UTA New Teacher Webinar “Reaching and Teaching Students in Poverty: Strategies for Erasing the Opportunity Gap”, January 25, 2014 w/ Dr. Paul Gorski Dr. Paul Gorski, Associate Professor, George Mason University Bio: Paul C. Gorski is the founder of EdChange (www.edchange.org) and an Associate Professor of Integrative Studies (Social Justice Concentration) at George Mason University. His most recent books include Reaching and Teaching Students in Poverty: Strategies for Erasing the Opportunity Gap and The Poverty and Education Reader: A Call for Equity in Many Voices (with Julie Landsman). The University of Texas of Arlington presents the Spring, 2014 New Teacher Webinar Series as part of our Teacher Induction Project. The purpose of the Teacher Induction Project is to build "digital community" for current students and alumni of the department as well as new teachers beyond UT Arlington in the global community. Link to the recording: https://elearn.uta.edu/webapps/bb-collaborate-bb_bb60/recording/launchGuest?uid=8675f213-60b0-45ae-a1a3-e7af9617318e Recordings available in archives YouTube Channel (UTA New Teachers) https://www.youtube.com/user/UTANewTeachers slideshare (UTA New Teachers): http://www.slideshare.net/utanewteachers and today's slideshare (1/25/14): http://www.slideshare.net/UTANewTeachers/reaching-and-teaching-students-in-poverty-strategies-for-erasing-the-opportunity-gap Questions: Contact Dr. Peggy Semingson at peggys@uta.edu or Dr. Amber Brown amberb@exchange.uta.edu Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/UT-Arlington-Curriculum-and-Instruction/119343291449696?ref=hl Twitter: @UTANewTeachers YouTube: http://youtube.com/utanewteachers Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/UTANewTeachers/

1. UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON
DEPT. OF CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION
NEW TEACHER WEBINAR 4
Advice for New Teachers
SATURDAY, JANUARY 25, 2014 1-2 PM
REACHING AND TEACHING STUDENTS IN
POVERTY
WITH DR. PAUL GORSKI
*Recordings will be available of webinars.
No names will be visible in the recordings.
The recording will be available on our
YouTube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/utanewteachers
Dr. Paul Gorski

3. These are our opinions and
suggestions!
 The opinions of each of the panelists are their own individual
viewpoints. 
 Our goal is for you to hear a variety of viewpoints to help
support you in your first years of teaching! We have been
down the road you are going! 
GOALS/GUIDELINES
 Support
 Respect
 Dialogue
 Sharing

4. Our Mission
UT Arlington
New Teacher Induction: Building Digital Community
The vision:
 *interact synchronously & asynchronously
 *collective wisdom on important topics in a
digital repository
 *participate collectively in innovative, high-tech
ways
 blog link: http://blog.uta.edu/utanewteachers/
Recordings will be accessible via the blog,
YouTube channel and dept. Facebook page

5. Logistical & technical tips
 Ask questions along the way. Main Q/A at the end.
 No one can see you unless you press “Video”; Press “Talk”
to speak.
 Raise hand to speak. Speaking is optional.
 Make a list of “Things to Google” later.
 Use chat window often. We will check it throughout it
and respond in “real time” 
 Please do not press the talk button during the webinar.

6. Spring Webinar Topics!
Join us! Invite a friend
Mobile access for busy people!
Webinar Information Spring, 2014
Saturday, February 22
 Response to Intervention, Differentiation, and Data-Driven Instruction;
speaker(s): TBA
Saturday, March 29
 Teaching Bilingual/ESL students; speaker(s): TBA
Saturday, April 19
 Technology Integration: iPads and More!; speaker(s): TBA

7. UTA New Teachers Blog
http://blog.uta.edu/utanewteachers/
*We will post webinar recordings here.

8. Recorded webinars are also archived on
the UTA New Teachers YouTube page:
http://www.youtube.com/utanewteachers

9. Thanks for joining us! Please use the marker/pen tool to
mark a small x below where you are at. You can also type
it in the chat window:
Where we are now:

10. Poll question:
Where are you in your teaching
career?
Select A-E Voting is optional! We will display the results!
 The drop down polling area is in the participants window next to the “hand”
tool.
I am currently a:
A. Pre-service teacher
B. First year teacher
C. 2nd or 3rd year teacher
D. 4th year+ teacher
E. Faculty or none of the above

11. Anticipating learning…
What do you hope to learn?
Optional-type in the chat window
Please feel free to ask questions
along the way, too!

