HOW WOULD I HANDLE THAT? Using Vignettes to Promote Good Math and Science Education AUTHOR Patricia B. Campbell, Ph.D. INTRODUCTION Knowledge of theory, of research, and of potential strategies is an important component of any educational equity effort. However, unless these kinds of knowledge can be applied to specific situations, they are of little "real-life" value. Yet the political and pedagogical complexities of "real-life" situations are often overwhelming. Too, real schools with real children tend not to be the best places to develop the skills necessary to move from theory to practice. The use of vignettes may help. Vignettes are short stories that are written to reflect, in a less complex way, real-life problems of education and of equity. Responding to vignettes, individually or in small groups, can be an effective way to try out some ideas, build on the ideas of others, and even work toward some consensus in a relatively nonthreatening manner. Return to top Our goal is to provide an introduction to the use of vignettes and to encourage people to use them. We also provide a series of vignettes dealing with educational issues related to math, science, and equity. | |
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