In It to Learn

As a school librarian, I am always setting my librarian standards , as defined by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), within the context of classroom subject content. I have always wanted the content I was teaching to be relevant within the student’s subject content and I believed that this would make what I was trying to teach more relevant and therefore students would be more likely to retain the information and apply the information across all of their learning.   I believe what I try to do is similar enough to the ideas presented in situated cognition and the culture of learning, that this article was not a total surprise to me. However, as I continue to synthesize the assigned reading for Topic 3, particularly the article Situated Cognition and the Culture of Learning , I realize there is great value in collaborating with teachers to design lessons that are entirely authentic. For my part as the librarian, I believe that my design wo...

Reading Saber-tooth Curriculum, I found that it resonates with today’s educational bureaucracy and I was fascinated by the fact that it was written 80 years ago! Truly, little has changed. In particular, the ways in which a few people decide what learning is important; what areas need to have certificates; how many and what type of credit show proficiency; etc. These established rules and requirements create a division between capable people and access to education and careers that make comfortable lifestyles possible. Truly, I have always liked the traditional education system. I believe it has survived because it works for most. School children through young adults crave a path and purpose and need a safe environment to create and test their boundaries and how to live within a civil society. And isn’t it easiest to learn when there exists a linear path, a logical order, or a foundation of shared knowledge that can be scaffolded upon for more learning? I do not belie...