12. Bio: Dr. Paul Gorski
George Mason University
Bio:
Paul C. Gorski is the founder of
EdChange (www.edchange.org)
and an Associate Professor of
Integrative Studies (Social
Justice Concentration) at George
Mason University. His most
recent books include Reaching
and Teaching Students in
Poverty: Strategies for Erasing
the Opportunity Gap and The
Poverty and Education Reader: A
Call for Equity in Many
Voices (with Julie Landsman).

13. Selected Article Resources
Articles to Read
 “The Myth of the Culture of Poverty.”Educational Leadership.
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/apr08/vol65/num07/The-
Myth-of-the-Culture-of-Poverty.aspx
 “Building a Pedagogy of Engagement for Students in Poverty.” Phi
Delta Kappan
http://www.edchange.org/publications/PDK-Pedagogy-of-Engagement.pdf

14. Recent Books
Reaching and
Teaching Students
in Poverty:
Strategies for
Erasing the
Opportunity Gap
(Teachers College
Press, 2013) by
Paul C. Gorski

15. Recent Books
The Poverty and Education
Reader: A Call for Equity in
Many Voices, Edited by Paul
Gorski and Julie Landsman
(Stylus, 2013)

16. EdChange
www.edchange.org
http://www.edchange.org/publ
ications.html
Be sure to check out
edchange.org
Share this site with others.

17. Reaching and Teaching Students in
Poverty: An Equity Literacy Approach
Paul C. Gorski
EdChange & George Mason University

18. Objectives
We will:
 Learn about the major themes from the last 20 years of
research on teaching students in poverty;
 Consider what approaches for educating low-income
students might look like if we more fully understand their
experiences with poverty; and
 Become familiar with on-the-ground, research-based
strategies for reaching and teaching students in poverty.
18

19. How I Know that “the Poor” Aren’t
“the Problem?”
* * *
19

20. Starting Assumptions
1. Poor people bear the brunt of almost every
imaginable social ill in the U.S.
2. It is not every educator’s responsibility to
eradicate global poverty
3. However, if we don’t understand systems of
20
poverty, we cannot understand our low-income
students

21. Barriers to Progress
1. Thinking we can eliminate economic
achievement gap without eradicating poverty
2. Thinking we can eliminate economic
achievement gap by “fixing” poor people rather
than fixing the things that disenfranchise poor
people
3. School “reform” initiatives that are making
things much, much worse
21

22. The Big Context:
Poor families bear the brunt of every imaginable social ill,
including lack of access to:
 Healthcare
 Good nutrition
 Recreation (like playgrounds)
 Living wage jobs
And..
 Higher rates of chronic illnesses
22
***Rarely do conversations about poverty and schooling in the
U.S. take this context into account.

23. Equity Literacy: Principles
Outcome inequalities do not result primarily from
cultural defects in low-income families
Outcome inequalities do result primarily from
inequitable access to resources and experiences in
and out of school
Our job as educators is to refuse to replicate that
inequitable access in our spheres of influence—a
matter of equity, not a matter of culture
23

24. A Bit of a Shocker, Perhaps
 One of the factors that best predicts how well a student in
poverty performs is who or what her or his teachers blame
for poverty
 Students whose teachers believe that poor people are poor
because of their own deficiencies perform worse in school
 Students whose teachers refuse to blame poor families for
their poverty perform better in school
 So our first step has to be shifting our attitudes about
poverty and dropping the deficit views of low-income
families
24

25. The Opportunity Gap
Not arguing that every educator is responsible for eliminating all of the
inequities that make up this gap, but that understanding students in
poverty means understanding how it affects their experiences at school
and in our spheres of influence.
25

26. Out-of-School Opportunity Gap
This opportunity gap is characterized by lack of
access to:
Healthcare, including preventative healthcare
Quality childcare
Tutoring and other “shadow education”
Recreational opportunities
Safe housing
Well-stocked public libraries
Validating society
26

27. In-School Opportunity Gap
This opportunity gap is characterized by the lack of
access to:
 Quality preschool
 Adequately funded schools
 School nurses, counselors, and other school
support services
 Affirming school environments (bullying)
 High academic expectations
 Higher-order, engaging pedagogies
 Opportunities for family engagement
27

28. Case Study: Family Engagement
Families in poverty don’t value education, which
is why they don’t participate in school-based
involvement as consistently as wealthier
families (culture of poverty view)
Opportunities for family engagement are not
structured in ways that make sense for
caretakers who work multiple jobs, work nights,
can’t afford childcare, don’t have paid leave,
use public transportation… (equity literacy view)
How might we solve this problem differently
given these different views?
28

