Elementary Education:
The Brain as Scientist and Science as Story Telling

Paul Grobstein
Notes for Conversation
Lansdowne Friends School
11 January 2006

For further exploration:

• The Importance of Process in Science, the Brain, and Education - notes for a talk (includes figures above)
• Revisiting Science in Culture: Science as Story Telling and Story Revising - article
• Emergent Pedagogy: Learning to Enjoy the Uncontrollable and Make it Productive - article in press
• Getting It Less Wrong, the Brain's Way: Science, Pragmatism, and Multiplism - article
• The Bipartite Brain - notes for a talk
• Serendip - "an expanding forum and a continually developing set of resources to explore and support intellectual and social change in education, in social organization ... and in how one makes sense of life"

• Paul Grobstein
  pgrobste@brynmawr.edu
  610 526-5098
  this material: http://serendipstudio.org/reflections/lansdownefriends/

Post discussion notes Importance of making "science" more prominent/visible in relation to parental expectations, students' own breadth of aspirations Notion of helping students acquire skill at distinguishing observation from interpretation as central to science education (at all levels) Possible Center engagements ... Affiliation would itself help to make science more prominent/visible Summer institute Add perspective of scientists to review/revision of curriculum plan Provide scientists to consult/work with individual teachers on their own curricula Provide praxis course that would engage students/faculty at both institutions in rethinking elementary science education Provide students to work with particular teachers, and to develop usable classroom modules Provide some expertise in environmental sciences to assist in planning for outside renovation integration into curriculum Visits to college for students Assistance with developing computer use in curriculum (particularly forms that facilitate rather than lessen individual and community interactivity)