CLASSROOM INTERVENTIONS THAT
RESCUE THE DISCOURAGED
How Technology Can Help
DISCOURAGED LEARNER?
Lacks Confidence
 Feels Hopeless
 Chooses to fail

QUESTIONS
Where does this discouragement come from?
 How do we recognize it?
 How do we as educators respond?

ONE DISCOURAGED LEARNER
Jaren’s
Story
---Please remember that this story is about one
group of discouraged, but the whole concept may
be applied to multiple groups!
RESCUE - EXAMINATION

Pacific Ocean ----- Atlantic Ocean
Why is it important to
self-examine before you
begin the process of
rescue? You need to know
where you are before you
can be in place to rescue
someone else! One can
not stand by the Atlantic
Ocean hoping to rescue
the person drowning in the
Pacific Ocean!
COGNITIVE DISSONANCE

Whenever our attitude and behavior are
in conflict, we experience heightened levels of
anxiety and stress.
It maps out this way: Attitude X Behavior in
Conflict (dissent) = Stress.
A RECENT EXAMPLE

Cognitive Dissonance

Notice the faces of the judges and the audience!
1

2
3
4
5
Number your paper from 1 – 4. beside each
number write your reaction to each statement
ranging from (1) meaning strongly disagree to (5)
meaning strongly agree.
1)
World hunger is a serious
problem that needs attention.
1

2
3
4
5
Number your paper from 1 – 4. beside each
number write your reaction to each statement
ranging from (1) meaning strongly disagree to (5)
meaning strongly agree.
2)
Our country needs to address
the growing number of homeless.
1

2
3
4
5
Number your paper from 1 – 4. beside each
number write your reaction to each statement
ranging from (1) meaning strongly disagree to (5)
meaning strongly agree.
3)
The right to vote is one of the
most valuable rights of
American citizens.
1

2
3
4
5
Number your paper from 1 – 4. beside each
number write your reaction to each statement
ranging from (1) meaning strongly disagree to (5)
meaning strongly agree.
4)
Our government should spend
less money on nuclear weapons
and more on helping citizens
better their lives.
Yes

No
Turn your paper over; number your paper from 14. Respond to each statement with a “yes” or no.”
1.
Do you personally do anything
to lessen world hunger (e.g.,
donate money or food or write
your representative)?
Yes

No
Turn your paper over; number your paper from 14. Respond to each statement with a “yes” or no.”
2.
Do you personally do anything
to help the homeless (e.g.,
volunteer at a homeless shelter
or donate money)?
Yes

No
Turn your paper over; number your paper from 14. Respond to each statement with a “yes” or no.”
3.
Did you vote in the last
election for which you were
eligible?
Yes

No
Turn your paper over; number your paper from 14. Respond to each statement with a “yes” or no.”
4.
Do you personally convey your
feelings to the government (e.g.,
by writing your representative
or by participating in
protests/marches)?
NOW COMPARE
1. World hunger
is a serious
problem that
needs attention.
1. Do you personally
do anything to
lessen world hunger
(e.g., donate money
or food or write your
representative)?
NOW COMPARE
2. Our country
needs to
address the
growing
number of
homeless.
2. Do you personally
do anything to help
the homeless (e.g.,
volunteer at a
homeless shelter or
donate money)?
NOW COMPARE
3. The right to
vote is one of
the most
valuable rights
of American
citizens.
3. Did you vote in
the last election for
which you were
eligible?
NOW COMPARE
4. Our
government
should spend less
money on nuclear
weapons and
more on helping
citizens better
their lives.
4. Do you personally
convey your feelings
to the government
(e.g., by writing your
representative or by
participating in
protests/marches)?
COGNITIVE DISSONANCE

Did you feel anything within yourself that was
unsettling or uncomfortable as you compared
your first answers to your second set of answers?
IN YOUR CLASSROOM

