{"id":3094,"date":"2020-09-17T13:19:13","date_gmt":"2020-09-17T17:19:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/edt431-531\/?p=3094"},"modified":"2020-09-17T13:27:45","modified_gmt":"2020-09-17T17:27:45","slug":"science-teaching-2-0-from-the-center-to-the-margins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/2020\/09\/science-teaching-2-0-from-the-center-to-the-margins\/","title":{"rendered":"Science Teaching 2.0: From the Center to the Margins"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What are \u201cmargins\u201d? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are margins in nature<\/em>. Here, the edges of ecosystems\ninteract to create diverse and unpredictable landscapes, plants, and animals\nwho often form symbiotic relationships among these and the surrounding areas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The margin between a crop field and woodlands. Source: https:\/\/farmtoclassroom.weebly.com\/blog\/the-best-place-to-be-is-in-the-margins<\/a> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are margins in society<\/em>. Here, individuals,\nideas, and methodologies reside at the edges of and beyond societal norms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are margins in the classroom<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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So, what does it mean to \u201cteach in the margins,\u201d how do\nmargins differ from teachable moments, and how can we extend learning into the\nmargins in our classroom? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Does it Mean to “Teach in the Margins”?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To understand the margins, we must first define what the\nmargins surround \u2013 known as the \u201ccenter<\/em>.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The center<\/strong> of the classroom has been commonly defined\nas a text-dominated, monoculture that favors quantity over quality, lacks\nindividuality, and communicates artificially.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Source: https:\/\/farmtoclassroom.weebly.com\/blog\/the-best-place-to-be-is-in-the-margins<\/a> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In contrast, teaching in the margins provides students with\nan environment that is full of diversity, risk, ideas, and flexibility for the student\nto discover new things. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s important to note that learning cannot occur in the\nmargins all the time. A center must exist for margins to exist; thus, teachers\ncan guide students back and forth between the center and the margins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teaching in the Margins vs. Teachable moments<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teaching in the margins is fundamentally different from\nteachable moments. The difference lies in how students develop knowledge when\nwondering about a phenomenon. The infographic below indicates how margins do\nnot equal teachable moments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Although students learn via the margins and teachable moments,\nteachers need to understand the differences and consider which approach is most\nappropriate when presented with the opportunity to augment student\nlearning.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to<\/strong> Extend Learning to the Margins<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my classroom, I want to guide students between the center and the margins to make science relevant, interesting, and memorable to my students. As a teacher, I can move science content into the margins by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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https:\/\/www.ohio.edu\/cas\/geology\/graduate\/ms-non-thesis<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
  • Discussing students\u2019 opinions about scientific\nissues and current events<\/li>
  • Encouraging students to pose questions for\ndiscussion<\/li>
  • Having plants and animals in the classroom<\/li>
  • Creating discovery stations around the classroom<\/li>
  • Promoting student-led projects, labs, and\nexperiments based on questions that interest them<\/li>
  • Exploring science topics relevant to the student\nand their community<\/li>
  • Exposing students to how science is done in the\nreal world by taking students to commercial\/federal labs and science museums, as\nwell as inviting science professionals to share about their work in the\nclassroom <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Real-World Activity:<\/strong> Host a debate on an issue, controversy\nwithin science. Students work in pairs to present their position on the topic\nand use scientific evidence, theories, and concepts to support and refute\nclaims. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In this TEDx presentation, Uri Alon discusses the need for\nscientists to stop thinking in direct lines from question to answer, but rather\nas something more creative. Teachers can also apply this notion to teaching\nscience in the margins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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