By building on some success-starting with something they had already mastered-he may have been more successful in engaging the student in the skills he intended to teach. (pg. 135) This quote is critical for me as an educator as students learn more effectively when they...
already know something about a content area AND
when concepts in that area mean something to them AND
to their particular background or culture
When teachers link new information to the student's prior knowledge, they activate the student's interest and curiosity, and infuse instruction with a sense of purpose.
The Dreamkeepers "Education, like electricity, needs a conduit, a teacher, through which to transmit its power- i.e., the discovery and continuity of information, knowledge, wisdom, experience, and culture. Through the stories and experiences of eight successful teacher-transmitters, The DreamKeepers keeps hope alive for educating young African Americans."
YES!!!!!!!! It gives the students a connection to prior knowledge so that they can connect the dots in their head to see the bigger picture! It's like teaching about an event in history without placing it on a timeline, knowing what happened before and after. It seems an isolated event, with nothing connected, and therefore seemingly unimportant to the student.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of a recent substitute teaching experience I had. I was working with an African American (male) special education student on a math test. He was so cute! He was having a hard time with the test and he said, "I know it's in my brain but I just can't find it." This may have something to do with the teachers lack of culturally relevant teaching (which can take place in subjects besides E.L.A.). It did not matter that his teacher was a white male, it mattered that this student was struggling because different approaches needed to be taken to prevent him from such unsuccessful situations. Bringing relevance or cultural connectors to math vocabulary could be what this child needs to be successful.
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