A New School Year!

We are in our second week of our Brainology unit!  This week we are focusing on intelligence.  We will examine different theories of intelligence such as Howard Gardner's 8 Types of Intelligence.  Students will complete a Learning Strengths Inventory to help them realize that they possess all 8 types of intelligence but that they may be stronger in one area than in others.  Students will develop their personal definition of intelligence. Next week, the focus will be on brain anatomy and functions of the parts of the brain. 
Be on the lookout for information about the QUEST t-shirt sale.  Shirts will be on sale until October 12, 2012 for $10.00.  Students will be able to wear the shirts on their QUEST day and for field trips.
Our big field trip is in the works.  Students will be bringing home information this week about this trip that complements our second semester unit "Stalking the Wild Polyhedra". We will be traveling to Huntsville, AL to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center on January 30, 2013.  We will tour the MathAlive Exhibit and participate in a classroom lab activity.  We will then tour the Space and Rocket Center Museum, Space Camp and try our the simulators.  We will have lunch and watch an IMAX movie.  The cost for the trip is $80.00 per person.  Students can begin paying for the trips in installments to ease the cost burden.  The first payment is due by October 5.

The Alabama Association for Gifted Children will hold its annual conference on September 27 and 28 at the McWane Center in Birmingham, AL.  This is open to gifted specialists, teachers and parents of gifted children.  The keynote speaker this year is Sylvia Rimm.  QUEST classes will not meet on September 27 due to the conference.

Finally, I want to encourage all of the QUEST students to strive for excellence this year.  Our theme is based on a quote by Benjamin Franklin:   "Hide not your talents.  They for use are made.  What's a sundial in the shade?"  As we learn about intelligence and the brain, my wish is for  my students to become aware of and to appreciate their special and unique talents and abilities.

November News

And what, Socrates, is the food of the soul? Surely, I said, knowledge is the food of the soul.  (Plato).  As we enter this holiday season where food seems to a staple at many celebrations, I felt Plato's quote was appropriate.  Our QUEST feast of knowledge of ancient civilizations began with a study of archaeology and has progressed into a comparative analysis of the art of ancient civilizations. As we satisfy our literal hunger in the days to come, I encourage my students to continue to use what knowledge they have gained so far to serve as the main entree and to begin to search for side dishes to complement already consumed fare. We've been exploring the art of ancient civilizations during the months of October and November.  We've compared painting styles, pottery,  and masks of the ancient Greeks, Mayas, and Egyptians.  Students have created a drawing using the Egyptian grid drawing technique, created tragedy and comedy Greek theatre masks and made clay pots using the Maya coil pot as an example.  Students have also read and solved the mystery of  "The Jewel Fish of Karnak" by Graeme Base.  Finally, students have been exposed to Quotable Quotes by famous Greek philosophers.  Hopefully, the student's appetite has been whetted by classroom activities.  I urge them to continue to digest the morsels presented in class and to begin to seek deeper understanding of topics that interest them. 


The QUEST field trip is set for December 6, 2011.  We will visit the Carlos Musuem on the campus of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.  What a great opportunity for feeding our souls by observing the art and artifacts of Egypt, Greek, MesoAmerica and other civilizations.  Students will not only tour the musuem but will participate in a "Mummy Wrap" activity where they will "prepare" the mummy for burial by decorating the burial mask, collar and amulets designed to send the mummy to After World. 

Students will need to get up bright and early that morning.  Be at school no later than 6:45 am.  Pack your lunch, wear jeans and a Dalraida T-shirt and bring a snack for the bus ride.  We will return to school at 3:45 pm.

We have lots to be thankful for.  I am so thankful for my students and their parents.  I wish everyone a wonderful and fulfilling Thanksgiving.

September Spiel

Thank you to all of the parents who visited the QUEST classroom during our Open House. I enjoyed talking with all of you. Thank you, too, for the very generous response to my wish list. Your help makes our classroom activities much more meaningful for the students. I do have one more request. We will be doing "Sandbox Archaeology", a mini-dig activity, beginning the week of September 26. If a parent would like to donate a bag of play sand, I would very much appreciate the donation.

After a soggy Labor Day weekend, QUEST classes began on Tuesday, Sept 6. Still, because of the four day week, one class did not meet. Those 5th graders will meet starting Monday, Sept. 12. They will not be off track; however. The next two weeks, other QUEST classes will not meet due to inservice and workshops that I have to attend. By the week of Sept. 26, the schedule should be back to normal. On Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 13 and 14, gifted specialists from around South and Central Alabama will be attending the Alabama Dept. of Education Regional Inservice. The following week, gifted specialists and parents of gifted children will attend the annual Alabama Association of Gifted Children conference in Birminham. QUEST classes will not meet on Thursday, Sept. 22. If you are interested in information about the AAGC, please visit their website at this link.

