Educational ethnographer, research interests include how locally situated practices are discursively constructed; interdisciplinary; formal and semiformal learning places like schools and museums; professional development; teacher leadership Supervisors: Judith Green, Carol Dixon, and Greg Kelly Phone: 3146213784 Address: 306 Marillac Hall, Saint Louis, MO 63121-4400
... Opus Citation Cordova, Ralph A. Jr.; Hudson, Jeffrey; Swank, Patricia; Matthiesen, Amanda; an... more ... Opus Citation Cordova, Ralph A. Jr.; Hudson, Jeffrey; Swank, Patricia; Matthiesen, Amanda; and Bertels, Malinda (2009) "Reclaiming and Composing Our Professional Lives: A Young Writing Project Learns a Language of Inquiry to ... It's amazing! Kathy had her partner in tears. ...
In this chapter we make visible how we are taking to scale our theory of inquiry and innovation, ... more In this chapter we make visible how we are taking to scale our theory of inquiry and innovation, ResponsiveDesign, in both pre-service and in-service settings. In our work in places like River Bluffs High School, we are harnessing the creative potential that links the field of art and design with perspectives from the learning sciences. The challenge we set for ourselves, and the one we report on here, is to understand how that process works, or in other words, methodologizing (Córdova et al., 2012) how to work collectively toward solutions at scale to revolutionize the systems, structures, and cultures of education (Córdova et al., 2015). In this chapter, we offer our approach and learning over the last decade as a contribution from the perspective of a state college of education. The examples we share of our design and innovations work fall into two groups: (1) scaling out an educator preparation model graduating over 300 teacher candidates each year; and (2) seeding half a dozen InnoLabs in local schools, which impact the learning of several hundred teachers and their thousands of students across our bi-state region
For effective learning, teachers' approaches to teaching and students' approaches to le... more For effective learning, teachers' approaches to teaching and students' approaches to learning should match (Trigwell, Prosser & Waterhouse, 1999). Students' individual ways of dealing with the learning environment should also be taken into account. Approaches to teaching should challenge students to develop their thinking and learning (Lindblom-Ylänne & Lonka, 1999; 2000).
The purpose of this article is to report findings from an ethnographic study that focused on the ... more The purpose of this article is to report findings from an ethnographic study that focused on the co-development of science literacy and academic identity formulation within a third-grade classroom. Our theoretical framework draws from sociocultural theory and studies of scientific literacy. Through analysis of classroom discourse, we identified opportunities afforded students to learn specific scientific knowledge and practices during a
The teacher-researcher articulates the concept of cultural landscapes for learning by reporting f... more The teacher-researcher articulates the concept of cultural landscapes for learning by reporting findings from an empirical year-long ethnographic study, he conducted with his 2nd and 3rd grade students. He reveals how his students and he learned to navigate the cultural spaces in and out of school. This interactional ethnographic teacher-research study makes visible how the interdisciplinary literate practices he taught my 2nd/3rd grade students within the school, became mediating practices for potential learning outside of school.
R. Goldman, R, Pea, B. Barron, & S. Derry (Eds.), Video research in the learning sciences, 2007
Community In our Tower community, we have our own language as well as the languages we bring from... more Community In our Tower community, we have our own language as well as the languages we bring from outside (like Spanish and English) which helped us make our own language. So, for example, someone that is not from our classroom community would not understand ...
The authors of this study are teacher-researchers, the first is a university researcher and forme... more The authors of this study are teacher-researchers, the first is a university researcher and former third and fourth grade teacher, while the second author is a university based science educator. They report findings from a community-based study that Ralph, the first author, and his students conducted across two academic years (2001–2003) in order to illustrate the ways in which the next generation science standards and learning progressions can be appropriated as social-constructed practices inside and outside of school. The authors argue that what constitutes science learning in school is not a ‘state of grace’ dictated by standards. Rather, becoming a scientist within a community of learners is a cultural phenomenon that teachers and students co-construct and as such teachers can approach the next generation science standards and learning progressions as opportunities to create intentional, disciplinary practice-based learning communities inside and outside of school.
