CLASSROOM INTERVENTIONS THAT RESCUE THE DISCOURAGED

How Technology Can Help

DISCOURAGED LEARNER?

Lacks Confidence Feels Hopeless Chooses to fail

QUESTIONS

Where does this discouragement come from? How do we recognize it? How do we as educators respond?

ONE DISCOURAGED LEARNER

Jaren’s Story

---Please remember that this story is about one group of discouraged, but the whole concept may be applied to multiple groups!

RESCUE - EXAMINATION

Pacific Ocean ----- Atlantic Ocean

Why is it important toself-examine before youbegin the process ofrescue? You need to knowwhere you are before youcan be in place to rescuesomeone else! One cannot stand by the AtlanticOcean hoping to rescuethe person drowning in the Pacific Ocean!

COGNITIVE DISSONANCE

Whenever our attitude and behavior are in conflict, we experience heightened

levels of anxiety and stress.

It maps out this way: Attitude X Behavior in Conflict (dissent) = Stress.

A RECENT EXAMPLE

Cognitive Dissonance

Notice the faces of the judges and the audience!

Number your paper from 1 – 4. beside each number write your reaction to each statement ranging from (1) meaning strongly disagree to (5) meaning strongly agree.

1) World hunger is a serious problem that needs attention.

1 2 3 4 5

Number your paper from 1 – 4. beside each number write your reaction to each statement ranging from (1) meaning strongly disagree to (5) meaning strongly agree.

2) Our country needs to address the growing number of homeless.

1 2 3 4 5

Number your paper from 1 – 4. beside each number write your reaction to each statement ranging from (1) meaning strongly disagree to (5) meaning strongly agree.

3) The right to vote is one of the most valuable rights of American citizens.

1 2 3 4 5

Number your paper from 1 – 4. beside each number write your reaction to each statement ranging from (1) meaning strongly disagree to (5) meaning strongly agree.

4) Our government should spend less money on nuclear weapons and more on helping citizens better their lives.

1 2 3 4 5

Turn your paper over; number your paper from 1-4. Respond to each statement with a “yes” or no.”

1. Do you personally do anything to lessen world hunger (e.g., donate money or food or write your representative)?

Yes No

Turn your paper over; number your paper from 1-4. Respond to each statement with a “yes” or no.”

2. Do you personally do anything to help the homeless (e.g., volunteer at a homeless shelter or donate money)?

Yes No

Turn your paper over; number your paper from 1-4. Respond to each statement with a “yes” or no.”

3. Did you vote in the last election for which you were eligible?

Yes No

Turn your paper over; number your paper from 1-4. Respond to each statement with a “yes” or no.”

4. Do you personally convey your feelings to the government (e.g., by writing your representative or by participating in protests/marches)?

Yes No

NOW COMPARE

1. World hunger is a serious problem that needs attention.

1. Do you personally do anything to lessen world hunger (e.g., donate money or food or write your representative)?

NOW COMPARE

2. Our country needs to address the growing number of homeless.

2. Do you personally do anything to help the homeless (e.g., volunteer at a homeless shelter or donate money)?

NOW COMPARE

3. The right to vote is one of the most valuable rights of American citizens.

3. Did you vote in the last election for which you were eligible?

NOW COMPARE

4. Our government should spend less money on nuclear weapons and more on helping citizens better their lives.

4. Do you personally convey your feelings to the government (e.g., by writing your representative or by participating in protests/marches)?

COGNITIVE DISSONANCE

Did you feel anything within yourself that was unsettling or uncomfortable as you compared your first answers to your second set of answers?

IN YOUR CLASSROOM

Have you seen cognitive dissonance at work within students in your classroom?

Which child has internal conflict betweenhis/her actions vs. what he/she knows is the right thing?

COMPARE THE STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS

How could your purposeful creation of cognitive dissonance within the student have caused positive outcomes for your student destined to fail?

TEST TIME (QUESTIONS)

Designed to bring thought to the concept that everyone has the opportunityfor discouragement. We each handle discouragement according tothe situation, and according to our own methods.

DISCOURAGEMENT

No one is immune. Knowing the signs, and reshaping is the

educator’s challenge.

Richard Sagor’s Characteristics of the discouraged learner:

DISCOURAGEMENT

Richard Sagor’s Characteristics of the discouraged learner:

Low self-confidence

DISCOURAGEMENT

Richard Sagor’s Characteristics of the discouraged learner:

Avoidance of school and confrontation because of the low self-confidence

DISCOURAGEMENT

Richard Sagor’s Characteristics of the discouraged learner:

Limited notion of the future

DISCOURAGEMENT

Richard Sagor’s Characteristics of the discouraged learner:

Tend to come from fragile homes

DISCOURAGEMENT

Richard Sagor’s Characteristics of the discouraged learner:

Do not see the relationship between effort and achievement

NEEDS OF AT-RISK YOUTH

Richard Sagor

CompetenceBelongingUsefulnessPotencyOptimism

HOW DO WE FOSTER EACH NEED?

Competence – four variables Motivation – helping the student to see the

rationale behind the lesson. Prerequisite Skills – begin sure that the

foundation is in place for success Quality Instruction – ask questions of your

group; keep the students engaged Adequate time

Technology Implications?: Student Response Systems; cell phone response systems; resources for research

HOW DO WE FOSTER EACH NEED?

Belonging Multiculturalism – extending membership

to all Value students by valuing their interests Check teacher expectation

Technology implications?

HOW DO WE FOSTER EACH NEED?

Usefulness – Problem based learning Cooperative learning Community Service

 

Technology implications?

HOW DO WE FOSTER EACH NEED?

Potency – Potency – Kay Alderman lists four factors that

are regarded as the route to internal locus of control (p. 169) “Four Links to Success” Proximal Goals – goals are immediate and

attainable Learning Strategies – strategies are appropriate –

neither too difficult nor too easy Successful experience – classroom is organized for

mastery making success predictable Attribution for success – students likely to credit

themselves for eventual success.

Technology implications?

DELVING DEEPER - TAKE FIVE

Think of something you truly enjoy and have a certain degree of expertise with.

How did you first become interested –Were you stimulated by something you

read or heard about?Was it through an experience trying

something out, going someplace, doing something?

How did you build your knowledge about this concept?

~share?~

ACADEMIC NEEDS OF STUDENTS

Sagor talks about Student Academic Needs and lists them as follows: To understand the teacher’s goals To be actively involved in the learning

process To relate subject matter to their own lives To follow their own interests To receive realistic and immediate feedback

What aspects of technology may we use to meet these needs?

ALMOST THERE!

Technology is a tool that can be used to facilitate change. Our students are native to its use.

Example of who you have coming your way:When he gets to kindergarten, what world will

he encounter? Are we finding creative ways via technology to keep him engaged, and reclaim our lost?

When we consider students who challenge us, our goal is to work to help students derive authentic feelings of – competence, belonging, usefulness, potency and optimism.

ONLINE RESOURCES

http://tinyurl.com/3uzujrj

This resource is there help you shape your learning experience.Rather than pouring the knowledge into you, this session was for the purpose of planting a seed of thought, in hopes that you will use the information to delve more deeply.

Please keep me informed of your progress.

jnicholswilson@dpi.state.nc.us

Julian