Isler- Pumping Up Disadvantaged Students

1. Dr. Tesha Deans Isler
Middle School Conference

2. By the end of the session you will
learn how to:
Incorporate chants, songs, raps,
and movements into the
Common Core
Engage any disadvantaged
learner and make instruction
rigorous and relevant

3. Teaching and Learning
Coach
Thinking Maps Trainer
for
Harold Isler
Destiny Isler
5th Grade Teacher
Wayne County
1 child
Curriculum
Facilitator
Human Resources
Title 1
Disadvantaged
Students
Cheerleader
Outgoing
NC Teaching
Fellow
Tesha
High heels
Rap, Songs, Chants
UNCG
Love to dance and read
Earned Doctorate in
Educational Leadership
Christian
Thelma Smith

5. hatW ew earnl ithw
leasurep ew evern
orgetf.

6. What we learn with
pleasure, we never forget.
Alfred Mercier

7. lleT em dna ll”I tegrof.
wohS em, dna I
yam ton rebmemer.
evlovnI em, dna ll”I
dnatsrednu.

8. Tell me, and I'll forget. Show me, and I
may not remember. Involve me, and
I'll understand.
~Native American Saying

9. “Rigor is creating an environment
in which each student is expected
to learn at high levels; each
student is supported so he or she
can learn at high levels; and each
student demonstrates learning at
high levels”.
(http://www.eyeoneducation.com)

10. 47% of dropouts said classes weren’t
interesting.
43% had missed too many days of school
and couldn’t catch up.
69% were not motivated to work hard.
66% would have worked harder
if more had been demanded
of them.
(http://www.eyeoneducation.com)

11. Engaging instructional strategies
are essential, but also make sure
you are challenging students.
True rigor is the result of weaving
together the elements of
curriculum, instruction, and
assessment in a way that maximizes
the learning of each student.
Teachers need to act as facilitators.

12. “Relevance is a key component in
understanding and retention. When
students can see the connection
between what they are learning and
their world, retention improves”
(Tate, 2007, p.54).

13. “We Learn…
10% of what we read
20% of what we hear
30% of what we see
50% of what we see and hear
70%of what we discuss
80% of what we experience
95% of what we teach others”
By William Glasser

14. #1 Reason Students
Drop-Out: Boredom
resulting from
ineffective teaching
strategies
-Pedro Noguera, Ph.D.
Author of Unfinished
Business: Closing the
Achievement Gap In Our
Schools, 2006

15. The Students’ Point of View

16. Cognitive
Identifying
Similarities/
Differences
Nonlinguistic
Representations
Generating and
Testing Hypotheses
Academic
Summarizing and
Note Taking
Homework and
Practice
Motivational
Reinforcing Effort
and Providing
Recognition
Cooperative
Learning
Cues, Questions and
Advance Organizers Setting Objectives
(Activating Prior
and Providing
Knowledge
Feedback

17. Leads to a 12-28 percentile gain and is
significantly more effective than
instructional strategies in which
students work individually
(Marzano, 2001).

18. Research shows that regardless of the age
level of the student or the subject matter
taught, cooperative learning experiences
promote higher student achievement
(Johnson, Holubec, & Roy, 1984).
People learn 95% of what they teach to
others (Society for Developmental Education,
1995).

19. Assign each student a neighbor (a close
partner), a friend (a partner across the
room), and a family (a small heterogeneous
group). Allow students to meet with these
groups to teach the material they have
learned.
Divide students into groups, and assign each
group member a different part of a chapter
to read. After they finish, each member
should teach what they learned to the group.

20. Cooperative learning strategy in which
the teacher devises several
questions/problems and posts each
question /problem at a different table or
a different place on the walls (“gallery”).
Students, in groups, move to each
question in rotation (“walk”) reflect on
answers posted, discuss, and write
responses to the questions. At the last
question, the group will summarize the
total responses for that question and
report out to the whole group.

21. “…if we teach today as we taught yesterday,
we rob our children of tomorrow.”
-John Dewey

22. Think……

23. Change strategies
Change assessments
Teach everyday for high
rigor and high relevance
Modify what you are doing

24. How did that happen?
In your OWN words
Justify Your Position: Challenge Students
to take a position on an issue and develop
a justification; ask students to take
deliberate differing points of view; and
role play different perspectives.
Learning with Peers
What ifs: If the events had happened
differently
Quiz Show
Quick Writes

25. Teach content with enthusiasm to show
passion and love for the subject you teach.
Use real-life examples to illustrate points
being made in the lesson.

