After learning how to search through the RIC database, I was STOKED to find an article directly relating to my research topic. Initially, I thought that I would not find something so spot on, and have to piece together research from a bunch of different resources, so to find a ringer like that was a pleasant surprise. The only thing is that will I find another one... which freaks me out a little bit, because I am finding it hard to do just that.
BUT, the fact that I found a research paper, that pushed my thinking of how to look at the students in a growth mindset, and more of a "what do students bring to the table" as opposed to what they are missing out on, has helped me re-focus some of my interviews to be more positive and optimistic on what students already know coming through the school doors.
Some of the excerpts from student conversations with the researcher paints a picture of how students value their street smarts just as much, if not more than their book smarts. Which just goes to show how tying them together could drive engagement and increase the strength and overall power they would have in the outside world but also in the classroom.
I hope to use this article as well as continue finding others that confirm that students street smarts are valued and are being used in the classroom to enhance learning.
This is really exciting, Cooper! I'd like to hear more about this text. If you look at the citations at the end of the text, you may find similar texts. Ernest Morrell and Jeffrey Duncan-Andrade write these kinds of pieces.
ReplyDelete