Embracing the Mind-Set of Change

Teaching with Poverty in Mind

Chapter 3

Interactive Presentationby

Leslie McFarlaneTerra SmithPat StanfordDrew Elzie

Joel Glorvigen

The Bad Newsand

The Good News

The Bad News and The Good NewsWe have established that the effects of

poverty on the brain can be devastating.The good news is that being in poverty is not a

sentence for a substandard life.Brains are designed to reflect the environment

they are in.If we want our students to change we must

change ourselves and the environment students spend time in everyday.

Brains Can ChangeNeuroplasticity and Gene Expression Brains are designed to change and

we have learned we can intentionally change the brain structure and organization.

Neuroplasticity is the quality that allow regions and specific changes to occur in the brain as a result of experience and environment.

Music Activity Using Music

to Increase Intelligenc

e

Music & Gene ExpressionLearning to play music may cause changes in

several sensory, motor, and higher order association areas that result in improved attention, sequencing, and processing(Stewart,2008)

Gene expression refers to the translation of information encoded in a gene into Protein or RNA.

Music & Gene ExpressionThis process switches or activate the gene.Genes can be active (expressed) or silent (not

expressed).99 percent of humans share the same genes,

yet the shared gene may be expressed in one person and not in the other.

Changing IQ Changing IQ … There’s good news. Intelligence (as measured by IQ test),

although highly inheritable is not 100 percent genetically determined.

Twin studies show us that a whopping 60 percent of the variance in IQ is attributable to epigenetic factors ,such as socioeconomics status (Turkheimer, Haley, Waldron,D’Onofrio,&Gottesman,2003).

Changing IQResearch shows that IQ may also be affected by such factors as:

• Home environment and living conditions(Tong,Baghurst,Vimpani,&McMichael,2007).

• Early childhood experiences and early educational intervention(Chaudhari et al.,2005).

• Quality of nutrition(Isaacs et al.,2008).

• These and other data indicate that IQ is not fixed but variable, and we can influence many of the factors influencing it.

Does Environmental Changes Raises IQ Scores?

• Experimental Group• Considered mentally

retarded and unsuitable for adoption

• Control Group• Infant orphans not

considered retarded

Scores in Low-SES Students

Environment Clearly Matters

• Inclusion classroom• Affectionate caregiver and aunts• Self-supporting• IQ gains 29 points

Control Group• Infant orphans not considered

retarded• Dependent on others• Average loss of 26 IQ points

Related Socioeconomic Status

• (Ramey, Brooks-Gunn et al., 1994) Socioeconomic status disadvantage students who participate in early invention programs have the potential of increasing their IQ as well.

• Now what’s Your Opinion?

Fluid Intelligence Fluid Intelligence is the student ability to

rapidly adjust their strategies and thought processes from one context to another.

Fluid intelligence encompasses problem solving skills, as well as the ability to draw inferences and understand the relationships of concepts outside the formal, specific instruction and practice related to those concepts.

Fluid Intelligence The good news is that it can be

taught: in fact more hours of training that students receive, the greater the effects are (Jaeggi, Buschkuehl,

Jonides, & Perrig, 2008).

Fluid Intelligence Can Be Taught

We Can Change the Brain for the Better

• A statistical strategy  called multivariate analysis has helped us find that genetic influences within and among academic domains overlap a great deal (Kovas et al.,2007).

• This analysis show that many of the same genes correlated with reading difficulties were  also correlated with math difficulties such as the ability to sort, sequence, and process data.

We Can Change the Brain for the Better

• Behavioral  geneticist Robert Plomins studies are of particular interest to those who want to change students lives. His DNA research suggests the likelihood of generalist genes that serve multiple learning functions (Plomin & Kovas,2005).

Attentional Skills

Ability to Defer Gratification and

Make a Sustained Effort

Champion’s Mind-Set

Shor

t-Ter

m a

nd W

orki

ng M

emor

y

Processing Skills

Sequencing Skills

The Brain’s Operating System

Educational Intervention and Long-Term Enrichment

• To maximize educational gains focus on early education (children under the age of 5).

• From birth to the age of 5 the brain is more receptive to major rewiring.

• Well-run, high-quality, early education programs can narrow or eliminate the socioeconomic performance gap (Brooks-Gunn, 1994; Barnett, 1998).

• Many improvements take four to six years (Campbell & Ramey, 1994).

Results of Individual, Early Childhood, or School-Based Enrichment Intervention Programs

• Improved language fluency, IQ, and other cognitive processes.

• Reduced school problems and academic failure in both elementary and high school.

• Improved social, academic, and emotional intelligence when implemented in early childhood.

• Displayed fewer risk behaviors, have fewer legal problems, are less likely to drop out of school, and are less dependent on welfare.

Key StudiesPractical Intelligence Intervention of Middle

School Students (Williams, 2002).The Boys & Girls Clubs of America After-School

Enrichment Program (Schinle, Cole, & Poulin, 2000).

The Abecedarian Project at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Ramey & Campbell, 1991).

The Head Start Progam.

Practical Intelligence Intervention of Middle School Students

• Practical intelligence is intelligence that is directly actionable in everyday life…self-assessing and self-correcting during the learning process, instead of afterward.