26. 10 Characteristics of a Brain-Compatible
Classroom
Marcia L. Tate’s Book
Worksheets Don’t Grow Dendrites
Positive
Environments
Students
talking
about
content
Visuals
Students
moving to
learn
content
Music(30%)
Relevant
lessons
High
High
Expectations Challenge/
Low Stress
Use Multiple Intelligences to Differentiate
Rituals
taught
Contents
taught in
chunks with
activity

27. Movement that is used for instructional reasons
enhances memory for learning (Wolfe, 2001).
Having students stand up, walk, jump, and clap
as they review, understand, or master material
will strengthen their procedural memories
(Sprenger, 2005).
Movement involves more of a student’s brain
than does seatwork because movement
accesses multiple memory systems (Jensen,
2001).

28. Assign an “energizer partner” for each
student. This should be someone across the
room. Allow partners to meet to reteach
each other what they’ve learned in a lesson.
Allow students to stand or use thumbs-up if
they agree with a statement.
Use students to demonstrate problems in
front of the class.
Give each student in a group answers to a
problem, and then have them move around to
put the answer with the question posted
around the room.

29. Transforming, Teaching & Testing
From a Simple Traditional Approach To a Rigorous Transformed Approach
“Deliver" Instruction
“Facilitate” Learning
Teacher centered
Student centered
Classroom learning
Learning anytime/anywhere
Standardized approach
Differentiated approach
Learn to do
Do to learn
Content focused
Application focused
Looking for the right answer
Critical thinkers
Teaching segmented
Integrating curriculum
curriculum
Passive learning opportunities
One type of test
Active learning opportunities
Variety of tests

30. Cause is why something happens and
Effect is what happens
Author’s Purpose-reason
an author has for writing
(4 times)
PIE(4 times)
P-persuade
I-Inform
E-entertain
Yeah, Yeah

31. Place value for decimals is
tenths, hundredths, thousandths
I’m a triangle(2x)
All my sides are
equal
I’m an equilateral
triangle and I equal
180

32. Playing music, singing, rapping, whistling,
clapping, and analyzing sounds are all
examples of activities that address the
musical multi-intelligence (Silver, Strong,
Perini, 2000).
Music is a very valuable aid to long-term
memory (Sprenger, 2005).
Music activates and synchronizes neural
networks which increase the brain’s ability
to reason spatially, think creatively, and
perform in generalized mathematics
(Jensen, 2001).

33. Play classical music when students enter the
room and during independent time to set a
calming atmosphere.
Play an upbeat song. Pause the music several
times. Each time, students should recall a major
concept covered in the lesson.
Have students work in groups to rewrite a
commonly known song (ex: Old McDonald) to
symbolize their understanding of a concept
taught.
Teach a difficult concept to the tune of a familiar
song.

34. Pick a common
song that is
familiar to all
students
Brainstorm and
record key
words or ideas
Let students rewrite
the words. Use the
key terms from the
brainstorming list to
the beat of the song
Music can boost thinking and intelligence, influence
the state of the mind, and carry words to the
unconscious mind.

35. Select a song that you would like to use. Download
the lyrics from Google. Rewrite the lyrics and
replace them with rhyming poetry with the same
number of syllables.
This is a skill that can be learned. It gets easier
with practice!

36. Anyone who perform will receive chants created based on the
6Common Core for 6-8 grade.

37. You can make a difference with one child at a time.
Don’t ever forget: You can pump up all students if you
are ready to make the necessary changes.

38. Allen, Richard. (2002) Impact Teaching: Ideas and Strategies for
Teachers to Maximize Student Learning. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Heacox, D. (2009) Differentiating Instruction in the Regular
Classroom. Minneapolis, MN Free Spirit Publishing.
Jensen, E. (2003). Tools for Engagement: Managing Emotional
States for Learner Success. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Marzano, R.J.(2003). What works in Schools, Translating Research
Into Action. Danvers, MA:ASCD.
Marzano, R. J. (2001). Classroom Instruction that Works: ResearchBased Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement.MA:ASCD
Marzano, Robert J.(2007). The Art and Science of Teaching: A
Comprehensive Framework for Effective Instruction. Alexandria:
ASCD.
Pedro Noguera,(2006). Unfinished Business: Closing
theAchievement Gap In Our Schools.
Sprenger, Marilee. (2005). How to Teach So Students Remember.
Alexandria: ASCD.
Tate, M.,( 2007) Worksheets Don’t Grow Dendrites. Thousand Oaks,
CA: Corwin Press