ENGAGING STUDENTS OF POVERTY: Practical Strategies That Raise

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

The bad news is that poverty can create chronic, devastating changes in the brain. It would be easy to look at the statistics and want to give up. The good news is that there are powerful solutions to boost attendance, lessen behavior issues and turn your classroom into a high performance success, BUT you need the engagement strategies to help you do your job well. High performing students need high performing teachers. Every student deserves a caring engaging teacher. Attitudes and the strategies of yesterday are not enough.

Join me to upgrade your teaching skills. Make it a priority to engage far more students every day. Fasten your seatbelt: These strategies work for all kids across the grade and content levels. Sign up NOW for an engaging, fast moving, practical experience. Appropriate for all educators and administrators K-12.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Upon completion of this course, participants will have:

1. Understood why engagement is a vital factor in achievement.
2. Discovered factors crucial for engagement that are tied to socio-economic status.
3. Discovered purposeful engagement strategies that allow you to upgrade your skill set.
4. Discovered how you can create a high-energy, engaging, positive class.
5. Focused on how to build cognitive capacity through engagement, greater student motivation and effort.
6. Learned to deepen and sustain the learning and understanding of content.
7. Learned to automate engagement and use instructional time more effectively.
8. Discovered ways to empower students to take ownership of their own learning.
9. Designed activities to create an exciting but realistic action plan, generate ideas, and implement the learning.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Completion of all specified assignments is required for issuance of hours or credit.  The Heritage Institute does not award partial credit. 

HOURS EARNED:
Completing the basic assignments (Section A. Information Acquisition) for this course automatically earns participant’s their choice of CEUs (Continuing Education Units), Washington State Clock Hours, Oregon PDUs, or Pennsylvania ACT 48 Hours. The Heritage Institute offers CEUs and is an approved provider of Washington State Clock Hours, Oregon PDUs, and Pennsylvania ACT 48 Hours.

UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT INFORMATION

REQUIREMENTS FOR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT
Continuing Education Quarter credits are awarded by Antioch University Seattle (AUS). AUS requires 75% or better for credit at the 400 level and 85% or better to issue credit at the 500 level. These criteria refer both to the amount and quality of work submitted.

1. Completion of Information Acquisition assignments 30%
2. Completion of Learning Application assignments 40%
3. Completion of Integration Paper assignment 30%

CREDIT/NO CREDIT (No Letter Grades or Numeric Equivalents on Transcripts)
Antioch University Seattle (AUS) Continuing Education Quarter credit is offered on a Credit/No Credit basis; neither letter grades nor numeric equivalents are on a transcript. 400 level credit is equal to a "C" or better, 500 level credit is equal to a "B" or better. This information is on the back of the transcript.

AUS Continuing Education quarter credits may or may not be accepted into degree programs. Prior to registering determine with your district personnel, department head, or state education office the acceptability of these credits for your purpose.

ADDITIONAL COURSE INFORMATION

REQUIRED TEXT

Text, Engaging Students with Poverty in Mind: Practical Strategies for Raising Achievement,  is required and I would prefer that hard books are used because they will become a reference for you.

None. All reading is online.

MATERIALS FEE

Text: Engaging Students with Poverty in Mind: Practical Strategies for Raising Achievement is available used on Amazon from $11 and up. I recommend that all of my students purchase the book and not download this one on an electronic device. It is meant to be a handbook for you.

ASSIGNMENTS REQUIRED FOR HOURS OR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT

A. INFORMATION ACQUISITION

Assignment #1: Introduction.

For those participating in Group Collaboration, you must read and follow the instructions outlined in the Group Collaboration Guidelines. Click on the link for Guidelines. https://www.hol.edu/about/group-collaboration

• Assignment #1, each participant must complete this assignment independently.
• There should be a minimum of (4) four group meetings during which the course content is discussed. 
• Teleconferences or live meetings are acceptable. A good videoconference option is Zoom (https://zoom.us/).
• Each participant must attend at least 75% of the group meetings (a minimum of 3 of 4 meetings).

You must complete the introduction before moving on to other assignments.  

