when a description or even a scoring rubric is provided. We analyzed the resume rubric into a simple checklist to demonstrate the Resume Chec-Bric and illustrate this process for future use (used below with the Senior Graduation Project).
 * No Seminar sessions held during week of 11/29 - 12/2. Juniors were reshuffled for PSSA preparation purposes and are unavailable Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Seminar for all Juniors will now be scheduled for each Thursday with a make-up day on Friday. If students are unable to attend on one of those days, they should communicate that to Mr. Guenther and see about that week's activity. **
 * __Session #____7b__ - Juniors 11/16, 11/17 __Using a Rubric as a Blueprint__ [15/20] **

A natural follow-up to the "selling yourself" in a written resume is effectively doing the same verbally during an interview. With graduation projects scheduled next week this was a good time to address how to best prepare to be both effective and at-ease during this interview. The best way to combat anxiety is preparation and knowledge. For whom are you presenting? What do you think they expect to hear? What are the core concepts that might determine if your interaction with the panel is effective? We discussed some examples and specifics using the student resumes, but stressed keeping the discussion centered or linked in someway to these core concepts. Help from the internet was also illustrated.
 * __ Session #7a __ - Seniors 11/14, 11/15, 11/21 __ Prepping for Graduation Project Interview __ [17/25] **

The most effective resume matches the author's experiences, knowledge and skills to the recipient's (employer's) desired qualifications. So how do I use that knowledge to improve my resume? Use the information provided by the recipent (employment want ad, job description) to gear the resume toward the stated objectives. In our case we looked at the Resume Assignment sheet (developed by the recipient - Mr. Guenther), few had used it, some didn't even know it existed. Then we followed the link to Ten Resume Tips from [|www.resumehelp.com]. Lastly we looked at the scoring rubric (or Chec-Bric) which is based on the PSSA Writing Domains. More detail on using a rubric as a "blueprint" (or legal cheat-sheet) for task completion next week.
 * __ Session ____#6__ 11/8, 11/9, 11/10 __Improving the Resume__ (Evaluation) [31/44] **

**Many conflicts this week with attendance. The end of the marking period, makeup work and other priorities left me with only 20 students over four days. Eight (8) additional students communicated with me about conflicts and received a paper we used as the basis for the discussion seen below. Seventeen students are MIA and need to pick up the discussion sheet to complete.** By understanding the purpose of the resume and how it is used, we gain insight into how to make our own resume more effective. What is the purpose of the author? Of the recipient? What is Mr. Guenther's purpose as shared during the GIEP conference and past seminars? What should be included? What avoided? Next week, we look at more in-depth evaluation. . Resume Assignment for 2011-2012 __initiated in May 2011__ from both Mr. Gunther & Mr. Guenther __June 23, 2011 -Reminder e-mail__ sent - __Reminder letter__ also sent with Resume Assignment sheet (all) and resume evaluation for 12th grade students July 1, 2011 [13 of 88 completed; **14.7%**] August 1, 2011 [19 of 88 completed; 21.5%] __August 16, 2011__ - __reminder within cover letter__ of GIEP Invitation letter September 1, 2011 [25 of 88 completed; **28.4%**] __GIEP Conferences - resume assignment discussed__ as one goal within GIEP __September 23, 2011__ - __e-mail reminder__ sent October 1, 2011 [32 of 88 completed; **36.3%**] Seminars begun - students who attended were reminded each week October 21, 2011 [44 of 88 completed; **50%**] __October 24, 2011__ - __note delivered__ to individual students - resumes owed, potential consequences October 27, 2011 [53 of 88 completed; **60.2%**] __October 28, 31, 2011__ - __Referral notices delivered__ November 1, 2011 [76 of 88 completed; **86%**] November 4, 2011 [80 of 88 completed **90.9%**] November 22, 2011 [81 of 88 completed **92.0%**] . Nineteen students who completed both assigned resumes by 10/21/11 were invited for a reward and brief survey of the completed resumes. The remaining 25 students were given passes to report to the Library during resource in order to complete this assignment.
 * __Session #5__ 10/31, 11/1, 11/2, 11/3 __Resume Purpose?__ [20/44]**
 * The Resume Saga - A Chronology**:
 * Due date: June 22, 2011** [8 resumes of 88 completed; **9%**]
 * __Session #4__ 10/24 __Resume Reward__ [19/44]**

Students were given a brief reading packet on intelligence theory including the beliefs of Lewis Terman, researcher and developer of the Stanford-Binet I.Q. Test, and Howard Gardner. Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences identifies a spectrum of abilities in information processing that can operate independently or in conjunction with one another. The students then took a self-survey of their perceived abilities in Gardner's eight identified intelligences: linguistic, musical, logical-mathematical, visual-spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalist.
 * __Session #3__ 10/17, 10/19, 10/20, 10/21 I.Q. __Theory /Multiple Intelligence survey__ [25/44]**

What do you KNOW about I.Q.?, What do you WANT to know about I.Q.? We delved into a quick discussion about the I.Q. number: what is it? How is it determined? What does it really mean? Its relationship to the Gifted Program. What is it's importance? Using a reading from __The Gifted Kids' Survival Guide__ we added to our knowledge by recording, What we LEARNED.
 * __Session #2__ 10/10,10/11,10/12,10/13 __I.Q. - KWL__ [31/44]**

Switch Study Hall to Gifted Room? Resumes completed and e-mailed to bguenther@berwicksd.org ? Use of Study Island? Interest in: Stock Market Game? Career Research? College Search? Mr. Guenther teaches an AP Government class during period 2 every other day and period 3 every day. A Study Hall in Room 9 has also been addded to his schedule. The Gifted Room is open during the other periods for students to use when necessay. With this schedule and the associated work in addition to Gifted paperwork, it is important that students complete any Gifted work, attend Seminar as scheduled and keep communication lines open with Mr. Guenther. The less time Mr. Guenther spends chasing down students, rescheduling and making up lists for incomplete work, the more time is available to accomplish the other important tasks.
 * __Session # 1__ 10/6, 10/7 __Welcome & Housekeeping__ [17/44] **