GATE/SAS Coordinator Meeting - Fall 2018 Gifted/Talented Programs - lausd
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Division of Instruction
Advanced Learning Options
Gifted/Talented Programs
Fall 2018
Fall 2018
GATE/SAS
GATE/SAS
Coordinator
Coordinators Meeting
Meeting
Set for Success!
2018-2019
I think my spell checker is broken.
It keeps changing l-u-c-k to p-r-e-p-a-r-a-t-i-o-n!
Gifted/Talented Programs Staff
Director
Arzie Galvez, Advanced Learning Options
District Central Office Staff
Susanna Furfari, Northeast (susanna.furfari@lausd.net)
Dr. Robert Grubb, Northwest (rgrubb@lausd.net)
Dr. Lucy Hunt, Central (lhunt@lausd.net)
Kevin Kilpatrick, South (kevin.kilpatrick@lausd.net)
Dr. Nicole Niederdeppe, East (nnn8729@lausd.net)
Erin Yoshida-Ehrmann, West (emy2142@lausd.net)
Wynne Wong-Cheng, Psychological Services (wynne.wong@lausd.net)
Michelle Papazyan, TIP Program (mpapazya@lausd.net)
Phone: (213) 241-6500
Fax: (213) 241-8975
333 S. Beaudry Avenue, 25th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90017
http://achieve.lausd.net/gate
GATE Identification Updates and Reminders
Gi#ed/Talented Programs Goal
To identify gifted and talented students,
including those from diverse racial,
socioeconomic, linguistic, and cultural
backgrounds, and provide high-quality
differentiated opportunities for learning
that meet students’ particular abilities
and talents.
District’s GATE Identification Policy ü It is LAUSD policy that schools identify a minimum of 6% of the total population of students as well as across all statistically significant ethnic groups. ü District procedures are designed to ensure that students from all populations have equitable access. A school’s GATE identification should reflect its demographics. ü If underrepresentation exists, then school staff must take immediate action to ensure equitable access.
GATE Identification
“LAUSD casts a wide net”
Los Angeles Unified School District iden=fies students in the following 7 categories:
üIntellectual Ability
(I.Q. Assessment – verbal & non-verbal; grades 2nd semester Kindergarten – 12; highly
gifted possibility)
üHigh Achievement
(Two consecutive years in BOTH ELA and Mathematics; grades 5-12; OLSAT-8; grade
2 only)
üSpecific Academic
(Three consecutive years in ELA OR Mathematics; grades 5-12)
üVisual and Performing Arts
(Audition or Demonstration; grades 2-12; 3rd Saturday in November & May)
üCreativity and Leadership Update
(Individual Student Portfolio; grades 2-12)
Designated GATE Psychologists
Designated GATE Psychologists are a part of Advanced
Learning Options (ALO) within Gifted/Talented Programs.
There are a total of 11 Designated GATE Psychologists (DGP)
with 2 GATE psychologists assigned to each Local District.
Each DGP is assigned to GATE full-time and will be available
to support your school (and the school site GATE coordinator)
in the screening and referral process for the Intellectual Ability
category.
DESIGNATED GATE PSYCHOLOGISTS
Local District Psychologists School Mail Address Telephone Number/
E-mail
Northwest Sarah Webb (818) 654-3721
sew2203@lausd.net
Designated GATE
Psychologist
Monica Vega Local District Northwest (818) 654-3634
mkv2382@lausd.net
Northeast Shannon James (818) 686-4502
shannon.l.james@lausd.net
Designated GATE
Psychologist
Veronica Rodriguez Pacoima Site (818)686-4501
(Northeast Annex) vxr9349@lausd.net
Building 87
West Sheila Shortt (310) 914-2151
Designated GATE sas9229@lausd.net
Psychologist
Local District West
Sherine Shenouda Building A-1 (310) 914-2175
Sherine.shenouda@lausd.net
DESIGNATED GATE PSYCHOLOGISTS
Local District Psychologists School Mail Address Telephone Number/
E-mail
East Joanna Galeazzi- (323) 224-3367
jxg9837@lausd.net
Flores Psychological Services
Local District East
Christine Berardo (323) 224-3370
cab2305@lausd.net
South Elizabeth Kaley (310) 965-7916
Designated GATE elizabeth.kaley@lausd.net
Psychologist
Local District South
Lori Panganiban (310) 965-7918
lori.panganiban@lausd.net
Central Julia Dalton Designated GATE (323) 936-0386
Psychologist julia.dalton@lausd.net
c/o Kim Elementary School
Local District Central
Administrative Office Vacant Gifted/Talented Programs (213) 241-6500
Beaudry Site
(Beaudry Site) 25th FloorMajor
MiSiS Updates
MiSiS Access MiSiS Screen
New Coordinators All CoordinatorsMiSiS Access:
School GATE Coordinator Role
https://oneaccess.lausd.netMiSiS Access:
School GATE Coordinator Role
https://oneaccess.lausd.netMiSiS Access:
School GATE Coordinator Role
https://oneaccess.lausd.netMiSiS Access:
School GATE Coordinator Role
Select School GATE
CoordinatorMiSiS
GATE Referral Screen Changes
*Fields are
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GATE Referral Screen Changes
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GATE Referral Screen Changes
New!