In 1-2 pages describe your background, professional situation, and the challenges you’ve had that led you to register for this course.

What do you hope to achieve once you’ve completed the coursework?

Send to Brenda at bbbrain@comcast.net. Subject line to read ‘Engaging Students #1.’

Assignment #2: 7 Positive Brain Based Models.

Assignment #3: Skyrocket Engagement in Five Easy Steps.

Assignment #4: Class Climate.

Assignment #5: Building Cognitive Capacity.

Assignment #6: Linking Motivation and Effort.

Assignment #7: Thinking about the Thinking.

Deeper Understanding while Thinking about the Thinking. 1-2 page paper.

In the text, Engaging Students with Poverty in Mind, read and summarize Five (5) Actions to Build Deep Understanding, pgs. 91-110. 

• Watch this video link to understand knowledge and learning, by Michael Wesch - From Knowledgeable to Knowledge-Able. https://youtu.be/LeaAHv4UTI8?t=42 
• Watch this video to analyze and think about knowledge vs. learning through the Five (5) Actions to Deepen Understanding.  (The Backwards Brain Bicycle - Smarter Every Day 133 - https://youtu.be/MFzDaBzBlL0

Send to Brenda at bbbrain@comcast.net. Subject line to read ‘Engaging Students #7.’

Assignment #8: Energy from Energizers.

Assignment #9: Automating Engagement.

Assignment #10: The Challenge of Implementation.

ADDITIONAL ASSIGNMENTS REQUIRED FOR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT

B. LEARNING APPLICATION

In this section you will apply your learning to your professional situation.  This course assumes that most participants are classroom teachers who have access to students.  If you are not teaching in a classroom, please contact the instructor for course modifications.  If you are a classroom teacher and start or need to complete this course during the summer, please try to apply your ideas when possible with youth from your neighborhood, at a local public library or parks department facility,  (they will often be glad to sponsor community-based learning), or with students in another teacher’s summer classroom in session.

Assignment #11: Lesson Development.

Assignment #12: Share Your Learning.

Assignment #13: (500 Level ONLY)

C. INTEGRATION PAPER

Assignment #14: (Required for 400 and 500 level)

SELF REFLECTION & INTEGRATION PAPER
(Please do not write this paper until you've completed all of your other assignments.)

1. What did you learn vs. what you expected to learn from this course?
2. What aspects of the course were most helpful and why?
3. What further knowledge and skills in this general area do you feel you need?
4. How, when, and where will you use what you have learned?
5. How and with what other school or community members might you share what you learned?

Send to your instructor at their email address. Subject line to read  "(put course name here) Integration Paper"

INSTRUCTOR COMMENTS ON YOUR WORK:

Instructors will comment on each assignment. If you do not hear from the instructor within a few days of posting your assignment, please get in touch with them immediately.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR TEACHING THIS COURSE:

Brenda McKinney, CEO of Vancouver, WA based BrainVolution, is a developer and dynamic facilitator of workshops that teach practical thinking and learning tools for raising student achievement with the brain in mind. She has trained educators throughout the Pacific Northwest and is a popular presenter because of her ability to motivate, make things fun, and teach practical techniques for the classroom that can be used immediately. Brenda continues to read hundreds of books and articles on the subject of neuroscience and searches for the answer to success for every student. Her work with at-risk students and those with reading problems have made her a popular speaker at the state, regional and national level.

Brenda is able to synthesize the new research and continues to address the role of how to use the latest findings to create high achievement classroom. She brings 30+ years of experience at the elementary, middle school, high school and university level as a mentor teacher, consultant, motivational speaker, university instructor, and reading specialist. Brenda has her Master’s in Education from Washington State University and is nationally certified in Brain Based Learning through the renowned  Jensen Corporation, led by Eric Jensen, a noted international spokesperson for neuroscience and education.

Brenda will inspire and motivate you with her energy, enthusiasm and knowledge. Her wisdom, techniques, and brain based approach to education will inspire you and challenge you to meet the demands of this ever changing world.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

ENGAGING STUDENTS OF POVERTY: Practical Strategies That Raise