design thinking
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Sometimes the Best Learning Is Locked: Using Breakout EDU in Grades 3–8
This blog post explores how Breakout EDU can transform grades 3–8 classrooms by turning academic content into engaging, collaborative problem-solving experiences. It highlights how Breakout EDU supports critical thinking, productive struggle, communication, perseverance, differentiation, and student reflection across subjects like math, reading, science, and social studies. The post also encourages teachers to move students from…
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Every Drop Counts: Exploring New Mexico’s Water Resources in the Global Innovation Lab 💧🌵
This blog post explores New Mexico’s water resources through The Global Innovation Lab’s Every Drop Counts challenge, helping students connect science, geography, agriculture, technology, law, and systems thinking. It also explains how the Texas v. New Mexico and Colorado Rio Grande case and the 2026 Supreme Court settlement affect groundwater use, farming, communities, industry, and…
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How Socratic Seminars Turn Classroom Conversations Into Deeper Learning
Socratic Seminars help students become stronger thinkers, listeners, and communicators by encouraging evidence-based discussion, respectful disagreement, and deeper questioning. This blog explores practical ways to use Socratic Seminars across subjects and introduces the #smithingifted Socratic Seminar Ultimate Growing Bundle for grades 3–8.
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Learning Alongside My Students: Exploring Lopaka in The Global Innovation Lab
In this #smithingifted blog post, I share how I am exploring Lopaka as a creative tool for The Global Innovation Lab. Working with Ivan Guzman and Mikhail Ilan from Lopaka, I am learning how students might use design, coding, sensors, robotics, and small display screens to turn real-world ideas into meaningful prototypes. As we begin…
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Using Google My Maps in the Gifted Classroom: Mapping The Global Innovation Lab
The Global Innovation Lab is growing! 🌎🚀 In this post, I share how Google My Maps is helping us connect classrooms around the world so students can collaborate on real-world challenges like water conservation. If you want your students to think bigger, create meaningful solutions, and learn alongside students from other communities and countries, I…
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Welcome to #smithingifted: Where Gifted Learners Think Bigger, Create More, and Lead the Way
#smithingifted is a resource space for gifted teachers who want more than basic enrichment. Created by gifted educator Beth Smith, #smithingifted focuses on rigorous, creative, and ready-to-use resources for gifted and high-ability learners, especially in STEM, robotics, coding, design thinking, student choice, and real-world problem solving. From classroom projects to innovation challenges, these resources are…
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Adding Cricut to the Gifted Classroom: Where Creativity Meets Innovation
This blog shares why Cricut is being added to the #smithingifted curriculum as more than just a craft tool. In the gifted classroom, Cricut can support creativity, design thinking, entrepreneurship, STEM, problem solving, and student voice. Although I have not used it with students yet, I am excited to introduce it as a way for…