Have you seen cognitive dissonance at work
within students in your classroom?
Which child has internal conflict between
his/her actions vs. what he/she knows is the
right thing?
COMPARE THE STUDENT
CHARACTERISTICS

How could your purposeful creation of cognitive
dissonance within the student have caused
positive outcomes for your student destined to
fail?
TEST TIME (QUESTIONS)
Designed to bring thought to the concept that everyone has the opportunity
for discouragement. We each handle discouragement according to
the situation, and according to our own methods.
DISCOURAGEMENT
No one is immune.
Knowing the signs, and reshaping is the educator’s
challenge.
Richard Sagor’s Characteristics of
the discouraged learner:
DISCOURAGEMENT
Richard Sagor’s Characteristics of
the discouraged learner:
Low self-confidence
DISCOURAGEMENT
Richard Sagor’s Characteristics of
the discouraged learner:
Avoidance of school and
confrontation because of the low
self-confidence
DISCOURAGEMENT
Richard Sagor’s Characteristics of
the discouraged learner:
Limited notion of the future
DISCOURAGEMENT
Richard Sagor’s Characteristics of
the discouraged learner:
Tend to come from fragile homes
DISCOURAGEMENT
Richard Sagor’s Characteristics of
the discouraged learner:
Do not see the relationship
between effort and achievement
NEEDS OF AT-RISK YOUTH
Richard Sagor
Competence
Belonging
Usefulness
Potency
Optimism
HOW DO WE FOSTER EACH NEED?

Competence – four variables
Motivation – helping the student to see the
rationale behind the lesson.
 Prerequisite Skills – begin sure that the
foundation is in place for success
 Quality Instruction – ask questions of your
group; keep the students engaged
 Adequate time

Technology Implications?: Student Response
Systems; cell phone response systems; resources
for research
HOW DO WE FOSTER EACH NEED?

Belonging
Multiculturalism – extending membership to all
 Value students by valuing their interests
 Check teacher expectation


Technology implications?
HOW DO WE FOSTER EACH NEED?
Usefulness –
Problem based learning
 Cooperative learning
 Community Service


Technology implications?
HOW DO WE FOSTER EACH NEED?
Potency –

Potency – Kay Alderman lists four factors that are
regarded as the route to internal locus of control (p.
169) “Four Links to Success”
Proximal Goals – goals are immediate and attainable
 Learning Strategies – strategies are appropriate –
neither too difficult nor too easy
 Successful experience – classroom is organized for
mastery making success predictable
 Attribution for success – students likely to credit
themselves for eventual success.


Technology implications?
DELVING DEEPER
- TAKE FIVE
Think of something you truly enjoy and have a
certain degree of expertise with.
 How did you first become interested –
 Were you stimulated by something you read or
heard about?
 Was it through an experience trying something
out, going someplace, doing something?
 How did you build your knowledge about this
concept?
 ~share?~

ACADEMIC NEEDS OF STUDENTS

Sagor talks about Student Academic Needs
and lists them as follows:





To understand the teacher’s goals
To be actively involved in the learning process
To relate subject matter to their own lives
To follow their own interests
To receive realistic and immediate feedback
What aspects of technology may we use to meet
these needs?
ALMOST THERE!
Technology is a tool that can be used to facilitate
change. Our students are native to its use.
Example of who you have coming your way:
When he gets to kindergarten, what world will he
encounter? Are we finding creative ways via
technology to keep him engaged, and reclaim our
lost?
 When we consider students who challenge us, our
goal is to work to help students derive authentic
feelings of – competence, belonging, usefulness,
potency and optimism.

ONLINE RESOURCES

http://tinyurl.com/3uzujrj
This resource is there help you shape your learning experience.
Rather than pouring the knowledge into you, this session was for the
purpose of planting a seed of thought, in hopes that you will use the
information to delve more deeply.
Please keep me informed of your progress.
jnicholswilson@dpi.state.nc.us
Julian