/www.alabamagifted.org/

Please don't forget that each student will need a clay pot for one of our archaeology activities.  They may begin bringing those the week of Sept. 26.  Students will also be collecting "artifacts" about themselves.  They will bring home a brown lunch bag.  Students should gather at least 5 items that reveal something about them.  The bags will be labeled with a number and another student "archaeologist" will excavate the artifacts and try to deduce who the items belong to.  Please don't allow students to bring valuables for this activity.  Artifacts could be an action figure, a picture of a sport the student plays, a hair ribbon, etc...  This will be fun activity for students to use archaeologists skills and see how well they know their classmates. 
Continue to check in to see how "LIfestyles of the Old and Ancient" is progressing.  Remember, just like sands through the hourglass, so were the days of their lives.

Welcome to QUEST 2011-2012

What a wonderful year we are expecting! Our focus this year is Archaeology and Ancient Civilizations. Our unit is titled, "Lifestyles of the Rich and Ancient", and includes the Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece and Maya cultures. We will begin by exploring the skills and tools used by archaeologists so that students will understand that archaeology is the discovery of how people lived in the past by studying their artifacts. Students will participate in classroom digs, examine artifacts and "restore" artifacts. QUEST students will compare and contrast the similarities and differences between the Ancient Egyptians, Greek and Maya through the study of mini-units. These units include studies of the geography, architecture, art, government, religions and myths, customs and culture as well as the language, writing and economic systems of each civilization.

Please join me for OPEN HOUSE on Thursday, Sept. 1 in Room 137 at Dalraida Elementary. Drop by between the hours of 9:00 am and 11:00. This will give you a chance to drop off supplies, see the QUEST classroom and have your questions answered.

REQUIRED MATERIALS* Students bring these to class each week.

3 ring binder
notebook paper
pencil or pen
markers
glue stick
pencil pouch (to keep in notebook)
clay pot (any size 1 inch up to 7.5 inches in diameter)

QUEST WISH LIST
wet wipes
any color copy paper
orange construction paper
aluminum foil
paper plates
ink stamp pads

QUEST will be taking a field tip this year. The plan is to tour the Carlos Museum located on the campus of Emory University in Atlanta, GA. I am working on details now but a tentative date is during the first week of December. This museum houses exhibits containing thousands of artifacts on Ancient Greece, Egypt and MesoAmerican cultures. The oldest know Egyptian mummy will be on display until December of this year. This will be a wonderful opportunity for QUEST students to gain first hand knowledge of what we are learning in the classroom. Visit the Carlos Museum website at www.carlos.emory.edu/

Teaching your children is a privilege and I am extremely excited about the upcoming year!

Super Summer Day Trips

Happy Fourth of July!  We've reached the halfway point of summer but there is still time to have fun.  Kids and parents alike have had a few weeks to relax after the end of school.  The swimming pool water is tepid and many organized sports are over for the summer.  The refain, "I'm bored"  resonates throughout  households across the state.  What to do?  Take the family on  a "day trip" to see what our great state of Alabama has to offer.  I've put together two fun, educational and inexpensive day trips that will break up the monotony of mid-summer.  I originally put these trips together as school field trips but have since included the family on these outings. Just last week I took my eight year old nephew on his first day trip and we are looking forward to the next one sometime this month.  You'll find a common theme to both trips: food.  Each trip includes a visit to an Alabama business that produces some of our favorite summer time foods and offers free samples as well.  On the other hand, each trip is balanced with a visit to a place of interest and/or history that every Alabamian should visit at least once.  Please keep in mind that these are only suggestions and you can add as much or as little to these trips as you like.  Please follow the links to find out more about those places you want to visit.

Day Trip One:  We All Scream for Ice Cream Meets the Need for Speed!

• Destination:  Talladega County

Talladega is a historic Alabama county and offers lots of options for those looking for something to do.  I've combined two site visists that can easily be done in one day.  Begin with  the Blue Bell Creamery in Sylacauga, AL.  Sylacauga is about 45 miles southeast of Birmingham and about 80 miles north of Montgomery. The manufacturing facility was opened there in 1996.  Tours are available Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm but you will need to make an appointment.  General admission is $3.00 but for children ages six to 14 the cost is only $2.00.  You get a free serving of ice cream at the end of the forty-five minute tour. Click the link for more information http://www.bluebell.com/
After enjoying your ice cream (you can choose your favorite flavor) drive the short distance north on Highway 21 to the city of Lincoln, Alabama to visit the Talladega SuperSpeedway.  Here, you can visit the Internationationl Motorsports Hall of Fame and Museum and get a tour of the Talladega SuperSpeedway Track.  The Hall of Fame tour is self guided but I would allot at least one hour.  You'll see lots of cars, boats and even an airplane and learn about race history and how racing benfits Alabama's economy.  After touring the museum, take the 20 minute track tour.  You will travel on the Talladega SuperSpeedway Track on an 18-seat van.  You may want to call in advance to find out if on-track testing is planned for the day you visit.  No track tours are given on those days although you may be allowed to watch the testing.  Here's the link you'll need for more information  http://www.talladegasuperspeedway.com/  Cost for the tour is $12.00 for adults and $5.00 for children ages 6-12.  Children under 5 are free!

Day Trip Two:  Iron Man Meets the Potato Chip!