• This intervention was applied to middle school students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Practical Intelligence Intervention of Middle School Students

• This intervention boosted achievement in four skill areas: reading, writing, homework, and test taking.

• Results indicate that thinking skills can be taught to enhance academic success.

• The program emphasized five sources of metacognition: Knowing Why, Knowing Self, Knowing Differences, Knowing Process, and Revisiting.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of America After-School Enrichment Program

• Designed to help low-SES students living in public housing.

• The program was set up outside school, close to kids’ homes, provided transportation, and met parental cost , time, and curriculum wishes.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of America After-School Enrichment Program

The Resulting Data Showed

• Improved reading, verbal, writing, and tutoring skills.

• Better overall school performance.• Stronger interest in class material.• Higher school grades than those of the

control group.• Improved school attendance.

The Abecedarian Project at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

• A carefully controlled study that randomly selected 57 low-SES infants to receive early intervention in a high-quality child care setting up to age 5.

• Sixteen years after the end of the intervention, when subjects were 21, the treated students, on average, attained higher scores on both cognitive and academic tests.

• Some critics point out that IQ gains in the experimental group initially rose then leveled off. True, yet in the area of life-skill intelligences the did very well.

Academic Benefits of Abecedarian

The Abecedarian Project at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Those Receiving The Enrichment Treatment• Earned higher cognitive test scores through age 21.• Demonstrated enhanced language skills.• Earned consistently higher reading achievement scores.• Demonstrated moderate effect sizes in mathematics

achievement.• Were more likely to still be in school at age 21 (40% vs.

20%).• Were likely to attend a four-year college (35% vs. 14%).• Were less likely to have experienced trouble with the

legal system.

The Head Start Program• Federally funded program provides

economically deprived preschoolers with educational, nutritional, medical, and social services at special centers based in schools and community settings throughout the United States.

• Participating students demonstrate a higher educational outcomes and lower occurrences of criminal activities in later years (Love, 2005; Oden, Schweinhart, & Weikart, 2000).

Action Steps• Change staff members’ mind-sets.• Invest in staff.• Support ongoing collaboration.• Encourage staff dialogue.• Gather quality data.

The Enrichment Mind-SetWhat Does Not Work!

1. Focusing only on the basics (drill and kill).2. Maintaining order through a show of force.3. Eliminating or reducing time for arts, sports, and

physical education.4. Increasing and intensifying classroom discipline.5. Decreasing interaction among students.6. Installing metal detectors.7. Delivering more heavy-handed top-down lectures.8. Pity kids raised in poverty.9. Assume that a background of poverty dooms them

to failure.

The End

Can You Win?The Game Show You Love To Hate or Hate To Love!

You Can Win!Or

You Can Win!Or

Can You Win?

The Game Show You Love To Hate or Hate To Love!

Answer the following question correctly to win.

To increase a child’s ability to learn early intervention is…

A. Not important.B. The sky is green and brown.C. I am really good looking.D. Very important.

You Can Win!Or

Can You Win?

The Game Show You Love To Hate or Hate To Love!

Answer the following question correctly to win.

What strategy works to increase a child’s intellectual ability?

A. Pity children in poverty.B. Increase time in music, art, & PE.C. Focusing on drill and kill basics.D. Decrease student interaction.

You Can Win!Or

Can You Win?

The Game Show You Love To Hate or Hate To Love!

Answer the following question correctly to win.

Well-run, high-quality, early education programs can …

A. be unproductive.B. hurt children in poverty.C. narrow or eliminate the socioeconomic performance gap. D. be intimidating for wealthy families.

You Can Win!Or

Can You Win?

The Game Show You Love To Hate or Hate To Love!

Answer the following question correctly to win.

Fluid Intelligence generally encompasses problem solving, pattern

recognition, abstract thinking, ability to draw inferences and …

A. not paying attention skillsB. not prepared skillsC. reasoning skillsD. tardy skills

You Can Win!Or

Can You Win?

The Game Show You Love To Hate or Hate To Love!

Answer the following question correctly to win.

Brains are designed to reflect the ________ students spend time in

everyday.A. Six FlagsB. McDonaldsC. EnvironmentD. Movies

You Can Win!Or

Can You Win?

The Game Show You Love To Hate or Hate To Love!

Answer the following question correctly to win.

Some brains changes have positive impact due quality nutrition,

exercise, and ______.A. boredomB. drug abuseC. LEARNINGD. skipping School

You Can Win!Or

Can You Win?

The Game Show You Love To Hate or Hate To Love!

Answer the following question correctly to win.

Learning to play music may cause changes in  several sensory, motor

& higher thinking order areas of the ________.

   A. hair    B. brain    C. stomach    D. foot

You Can Win!Or

Can You Win?

The Game Show You Love To Hate or Hate To Love!

Answer the following question correctly to win.

Genes correlated with reading difficulties were also correlated

with math difficulties such as the ability to sort data, sequence data,

and ________.A. sleepB. play video gamesC. process dataD. go to the movies

You Can Win!Or

Can You Win?

The Game Show You Love To Hate or Hate To Love!

Answer the following question correctly to win.

Research shows that IQ may also be affected positively by a good home

environment, positive early childhood experiences, and _________.

A. dropping out of school.B. attending school daily ready to learn.C. tardy to school daily.D. not bringing supplies to school.

EndThank you for learning & having fun!

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