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Jill Bean's picture

Science thoughts

My initial response to "Science".

1.  exploratory/explorations

2.  happening all the time/a type of learning

3.  fun!

Science as story telling?  I think looking at science as a process of story telling seems like a more natural way of learning; a logical explanation of what I see kids doing all the time to make sense of their world. Learning is not linear; it goes forwards and backwards and even around.  Forming stories and revising them happen all the time, in both social and academic contexts.  In fact, (at least with my younger students) they are often so good at creating stories that it is difficult for them to separate their stories from their obeservations. 

"The crack" is definitely a sticky point.  I don't think it implies that everyone's stories are equally valid.  While it may be a good story for a specific student, better and better stories can be developed through shared stories and shared observations.  Acknowledging that each person has their own background that affects their thoughts seems freeing to me.  If everyone could acknowledge their own limitations, perhaps people could become more open to exposing themselves to the unfamiliar and unknown in hopes to moving closer to the “less wrong”. 

I feel like a teacher's job is to present specific situations, explorations, and differing observations that will force/allow for new observations and for a child to revise their current story. I'm curious about situations where our students are resistent to accepting new observations and revising their own stories.  As well as the need for teachers to really know their students, otherwise there is a danger of  presenting something that is so far beyond their own experiences that they withdraw and reject the alternatives. 

 

 

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