Despite the many discouraging messages, it is essential for those who teach science to hold onto their idealism. Sometimes, though, our hope and faith becomes stronger when there is evidence to support our views. For example, while we might want to accept the idea that students, of all backgrounds, can learn science if it is taught in appropriate ways, having more than a vision seems necessary. In addition to moral or ethical commitments to teaching science to every child, most of us appreciate information that provides a more solid foundation than hopefulness.
We frequently hear stories of "failing schools" and all the associated problems that come with those institutions. Unfortunately for the novice teacher, the supposed common sense of schools that serve culturally and linguistically diverse populations has take on a life of its own. What this leads us to is not just individual anecdotes (e.g., "Hartford students did badly on the science test") but that this becomes The Big Story. As with most powerful stories, there are actors and a setting and a storyline. For schools in Connecticut that struggle to educate all children, this storyline is full of unexamined assumptions. For example, when a school is in trouble it is implied that this happens because of students who are ethnic minorities. This has become a meta-narrative that we may accept as true. The more we hear these stories, and not only from the media but also from other people, we may start to believe that there is some truth that resides just below the surface.
To combat these misleading messages is more complicated than simply pointing at the issues. A strong meta-narrative must be undone through a competing story — a counter-narrative. A group called the Education Trust has provided us with one example. According to that group's Sept 12, 2006 press release: "The Education Trust is co-hosting a Capitol Hill Event today with Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL), Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA), and Rep. Artur Davis (D-AL) that features African-American educators who have successfully used standards and accountability to improve teaching, motivate students and faculty, and raise achievement in their schools." At the core of this document are examples that disprove the claims that certain students are pre-disposed to fail in school:
We frequently hear stories of "failing schools" and all the associated problems that come with those institutions. Unfortunately for the novice teacher, the supposed common sense of schools that serve culturally and linguistically diverse populations has take on a life of its own. What this leads us to is not just individual anecdotes (e.g., "Hartford students did badly on the science test") but that this becomes The Big Story. As with most powerful stories, there are actors and a setting and a storyline. For schools in Connecticut that struggle to educate all children, this storyline is full of unexamined assumptions. For example, when a school is in trouble it is implied that this happens because of students who are ethnic minorities. This has become a meta-narrative that we may accept as true. The more we hear these stories, and not only from the media but also from other people, we may start to believe that there is some truth that resides just below the surface.
To combat these misleading messages is more complicated than simply pointing at the issues. A strong meta-narrative must be undone through a competing story — a counter-narrative. A group called the Education Trust has provided us with one example. According to that group's Sept 12, 2006 press release: "The Education Trust is co-hosting a Capitol Hill Event today with Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL), Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA), and Rep. Artur Davis (D-AL) that features African-American educators who have successfully used standards and accountability to improve teaching, motivate students and faculty, and raise achievement in their schools." At the core of this document are examples that disprove the claims that certain students are pre-disposed to fail in school:
The report, Yes We Can: Telling Truths and Dispelling Myths about Race and Education in America, soundly rejects the myth that low academic achievement is inevitable among children of color and students from low-income families and provides examples of high-minority and high-poverty schools where children perform at high levels.Such a document helps us to create a counter-narrative. In light of the examples and exhortations in this report, we can find ways to hold tight to our convictions. While the answers may not be 100% clear, this document offers evidence that our belief in every child being able to learn science is reasonable and worth fighting toward. You cam download Yes We Can by clicking on the title … or using this link http://www2.edtrust.org/NR/rdonlyres/DD58DD01-23A4-4B89-9FD8-C11BB072331E/0/YesWeCan.pdf
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