Have you heard how exciting the enrichment program at the Museum Magnet School is? Well, just let me tell you a few things.
Our students have displayed their work at a wide variety of venues around the Twin Cities including:
District Technology Fair
Science Museum of Minnesota
Inter Media Arts Gallery
Ordway Music Hall
Children’s Museum
Minnesota State Fair
The enrichment students present their work at the District Technology
Fair every year. They’ve taken animated stories, as well as inventions
that automatically water your plants, or clean off your glasses. One
even kept you cool on hot days. Their videos have been pretty hot too.
"Mouse House" was a blast, you felt just like you were looking through
the eyes of a mouse running down the hallway. Then, "Ants" won the best
video of the year award. It was done by first graders. Just recently, a 4th grade crew produced a news cast about water issues in India.
At the
Science Museum of Minnesota, the enrichment students have presented to
the visitors many times. They’ve even designed puppet shows with
puppets run by motors. They’ve presented their inventions at the
Science Museum too, explaining their thinking process to visitors and
demonstrating their prototypes. Student designed art cars with automated movements were exhibited in a special case at the
Science Museum. They were also shown at InterMedia Arts, a gallery on
Lyndale Av. in Minneapolis. Enrichment students have also been guests
of the Ordway, presenting their work in the lobby before the Brothers
Karamozov Show.
Sure they are involved with other things. They have
a storytellers group that works on drama, puppetry, poetry and
storytelling. They’ve used all kinds of puppets, life size , shadow,
rod, and hand, to name a few. Some of the puppeteers even performed at
the Children’s Museum in downtown St. Paul. And talk about theater! You
know, the plays all have something to do with what the students are
learning about. Often the students write their own plays.
Art is
another offering in the enrichment program. Students have won awards at
the Minnesota State Fair for their art work. There are many different
media that are explored. Students even design art that moves, using
inspiration from many avenues including Alexander Calder and the Twin
Cities Art Car Parade.
Oh, I just have to mention that there are
offerings in math, and science too. There is the Continental Math
Challenge and the WordMasters Challenge. Those are national
competitions that the Museum Students participate in. Oh, you want a
more formal description?
The enrichment program at the Museum
Magnet School is designed to service several group of students.
Students are invited to join the program in one of four ways:
*formally being identified as Gifted and Talented by the District,
*excelling in an academic area beyond their grade level,
*showing high creativity,
*having a strong commitment to learning.
The enrichment program is based on the School Wide Enrichment Model (SEM).
Our
full time Gifted and Talented specialist is able to work with small
groups of students on a regular basis. Students pursue an area of study
and prepare an exhibit to share their learning with an audience. The
main focus of the program is to help students develop logical and
creative thinking skills. They are often given a challenge. It is their
job to find a solution to the challenge that satisfies several stated
criteria. Students use a discussion method, Accountable Talk, to share
their thinking with one another and to plan for their exhibits. They
document their thought process and share it with an audience at the end
of their project. The curriculum also includes skill training in
research, writing, math, and science. Whenever possible the curriculum
is an extension of their classroom topics.
The program adjusts
each year to provide for the needs and interests of the students. There
is collaboration between the G/T specialist and the classroom teacher
to plan opportunities that will enrich and increase the learning of
each child. Students in kindergarten through third grade usually work
with other students in their age group. Fourth, fifth, and sixth grade
students often work in multiage groups. Students are given a survey at
the beginning of the year so that they can select opportunities that
match their interests and learning styles.
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