Save & Submit Buttons
Click to save information Click when referral is
and return at a later time complete and ready
*Message will appear *Message will appearMiSiS Bug:
GATE Referral Screen
ü Prior Pending Referrals: Some referrals that were ini1ated prior to the updated GATE
referral screen and were missing informa1on are experiencing a bug.
Ø Op;on 1: Delete the old referral and start again
§ Print the Teacher Checklist before dele1ng, if possible
§ Only GATE Office staff can delete a referral (contact your Designated GATE
Psychologist to delete Intellectual referrals and mpapazya@lausd.net for all other
referrals)
Ø Op;on 2: Wait un1l bug is corrected (projected MiSiS release date is October
2, 2018)
ü New Referrals: The Teacher Checklist currently has a bug. Only the GATE
Coordinator role has access to complete the Teacher Checklist and the
teacher no1fica1on feature does not appear when the Teacher Checklist
assigned.
Ø Op;on 1: Complete the Teacher Checklist for teachers
Ø Op;on 2: Wait un1l bug is corrected (projected MiSiS release date is October
2, 2018)MiSiS Job Aids:
Referral Screen Changes
https://misis.lausd.netMiSiS
Automatic Identification Uploads
Who qualified? Now what?
ü High Achievement ü Print parent Notification Letters
– OLSAT-8 for eligible students
– MiSiS
• Current 3rd graders
• Click on Reports
– SBAC • Click on GATE
• 5th grade and above • Click on Parent Notification
ü Specific Academic Achievement Letter
– SBAC ü Cross check eligible students
against OLSAT-8 Master List
• 5th grade and above
and SBAC scores
ü Refer to REF-5232.3 for
ü Hold a parent meeting to notify
additional details on the High
parents about GATE program
Achievement and Specific
Academic Ability Categories ü Ensure newly identified students
are clusteredOLSAT-8 Policy 3rd grade students who received an OLSAT score of 99% on the Total, Verbal or Nonverbal Age-Based Percentile Rank (APR) must be automatically referred by the school-site GATE coordinator in the Intellectual Ability category. ü Pre-screening (other than OLSAT results) will not be required ü Teacher checklist, screening committee sections, and parent consent in MiSiS is required ü Affiliated charters will not be charged the fee-for-service for these students
GATE Rosters üPrint your school’s GATE Roster regularly üMake sure all students on the GATE Roster are in a GATE cluster class üAll teachers should be aware of the GATE students in their class(es) üTo print GATE Rosters in MiSiS: - Click on Reports - Click on GATE - Click on GATE Student Roster
GATE Identification Deadlines
ü INTELLECTUAL ABILITY: April 5, 2019
(including reassessment requests)
ü HIGH ACHIEVEMENT ABILITY OR SPECIFIC ACADEMIC ABILITY: May 17, 2019
(students not in MiSiS only)
ü CREATIVE ABILITY OR LEADERSHIP ABILITY: May 17, 2019
ü VISUAL ARTS ABILITY OR PERFORMING ARTS ABILITY: October 17, 2018
April 10, 2019
*MiSiS referrals created and all fields completed and required paper
documents (incl. signed parent consent form) must be received by
GATE personnel or designated GATE psychologist on this due date.Visual and Performing Arts
Evaluations and Demonstrations
Fall 2018 Spring 2019
ü November 17, 2018 ü May 18, 2019
ü Alexander Hamilton SH ü Esteban Torres HS
– Performing and Visual Arts – Performing Arts
– LD West – LD East
ü MiSiS referral and ü Belvedere MS
paperwork due: – Visual Arts
– October 17, 2018 – LD East
ü MiSiS referral and
paperwork due:
– April 10, 2019
ü Students should not show up without prior application and approval!