Purpose University methods instructors emerging from disciplinary silos (art, English, mathemat... more Purpose University methods instructors emerging from disciplinary silos (art, English, mathematics, science, and foreign language) cocreated a seminar to support candidates using video reflection. They explored how the Inquiry into My Practice protocol (IMP) could be used as a vehicle to surface Three Durable Practices critical for educators: intentional collaboration, instruction, and reflection.
Methodology/approach Grounded in an interactional ethnographic perspective, this analysis draws on two telling cases to examine how the faculty team and teacher candidates co-constructed an intentional ethnographic learning community using physical and video-based practices (TeachingChannel.org).
Findings Three Durable Practices came to life in the IMP, and through this shared and coherent conceptual approach, candidates made visible their process for bridging the disconnected worlds of theory and practice as they took up video analysis of their teaching.
Practical implications Orienting across disciplinary boundaries to a shared conceptual language with associated protocols, faculty and candidates are afforded approaches to navigate their face-to-face and virtual worlds of practice.
Abstract It is time to revisit the way we describe and advocate for the “learning power” of museu... more Abstract It is time to revisit the way we describe and advocate for the “learning power” of museums. Museum learning is unique, multi-faceted and inspires higher-order affective and cognitive development. Yet, when museums describe their educational impact to stakeholders, it is often described narrowly, using the measures of formal education rather than focusing on its capacity to model intrinsically-motivated, joyful, open-ended learning that supports self-knowledge and positive social behavior. Museum educators are not doing enough to make a case for the value of museum learning in its own right with political, civic, educational and even museum entities.
Yeager, E. & Córdova, R. (2010). How knowledge counts: Families and their lived experiences as re... more Yeager, E. & Córdova, R. (2010). How knowledge counts: Families and their lived experiences as resources for academic and social action. In M. Dantas P. Manyak, P. (Eds.), Home-School Connections in a Multicultural Society: Learning from and with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Families. Routledge. pp. 218-236.
Second- and third-graders and their teachers write and paint across the cultural landscapes of sc... more Second- and third-graders and their teachers write and paint across the cultural landscapes of school and the larger community to create new spaces for learning.
Abstract: The purpose of this article is to report findings from an ethnographic study that focu... more Abstract: The purpose of this article is to report findings from an ethnographic study that focused on the co-development of science literacy and academic identity formulation within a third-grade classroom. Our theoretical framework draws from sociocultural theory and studies of scientific literacy. Through analysis of classroom discourse, we identified opportunities afforded students to learn specific scientific knowledge and practices during a series of science investigations. The results of this study suggest that the collective practice of the scientific conversations and activities that took place within this classroom enabled students to engage in the construction of communal science knowledge through multiple textual forms. By examining the ways in which students contributed to the construction of scientific understanding, and then by examining their performances within and across events, we present evidence of the co- development of students’ academic identities and scientific literacy. Students’ communication and participation in science during the investigations enabled them to learn the structure of the discipline by identifying and engaging in scientific activities. The intersection of academic identities with the development of scientific literacy provides a basis for considering specific ways to achieve scientific literacy for all students. ß 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 41: 1111–1144, 2004
... Opus Citation Cordova, Ralph A. Jr.; Hudson, Jeffrey; Swank, Patricia; Matthiesen, Amanda; an... more ... Opus Citation Cordova, Ralph A. Jr.; Hudson, Jeffrey; Swank, Patricia; Matthiesen, Amanda; and Bertels, Malinda (2009) "Reclaiming and Composing Our Professional Lives: A Young Writing Project Learns a Language of Inquiry to ... It's amazing! Kathy had her partner in tears. ...
