Diversity as an Intellectual
Resource:
Talk from the Bilingual Science
Classroom
OVERVIEW
Dr. Josiane
Hudicourt-Barnes and Dr. Cynthia Ballenger described their research and classroom
experiences with
3rd-4th grade Haitian and Haitian-descent students
learning science at the Chèche Konnen Center.
SITUATION
Most
Haitian children:
·
engage
in few English language literacy activities at home
·
do
not visit institutions of learning (i.e. museums,
libraries)
Most
Teachers:
·
focus
on skills and experience these students lack
·
do
not recognize students' unique abilities
Argumentation:
·
is
an essential skill in the acquisition of scientific
knowledge
·
is a
fundamental aspect of interaction in Haitian society
Conclusion:
In classrooms where Haitian students are learning science,
important results can be achieved by validating and utilizing the rich oral
tradition available to these children through their
culture.
APPLICATION
“Science Talk” sessions were
organized using:
·
an
informal classroom setting
·
an
inquiry-based method
·
student-centered
discourse
·
Creole
and English
·
everyday
and academic language
·
study
units and loosely defined lesson plans
RESULTS
The “Science
Talk” process demonstrated that students:
·
possessed
strong rhetorical skills
·
took
the study of science very seriously
·
related
their studies to their daily lives
·
exhibited
great innovation and imagination
·
were
confident and competent when natural inquisitiveness was
tapped
CONCLUSION
In the “Science Talk” classroom, Haitian
students demonstrated that abstract scientific principles could be assimilated
and deeply understood by favoring a bilingual, student-centered, culturally
mediated approach to learning.
MORE
INFORMATION
Visit the
Cheche Konnen Center for Science Teaching and Learning at http://projects.terc.edu/cheche_konnen/