ü Parents must bring invitation letter on day of event!Creativity and Leadership Ability
Portfolio Evaluation
ü 2nd grade and above
ü Portfolio of 3-5 pieces of evidence (student work):
- Projects, activities, and assignments
- Exemplary or show potential d line:
- Multimedia format or original Dea 17,
May 9
- Samples from school and/or home 201
ü Required paperwork:
- Attachment E (Parent Consent)
- Attachment F (Request for Assessment-Cover Sheet)
- Attachment F-1(Request for Assessment-Accomplishments)
- Refer to REF-5233.1 for additional details
ü Students identified in the Creative and Leadership Ability can apply for SAS
and Gifted Magnets
ü Differentiation must be provided for identified students
ü Reassessment can be given a year later, if student does not qualifyVisual and Performing Arts
Creativity and Leadership
Differentiated instruction is required!
Although no program plan is needed when submitting
paperwork for identification, students found eligible in these
categories need to be serviced by their classroom teacher.
Included in your handouts is an activity sheet full of
differentiated activities classroom teachers and parents can use
with students identified in these categories.Useful Resources
GATE Policy Communications
Identification Reference Guides
ü Ref. Guide 5228.2 (Intellectual Ability)
ü Ref. Guide 5232.3 (High Achievement Ability/Specific Academic Ability)
ü Ref. Guide 5233.1 (Creative Ability/Leadership Ability)
ü Ref. Guide 5234.1 (Visual Arts Ability/Performing Arts Ability)
Identification Bulletin
ü Bulletin 269.9 Policy for Assessing and Identifying Students for
Gifted/Talented Programs
Most up-to-date
At-a-Glance(s) documents can be found
ü Identification Criteria and Guidelines Overview on the Gifted/Talented
ü What’s Due: Calendar of Deadlines and Events Programs website:
https://achieve.lausd.netGi#ed/Talented Programs
Handbook
ü Policy documents, GATE Program options and
design, professional development opportunities, etc.
ü Update your GATE Handbook with the latest
versions of policy documents
ü See GATE office personnel if your school never
received a handbook
ü Online GATE Handbook can be found on the
Gifted/Talented Programs website,
https://achieve.lausd.gate.net, under Educator’s
CornerGifted/Talented Programs Website
https://achieve.lausd.net/gateGifted/Talented Programs
Online Resources
Principal’s Portal Schoology
ü Principal’s Portal provides
GATE coordinators access to: Join our GATE and
- Annual GATE Report SAS Schoology group
- Verification of Eligibility for
Gifted Magnets/SAS for live updates,
- GATE Resources community forum, and
ü To get access, principals should
log in to Principal’s Portal: Q & A!
- Click on School Data Designee
Form under Certification Use Access Codes:
Section
GATE - R7JTC-Z9KBC
- Complete required fields for
GATE/SAS Coordinator SAS - ZHW3H-VRNWKOptional GATE Coordinator
Email Distribution List
http://tinyurl.com/LAUSDgatelist
For assistance, email
kevin.Kilpatrick@lausd.net.
Subscribe now to stay in the loop!Parent Involvement
RemindersParent Component ü Each school needs a GATE parent representative ü Each year, schools must hold 2 GATE parent meetings ü Schools need to distribute communications to parents of GATE students that are sent from the GATE office ü Every school has a GATE Program ü Do not turn parents away when they request GATE assessments ü Make sure parents have a way of contacting you about GATE questions ü Attachment C (found in all of the identification reference guides) can be completed by parents when they are referring a student
10th Annual GATE/SAS Parent Conference
Date: Saturday, March 9, 2019
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Location: RFK Community Schools
FREE! Open to all LAUSD GATE/SAS parents.
