the nfl impact program

The NFL IMPACT Program

Teacher Dinner and Overview

Tina Koneazny, USC Readers Plus and Kim Thomas-Barrios, USC NAI Program

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What is the NFL Impact Program?

Welcome and Introductions

Denise WoodsProgram Manager


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The NFL Impact Program

• What does the research say about teaching boys? A conversation.

• How are we connecting the content of the academic classes with the research? What will it look like?

• An overview of training camp.


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What We Know About How

Boys Learn • Boys are aware of and reactive to what they view

to be irrelevant curriculum and poor teaching.• Boys like to be able to see how what they are

learning relates to life outside or beyond school .• Boys are more likely to respond to dull subject

matter or uninspiring teaching in an overt and challenging way that will disrupt their own and others’ learning.


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Framework

• The overall framework of the NFL program sets the values, purposes, and principles underpinning the curriculum and the learning outcomes that students are expected to achieve.

• Each curriculum piece is outcome-based and spells out what each child will be expected to know and be able to do by the end of each day, week and total session.

• This approach recognizes that all children do not learn at the same point or progress at the same rate.


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Outcome-Based Approach

• This approach allows the NFL teachers to exercise more flexibility during daily planning periods to adopt and discuss approaches to suit their students and circumstances.– Negotiating content, methods of instruction,

selection of topics and modes of presentation.

• This maximizes student engagement and motivation.


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Metacognitive Techniques

These techniques are key to success in school and life:

• Issues of Identity

• Communication• Interdependence


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Issues of Identity

• How do I fit in at school? Do I see myself as a scholar?– Teachers, tutors and coaches must with

purpose become familiar with some of home/community literacies that the boys are interested in.


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Communication

• In the NFL Impact Program, the boys will know that they will develop answers and ways of doing things that they will be able share through some sort of exhibition of their knowledge.– Learning deemed relevant

– Learning deemed purposeful. What we know about boys and their learning is that they need to find purpose in what and how they are learning.


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Communication - Teacher to Student

• Build on their prior experiences– Teachers, coaches, tutors must recognize the

value of the rich experiences the boys bring.– Become familiar with some of the

home/community literacies that the boys are interested in.

• Not necessarily have given them the literacies that will ensure success at school.

• It will be about valuing what the boys bring to the program, not what deficits they have.


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Interdependence• Subject matter and academic tasks cross a

range of subjects and that are related to real-world issues.– More realistic and relevant learning and

assessment tasks are possible.


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Identity

• Issues of identity and futures particularly engage and excite middle school boys to persist in school and be able to work more fruitfully in the classroom.


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Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences for Boys:• Utilize mathematical logical learning -

Solving word problems

• Spatial Intelligence - Math, Football, Science

• Kinesthetic learners - Football

• Naturalistic Intelligence - Science


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Week One and Pacing Plan

What will the students be expected to know and be able to do ?

What are the expectations for the teachers in terms of a flexible delivery?

NFL Impact ProgramIntegrated Reading and Math

Curriculum


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Activating Schema• CRASH by Jerry Spinelli

– Why does this text make sense for this program?

– What are the embedded strategies?– Literature Circles as an approach to connecting

with the text.


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Football Math

• Plan - Execute - Analyze– Purposeful, Deliberate– Metacognitive approach to solving equations– Utilizing the same team concept as in Literature

Circles.– Tools


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What boys need… Teaching Strategies

• More explicit teaching• Active, hands-on methods• Structured programs with articulated steps along

the way.• Lessons are short with achievable goals and

frequent changes of structured activity• Visuals, structured challenges, constant

encouragement to succeed.• To see their work posted and praised


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What boys respond more to…

• Explanations of why they need to learn their lessons

• Genuine and specific praise• Challenge and positive reinforcement for effort,

achievement and appropriate behavior• Relationships with their teachers

– Boys attuned to teachers who are attuned to their sense of justice and fairness

– Teachers who are consistent with their application of rules


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Appropriate Behavior

• Rules and stated expectations will be made exceedingly clear regarding appropriate behavior.– Negotiation of operation of rules and

consequences.– Reinforced on and off the field.


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Competition

• On and off the field

• Off the field– Self-competition– Boys utilize charting and graphing of progress– Analyze own results– Immediate feedback– Motivation!


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Teaching Pedagogy

• Activating Prior Knowledge• Metacognition• Modeling• Collaborative Process• Cooperative Learning


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Reflection

• Boys will have the opportunity to reflect on progress daily – Exhibit their knowledge– Way to achieve more positive reinforcement– Metacognitive exercise to get them thinking

about their own learning


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Questions???

the nfl impact program

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