1. The NFL IMPACT Program Teacher Dinner and Overview

2. Tina Koneazny, USC Readers Plus and Kim Thomas-Barrios, USC NAI Program 2 What is the NFL Impact Program? Welcome and Introductions Denise Woods Program Manager

3. Tina Koneazny, USC Readers Plus and Kim Thomas-Barrios, USC NAI Program 3 The NFL Impact Program What does the research say about teaching boys? A conversation. How are we connecting the content of the academic classes with the research? What will it look like? An overview of training camp.

4. Tina Koneazny, USC Readers Plus and Kim Thomas-Barrios, USC NAI Program 4 What We Know About How Boys Learn Boys are aware of and reactive to what they view to be irrelevant curriculum and poor teaching. Boys like to be able to see how what they are learning relates to life outside or beyond school. Boys are more likely to respond to dull subject matter or uninspiring teaching in an overt and challenging way that will disrupt their own and others’ learning.

5. Tina Koneazny, USC Readers Plus and Kim Thomas-Barrios, USC NAI Program 5 Framework The overall framework of the NFL program sets the values, purposes, and principles underpinning the curriculum and the learning outcomes that students are expected to achieve. Each curriculum piece is outcome-based and spells out what each child will be expected to know and be able to do by the end of each day, week and total session. This approach recognizes that all children do not learn at the same point or progress at the same rate.

6. Tina Koneazny, USC Readers Plus and Kim Thomas-Barrios, USC NAI Program 6 Outcome-Based Approach This approach allows the NFL teachers to exercise more flexibility during daily planning periods to adopt and discuss approaches to suit their students and circumstances. –Negotiating content, methods of instruction, selection of topics and modes of presentation. This maximizes student engagement and motivation.

7. Tina Koneazny, USC Readers Plus and Kim Thomas-Barrios, USC NAI Program 7 Metacognitive Techniques These techniques are key to success in school and life: Issues of Identity Communication Interdependence

8. Tina Koneazny, USC Readers Plus and Kim Thomas-Barrios, USC NAI Program 8 Issues of Identity How do I fit in at school? Do I see myself as a scholar? –Teachers, tutors and coaches must with purpose become familiar with some of home/community literacies that the boys are interested in.

9. Tina Koneazny, USC Readers Plus and Kim Thomas-Barrios, USC NAI Program 9 Communication In the NFL Impact Program, the boys will know that they will develop answers and ways of doing things that they will be able share through some sort of exhibition of their knowledge. –Learning deemed relevant –Learning deemed purposeful. What we know about boys and their learning is that they need to find purpose in what and how they are learning.

10. Tina Koneazny, USC Readers Plus and Kim Thomas-Barrios, USC NAI Program 10 Communication - Teacher to Student Build on their prior experiences –Teachers, coaches, tutors must recognize the value of the rich experiences the boys bring. –Become familiar with some of the home/community literacies that the boys are interested in. Not necessarily have given them the literacies that will ensure success at school. It will be about valuing what the boys bring to the program, not what deficits they have.

11. Tina Koneazny, USC Readers Plus and Kim Thomas-Barrios, USC NAI Program 11 Interdependence Subject matter and academic tasks cross a range of subjects and that are related to real- world issues. –More realistic and relevant learning and assessment tasks are possible.

12. Tina Koneazny, USC Readers Plus and Kim Thomas-Barrios, USC NAI Program 12 Identity Issues of identity and futures particularly engage and excite middle school boys to persist in school and be able to work more fruitfully in the classroom.

13. Tina Koneazny, USC Readers Plus and Kim Thomas-Barrios, USC NAI Program 13 Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences for Boys: Utilize mathematical logical learning - Solving word problems Spatial Intelligence - Math, Football, Science Kinesthetic learners - Football Naturalistic Intelligence - Science

14. Tina Koneazny, USC Readers Plus and Kim Thomas-Barrios, USC NAI Program 14 Week One and Pacing Plan What will the students be expected to know and be able to do ? What are the expectations for the teachers in terms of a flexible delivery? NFL Impact Program Integrated Reading and Math Curriculum

15. Tina Koneazny, USC Readers Plus and Kim Thomas-Barrios, USC NAI Program 15 Activating Schema CRASH by Jerry Spinelli –Why does this text make sense for this program? –What are the embedded strategies? –Literature Circles as an approach to connecting with the text.

16. Tina Koneazny, USC Readers Plus and Kim Thomas-Barrios, USC NAI Program 16 Football Math Plan - Execute - Analyze –Purposeful, Deliberate –Metacognitive approach to solving equations –Utilizing the same team concept as in Literature Circles. –Tools

17. Tina Koneazny, USC Readers Plus and Kim Thomas-Barrios, USC NAI Program 17 What boys need… Teaching Strategies More explicit teaching Active, hands-on methods Structured programs with articulated steps along the way. Lessons are short with achievable goals and frequent changes of structured activity Visuals, structured challenges, constant encouragement to succeed. To see their work posted and praised

18. Tina Koneazny, USC Readers Plus and Kim Thomas-Barrios, USC NAI Program 18 What boys respond more to… Explanations of why they need to learn their lessons Genuine and specific praise Challenge and positive reinforcement for effort, achievement and appropriate behavior Relationships with their teachers –Boys attuned to teachers who are attuned to their sense of justice and fairness –Teachers who are consistent with their application of rules

19. Tina Koneazny, USC Readers Plus and Kim Thomas-Barrios, USC NAI Program 19 Appropriate Behavior Rules and stated expectations will be made exceedingly clear regarding appropriate behavior. –Negotiation of operation of rules and consequences. –Reinforced on and off the field.

20. Tina Koneazny, USC Readers Plus and Kim Thomas-Barrios, USC NAI Program 20 Competition On and off the field Off the field –Self-competition –Boys utilize charting and graphing of progress –Analyze own results –Immediate feedback –Motivation!

21. Tina Koneazny, USC Readers Plus and Kim Thomas-Barrios, USC NAI Program 21 Teaching Pedagogy Activating Prior Knowledge Metacognition Modeling Collaborative Process Cooperative Learning

22. Tina Koneazny, USC Readers Plus and Kim Thomas-Barrios, USC NAI Program 22 Reflection Boys will have the opportunity to reflect on progress daily –Exhibit their knowledge –Way to achieve more positive reinforcement –Metacognitive exercise to get them thinking about their own learning

23. Tina Koneazny, USC Readers Plus and Kim Thomas-Barrios, USC NAI Program 23 Questions???