What Are Effective Alternative Teaching
Methods in Inner-city Schools?
Turano 23, Oct. 2010
Final Assessment
Our Proposed Long-term Goals


We will increase our student drop rate from
more than 50% nationwide (Toppo, 2006)
less than 50%.
Less of our 9th graders will be held back
because of the “ninth-grade bulge” (Toppo,
2006). This bulge is due to failure of statemandated exit exams (Toppo, 2006).

We need to find different methods or “Life
Forces” (Sassi-Faller, 1998) of teaching to
keep students in school. Our students
would rather be in school than on the
streets (Paulson, 2010).
“Life Force”
Writing


We are using what resources we have to teach
this “Life Force” and we find it somewhat
successful.
Bring your own “Life force” to your the classroom
and create your own curriculum!
At the K-6 level we give them Journals, have them
write, illustrate their own text books. They can
“learn literature and language through oral
tradition before learning to read” (Sissi-Faller,
1998). Many of these students bring more than
one language to the classroom (Grant, 1992).
Have them share, but at the right times. Their
backgrounds are an important part of their lives.
Writing 7-12

We have our student write essays. And
study words. We don't have the resources
to know what is going to be on the state
exam to have them study for it or the tools.
“Life Force”
Music

Right now we do not have a music department
and wish to use the approach to recognize the
need to value the voices of our students who
have been muted or not heard, and listen to their
music. We want to create lessons that involve
their music and bring it to our classrooms and
concentrate on their social aspects (Leard &
Lashua 2006).
Music continued

This “Life Force” can bring out emotions,
feelings or trust and friendships in the
classroom. They may not know that
someone else likes the music or don't know
what the words mean in the songs.
“Life Force”
Theatre

Using theatre in our classrooms gives our
students a chance to express themselves in a
controlled environment. It gives them a chance to
explore feeling and to socialize with others that
they might not otherwise. They will explore
different characters and memorize parts. It gives
our student opportunity to use “audio production
to create music, raps, beats, dance tracks,
soundscapes, and spokenword poems” (Leard &
Lashua 2006). It's a great way to build self
esteem!
“Life Force”
Reflection

Through writing and discussion is a good
way for the student reflect on what they
have learned.
Fulfilling Our Student's Needs
and Reaching Out to Them




We would like the resources to play music in our
classrooms and have the visual aids so they can
see what they are listening to.
We would like to have students to have access to
books and paper.
We as teachers would like accessibility to
teaching necessities i.e: seating charts, lesson
plans, guides, decorations for classroom walls.
We want to make learning worthwhile and fun for
the students. If we don't have the resources to
give them, what reasons do the have to be in
school?
Student's Needs Cont.

We would like technology in our schools. One
computer per classroom would be a nice start.
Students would have access to the outside.
We want to make connections and take risks. These
approaches have potential for building respectful
relationships with our students
(Leard & Lashua 2006).
Please help us by giving us the resources we need to
help teach our students.
Resources
Choi, J.. (2009). Reading Educational Philosophies in Freedom Writers. The Clearing House, 82 (5),
244-248. Retrieved October 18, 2010, from ProQuest Education Journals. (Document ID:
1719481431).
Clara B. Jones, & Carlene R. Smith. (2003). Educating Our Black Children: New Directions and
Radical Approaches. Western Journal of Black Studies, 27(4), 281-282. Retrieved October 18,
2010, from ProQuest Education Journals. (Document ID: 717864141).
Diane Wishart Leard, & Brett Lashua. (2006). Popular Media, Critical Pedagogy, and Inner City
Youth, Canadian Journal of Education, 29(1), 244-246, 344. Retrieved October 18, 2010, from
ProQuest Education Journals. (Document ID: 1095080641).
Grant, C.A. (1992). Research and multicultural education: from the margins to the mainstream.
Retrieved from http://books.google.com
Greta K. Nagel. (1998). Looking for multicultural education: What could be done and why it isn't.
Education, 119(2), 253-262. Retrieved October 18, 2010, from ProQuest Education Journals.
(Document ID: 39251866).
Hopkins, G. (2008, June 26). Anger Management [Electronic mailing list message]. Retrieved from
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/strategy049.shtml
Janet Sassi-Faller. (1998, May). The Waldorf Promise. Library Journal, 123(9),
128. Retrieved October 18, 2010, from ProQuest Education Journals.
(Document ID: 29604760).
Lee, Philip. (1997, May 7). How Can We Teach Inner City Children? The
Baltimore Chronicle. Retrieved from http://www.baltimorechronicle.com
Paulson, Amanda. (2010, April 8). Inter-city Chicago charter school has perfect
college acceptance rate. The CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR. Retrieved
from http://www.csmonitor.com
Toppo, Greg. (2006, June 20). Big-city schools struggle with graduation rates.
USA TODAY. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com