In this chapter we make visible how we are taking to scale our theory of inquiry and innovation, ... more In this chapter we make visible how we are taking to scale our theory of inquiry and innovation, ResponsiveDesign, in both pre-service and in-service settings. In our work in places like River Bluffs High School, we are harnessing the creative potential that links the field of art and design with perspectives from the learning sciences. The challenge we set for ourselves, and the one we report on here, is to understand how that process works, or in other words, methodologizing (Córdova et al., 2012) how to work collectively toward solutions at scale to revolutionize the systems, structures, and cultures of education (Córdova et al., 2015). In this chapter, we offer our approach and learning over the last decade as a contribution from the perspective of a state college of education. The examples we share of our design and innovations work fall into two groups: (1) scaling out an educator preparation model graduating over 300 teacher candidates each year; and (2) seeding half a dozen InnoLabs in local schools, which impact the learning of several hundred teachers and their thousands of students across our bi-state region
For effective learning, teachers' approaches to teaching and students' approaches to le... more For effective learning, teachers' approaches to teaching and students' approaches to learning should match (Trigwell, Prosser & Waterhouse, 1999). Students' individual ways of dealing with the learning environment should also be taken into account. Approaches to teaching should challenge students to develop their thinking and learning (Lindblom-Ylänne & Lonka, 1999; 2000).
The purpose of this article is to report findings from an ethnographic study that focused on the ... more The purpose of this article is to report findings from an ethnographic study that focused on the co-development of science literacy and academic identity formulation within a third-grade classroom. Our theoretical framework draws from sociocultural theory and studies of scientific literacy. Through analysis of classroom discourse, we identified opportunities afforded students to learn specific scientific knowledge and practices during a
The teacher-researcher articulates the concept of cultural landscapes for learning by reporting f... more The teacher-researcher articulates the concept of cultural landscapes for learning by reporting findings from an empirical year-long ethnographic study, he conducted with his 2nd and 3rd grade students. He reveals how his students and he learned to navigate the cultural spaces in and out of school. This interactional ethnographic teacher-research study makes visible how the interdisciplinary literate practices he taught my 2nd/3rd grade students within the school, became mediating practices for potential learning outside of school.
R. Goldman, R, Pea, B. Barron, & S. Derry (Eds.), Video research in the learning sciences, 2007
Community In our Tower community, we have our own language as well as the languages we bring from... more Community In our Tower community, we have our own language as well as the languages we bring from outside (like Spanish and English) which helped us make our own language. So, for example, someone that is not from our classroom community would not understand ...
The authors of this study are teacher-researchers, the first is a university researcher and forme... more The authors of this study are teacher-researchers, the first is a university researcher and former third and fourth grade teacher, while the second author is a university based science educator. They report findings from a community-based study that Ralph, the first author, and his students conducted across two academic years (2001–2003) in order to illustrate the ways in which the next generation science standards and learning progressions can be appropriated as social-constructed practices inside and outside of school. The authors argue that what constitutes science learning in school is not a ‘state of grace’ dictated by standards. Rather, becoming a scientist within a community of learners is a cultural phenomenon that teachers and students co-construct and as such teachers can approach the next generation science standards and learning progressions as opportunities to create intentional, disciplinary practice-based learning communities inside and outside of school.
Purpose University methods instructors emerging from disciplinary silos (art, English, mathemat... more Purpose University methods instructors emerging from disciplinary silos (art, English, mathematics, science, and foreign language) cocreated a seminar to support candidates using video reflection. They explored how the Inquiry into My Practice protocol (IMP) could be used as a vehicle to surface Three Durable Practices critical for educators: intentional collaboration, instruction, and reflection.
Methodology/approach Grounded in an interactional ethnographic perspective, this analysis draws on two telling cases to examine how the faculty team and teacher candidates co-constructed an intentional ethnographic learning community using physical and video-based practices (TeachingChannel.org).
Findings Three Durable Practices came to life in the IMP, and through this shared and coherent conceptual approach, candidates made visible their process for bridging the disconnected worlds of theory and practice as they took up video analysis of their teaching.
Practical implications Orienting across disciplinary boundaries to a shared conceptual language with associated protocols, faculty and candidates are afforded approaches to navigate their face-to-face and virtual worlds of practice.
