THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR IS NEARLY UPON US, AND THAT'S A PROBLEM FOR MANY HIGH?RISK LEARNERS
IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY ABOUT 10% OF STUDENTS DROP OUT OF SCHOOL EACH YEAR.
BUT THAT MAY CHANGE FOR THE BETTER THANKS TO A NEW COMPUTER PROGRAM CREATED BY MY GUEST,
DR. ROBERT BRIGGS, A PROFESSOR AT SDSU'S COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION.
DR. BRIGGS, HOW DO YOU GET A STUDENT TO BE ENGAGED IN AND STAY IN SCHOOL?
>> >>ROBERT BRIGGS: BOTTOM LINE IS YOU HAVE TO FIND SOMETHING THEY CARE ABOUT AND USE
THAT AGAINST THEM. >> >>PEGGY: SOMETHING LIKE THAT IS RELEVANT
TO THEM. >> >>ROBERT BRIGGS: INDEED.
>> >>PEGGY: HOW DO YOU DISCOVER WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO THEM AND WHAT'S RELEVANT?
>> >>ROBERT BRIGGS: YOU HAVE TO ASK THEM. WHEN WE STARTED THE PROJECT IN THE D. C. PUBLIC
SCHOOLS WE WERE ASKING THE STUDENTS WHY THEY WERE DROPPING OUT.
ONE CHILD SAID I GOT ON THE WRONG SIDE OF A GANG, I MAY NOT GET HOME TONIGHT IF. IF
I DO GET HOME, I DON'T KNOW IF MY MOM'S GOING TO BE STRUNG OUT ON HEROIN, AND IF SHE IS
STRUNG OUT, I DON'T KNOW IF I'LL GET ANYTHING TO EAT UNTIL MONDAY.
WHAT DO I CARE WHAT 7 TIMES 5 IS. >> >>PEGGY: YOU TOOK THAT INFORMATION AND
WHAT'D YOU DO WITH THAT? >> >>ROBERT BRIGGS: WE DECIDED INSTEAD OF
PRI PREPARING STUDENTS FOR A FUTURE THEY DIDN'T BELIEVE IN, WE SHOULD PUT THEM TO WORK ON
PROBLEMS THEY HAVE A STAKE IN RIGHT NOW. WE REASONED THAT IF WE DID THAT THAT WOULD
MOTIVATE TO LEARN, WE WOULD HAVE TO CHOOSE THOSE PROBLEMS SO THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO
LEARN WHAT WE WANTED THEM TO KNOW TO GET WHAT THEY WANT.
>> >>PEGGY: A STUDENT SITS DOWN, AND WHAT DOES THIS PROGRAM OFFER THEM?
>> >>ROBERT BRIGGS: IT WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED TO BE USED IN BUSINESS AND IT WAS VERY EFFECTIVE
THERE. AND WE USED IT TO MAKE PROBLEM SOLVING TIME
MUCH SORT SHORTER. >> >>PEGGY: WALK US THROUGH IT.
>> >>ROBERT BRIGGS: AN EXAMPLE, THE CHILDREN DIDN'T WANT TO STUDY HISTORY, SO I SUGGESTED
TO THEM HISTORY MIGHT BE A SHORT CUT FOR ACHIEVING GREATNESS.
WE PUT THEM INTO A BRAIN STORMING SESSION, WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE HEROS FROM HISTORY,
THEY GENERATE AD LIST, WE SAID VOTE ON IT, WHO DO YOU WANT TO LOOK AT RIGHT NOW, THEY
CHOSE MARTIN LUTHER KING, I SAID GREAT, LET'S BRAIN STORM, WHAT MAKES HIM GREAT, THEY GENERATED
A LIST OF 13 ATTRIBUTES OF GREATNESS, THEN WE'RE GOING TO WRITE A POEM PO EM, SPEED POETRY,
WE MADE A RACE,. >> >>PEGGY: SO THEY FOUND THIS TO BE RELEVANT,
THE SUCCESS RATE ?? >> >>ROBERT BRIGGS: IT WAS THEIR HERO AND
THEIR INCITES AND THEIR WORK, WHICH THEN, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A POEM THAT DIDN'T EXIST
WHEN THEY CAME IN THAT MORNING. SO THAT WORKED.
WE RAN PROJECTS LIKE THAT OVER A COURSE OF TWO YEARS AND AT THE END OF TWO YEARS, THEY
WERE TWO YEARS AHEAD OF THEIR PEER ON READING AND WRITING SCORES AND THEY WERE OFF THE CHARTS
ON CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING SCORES. >> >>PEGGY: HOW IS THE CLASSROOM TEACHER IN
THIS? >> >>ROBERT BRIGGS: THE CLASSROOM TEACHER
CAN LEAD THE EXERCISES, AND THE CLASSROOM TEACHER HAS TO GET TO KNOW WHAT THEY CARE
ABOUT SO SHE CAN PICK THE PROBLEMS U.YOU ACTUALLY HAD TO DO SOME TRAINING FOR TEACHERS?
>> >>ROBERT BRIGGS: WE DID, WE HAD A SUCCESS ACADEMICALLY AND A FAILURE TRANSFERRING TO
THE TEACHERS. >> >>PEGGY: HOW COME?
>> >>ROBERT BRIGGS: IT TOOK US 20 YEARS OF RESEARCH LEADING UP UNTIL JUST ABOUT A MONTH
AGO BEFORE WE FELT WE WERE READY TO GO BACK INTO THE CLASSROOMS.
>> >>PEGGY: DOES THE SOFTWARE COME WITH A TEACHER COMPONENT, SO A TRAINING COMPONENT?
>> >>ROBERT BRIGGS: THE GOAL WAS TO DESIGN THE SOFTWARE SO IT COULD BE RUN BY PEOPLE
WITH NO TRAINING. >> >>PEGGY: DO YOU INCORPORATE STANDARD CURRICULUM?
>> >>ROBERT BRIGGS: WE DON'T INCORPORATE A CURRICULUM, BUT WE COVER THE SAME MATERIAL
WITH A VERY DIFFERENT KIND OF TEACHING APPROACH. >> >>PEGGY: HOW CAN A SCHOOL DISTRICT IF THEY
WANT IT, GET THE PROGRAM, AND HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
>> >>ROBERT BRIGGS: RIGHT NOW, THE SOFTWARE IS FREE, BUT IT'S NOT SO MUCH THE SOFTWARE,
IT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH IT. WE'RE RUNNING A PILOTED PROGRAM IN CHICAGO,
WE'RE GOING TO START THAT UP THIS COMING YEAR. IF THAT PILOT PROKING PROGRAM IS SUCCESSFUL
Y HAVE A TEACHER IN SAN DIEGO AND ONE IN TUCSON, TO TEST IT.
IF THAT GOES WELL, WE DO SOME PROOF OF VALUE RESEARCH IN A NUMBER OF CLASSROOMS IN A NUMBER
OF CITIES. >> >>PEGGY: HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE SOMEBODY
WHO DEVELOPED SOMETHING THAT CAN ACTUALLY CHANGE SO MANY STUDENTS LIVES?
>> >>ROBERT BRIGGS: IT'S SO EXCITING, FEELING WE'RE RIGHT ON THE BRING TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
WE FIEMY HAVE A WAY TO MAKE IF ACCESSIBLE TO TEACHER WHICH MAKES IT ACCESSIBLE TO STUDENTS
SO VERY EXCITING. >> >>PEGGY: THANK YOU DR. BRIGS.