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"I found this course very insightful and useful in my work with families. Your summaries to my submitted assignments made me feel connected to you,
the instructor, and were helpful in moving forward!"
~Jody, Muscatine
"The information is timely and applicable for any educator. I would even go so far as to say it would be applicable for any person’s life and especially for community leaders of all types responsible for decisions directly related to families in poverty."
~Glenda, Osage
the instructor, and were helpful in moving forward!"
~Jody, Muscatine
"The information is timely and applicable for any educator. I would even go so far as to say it would be applicable for any person’s life and especially for community leaders of all types responsible for decisions directly related to families in poverty."
~Glenda, Osage
Poverty is about more than being low on cash and it affects students more deeply than being made fun of for not wearing the latest fashions or not owning the newest iPhone. In fact, research shows the cumulative effects of poverty can create very real and devastating changes to the human body and mind that in turn become barriers to academic success. Based on the book Teaching with Poverty in Mind by educator and brain expert Eric Jensen, Through Poverty’s Lens is a 3 credit hour course that investigates what poverty is; its connection to the social/emotional development, stress levels, cognitive lag, and health/safety challenges seen in low SES students; how those challenges affect academic success, and; what communities, schools, and teachers can do to improve those students’ academic success and achievement. In addition to the text, participants will explore current research, the state of poverty in Iowa schools today, and share ideas and information through discussion forums. Assignments are geared towards helping educators improve academic success for low SES students on community, school wide, and classroom levels.
Organization
The course is organized into 5 Modules and is presented in a modified, self-paced format. Participants are encouraged to access the course regularly and make reasonable progress, but there are no due dates attached to individual assignments. Instead there are 2 absolute due dates (mid-term and the last day of class) to provide flexibility and to better accommodate participants' busy schedules.The length of time each should take to complete varies from approximately 20 to 30 hrs. Lessons will be taught using a combination of readings, videos, external resources, examples, discussion forums, activities, assignment, and enrichment materials. The instructor will offer feedback and coaching in forums and on assignments.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
1. Define poverty and identify its cumulative affects
2. Explain the connection between poverty and underdeveloped social and emotional skills and how it can affect academic
achievement.
3. Explain the connection between poverty and cognitive lag and how it can affect academic achievement.
4. Explain the connection between poverty and stress and how it can affect academic achievement.
5. Explain the connection between poverty and health and how it can affect academic achievement.
6. Identify strategies to address the social/emotional, cognitive, stress, and health challenges of low SES students that will help
them achieve educational success.
7. Identify resources and strategies to drive school and community level change that improves education for students of
poverty.
Course Topics
Module 1: Defining poverty
Module 2: The 4 Biggest Challenge Keeping Students from Poverty from Academic Success
Module 3: School and Community Collaborations
Module 4: Assessing Student and Staff Levels of Hope/Hopelessness
Module 5: Analyzing Classroom Strategies that Accommodate the Challenges of Students from Poverty
Grading
Grading is the same whether the course is taken for graduate credit or for license renewal. Students are required to participate in all discussion forums and to complete all assignments and/or activities. A=90%-100%; B=80%-89%-Because this is a graduate level course, scores must be 80% or better to receive credit.
Required Text: Teaching with Poverty in Mind: What Being Poor Does to Kids' Brains and What Schools Can Do about It (2009) by Eric Jensen can be purchased through bookstores or on-line.
Organization
The course is organized into 5 Modules and is presented in a modified, self-paced format. Participants are encouraged to access the course regularly and make reasonable progress, but there are no due dates attached to individual assignments. Instead there are 2 absolute due dates (mid-term and the last day of class) to provide flexibility and to better accommodate participants' busy schedules.The length of time each should take to complete varies from approximately 20 to 30 hrs. Lessons will be taught using a combination of readings, videos, external resources, examples, discussion forums, activities, assignment, and enrichment materials. The instructor will offer feedback and coaching in forums and on assignments.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
1. Define poverty and identify its cumulative affects
2. Explain the connection between poverty and underdeveloped social and emotional skills and how it can affect academic
achievement.
3. Explain the connection between poverty and cognitive lag and how it can affect academic achievement.
4. Explain the connection between poverty and stress and how it can affect academic achievement.
5. Explain the connection between poverty and health and how it can affect academic achievement.
6. Identify strategies to address the social/emotional, cognitive, stress, and health challenges of low SES students that will help
them achieve educational success.
7. Identify resources and strategies to drive school and community level change that improves education for students of
poverty.
Course Topics
Module 1: Defining poverty
Module 2: The 4 Biggest Challenge Keeping Students from Poverty from Academic Success
Module 3: School and Community Collaborations
Module 4: Assessing Student and Staff Levels of Hope/Hopelessness
Module 5: Analyzing Classroom Strategies that Accommodate the Challenges of Students from Poverty
Grading
Grading is the same whether the course is taken for graduate credit or for license renewal. Students are required to participate in all discussion forums and to complete all assignments and/or activities. A=90%-100%; B=80%-89%-Because this is a graduate level course, scores must be 80% or better to receive credit.
Required Text: Teaching with Poverty in Mind: What Being Poor Does to Kids' Brains and What Schools Can Do about It (2009) by Eric Jensen can be purchased through bookstores or on-line.