29. Research-Based Strategies for Reaching and
Teaching Students in Poverty
Incorporate music, art, and theater across the
curriculum (Pogrow, 2006; Wetz, 2004).
 Less likely to have access out of school
 Improves engagement and performance
across subjects
29

30. Research-Based Strategies for Reaching
and Teaching Students in Poverty
Have and communicate high expectations
(Figlio, 2005; Jessim & Harber, 2005; Rouse
& Barrow, 2006).
 Pedagogically, especially
30

31. Research-Based Strategies for Reaching and
Teaching Students in Poverty
Adopt higher-order, learner-centered, rigorous
pedagogies (Kennedy, 2010; Ramalho, Garza, &
Merchant, 2010).
 Collaborative and cooperative learning
 Interactive and dialogic teaching
31

32. Research-Based Strategies for Reaching and
Teaching Students in Poverty
Incorporate movement and exercise into teaching
and learning (Basch, 2011; Fahlman, Hall, & Lock,
2006).
PE and recess being cut at high-poverty schools
Fit students perform better at school and—
bonus!—are better behaved
32

33. Research-Based Strategies for Reaching and
Teaching Students in Poverty
Make curricula relevant to the lives of low-income
students (Duke et al, 2006; Haberman, 1991,
Sanchez, in press).
Increases student engagement
“Portage”
33

34. Research-Based Strategies for Reaching and
Teaching Students in Poverty
Teach about poverty and class (Kelley &
Darragh, 2011; Streib, 2011).
 Provides students an opportunity to
challenge stereotypes people have about
them
 Demonstrates our recognition of
challenges students in poverty face
outside of school
 Use MLK, Helen Keller, Mark Twain, etc.
34

35. Research-Based Strategies for Reaching and
Teaching Students in Poverty
Analyze learning materials for bias (Jones, 2008;
Sano, 2009).
“Hobo”
Often very subtle
35

36. Research-Based Strategies for Reaching and
Teaching Students in Poverty
Promote literacy enjoyment (Kellet,
2009; Vera, 2011).
 Use literature circles in which
students choose a common
book to read
 Use a variety of media,
including multimedia
programs
 Incorporate drama into literacy
instruction
36

37. Research-Based Strategies for Reaching and
Teaching Students in Poverty
Choose a resiliency view rather than a deficit
view (Robinson, 2007).
 Focus on family strengths rather than
perceived weaknesses
37

38. A Few Other Things to Work On
38

39. Research-Based Strategies for Reaching and
Teaching Students in Poverty
 Advocate for universal preschool and
kindergarten
 Cultivate relationships with community
agencies and organizations (in order to
expand school-based healthcare services, for
example)
 Advocate for smaller class sizes
 Protect physical education and recess
 Protect art, music, and drama education
39

40. Still Most Important:
 Challenge deficit views of low-income
families and work on shifting our own views,
because our practice is guided by our
ideologies about poverty
 Be mindful of this reality when planning
professional development
40

41. Questions and Discussion!
Thanks!
Paul C. Gorski
http://www.EdChange.org
gorski@edchange.org
41

42. References
Almy, S., & Theokas, C. (2010). Not prepared for class: High-poverty schools continue to have fewer in-field
teachers. Washington, DC: The Education Trust.
Basch, C. (2011). Physical activity and the achievement gap among urban minority youth. Journal of
School Health, 81(10), 626-634.
Children’s Defense Fund [CDF]. (2008). Child poverty in America. Retrieved March 22, 2011, from
http://www.childrensdefense.org/child-research-data-publications/data/child-poverty-in-america.
pdf
CDF. (2010). The state of America’s School. Washington, DC: Author.
Duke, N. K., Purcell-Gates, V., Hall, L. A., & Tower, C. (2006). Authentic literacy activities for
developing comprehension and writing. Reading Teacher, 60, 344–355.
Fahlman, M. M., Hall, H. L., and Lock, R. (2006). Ethnic and socioeconomic comparisons of fitness,
activity levels, and barriers to exercise in high school females. Journal of School Health, 76(1), 12-17.
Figlio, D. N. (2005). Names, expectations, and the black-white achievement gap. Cambridge, MA:
National Bureau of Economic Research.
Freeman, E. (2010). The shifting geography of urban education. Education and Urban Society, 42(6),
674-704.
Haberman, M. (1991). The pedagogy of poverty versus good teaching. Phi Delta Kappan, 73, 290-294.
Jennings, P. K. (2004). What mothers want: Welfare reform and maternal desire. Journal of Sociology
and Social Welfare, 31(3), 113-130.
42

