Learning is doing and doing is learning. I have always questioned the idea that we take kids during their highest energy levels and stick them in desks for eight hours a day and then expect them to sit still and listen. Sounds like a recipe for failure doesn't it? But I have never found an alternative for where I have ever taught that works. Between overloaded, huge classes, poor funding, and the lack of support, nothing of this type is actually working. I do not doubt the theory because I have seen it work for me and many others, e.g.-student teaching.
We have had community based internships, school-to-work coordinators, and many apprenticeship-like programs for years in the schools. Very, very few students ever participate. I am sure there are many reasons why, but the answer I get most often is that the students have no idea what area they would do an internship in. Despite continual career classes and emphasis, (most of which is a waste of time when done previous to high school) most kids graduate with little or no idea of what they are going to be "when they grow up." Think of this: how many times did you change your major when you were in college? Some of the ones that do have some idea, pick fields they are unsuited for. I have a 12th grade student aide right now who says she is going to be an opthalmologist. She has a terrible time with math, biology, and chemistry. She is actually behind her peers in terms of the level of classes she is taking in each of those subjects. Her grades are very mediocre. No one wants to discourage her so no one says a word about it.
As a teacher I am constantly struggling with how I bring history to life. No teacher wants a time travel machine more than I do. We do a lot of historical research. I hope that is hands on and I try to spend enough time with each individual student to know what will actually matter to them. For example, I had a student who was Latino and very much into her culture. For a research paper I suggested doing a paper on the 212th Coastal Artillery in World War II. This regiment came from New Mexico and was predominantly Hispanic. They were sent to the Philippine Island where they were surrendered and they became prisoners of war with a terrible loss of life. But I fear that is more following her interests rather than actual situated learning.
I have no doubt that situated cognition is vitally important to learning. I hope to learn more as I read other people's lesson plans and gain some ideas.
