January is designated as Gifted Education Month in Alabama. As part of their celebration, Tanya Hancock’s fifth and sixth grade gifted students in the Scottsboro City School System enjoyed a visit from one of her former students.
They are involved in special activities as are the third and fourth grade gifted students taught by Lauren Dewitt Holcomb.
Gifted students are those who perform at high levels in academic or creative fields when compared to other children their age. These students receive services not ordinarily provided in the regular classroom. Students processing these abilities can be found in all populations, across all economic strata, and in all areas of human endeavor.
Hancock’s students were excited to meet Owen Fairbanks. He shared his career path on becoming a mechanical engineer. He also shared his talent of singing and playing the guitar with the students. Next month this group of students will be working on another kindness project.
Hancock and Holcomb always have special projects going on with their students. Hancock’s students are working on an architecture unit using perimeter and area formulas as they research architectural styles and timelines for future model replicas.
The gifted students have also been working on “The Case of the Missing Millionaire” where they use inferences, detailed observations, collaborative discussions, and critical thinking.
They use the real investigative processes and procedures which include masks, gloves, hair nets, and shoe booties.
Students did a mask project earlier where they learned that insects build homes much like the paper mache process.
They used armatures, attachments, basic cardboard construction skills, and painting techniques to create their masks from the plan they had drawn on paper.
Gifted education can actually be traced back to the 1800s culminating with the first gifted school opening in Massachusetts in 1901. Gifted education classes provide opportunities for the students to stretch their mind to endless possibilities that can help them later on in life.
There are more than 62,000 students in Alabama who have qualified for the gifted education program.
The gifted students in Scottsboro meet with their teacher at Collins Intermediate School three hours per week. This is a pull-out program that serves students in grades three through six and with advanced class placement in grades seven through twelve.
For more information on the gifted classes at Collins, you may view their Facebook page (Collins GT, Scottsboro City Schools). There you will see the many challenging projects with the students at work.
You may also get more information from your child’s teacher, Hancock or Holcomb, or the director of Special Education Services at the central office.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.