Methods and Strategies: Learning Science in Cultural Context

Autor/inn/en	Yarema, Sandra; Grueber, David; Ferreira, Maria
Titel	Methods and Strategies: Learning Science in Cultural Context
Quelle	In: Science and Children, 51 (2014) 5, S.66-69 (4 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0036-8148
Schlagwörter	Science Instruction; Cultural Influences; Urban Schools; Poverty; Natural Resources; Constructivism (Learning); Culturally Relevant Education; At Risk Students; Teacher Attitudes; Elementary School Science; Grade 3; Student Experience; Faculty Development; Curriculum Development; Inquiry; Science Activities + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Teaching of science; Science education; Natural sciences Lessons; Naturwissenschaftlicher Unterricht; Cultural influence; Kultureinfluss; Urban area; Urban areas; School; Schools; Stadtregion; Stadt; Schule; Armut; Natural Ressource; Natürliche Ressource; Lehrerverhalten; School year 03; 3. Schuljahr; Schuljahr 03; Studienerfahrung; Curriculum; Development; Curriculumentwicklung; Lehrplan; Entwicklung
Abstract	Teachers in districts with high rates of poverty and low-achieving schools often lament the lack of resources for instruction. However, when a teacher in a third-grade inner-city classroom began a lesson about natural resources by saying, "We will find out what we know before we start," she used a precious resource--students' ideas. Mrs. Majors's lesson opening represents an important constructivist teaching disposition: Begin with what the students know. Students' ideas and experiences, no matter the classroom, are an important resource for teachers committed to academic achievement for underserved students. Teachers' perspectives toward students' ideas and experiences is a key factor in hindering or promoting student learning. Seeing the students, school, and community resources as deficits may hinder students' learning; utilizing them as resources may promote it (Nieto 1999). The teacher's goal should be to harmonize or build a bridge between the students' experiences and science. Cities provide rich material resources to explore both the natural and built environment. Mrs. Majors is able to use this urban school yard as a resource for the children to explore and build toward a shared experience. Accordingly, learning theory that encompasses students' experiences as a resource is helpful to use when students experiences are different from their teacher's. In this article the authors share the guiding principles to harmonize teaching during a yearlong professional development project funded by the state department of education, and the result of those principles enacted in a classroom. (ERIC).
Anmerkungen	National Science Teachers Association. 1840 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201-3000. Tel: 800-722-6782; Fax: 703-243-3924; e-mail: membership@nsta.org; Web site: http://www.nsta.org
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10