Contextualization

1. by Bea Pody Contextualization

2. What is contextualization? • Connection of school to students’ lives • Connection to students’ experiences • Connection to students’ homes • Connection to students’ communities abstract information = boredom

3. Building Blocks • existing knowledge • meaningful activities • local norms • application of knowledge • community-based activities • parent involvement • variety of activities • variety of styles

4. 1. Existing Knowledge • Build on knowledge that students already have • agriculture (seasonal workers) • hunting, fishing (rural) • street smarts (inner city) • alternate use for tools (low income) • meta-cognitive language skills (English learners) • geography (immigrants) • existing academic knowledge • personal experience

5. 2. Meaningful Activities • learn something that can be used in real life • tutor younger students • help senior citizens • sponsor a meaningful event • raise funds while applying learned skills • get involved in a good cause • teach a class • help the underprivileged

6. 3. Local Norms • different gender roles • different view of age • majority/minority • reverence for elderly • children’s role • prioritization • money • moral and ethical values • religion

7. 4. Application of Knowledge • overcoming idea that academics have no use in everyday life • make connections between academic knowledge and community • demonstrate benefits for student, school, family and community

8. 5. Community-based Activities • find out interests • reach out for potential partners • spell out purpose and terms of joint effort • work out kinks • share positive results • examples: mentoring at elementary schools, translation services for immigrants, entertainment through chorus, orchestra or marching band performance, reading to senior citizens, grounds improvements, collection of toys and clothing, work in soup kitchens, etc.

9. 6. Parent Involvement • syllabus and welcome letter • create a website • publish regular newsletter • hold parent-teacher dinner conferences • hold family fun nights • call parents • e-mail parents • put out surveys • calls to action (volunteering) • keep good records

10. 7. Variety of Activities • student preference • collective • cooperative • individual • competitive • right-brained vs. left-brained geared • visual, auditory and kinesthetic • opportunities to demonstrate special talents (music, art, acting)

11. 8. Variety of Styles • Conversation & participation to include cultural preferences, such as: • co-narration • call-and-response • choral

12. Subject Area: German II Objective: Virtual Trip to Germany

13. Scenario • This is the first day of a 6-week project called “Virtual Trip to Germany” • This project is conducted together with German III (they share a block and a classroom) whose curriculum calls for “Youth Hostels and Camping”, another concept foreign to all but one or two students in any given level. • For actual scenario see Word document

14. Sources • Web SiteWeb link Berkeley Graduate School of Education, University of California. (n.d.). Making      lessons meaningful. In CREDE (the Crede five standards for effective      pedagogy). Retrieved February 9, 2010, from Berkeley Graduate School of      Education, University of California website: http://crede.berkeley.edu/