43. References
Jessim, L., & Harber, K. D. (2005). Teacher expectations and self-fulfilling prophecies:
Knowns and unknowns, resolved and unresolved controversies. Personality and
Social Psychology Review, 9(2), 131-155.
Jones, S. (2008). Grass houses: Representations and reinventions of social class
through children's literature. Journal of Language and Literacy Education, 4(2), 40-58.
Kelley, J. E., and Darragh, J. J. (2011). Depictions and gaps: Portrayal of U.S. poverty in
realistic fiction children’s picture books. Reading Horizons, 50(4), 263-282.
Kellett, M. (2009). Children as researchers: What we can learn from them about the
impact of poverty on literacy opportunities. International Journal of Inclusive
Education, 13(4), 395-408.
Kennedy, E. (2010). Improving literacy achievement in a high-poverty school:
Empowering classroom teachers through professional development. Reading
Research Quarterly, 45(4), 384-387.
Li, G. (2010). Race, class, and schooling: Multicultural families doing the hard work of
home literacy in America’s inner city. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 26, 140-165.
Machan, S., Wilson, J., and Notar, C. (2005). Parental involvement in the classroom.
Journal of Instructional Psychology, 32, 13-16.
43

44. References
Patterson, J. A., Hale, D., & Stessman, M. (2008). Cultural contradictions and school
leaving: A case study of an urban high school. The High School Journal, 91(2), 1-16.
Pogrow, S. (2006). Restructuring high-poverty elementary schools for success: A
description of the Hi-Perform school design. Phi Delta Kappan, 88(3), 223-229.
Ramalho, E. M., Garza, E., and Merchant, B. (2010). Successful school leadership in
socioeconomically challenging contexts: School principals creating and sustaining
successful school improvement. International Studies in Educational Administration,
38(3), 35-56.
Robinson, J. G. (2007). Presence and persistence: Poverty ideology and inner-city
teaching. Urban Review, 39, 541-565.
Rouse, C. E., & Barrow, L. (2006). U.S. elementary and secondary schools: Equalizing
opportunity or replacing the status quo? The Future of Children, 16(2), 99-123.
Sánchez , L. (in press). Fostering wideawakeness: Third grade children researching
their community. In J. Landsman & P. Gorski (Eds.), The poor are not the problem:
Insisting on class equity in schools. Sterling, VA: Stylus.
44

45. References
Sano, J. (2009). Farmhands and factory workers, honesty and humility: The portrayal
of social class and morals in English language learner children’s books. Teachers
College Record, 111(11), 2560-2588.
Sherman, J. (2006). Coping with rural poverty: Economic survival and moral capital in
rural America. Social Forces, 85(2), 891-913.
Streib, J. (2011). Class reproduction by four year olds. Qualitative Sociology, 34, 337-
352.
Tayler, P., Kochhar, R., Fry, R., Velasco, G., & Motel, S. (2010). Wealth gaps rise to record
highs between Whites, Blacks and Hispanics. Washington, D.C.: Pew Research Center.
Vera, D. (2011). Using popular culture print to increase emergent literary skills in one
high-poverty school district. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 11(3), 307-330.
West-Olatunji, C., Sanders, T., Mehta, S., & Behar-Horenstein, L. (2010). Parenting
practices among low-income parents/guardians of academically successful fifth
grade African American children. Multicultural Perspectives, 12(3), 138-144.
Wetz, J. (2004) Promoting inclusion in school through the arts: a case study, Support
for Learning, 19(20), 66–70.
45

46. A big THANK YOU to our panelists and
faculty!
Thanks to everyone for attending!
Let’s give the panelists a virtual round of
applause for taking time to share their
expertise and experience with us! 

47. What do you think?
Optional-type in the chat window!
 What information stood out to you from
Dr. Gorski’s presentation?
 What questions do you have?
“I hope to think more about.…”
“I learned….”
“I want to know….”

48. http://blog.uta.edu/utanewteachers
Recording will be here on the UTA
New Teacher Blog

49. Recorded webinars are also archived on
the UTA New Teachers YouTube page:
http://www.youtube.com/utanewteachers

50. Be part of the knowledge network!
We hope to see you again on the
New Teacher Webinar series!
 Learn more!
 Become a better teacher.
 Stay encouraged.
 Connect with other educators and UTA
Faculty in an informal, low key online
setting!
 Please let others know about our webinar
series and blog!
 For questions or comments, email Dr. Semingson
peggys@uta.edu