• Destination:  Jefferson County

Head to Central Alabama for free food and spectacular views!  The Golden Flake Potato Chip Manufacturing Plant  in Birmingham will be your first stop on this day trip.  Tours are given Monday through Wednesday at 9:30 am, 11:00 am, and 12:30 pm.  You don't need an appointment but if your group is over 10 people you may want to call ahead.  This tour is FREE but that's not the best thing.  On this walking tour (be sure to wear flat, closed toe, rubber soled shoes and no tank tops) you get to sample the products right off the line.  These warm samples are the freshest chips you'll ever have!  Here's the link http://www.goldenflake.com/ .
If you are not too full from the samples, take a picnic lunch to enjoy at Vulcan Park and Musuem in Homewood, AL.   After eating, visit the Vulcan Museum and Observation Tower. The park is open daily from 7 am until 10 pm while the museum hours are 10 am to 6 pm Monday through Saturday and 1 pm to 6 pm on Sunday.  Admission to the park is another bargain.  Adults pay $6.00, seniors pay $5.00, children ages 5-12 pay $4.00 and children under 4 are FREE.  Tour the  interactive history musuem to learn about the history of iron and steel in Alabama.  You'll not only learn the story of the Vulcan statue (Did you know he weighs as much as 41 Honda Civics?) but you can also visit the exhibit,  "The Music Lives On:  Folk Song Traditions Told By Alabama Artists".  You'll see some really cool metalworks and other art here.  Be sure to go  up on the Vulcan's Observation Deck for great views of Birmingham.  Follow the link http://www.visitvulcan.com/ to find out more. 

I hope these ideas will help you plan some super summer day trips.

Why "QUEST Quarry"?

dalraida.mps-al.org

When considering a name for my blog I had to look at how might I use this in my job.  The gifted program in my school system is titled "QUEST" which stands for Questioning, Understanding, Enriching, Seeking, Thinking.  I plan to create a parent support group for my QUEST students in the upcoming school year and I would like to use Blogger as a way to communicate and update the parents about the QUEST program.  I wanted a "catchy" title or a play on words to use in my title.  I know that "quarry" could refer to prey or something hunted as well as a place of excavation.  I think both definitions could justifiy being used in the title as explained by the QUEST title.  Students are encouraged to search  or hunt for and uncover answers and understanding while the teacher serves as the facilitator.  I see Blogger being advantageous for me as a way to create advocacy for my students.  A common myth concerning gifted students is that they don't need any additional help and for this reason gifted students are often overlooked when it comes to funding and the meeting of social and emotional needs.  Using Blogger to inform parents of needs such as classroom supplies, fieldtrip chaperones and Open Houses will put my students at the forefront.   Another advantage of using Google Blogger is that I can do this from home.  My school day is full and I might not find the time to update my blogspot while at school.  The main hurdle I will have to overcome is actually providing training for parents who have not used this tool before.  Some parents may already use Blogger but for others this will be new territory.  Will I be comfortable enough by August to actually present to others what I have learned in this course?

Something Old, Something New

"Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a sixpence in her shoe."  Many will recognize this simple poem as the bride's mantra of things to carry on her wedding day so that her marriage will be a success.  Surprisingly, these same lines fit well with the 21st Centry Administrator's use of Google Blogger.  First, something old.  Traditionally, the "old" represented something  from the bride's family that suggested continuity.  For many brides, the old might be her mother's pearl necklace or a grandmother's lace handkerchief.  For administrators using Blogger, the old might just be the ease and familiarity of using a simple word processing program to create the blog posts.   The continuity of being able to use a program without having to learn anything new will help decrease reservations about trying something new.  For brides, "something new" symbolized optimism or hope.  The fact that administrators and teachers are willing to embrace new technology is a source of hope for all educators.  We live in a fast-paced, technology filled world.  Our students' technological merit is often far beyond our own technology savvy..  Administrators can be optimistic for the options of informing staff, parents, students and the community about what is going on in the school.  "Something borrowed" is usually an item from a happily married friend or family member, whose good fortune in marriage is supposed to carry over to the new bride. The borrowed item also reminds the bride that she can depend on her friends and family.  Bloggers can "borrow" good ideas from other administrators and schools.  Blogging is a real time way of sharing between all stakeholders in the educational community.  Color has long been associated with  weddings.  The color blue used in weddings signifies fidelity, purity, or modesty.  As administrators communicate with faculty, parents, and other administrators, every effort should be made to share intelligently.  As Dr. Scott McLeod noted, the "transparency" of blogging is an appealing feature because stakeholders increase their confidence and satisfaction with the school.  Maybe blue isn't your favorite color, but it should be a symbolic base for blog posts.  Finally, the issue of the sixpence.  Technically, the silver sixpence indicates a wish of wealth for the bride or a wish of  good luck.  For the 21st Century Administrator, the sixpence can be viewed in these same two ways. First, on the issue of wealth, Blogger is free.  This might be an answer to budgetary woes for administrators wishing to correspond with teachers and parents.  Secondly, a wish for success in using Blogger as an effective way of communicating.  Good Luck!