Facilitator's Guide
Life Skills

Some researchers make the point that learning involves at least two stages, perception and processing.  Learners approach these stages from different frames of reference.  This activity allows participants to reflect on their own learning experiences and then consider how practice can be refined to encourage positive feelings in students toward education.

Objectives: Participants will:

• Examine student feelings and attitudes related to mathematics and science teaching and learning.
• Explore strategies to change practice in support of enhanced student learning.
• Increase their awareness of some approaches to improving curriculum content and infuse equity issues into pedagogical strategies.
• Develop lessons and enrichment activities from a multicultural perspective.
• Align teaching with how people learn.
• Explore how differently individual learners approach learning.
• Formulate a vision for teaching and learning that is consistent with the vision purposed by current research and educational reform standards ?a vision sensitive to the needs of all learners.
• Discuss issues related to how to engage all learners in mathematics and science education.

Time Frame: 4 hours
 

Preparation Requirements/ Materials Needed

See Sections 1.7, 2.6, and 3.1

• Think-Pair-Share handout
• The Dimensions of Multicultural Education
• Approaches to Multicultural Curriculum Reform
• Using Multiethnic Books to Enhance Curriculum: Multicultural Science TradeBooks
• The Blind Men and the Elephant
• Science That Supports the Emerging National Standards Is
• Mathematics That Supports the Standards Is
• Standards-Based Teaching and Learning
• Personal Reflection

• Overhead Projector, screen, multicolored markers, newsprint, tape
• Easel, 3x5 cards

• The Dimensions of Multicultural Education [Diagram]
• Levels of Integration of Ethnic Content
• Group Assignments
• Elements Consistent With Educational Reform Standards
• The Educators Challenge: A Pop Quiz
• Quick-Response Question 1
• Quick-Response Question 2
• Learnerís Preference
• The Layers in the Learning Process

• Teaching and Learning section of the Michigan Curriculum Framework

McCarthy, B. (1997, March).  A Tale of Four Learner: 4MATís Learning Style.  Educational Leadership, 54(6), 46-51.  Alexandria, VA: Association

Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Senge, P.; Kliener, A.; Roberts, C.; Ross, R.; and Smith, B. (1994) The wheel of learning.  The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook (pp. 59-65).

• Behavioral Style, Culture, and Teaching and Learning
• Multicultural Context a Key Factor in Teaching (article in activity 3.7)
• Toward Changed Practice: A Model and Strategy for Deep Understanding

Program Outline

• 1.7 When I was in School)
• 2.6 Models Strategies and Techniques for Developing Multicultural Content
• 3.1 From This Side: The Challenge to Reach All Learners

• 3.2 Dimensions of Learning
• 3.3 Style: Mapping Preferences in Learning
• 3.7 Ways of Knowing: Perspectives in the Classroom