Engaging Students with Poverty in Mind

Instructional Strategies to Make a Difference

Presenters

Christopher Eberlein

Principal, Speegleville Elementary

Kim Johnston

Instructional Specialist, Speegleville Elementary

Part 1: Poverty - How Is It Defined?What Are Its Effects on Children?

Frontline (PBS) Video: Exploring Poverty from the Perspective of Childrenhttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/poor-kids/

Poverty: How Is It Defined?

Many different life situations

Generational – Never owned property, known anyone who benefited from education or held a respected job, highly mobile, focus on survival

Working Class – Most do not own property, live paycheck to paycheck, most do not have health care, view poverty as a personal deficiency

Poverty: How Is It Defined?

Immigrant – Language and cultural barriers, most have a stronger sense of self and do better than those born into poverty, view poverty as a problem with the American system.

Situational – Poverty caused by a crisis (health issue, divorce, loss of job, etc.), may or may not have health care, generally makes it back to middle class with assistance, does not internalize poverty as a personal problem.

Poverty Statistics

(Nation) Far too many people, mostly children, suffer from poverty conditions. More than 15% of the population, 43.2 million Americans, live in poverty (US Census Bureau, 2010).

(State, 2008-2012) 17.4%

(McLennan County, 2008-2012) 21.8%

(Waco, 2008-2012) 30.1%

(Midway ISD, 2012 Free and Reduced Lunch) 29.7%

Poverty: A Challenge to Overcome

1 out of 4 working households in America spend more than half of their income on housing. For those who earn minimum wage, there is no community in America where individuals can live comfortably and afford to pay the rent.

Government assistance falls short of covering the basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter. Most individuals cling to this assistance for money to survive, due to their limited skills, education, and literacy.

Hunger is an issue for those who live in poverty. A person on food stamps receives $3.00 a day. Healthy food is expensive.

Poverty: A Challenge to Overcome

Many people who live in poverty work hard, but are unable to break out of their situation. The dominant belief that if one works hard enough they will do well is not always the case. According to one study, two thirds of people living in poverty are working 1.7 jobs.

Children living in poverty are the least likely to become educated in our country. Academic achievement is lower for these children and school is often viewed as a stressful place where they do not belong. A college or trade school education appears to be the only possible means to break out of poverty, but reaching this level of education is not possible without strong, consistent support.

Effects of Poverty on Student Engagement - Intellectual

Poor children are exposed to more intense and longer lasting stressors, and have fewer coping skills than their higher SES counterparts. Acute/chronic stress affects the brain negatively in the following ways:

Reduces concentration and impairs attention

Reduces working memory and creativity

Increases impulsivity

Reduces motivation, determination, and effort

Limits executive function skills (decision making, ability to think abstractly)

Effects of Poverty on Student Engagement - Intellectual

Students who live in an environment with increased levels of stress are often distractible, hyper-vigilant, or display a learned helplessness which looks like disengagement or an apathetic attitude.

However, it is important to know these conditions are reactions to prolonged or acute levels of stress, not apathy or an anti-school attitude.

Effects of Poverty on Student Engagement – Social/Emotional

Strong, secure relationships help stabilize children's behavior and provide the core guidance needed to build healthy social skills and learn appropriate emotional responses. Children raised in poor households who lack a healthy caregiver often fail to learn these responses, resulting in:

Difficulty handling frustration

Difficulty working in pairs and groups

Difficulty responding to adults

Effects of Poverty on Student Engagement – Social/Emotional

Some teachers may interpret students' emotional and social deficits as a lack of respect or manners, but it is more accurate and helpful to understand that the students come to school with a narrower range of appropriate emotional responses than we expect and are needed.

The truth is that many children simply don't have the repertoire of necessary responses and need to learn new ways of interacting with others.

Part 2: Learning Strategies for Engagement

Jigsaw Activity

Groups of 3-4

Ruby Payne: Nine Powerful Practices, http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/apr08/vol65/num07/Nine-Powerful-Practices.aspx

Eric Jensen: 7 Factors of Engagement, http://www.thinglink.com/scene/552662479944024065

Read and Discuss Assigned Section. Identify 3 Salient Points and 1 Strategy to Share (10 minutes)

Share Time (1 minute/group – approximately 15 minutes)

Part 3: iPad Strategies for Engagement

Flipagram –Create beautiful short video stories using your Facebook, Instagram and Camera Roll photos, adding text music you choose.

Flipagram Tutorialhttp://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=how+to+create+a+flipagram&qs=n&form=QBVR&pq=how+to+create+a+flipagram&sc=2-25&sp=-1&sk=#view=detail&mid=51760C0CB334A0E6D9A551760C0CB334A0E6D9A5

iPad Strategies for Engagement

Flowboard (Or Other) – Create beautiful, interactive presentations with images, text, videos, PDFs, links, & photo galleries. Whether you have a story to tell, an idea to share, or a presentation to give. The library of templates will help you create presentations, albums, catalogs, photo books and other projects. Share your Flowboard URL and anyone with an iPad or any device can view it.

Flowboard Tutorial https://flowboard.com/presentation-software-mac#product_section_2

iPad Strategies for Engagement

Thinglink –Instantly add video and text to images. Create unforgettable greetings, interactive travel photos, and capture best moments. Share images to your friends on Twitter or Facebook — and communicate in new ways. ThingLink introduces a new, richer way to share the world through photos.

Thinglink Tutorials

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=how+to+use+thinglink+app+in+the+classroom&qs=n&form=QBVR&pq=how+to+use+thinglink+app+in+the+classroom&sc=0-20&sp=-1&sk=#view=detail&mid=51E0746860227A903FF851E0746860227A903FF8

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=how+to+use+thinglink+app+in+the+classroom&qs=n&form=QBVR&pq=how+to+use+thinglink+app+in+the+classroom&sc=0-20&sp=-1&sk=#view=detail&mid=6D71284517A42D2FCCCA6D71284517A42D2FCCCA

iPad Strategies for Engagement

Practice Time

Resource List

Facts about Poverty http://www.americangraduate.org/dropout-factors/poverty

Graduation Rates of Minority and Low Income Students http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/high-school-notes/2014/04/28/high-school-graduation-rates-reach-record

Exploring Poverty from the Perspective of Children – Frontline Video http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/poor-kids/

Ruby Payne’s Nine Strategies – R. Payne 2008 http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/apr08/vol65/num07/Nine-Powerful-Practices.aspx

Donna Beegle: Educating Students Who Live in Poverty http://www2.ed.gov/programs/slcp/2012thematicmtg/studentpovty.pdf 

Eric Jensen Strategies http://www.scilearn.com/blog/how-to-help-at-risk-students-succeed.php 

Eric Jensen: Teaching With Poverty in Mind http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/109074/chapters/How-Poverty-Affects-Behavior-and-Academic-Performance.aspx

Six Effective Practices http://www.amle.org/BrowsebyTopic/WhatsNew/WNDet/TabId/270/ArtMID/888/ArticleID/351/Leading-Learning-for-Children-From-Poverty.aspx

Flipped Classroom Article http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2012/06/can-the-flipped-classroom-benefit-low-income-students/ 

Boise State – High Poverty/High Performing Schools 2011 http://csi.boisestate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/2011-Educational-Strategies-Conference-1.pdf 

Jensen, Eric. Engaging Students with Poverty In Mind: Practical Strategies for Raising Achievement. ASCD, 2013.

Beegle, Donna. See Poverty…Be the Difference: Discover the Missing Pieces for Helping People Move Out of Poverty. Communication Across Barriers, 2007.

Have Fun Building Engagement with Your Students!

Thank You!

Have a Great Year!