Mrs. KozlovaGATE Coordinator and Teacher Russian Language Instructor [email protected]
512.693.0000 ext. 222 Room 222 |
Intro:
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HSE,
Austin's Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program focuses on rigorous,
holistic intellectual, civic, social, and emotional student development. The
program fosters intellectual development through empowering students to
cultivate higher order thinking skills in authentic projects requiring advanced
levels of academic depth and complexity. The program requires
students to align their projects with real problems facing local and state
communities to become engaged citizens through active problem solving. Students
grow socially through project management, community networking, and individual
responsibility to their local, state, and national communities. Emotionally,
students develop empathy for multiple perspectives, conditions, and
experiences, respect for fellow humans and animals, and a sense of
responsibility in applying advanced intelligence and talents to making the
world safer, kinder, and smarter!
Holistic Goal for Student Growth: 1. Intellectual: Broadens and Deepens Grade-level TEKS 2. Civic: Students connect projects to pressing, real-world problems 3. Social: Advanced experience in project management and academic networking 4. Emotional: Students develop empathy and ethical compass Every GATE course emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to problem solving. Rather than a simple math or English extension course, GATE classes teach students the habit of mind necessary for broad interdisciplinary synthesis. HSE - Austin GATE courses are student centered, inquiry based, and dynamic/iterative. Students learn to ask, refine, and edit rigorous, personally meaningful questions that require building connections between a variety of knowledge domains. Interdisciplinary Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) education form the analytical core of HSE - Austin GATE courses. Common GATE Interdisciplinary Pairing Examples: The Language of Digital Programming The Geography of Scientific Progress The Culture of Mathematic Expression The Philosophical Foundations of the Internet GATE work is assessed in two ways, through grading and written evaluations. Your student will receive weekly grades for course engagement (50 percent) and project progress (50 percent). Grades reflect summative effort, whereas monthly written evaluations offer individualized formative feedback. The grading breakdown is as follows: Course Engagement (60 percent) Daily class notes Weekly reflections Active participation (asking questions, presenting information, etc.) Weekly Assignments Materials Check Diplomatic, Positive Communication Students actively take notes. Each class period the student will be responsible for a dated entry and his or her notes on the class content. Each week, the student will be responsible for a reflection piece based on a question derived from class or the student's topic in the media (newspaper, blog, movie, etc.). Students will use school agendas to record homework assignments and due dates. Because of the social nature of learning, students will regularly communicate their work and thinking to their peers, in spoken, written, and digital formats. Project Progress (40 percent) Guiding Question or Problem Background research (history) Project Proposal Project Timeline Project Plan (outline or mock up) Project Presentation Reflection of Project Work After several months of in-class learning, students will choose a class project to evidence their learning. The form the project takes is limited only by the student's imagination (and instructor permission). The project must connect course content to a real-world problem. Students must develop an original problem, question, or main idea to guide their learning. All students will conduct research to assist in understanding their problem. Students will craft formal written and spoken project proposals, detailing the problem and how their project addresses the problem. Students will develop a timeline of work for their project, approved by both the teacher and their parent. Students will gain experience in peer review and usability studies through developing and critiquing project plans. Students develop a professional-quality project. Students share their project and experience with an audience of professional community members, students, and parents at a school-wide GT showcase. Finally, students reflect on their project work in a written reflection. Grading will follow the HSE - Austin grading scale: A: 90-100 B: 80-89 C:70-79 F: 69 and below Written evaluations offer a more nuanced means of assessing student progress and communicating opportunities and successes with students and parents. The teacher will craft individualized evaluations of student progress on a monthly, and/or, as-needed basis. All students are expected to conduct original work. Plagiarism, the unlawful theft of intellectual property for personal gain, will not be tolerated. Students who plagiarize will be referred to local and district administration for progressive discipline. Students must come to every class with materials, and ready to work. Because of the independent nature of the course project, students will also require access to personal and community resources, such as a quiet work space at home, personal computer, and especially, regular access to local library. Required school materials include: 1. School agenda with calendar 2. GATE Research composition book 3. GATE Reflection composition book 4. GATE Folder with pockets 5. Pencil Suggested Home Materials: 1. Access to a quiet study space 2. Access to internet or digital databases 3. Access to public library 4. Access to stimulating events, such as Austin Maker's Faire 5. Ability to converse regularly with adults about learning. Students are expected to follow all school rules, specific classroom rules, and class procedures for various types of assignments. Please refer to the school handbook for comprehensive explanation of school rules. Classroom rules are as follows: 1. Respect People, Property, and Perspectives. 2. Actively Participate. Class procedures are general guidelines for how students conduct themselves when engaged in various types of coursework, such as listening to a guest speaker, for example. Each class will work with the teacher to draft a mutually agreed-upon procedural contract. Students and parents will review and sign the contract. Students must bring their signed procedural contract to every class. Failure to follow school and/or class rules and class procedures results in the following classroom disciplinary management sequence. First Offense: Reminder of rule and warning. Second Offense: Assignment of DPS points Third Offense: Conference with student and/or referral to dean of discipline Fourth Offense: referral to Dean of Discipline. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Thanks! |