Nicole Lassone
Go to: ETAP 623 Spring 2020 (Zhang) | Nicole's Mini-Course
About Me
My name is Nicole and I am currently a math teacher working towards obtaining my masters degree. I teach Geometry, Algebra 2, and College Prep, and I have been teaching for 5 years now. I enjoy every minute being in the classroom. When I'm not in the classroom, or doing homework for my own courses, I am a mother to a wonderful 3 year old boy. I enjoy my busy schedule and love learning new ways to help others enjoy math as much as I do!
My Topic/Purpose
The goal of each unit is to help provide strategies for disadvantages learners. There will be discussions and research done that lead to the creation of a lesson designed to target these types of students. "RAND conducts research on after-school programs and other out-of-school time issues, the effects on students of natural disasters, and other factors that contribute to educational disparities. "Disadvantaged students are those whose family, social, or economic circumstances hinder their ability to learn at school.- RAND" We will also study Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) scores and how that effects students' learning at school.
Needs Assessment
What is
Teachers often struggle when it comes to teaching disadvantaged students. In addition to this, a surprising amount of teachers don't even know what an ACE score is. These are important factors that play a role in a student's behavior and ability to learn, and it is crucial that teachers are educated about these factors to benefit the learning of their students. Even though most teachers have heard about an ACE score, not many know how to work with a student who has a high score. This mini-course is designed to inform teachers about the importance of differentiation for disadvantaged learners, and to provide information about a person's ACE score.
"For years, we have asked students to leave their baggage at the door, to ignore what happened the night or morning before they got to school, and to miraculously enter our settings in the learning mode. We want to keep the outside world separate from our education world, but despite our valiant attempts, it just doesn't work We cannot separate our lives from our work, so how can we expect those less developmentally advanced to do so?" (Fostering Resilient Learners, p.33)
The "Gap"
My results showed me that the majority of people in my school district have a basic understanding on what an ACE score is and how it affects a student. However, I also surveyed several people from other districts, and the results were much different. This tells me that my survey has bias, and that all schools could benefit from learning more about ACEs.
What should be
All teachers should be informed on what an ACE score is, what a disadvantaged learners is, and should be given strategies to help these learners succeed. "Educators play a vital role in supporting the healthy development of our students." (Fostering Resilient Learners, p. 35) In order to ensure the success of our students, we must create an environment where they feel comfortable. Often times disadvantaged students come from a home where they aren't receiving the support and attention that they desire. As a teacher, we're able to serve as a positive role model and teach students good studying habits, but first they must trust us.
"The overall goal for us is to act with integrity, to be consistent and reliable, to remain logical and regulated in times of stress, and-when facing disruptive, defiant, and disrespectful behavior-to stay in our upstairs brain. By remaining in control of our own emotions' we are modeling appropriate ways to manage stress. In doing so, we are providing a key component of a trauma-sensitive learning environment. Our students need this from us." (Fostering Resilient Learners, p. 36-37) In other words, when dealing with disadvantaged learners, we must always remain calm and work with them to design a solution to the current problem.
Resources: Fostering Resilient Learners, Chapter 2 The Manifestation of ACEs in the Classroom.
Survey Results
My survey results show me that although most teachers surveyed in my school district have a basic understanding there is definitely room for improvement. Since most people that responded knew about ACEs, this shows me that my survey has some bias. We have discussed ACEs in detail throughout my district, however the few teachers from out of district that were surveyed knew very little and were interested in learning more. (I couldn't upload my actual results, so I copied and pasted them into a google document to show the answers that were submitted.)
Performance Objectives
After completing this course, students will have a better understanding of disadvantaged learners and ACE scores. This is designed to help future/current teachers develop a better understanding of students who are struggling emotionally and learn strategies to help work with these students.
Overall Objectives
Students will be able to:
- Understand what contributes to a student's ACE score.
- Analyze what a disadvantaged learner is and what contributes to this title.
- Apply strategies to help support disadvantaged students in a discussion.
- Create a storyboard demonstrating an understanding of ACEs
Task Analysis
Prerequisites: Students must have computer access and experience in education (either in college or currently a teacher).
Goals: The learner will be able to learn, understand, and apply strategies to help support students with high ACE scores in the classroom.
"As you analyze the content and identify the knowledge, attitudes, skills, and social skills (KASI) to be communicated through the learning experience, isolate those that are absolutely essential to the learning goals" (Larson & Lockee, 2013, p. 94).
Knowledge:
♥ Familiarity with how students behave in the classroom
♥ Familiarity with strategies to handle misbehavior in the classroom
Attitudes:
♥ The belief that students come from different backgrounds
♥ The ability to understand that different approaches must be used for different students
♥ The understanding that a child's previous experiences affect how they handle situations
Skills:
♥ Identify students who are struggling (emotionally, physically, or mentally)
♥ Apply strategies to help students with a high ACE score feel comfortable
♥ Apply strategies to create a skit demonstrating different approaches of dealing with misbehavior in the classroom
Interpersonal Skills (Social Skills):
♥ Ability to provide and accept feedback of colleagues/classmates
♥ Ability to reflect upon your own teaching and develop ways to adapt current strategies
♥ Willingness to participate in classroom discussions
Curriculum Map
References and Resources
https://www.rand.org/topics/disadvantaged-students.html https://acestoohigh.com/got-your-ace-score/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-8jTTIsJ7Q https://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/EBCD/Documents/ebcdEdModules/caseStudyModule3.pdf https://www.storyboardthat.com/storyboard-creator https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxyxywShewI https://www.aft.org/ae/summer2019/murphey_sacks https://mindfuleducators.mindful.org/2019/08/21/when-misbehavior-is-a-trauma-response/ https://mindfuleducators.mindful.org/2019/08/21/how-mindfulness-helps-students-learn/ https://mindfuleducators.mindful.org/2019/08/21/why-self-compassion-is-crucial-for-teachers/ https://mindfuleducators.mindful.org/2019/08/21/why-teachers-need-self-care/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdDr_nZOIXc
