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Michael Clay Thompson: Videos
- Cool Grammar
- Why gifted students need to be taught formal writing
- Michael Clay Thompson’s Writing Program: Vocabulary
- Paragraphs and essays: what matters is “structure”
- Michael Clay Thompson’s Poetry Workshop
- The connection between vocabulary and grammar
Teachers of gifted programs who have participated in a Michael Clay Thompson workshop, or who have seen him give a keynote speech at a gifted conference, know that he is an inspiring and passionate speaker. Videos 1 through 4 below are short excerpts from a presentation at the National Curriculum Network Conference at the College of William and Mary in March 2008 and video 5 is from a poetry workshop given at the NAGC in Tampa, Fl in November 2008.
Share them with others to give them a flavor of Michael Clay Thompson’s unique teaching philosophy. Check back from time to time as we add more clips. … and let us know what you think!
1. Cool Grammar
Michael Clay Thompson tells teachers why gifted students need to be taught grammar, and classic words. Since grammar became unfashionable in school curricula, the School Board is now going ‘crazy’ realizing that students don’t know how to write… except in journals. It amounts to a great disservice to gifted children.
2. Why gifted students need to be taught formal writing
Formal language study has all but disappeared from schools. This is to the disadvantage of gifted students who need to learn how to write correctly for their future studies and careers. Michael Clay Thompson explains what has happened and why he is concentrating on formal writing books in the next part of his Language Arts Curriculum from Royal Fireworks Press.
3. Michael Clay Thompson’s Writing Program: Vocabulary
Michael addresses what he sees as a ‘National Vocabulary Prevention Program’.
4. Paragraphs and essays: what matters is “structure”
Hear Michael Clay Thompson read the “amazing” opening paragraph of The Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. He then explains away some of the myths about teaching students how to write.
5. Michael Clay Thompson’s Poetry Workshop
This clip is from a lively seminar held at the Annual Conference of the National Association for Gifted Children at Tampa, Florida, November 2008. Hear Michael recite Robert Burns and see him getting his audience to vocalize the sounds of letters and words: a key method of Michael Thompson for teaching poetics.
6. The connection between vocabulary and grammar
Michael Clay Thompson shows an audience of teachers of gifted how a good vocabulary helps with grammar and most importantly, with good writing.
