{"id":3894,"date":"2021-09-30T23:09:30","date_gmt":"2021-10-01T03:09:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/edt431-531\/?p=3894"},"modified":"2021-09-30T23:14:41","modified_gmt":"2021-10-01T03:14:41","slug":"the-magic-of-margins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/2021\/09\/the-magic-of-margins\/","title":{"rendered":"The Magic of Margins!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The margin between a forest and an open field.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Margins, in our world, are not valued as they should be. Whether it be pushing certain communities or cultures to the side, ignoring the blank edges of our papers, or excluding people that just don’t seem to fit in, we give little value to the margins and those in the margins. But imagine what we are missing! The rich cultures, the new ideas, the spaces to doodle, and the new friends we could make are all available to us if we are willing to step outside of our comfort zone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From a more scientific standpoint, the margins are the zones between different ecosystems. Just like the margins in our lives, these places are often overlooked, their extreme diversity completely disregarded in light of studying the ecosystems we are already comfortable with. They are largely undiscovered, yet could contain some of the most interesting organisms. But here, in the margins, new ways of life can be created, because organisms have the freedom and opportunity to explore a new area. New species can interact at the intersection between their two worlds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what does this mean for our classrooms? What do these margins look like, and why are they important? Let’s find out!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What The Margins Are NOT<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In order to establish how to travel to the margins, we first need to establish what they are not. Hopefully the next few points won’t remind you of what your science classes were like, but if they were anything like mine, they probably will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  • Using the Textbook:<\/em> The textbook can only offer one point of view on a topic. When the textbook is constantly used throughout the school year, how could students imagine any other ideas? If students are not exposed to other explanations or ways of thinking, they have no way to sort through information to discover what they believe the best answer to be.
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  • Worksheets:<\/em> When students are told exactly what to do and how to do it, there is no room for the insertion of their own original ideas, or much room for the production of original thought. Students cannot explore their own interests when the path of their thinking is already laid out for them.
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  • Artificial Dialogue: <\/em>Teachers often ask students questions they already know the answer to in an effort to move the conversation in a certain, predetermined direction. While this tactic has good intentions, it doesn’t allow for students to move the conversation in their own direction, a direction that they want to explore. If teachers want to go to the margins, they cannot plan every step of the way all at once.

    All of these, including lectures, are what we call the “center” of the classroom. In the center, the teacher simply transmits information to students. The center is not always a bad thing, though- without it, the margins wouldn’t exist! The center definitely has its place in the classroom, as there are some things that can’t be taught by more inquiry based, student centered activities. However, the center is not where the most growth and memorable experiences come from.
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    Here, the teacher is at the center of the classroom.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Teachable Moments vs Margins<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    While we are on the topic of what the margins are not, we need to make the distinction between a teachable moment and going to the margins. While teachable moments may seem valuable, they are actually more teacher centered than student centered, which is a more “center” of the classroom technique. Teachable moments do involve moving away from what was planned in order to capitalize on an important idea that has come up, but those moments are directed by the teacher, as they take over and do the explaining. The margins, on the other hand, involve the students and their ideas along with the teacher, rather than the teacher only.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What Are The Margins?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The margins in the classroom are a place where new ideas can come alive, and where students lead the charge. In order to go to the margins, the teacher has to give up some control and head into what can be seen as uncharted territory. “Margin moments” are the classroom experiences that students will remember forever, the unconventional times where they learned something new.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    • Teacher as facilitator: <\/em>You may have heard the phrase “guide on the side” when talking about the job of teachers in a student centered classroom. This is especially true for margin moments and activities, where teachers should be facilitators of instructional conversations. Note the use of the word “conversation”- both the students and teachers are involved in these discussions, as students are not just blank slates for teacher to add information to.
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    • Planned and unplanned: <\/em>Some moves to the margins are unplanned and spontaneous, such as when a student asks a real-world question during a lesson, or when a current event is unable to be ignored. Other moves to the margins can be planned, such as inquiry based projects where students follow their own interests. Teachers must be willing to be flexible and capitalize on these moments when they come, but they can also plan out times for these sort of activities to happen.
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    • Make science real:<\/em> Going to the margins makes science come alive for the students. More specifically, it makes science relevant, personal, and interesting for the students. When teachers facilitate experiences and conversations that the students are actually interested in, they come to realize that science is much more than just words on a Powerpoint slide. Science is something that can be explored and discovered and developed, which can’t always be understood when you are passively receiving the information as a learner.

      The margins can feel risky and, to be honest, trips to the margins might not always end how you want them to. However, you will never know what the margins could be like if you never to go them! Here is a great video on the value of risk taking as a teacher:

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