No pre-registration required. Free childcare provided.
Dr. Nicole Tetreault is a neuroscientist, writer, and speaker who specializes in
neurodevelopment and neurodegenerative disorders. She received her Ph.D.
from California Institute of Technology (Caltech). She is dedicated to
translating the promise of neuroscience and positive psychology for individuals
to live the best quality of life.
Most recently, she has focused her efforts on studying the gifted experience,
which encompasses the brain and body connection, by investigating the latest
neuroscience and physiology research. She is both a passionate intellectual and
a devoted caregiver looking to help people by understanding the uniqueness of
the gifted experience.Schools for Advanced Studies
(SAS)
Updates and RemindersSchools for Advanced Studies (SAS) Now Part of Unified Enrollment/Choices ü The SAS application and selection process is now included in the Choices brochure/process (which currently includes Magnet, Permits With Transportation, and Dual Language Education) ü The Choices application window for 2019-2020 will open on October 1, 2018, and close on November 9, 2018, at 5:00 p.m. ü Late applications may be submitted beginning February 1, 2019 ü Students residing within the boundaries of a designated SAS school who meet the eligibility criteria do not apply through the Choices process; no formal application is required for qualified students residing within the site’s attendance boundaries ü Affiliated charter sites or Admission Criteria Schools with the SAS designation are not included in the Choices application and selection process (although they will be listed in the brochure)
Schools for Advanced Studies (SAS)
Personnel Responsibilities
ü Adhere to all policies and expectations for SAS
ü Verify projected number of seats by grade level for
students residing outside the SAS site’s attendance
boundaries (tentative date: February 2019)
ü Provide information to families about SAS (e.g., school
tours, website, social media, parent meetings, brochures,
etc.)
ü Accept/decline students and wait list process on the
Principal’s Portal
ü Attend mandatory trainings in September 2018 and
February 2019 on Choices process (training immediately
following today’s meeting)Sending School Personnel Responsibilities ü Responsible for online verification of eligibility process on the Principal’s Portal (tentative deadline: January 2019); this is now a shared criteria/process for Gifted Magnets and SAS ü NEW SAS Kindergarten Readiness Checklist criteria for incoming kindergarten applicants ü Must keep evidence of verification or non- verification on file at the sending school for a minimum of five years ü Verification memorandum with detailed directions will be available soon
Conservatory of Fine Arts Reminders and Updates
Conservatory of Fine Arts:
Application Process
ü Students in grades 3-12 attending LAUSD schools
may apply. LAUSD authorized charter schools must submit
an approved Fee-For-Service Request Form for participating
new students Applications available online at
http://apply.lausd.net
ü Applications and Student Emergency Information
form were due Friday, September 7, 2018, by 5:00
p.m.
ü Late applications may be accepted by paper application
if there is space available after the deadline; contact Dr.
Nicole Niederdeppe for more informationIdentification vs. Conservatory
ü While related, gifted identification in the arts and the
Conservatory of Fine Arts are not the same thing:
– Gifted identification provides information to schools to
assist them in meeting students needs (class placement,
instruction, etc.)
