We speak with Dr. Cynthia Ballenger about her recent book, “Teaching is Inquiry: Observation and Reflection as the Heart of Practice,” in which she explores the role of ethnography in inquiry-based teaching and learning, i.e., cultural practices in terms of speaking, storytelling, and conveying information. Teachers can discern a lot more about students if they listen to them in the context of their ethnic/ cultural styles of communicating. Dr. Ballenger also addresses the children she calls “puzzling.” Each of them has something to offer, she says, even those who seemingly have social-emotional challenges.
Overview
00:00-00:58 Intros
00:58-01:45 “Teaching Is Inquiry”
01:45-08:56 Ethnography of education
08:56-11:12 “Every child has something to offer the class.”
11:12-20:45 The “puzzling child”: more stories
20:45-24:10 Cultural and individual differences
24:10-27:43 Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
27:43-30:17 “Stopping time.”
30:17-31:17 Importance of stories
31:17-34:41 Strengthening systemic support; ethical implications
34:41-36:45 Testing culture as anti-democratic and unethical
36:45-38:13 More reflections on OCD
38:13-38:37 Jerome Bruner on negotiating meaning
38:37- Outro
Transcript
Click here to see the full transcription of this episode.
References
Book “Teaching is Inquiry” by Dr. Cynthia Ballenger
Soundtrack by Poddington Bear
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