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July 26, 2006

GIA agents are encouraged to model intelligent behaviors as defined by Arthur Costa. These include decreasing impulsivity; demonstrating persistence; listening to others; flexibility in thinking; meta-cognition; questioning and problem posing; checking for accuracy and precision; drawing on past knowledge; precision of thought and language; collecting data using all the senses; ingenuity, originality, insightfulness; creativity and wonderment; curiosity. "Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but rather we have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit." --Aristotle

Posted by Glenn at 05:58 PM | Comments (0)

"Reading furnishes the mind only with materials for knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read ours." John Locke "Only a generation of readers will span a generation of writers." Steven Spielberg At Mabry, every teacher is a reading and writing teacher. The GIA will have parallel readings to enhance their global investigations. Writing will also be an integral part of the Social Studies experience. Our first novel will be an historical fiction selection about Japan. Students will create a beautiful scrapbook to document their learning from this rich reading experience. Click here to download instructions for the scrapbook To review a suggested reading list,click here. Download file

Posted by Glenn at 05:46 PM | Comments (0)

" The teacher adjusts content, process and product in response to student readiness, interest, and learning profile."
The Glenn Intelligence Agency is a differentiated classroom where a teacher’s role shifts. Teachers and students accept and respect one another's similarities and differences. Assessment is an ongoing diagnostic activity that guides instruction. Learning tasks are planned and adjusted based on assessment data. Students work in a variety of group configurations, as well as independently. Flexible grouping is evident. The teacher is primarily a coordinator of time, space, and activities rather than a provider of information. The aim is to help students become self-reliant learners. Students and teachers collaborate in setting class and individual goals. The teacher uses a variety of instructional strategies to help target instruction to student needs. Click here to download The Principles of Differentiation Download file

Posted by Glenn at 01:44 PM | Comments (0)

July 24, 2006

Click here to listen to Japan's National Anthem. Download file Japan provides an example of modernization without extreme westernization. As a Fulbright Memorial Scholar, I spent a month in Japan, privvy to touring, training, and briefings on history, culture, government, economics, and education. I hope to bring students a first hand view of the marvelous culture and history of this unique country.

Click here to visit the awesome site KIDS WEB JAPAN http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/ Click here to learn about the geography of Japan http://www.cobb.k12.ga.us/~middleschoolwall/intech99/church/japanweb.htm Click here to retrieve the Chapter 27 Review Download file Click here to Journey Through Japan sponsored by the Japan American Society. We'll explore this link during our Japan studies! http://www.journeythroughjapan.org/

Posted by Glenn at 06:58 PM | Comments (0)