– The Conservatory of Fine Arts is an optional program to
service our gifted students in their talent area
ü Students identified in the arts will be given priority
placement in the Conservatory, but non-identified
recommended students may also apply and participateStaff Selection
and
Professional Development
Reminders and UpdatesGATE Staff Selec-on ü It is the responsibility of the principal to select staff that have knowledge of the cognitive and affective characteristics of gifted/talented students, demonstrate ability to implement alternative learning environments, have skill in differentiating instruction according to the needs of students, understand the social and emotional needs of gifted learners, and show evidence of recent professional development in gifted/talented education (recommended 16 hours per year) ü Keep staff selection procedures and teacher authorization on file at the school site
GATE Coordinator Differential ü GATE Coordinators should receive a semi-annual differential in January and June ($637/semester) ü REF-1802.14, Time Reporting Instructions for Lump Sum Payment of Differentials, describes the process for paying this differential. Wage Type 1310 was created in 2015-2016 to delineate this from other differentials (please no longer use Wage Type 1311 for GATE coordinator differential). Please note that schools must budget this differential using LCAP funds or other school site funding source; no additional funding source is provided by the District ü Principals will be sent an Inter-Office Correspondence on the purpose of the GATE differential and how to pay for 2018-2019 with existing school funds ü School site budget meetings for the following year are typically held in March ü Be sure to work with your administrator prior to this meeting to ensure that school allowances of LCFF funds are allocated for GATE, including budgeting the GATE coordinator differential
Clustering and Differentiation ü District policy states that a minimum of 5-8 gifted students be clustered in elementary and 15-25 in secondary ü District policy states that gifted students require differentiation (depth, complexity, novelty, acceleration) throughout their regular school day ü Best practice is to place all gifted students in clusters with teachers that are qualified and trained to provide consistent, daily differentiated instruction for advanced learners
Professional Development Reminders ü The District recommendation for GATE teachers is 16 hours of GATE- specific professional development per year (4 hours per year for administrators); this is required for SAS teachers and administrators per their SAS designation agreement ü GATE professional development can be obtained through training or fieldwork; professional development records should be maintained by GATE/SAS teachers and administrators for three years ü The GATE Office offers a variety of PD options including conferences, salary point classes, banked-time Tuesday presentations, special topics workshops, small group trainings, coordinator meetings, and online webinars/PowerPoints ü All registration will be available on MyPLN – http://achieve.lausd.net/mypln ü Teachers may also participate in up to 8 hours of fieldwork including GATE lesson observation, differentiated planning, or professional book/discussion groups
Professional Development Opportuni3es GATE/SAS Coordinator Meetings (fall and spring) ü See MEM-6112.5 for dates/times/locations Symposium on Gifted Education ü December 15, 2018 at RFK Community Schools ü Registration Available Early October Annual City/County Conference on Gifted Education ü June 1, 2019 at the Pasadena Convention Center ü Co-sponsored by the Greater Los Angeles Gifted Children’s Association and LAUSD Gifted/Talented Programs ü Keynote Speaker: Dr. Donna Ford ü Registration at: www.giftedchildrenla.org (Open NOW!) Online Professional Development ü 16 training sessions to choose from on MyPLN–http://achieve.lausd.net/mypln Salary Point Classes ü Registration on MyPLN–http://achieve.lausd.net/mypln for available professional development opportunities (registration for classes will open five weeks before each session begins; September/October classes will open September 15, 2018) School-site Professional Development ü Menu of options to choose from; request from rgrubb@lausd.net
45th Annual Los Angeles City/County GATE Conference
Date: Saturday, June 1, 2019
Time: 7:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Location: Pasadena Convention Center
Registration: Available at www.giftedchildrenla.org
Early Bird ($115) through December 15th ($135) Regular Pricing.
The Keynote speaker is Donna Y. Ford, PhD, Professor of Education and Human
Development and Cornelius Vanderbilt Endowed Chair at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Ford
currently holds a joint appointment in the Department of Special Education and Department of
Teaching and Learning.
Dr. Ford conducts research primarily in gifted education and multicultural/urban education.
Specifically, her work focuses on: (1) the achievement gap; (2) recruiting and retaining culturally
different students in gifted education; (3) multicultural curriculum and instruction; (4) culturally
competent teacher training and development; (5) African-American identity; and (6) African-
American family involvement.
She consults with school districts, and educational and legal organizations on such topics as
gifted education under-representation and Advanced Placement, multicultural/urban education
and counseling, and closing the achievement gap.
Dr. Ford has written over 200 articles and book chapters; she has made over a 1,000
presentations at professional conferences and organizations, and in school districts.MyPLN Online
GATE Professional Development
ü 21st Century Skills (1 hour)
ü 11 Tips to End the Homework Battle (1 hour)
ü Who Are the Gifted and Talented and What Do They Need?
(1 hour)
ü Building Cognitive Curriculum (2 hours)
ü Does Differentiation Work in a Heterogeneous Classroom?
