Our SI homepage looks quite a bit different!  Hopefully, you’ll find that the site is better organized and easier to navigate.  This is one of the biggest advantages to moving away from Google Sites to Weebly.  It also handles graphics and multimedia much easier as well.  When you have a few minutes please take some time to explore.  Here are some of enhancements I’ve made:

Contacting me – you can submit a question or suggestion directly from the website via the contact form.

Announcements and Homework pages – These pages are now set up like a blog.  Homework will still be listed each week, but now students can comment on a homework post with questions. The comments will go live after I approve them.  If you are familiar with using RSS readers, you also have the ability to subscribe to updates as they are posted.  Assignments can be uploaded to me directly from the homework pages as well!

Workshops – Workshop descriptions will be listed here as they were on the old site, but students can now submit their choices directly through the website.

Student Speedway – This is the #1 go-to resource for students.  ALL resources (Edmodo, homework, research, links, etc.) can be found by starting here first.

Educator Alley – Primarily for teachers, I will be adding to this section to help support teachers with gifted students in their classrooms.

Parent Parkway – What would YOU like to see?  I’ve added some of my favorite blogs to support parents like you, but I’d like to make this section your go-to place for information on how to challenge and support your student(s) at home.

The website is constantly growing and changing.  Have a suggestion or comment?  Please send me an email or try the new contact form on the SI website!

Thanks for reading!

Have you signed up to join your son or daughter on Edmodo yet?  If you misplaced the parent “manual” and signup code that I sent home or passed out at Open House night, please let me know and I’ll get you the code to sign up.

This cycle, I’m teaching students how Edmodo can help organize their busy lives.  Edmodo offers many resources to help them.  Here’s what’s new:

Calendar – Students now have the ability to add their own reminders and important dates to their calendar.  As the date approaches, they will be reminded via their yellow notification box in the top-right corner.

Badges – Students can earn “badges” for exemplary work on Edmodo. They show up on the students’ profile pages for things like proofreading posts, digital citizenship, contributing to discussions, sharing research and projects, and many, many more.  They can even earn a badge for having you sign up with Edmodo as well!

Assignments/Gradebook – I will be asking students to send assignments to me through Edmodo.  Grades will be given which you are then able to see if you have signed up for Edmodo.  If they forget to submit an assignment, you’ll be able to see that as well.

Library and “Backpack” – Unless your son or daughter has their own USB memory stick, transferring computer work from home to school is extremely difficult.  I’ll be encouraging students to use their Edmodo “backpacks” to store and access their files privately and securely within their Edmodo accounts.

The October calendar is available online.  I am giving students a copy to keep inside of their SI folders, but you can download it under the “Welcome” tab.  You’ll also find my Fall Conference schedule located there as well.

The new Special Interest website is now live! I've moved it away from Google Sites to a new location with a lot more exciting possibilities.  I'll be adding a lot of new content in the coming days as I move the rest of the content from the old website, so keep checking in!