Abstract It is time to revisit the way we describe and advocate for the “learning power” of museu... more Abstract It is time to revisit the way we describe and advocate for the “learning power” of museums. Museum learning is unique, multi-faceted and inspires higher-order affective and cognitive development. Yet, when museums describe their educational impact to stakeholders, it is often described narrowly, using the measures of formal education rather than focusing on its capacity to model intrinsically-motivated, joyful, open-ended learning that supports self-knowledge and positive social behavior. Museum educators are not doing enough to make a case for the value of museum learning in its own right with political, civic, educational and even museum entities.
Yeager, E. & Córdova, R. (2010). How knowledge counts: Families and their lived experiences as re... more Yeager, E. & Córdova, R. (2010). How knowledge counts: Families and their lived experiences as resources for academic and social action. In M. Dantas P. Manyak, P. (Eds.), Home-School Connections in a Multicultural Society: Learning from and with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Families. Routledge. pp. 218-236.
Second- and third-graders and their teachers write and paint across the cultural landscapes of sc... more Second- and third-graders and their teachers write and paint across the cultural landscapes of school and the larger community to create new spaces for learning.
Abstract: The purpose of this article is to report findings from an ethnographic study that focu... more Abstract: The purpose of this article is to report findings from an ethnographic study that focused on the co-development of science literacy and academic identity formulation within a third-grade classroom. Our theoretical framework draws from sociocultural theory and studies of scientific literacy. Through analysis of classroom discourse, we identified opportunities afforded students to learn specific scientific knowledge and practices during a series of science investigations. The results of this study suggest that the collective practice of the scientific conversations and activities that took place within this classroom enabled students to engage in the construction of communal science knowledge through multiple textual forms. By examining the ways in which students contributed to the construction of scientific understanding, and then by examining their performances within and across events, we present evidence of the co- development of students’ academic identities and scientific literacy. Students’ communication and participation in science during the investigations enabled them to learn the structure of the discipline by identifying and engaging in scientific activities. The intersection of academic identities with the development of scientific literacy provides a basis for considering specific ways to achieve scientific literacy for all students. ß 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 41: 1111–1144, 2004
Uploads
CoLab by Ralph Cordova
Papers by Ralph Cordova
can be appropriated as social-constructed practices inside and outside of school. The authors argue that what constitutes science learning in school is not a ‘state of grace’ dictated by standards. Rather, becoming a scientist within a community of learners is a cultural phenomenon that teachers and students co-construct and as such teachers can approach the next generation science standards and learning progressions as opportunities to create intentional, disciplinary practice-based learning communities inside and outside of school.
Methodology/approach Grounded in an interactional ethnographic perspective, this analysis draws on two telling cases to examine how the faculty team and teacher candidates co-constructed an intentional ethnographic learning community using physical and video-based practices (TeachingChannel.org).
Findings Three Durable Practices came to life in the IMP, and
through this shared and coherent conceptual approach, candidates made visible their process for bridging the disconnected worlds of theory and practice as they took up video analysis of their teaching.
Practical implications Orienting across disciplinary boundaries to a shared conceptual language with associated protocols, faculty and candidates are afforded approaches to navigate their face-to-face and virtual worlds of practice.
can be appropriated as social-constructed practices inside and outside of school. The authors argue that what constitutes science learning in school is not a ‘state of grace’ dictated by standards. Rather, becoming a scientist within a community of learners is a cultural phenomenon that teachers and students co-construct and as such teachers can approach the next generation science standards and learning progressions as opportunities to create intentional, disciplinary practice-based learning communities inside and outside of school.
Methodology/approach Grounded in an interactional ethnographic perspective, this analysis draws on two telling cases to examine how the faculty team and teacher candidates co-constructed an intentional ethnographic learning community using physical and video-based practices (TeachingChannel.org).
Findings Three Durable Practices came to life in the IMP, and
through this shared and coherent conceptual approach, candidates made visible their process for bridging the disconnected worlds of theory and practice as they took up video analysis of their teaching.
Practical implications Orienting across disciplinary boundaries to a shared conceptual language with associated protocols, faculty and candidates are afforded approaches to navigate their face-to-face and virtual worlds of practice.