(2 hours)
ü Math is the Hidden Secret to Understanding the World
(1 hour)
ü What It Means to Teach Gifted Learners Well (1 hour)
ü The Science and Practice of Creativity (1 hour)
ü Saving Black and Latino Boys (1 hour)MyPLN Online
GATE Professional Development
ü Identifying and Serving Culturally and Linguistically
Diverse Gifted Students (1 hour)
ü Twice-exceptional Students: Who Are They and What Do
They Need? (2 hours)
ü The Pros and Cons of Ability Grouping (2 hours)
ü New! Depth and Complexity Prompts: What Do I Do with
These (2 hours)
ü New! Understanding the Social and Emotional Needs of
Gifted Children (2 hours)
ü New! Teaching Gifted Students Interdisciplinary Concepts (2
Hours)
ü New! Thinking Like a Disciplinarian (2 hours)UC San Diego Extension GATE Cer4fica4on
Program Exclusively for LAUSD Teachers:
A Unique Hybrid Program
ü LAUSD Program Requirements (Free salary point classes)
– Meeting the Needs of Gifted Learners: Part I
– Any other salary point class offered by Gifted/Talented
Programs
ü UCSD Program Requirements (4 quarter units per course)
– EDUC 40113: Brain Compatible Learning (Cost: $200.00)
– EDUC 40114: Socioemotional Characteristics of the Gifted
and Talented (Cost: $200.00)
– EDUC 40115: Practicum in Gifted and Talented Education
(Cost: $200.00)Gifted/Talented Programs
Advanced Learning Options
Small Group Trainings: GATE Identification - FALL 2018
Topic Agenda Date Time Location
GATE IDENTIFICATION Overview of Identification October 4 3:30-5:00 Beaudry Site
Procedures (focus on (Central)
screening and referral process for
the Visual Arts and
Performing Arts categories)
GATE IDENTIFICATION Overview of Identification October 15 3:30-5:00 Liggett St. Elementary
Procedures School
(including MiSiS referral) (NW/NE)
GATE IDENTIFICATION Overview of Identification October 25 3:30-5:00 City Terrace Elementary
Procedures (focus on (East)
screening and referral process for
the Creative Ability and
Leadership Ability categories)
GATE IDENTIFICATION Overview of Identification November 1 3:30-5:00 Shenandoah Elementary
Procedures (focus on School
screening and referral process for (West)
the Visual Arts and
Performing Arts categories)
GATE IDENTIFICATION Overview of Identification December 3 3:30-5:00 Towne Elementary
Procedures (focus on School
screening and referral process for (South)
the Creative Ability and
Leadership Ability categories)
GATE IDENTIFICATION Overview of Identification December 13 3:30-5:00 Beaudry Site
Procedures (Central)
(including MiSiS referral)
Small group trainings are designed to assist first year Gifted/Talented Program coordinators or coordinators who
need additional assistance in the implementation and coordination of the local school GATE Program.
Pre-registration required on MyPLNReady, SET, Go
Can You Increase Children’s IQ? ü Dr. Silvia Bunge, a neuroscientist at UC Berkeley asked the question, can you train up or “sharpen” children’s minds by using games? ü They looked for games that used reasoning ability and require forethought, planning comparisons and logical integration. ü They also looked at games that require processing speed and required rapid visual processing.
The Research Project ü Bunge’s team brought the games to an elementary school in Oakland with historically low state test scores. The researchers asked some second, third and fourth graders to stay after school to play. ü The kids’ IQ averaged a 90, and their brain speed (a subtest of intelligence) ranked them at only the 27th percentile. ü The children’s parents, on average, were high-school dropouts. ü These were the kids every education policy hopes to target. ü Twice a week, the kids played the games for an hour and fifteen minutes. Every fifteen minutes the kids moved to a new table, to make sure their brains always had something new to figure out.
Project Outcomes: Reasoning Ability ü After just eight weeks – twenty total hours of game playing – Bunge’s team retested the children’s intelligence. ü The children’s reasoning scores, on average, leapt 32%. Translated to an IQ standard, that bumped them 13 points. ü For comparison, consider that a 12 point gain is normally how much a child’s IQ goes up after an entire year of school. By giving the children precisely targeted games, Bunge and Mackey were able to beat that, in just 20 hours of game playing!
