Tucker Davis

Kristen Reiter
CBL Paper
Introduction/Background:
We set out to prove that project based learning, partnered with intrinsic motivation,
choice and creativity are important strategies to employ when teaching children, and imperative
when working with children in high-poverty. We observed at a public charter school whose
population consists of students who live in high-poverty. The school offers wrap-around services
including three meals a day and enrichment classes after school. There is a high focus on
academics including a scripted reading curriculum and The Singapore math program.
Rationale:
Students will retain more information, and gain a deeper understanding of the concepts
presented if there is an integrated approach to learning.
Different features of an experience are encoded in different parts of the brain. These
features are then linked together to form more enduring memory systems deeper in the
brain. The more fully information is revisited and processed over time, the more
connections we make. The more consolidation takes place, the better the memory will be.
(Harlan & Rivkin 2012, p 10)
Children in poverty are often at a greater risk of having traumatic experiences encoded in more
parts of the brain, which means that those will be the memories that are revisited and become the
enduring understandings. If we can make new connections early on, some of their enduring
memories and understandings can be positive, educational, and academic, setting them up for
future success.
An integrated approach to learning is a fancy way of saying that we need to incorporate
contextually relevant subject matter into a curricula that is based on exploration, discovery, and
hands-on learning. In the program we observed, two main subjects, Math and Reading were
prioritized above all other subjects. There was limited playground space, so each child did not go
outside every day. It is a lot to ask of any child to spend nine hours inside and
maintaining academic focus, five days per week. It is an even greater challenge to expect that
from children whose home-lives are fraught with poverty, domestic violence, drug abuse, and
one or more absent parents. In his book, Eric Jensen explains the ways in which childrens brains
and their behavior are impacted by poverty; Children raised in poverty rarely choose to behave
differently, but they are faced daily with overwhelming challenges that affluent children never
have to confront, and their brains have adapted to suboptimal conditions in ways that undermine
good school performance (2009). These children do not need more structure, more rules and
more expectations, they need projects that stimulate their imaginations, and make them want to
learn more. They need the opportunity to make their own choices, and tap into their own
creativity. They need to be intrinsically motivated, not bribed into conformity. They need caring
teachers, and they need more time--at school--to just be kids.
The whole point of school ought to be to enrich the life of every student. Enrichment
does not mean "more or "faster schooling. It means rich, balanced, sustained, positive,
and contrasting learning environments. That's what will change students' lives over the
long haul, (Jensen, 2009).

Professor Peter Pappas, in his keynote presentation at the 2015 Educational Technology Summit,
posited that the reason so many children want to use phones is not because they are fun and
interactive (although they are), but because the applications offer children choice, and a chance
to be creative. By giving children the opportunity for choice and creativity in the classroom,
they will be more engaged, and better able to learn.
Review of Literature:
Teaching with Poverty in Mind: What Being Poor Does to Kids Brains and What
Schools Can Do About It by Eric Jensen examines the nature of and how children are
affected by poverty. In his book, Jensen continues to examine the many different ways
that poverty affect a childs life and purposes various ways in which teachers can combat
the inequalities created by poverty.
What Is Motivation and Why Does It Matter So Much? by Donna Walker Tileston
relates motivation to the drive to do something (Tileston, 2010, p.4). Walker evaluates
the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. She believes that, As teachers,
our goal is to guide students to use the innate drive that we all have for intrinsic
motivation (Tileston, 2010, p.5).
Implementing High Standards In Urban School: Problems and Solutions by
James O Lee argues that education needs to move away from a rigorous and
performance-based curriculum and towards a more constructivist pedagogy that is
student-centered and engaging. Lee argues that a constructivist approach to education
needs to be especially implemented in urban schools to create the more equity in
education. This curriculum needs to be effort-based and include authentic projects that
require students to make choices, judgments, and decisions in order to make the most
of the students intellectual and creative talents in completing and authentic learning
activity (Lee, 2003).
Description of the Process:
a.
Goals for Learning: Our goal with this project was to begin to develop an understanding
around teaching strategies to best educate children in poverty. Once we had observed in the
school, we were able to narrow our focus to see if project-based learning and a focus on intrinsic
motivation would encourage these children to be more engaged, and less violent and disruptive
in class.
b.
Process: We originally planned to observe in the school for the majority of the winter
term. We wanted to gain a feel for the schools culture as well as see their curriculum and
problems in play. Once we had a better understanding, we wanted to create an enrichment class
that would best benefit the students, using what we know to be best practices while employing
our newly acquired teaching strategies. However, we were asked to teach the Friendship
Group enrichment program that started immediately. Since this was part of our initial idea for
this experience, we accepted the offer even though we had very little time to prepare. Our desire
to find the best strategies for educating students in poverty now became our own experimental
research project. We started three days later, with a self-created curriculum, a few lesson plans
and many ideas. We were still largely unaware of the schools culture and had no knowledge of
the students we were about to teach, but we hoped that our enthusiasm and idealism would
propel us through that first week. To some extent they did, but we quickly learned of the many
problems inherent in the culture of the school.

The first week of teaching was an intense, but valuable period where we learned
more about the school, our students, and who we are as teachers. We quickly discovered
that we had a class comprised of students who displayed challenging behaviors. Our
lessons were off-base in relation to the students needs, prior knowledge, and age. After a
long first week, we met to discuss how to create a better curriculum that engaged the
students and would also put them in charge of their learning.
We introduced a new project that we hoped would spark intrigue and
participation. The students were to create a movie about what it means to be a
friend. Our daily lessons included differentiated instruction in the form of videos, readalouds, and games. We used these to help students explore some of the topics that would
be relevant to the movie. We introduced directors notebooks where the students could
write ideas and feelings, or draw pictures. The students were allowed to use their
directors notebook at any time, which gave them something to do besides wreak havoc in
the classroom. We created a set of explicit expectations that created a better and safer
classroom environment. Once we realized that we did not need to conform to the
schools culture, we returned to teaching based on our personal philosophies, which
excluded bribes as an incentive for students to participate. We focused on creating
engaging and interactive activities so the students wanted to partake. We allowed them to
choose their own roles in the movie, and gave them choice and responsibility within
those roles.
c. Evaluation of the Process: The combination of enhanced classroom management, and
the implementation of project-based learning was successful in employing the childrens
imagination and eagerness to learn. There was a clear shift in the behavior, engagement
and excitement of the children after we implemented choice, creativity, and an integrated
approach to learning. Many of them still wanted rewards for adhering to our expectations,
but that was to be expected. The school-wide motivational tool was caught being good
tickets. Those tickets were vital to them--they serve as a means to meet their basic
needs--so no amount of intrinsic motivation could replace it. If we were to do it again, we
would have started the first day with a big project and some basic rules and expectations.
We were able to prove to ourselves that an integrated approach to learning based on
choice, creativity, and contextually relevant information is the best way to engage
children in learning.

References:
Harlan, J. D., & Rivkin, M. S. (2012). Science experiences for the early childhood years: An
integrated affective approach (10th ed.). Pearson.
Jensen, E. (2009). Teaching with poverty in mind: what being poor does to kids' brains and what
schools can do about it. ASCD.
Lee, J. O. (2003, February). Implementing high standards in urban schools: problems and
solutions. 84(6), 449-455. Retrieved from
http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?sid=29064f32-5e0c-42fb-bc072d3ead5a4cbe%40sessionmgr4005&vid=0&hid=4104&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl
2ZQ%3d%3d#db=eft&AN=503976789
Tileston, D. W. (2010). What every teacher should know about student motivation. Corwin.