Project Outcomes: Processing Speed ü Reasoning ability was not the neuroscientists’ only target. Bunge’s team was also interested in another component of intelligence, called processing speed. ü A second group of games was assembled, and a second group of kids spent their afternoons in that classroom working with games that used rapid visual processing. ü After the eight weeks, these kids’ cognitive scores were tested as well. The kids who trained for speed saw their processing speed scores leap 27%. ü Evidently you can teach speed for the brain. ü Each group’s improvements were domain-specific, so it was clear the games were the cause. The speed group (processing) saw only insignificant gains in reasoning ability. Those who trained on the reasoning games (and improved their reasoning) saw almost no speed benefit. Neither group saw improvement in working memory. ü This also suggests that cross-training with both kinds of games is necessary for full-scale intelligence.
Games They Evaluated
REASONING ABILITY PROCESSING SPEED
Card Games Card Games
ü SET ($10.00) ü Deck of Cards ($1.25)
ü Rush Hour (traffic-jam puzzle) ü Spoons
($18.00)
ü Speed
ü Qwirkle (cross between
Dominos and Scrabble) ($19.00) Videogame
Nintendo DS ü Brickbuster
ü Picross ($20.00) (free online)
ü Big Brain Academy ($26.00) Board Games
Computer Games ü Blink ($5.00)
ü Azada ($7.00) ü Perfection ($10.00)
ü Chocolate Fix ($12.00)Conclusion Bunge has concluded, “All parts of intelligence are malleable. They’re all in the brain, and all of the brain shows plasticity. There’s no evidence that some regions are more or less plastic than others.” The presumption that some components of intelligence are more fixed than others isn’t backed up by the new science.
The “Why” for the Outcomes ü The original study is now being reproduced, with kids who are having their brains scanned before and after the game training. Bunge is hoping to learn what’s changed, on a neural level, in just eight weeks. She expects to find a pattern toward greater efficiency – more focused activity in the specific regions required by the tasks, and less activation of unnecessary brain regions. ü She might also find how the frontal lobe and the parietal lobe fire in concert, or even a physical change in the nerves connecting the two brain regions, making the network faster. ü Perhaps the most important finding in Bunge’s data is that the training helped the neediest kids the most. The farther down a child started on the rankings, the quicker and greater was his cognitive improvement.
Follow-Up Study
ü 21 year olds with similar reasoning abilities
that wanted to go to law school.
ü Experimental group took an LSAT prep class that
emphasized reasoning skills. Control group did not
take a class.
ü Pre and Post MRIs showed that the prefrontal cortex
and parietal cortex (areas for reasoning abilities)
communicated more closely after 3 months in the
experimental group, but NOT the control group.
ü Also, white matter (roads and highways between
neurons that help different areas of the brain talk to
each other) changed in experimental group and became
speedier according to DTI (diffusion tensor imaging).
“These findings show how important it is to exercise your brain and practice your reasoning skills.
Getting into the habit of
tackling challenging puzzles and games might improve your brain function and might even help you solve difficult problems both
in and out of school.”
J.C. Niebaum & S.A. Bunge. Your brain is like a muscle: use it and make it strong. Neuroscience: April 24, 2014.Next Steps from Dr. Bungee
Free Games that Make Kids Smarter ü List of Free Games: http://brainplay.wikia.com/wiki/Games_by_Genre ü For more information see: http://www.bigleap.org/solve ü Dr. Bunge continues her research at UC Berkeley with a program called STOMP http://bungelab.berkeley.edu/stomp/
SET
$13 = 13 IQ Points
We have provided you with the SET game to
take back to your school and use with students
to help “tune up” their brains.
www.setgame.com/set/puzzle
TIP: This is especially helpful with familiarizing
second graders with visual discrimination that will be
on the OLSAT-8.
Adapted from: Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman, Newsweek. New Research: $13 Christmas gifts =
13 point gain in kids’ IQ at: http://www.nurtureshock.com/IQLeaps.pdfStay Connected!
achieve.lausd.net/gate
twitter.com/LAUSDGATE
www.facebook.com/
LAUSDGATEImportant Reminder…
Small Group Trainings
5:00-6:00 p.m.
üNew GATE and TIP School Coordinators will be
meeting in the library.
üSAS coordinators remain in the auditorium.Thank You
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