Urban Students, Urban Settings
Wayne Powell
Brooklyn College
City University of New York
Urban Students:
What to Be Aware Of…
• Diverse in culture and experience
– Few common points of reference
– Many culturally based analogies will
have no meaning to many in the class
(food, TV, pop culture icons)
• The city is your point of
intersection… Integrate it
throughout your teaching
What common experiences do
you assume your classes share?
What analogies do you use?
Are any potentially problematic?
Urban Students:
What to Be Aware Of…
• Strong ties to family & community
– Students will have many
responsibilities at home (e.g., caring
for children, siblings, grandparents)
– Limits on time students can be
expected to work on school-related
activities
• Community concerns resonate…
Focus on local issues and
improvements. Avoid busy work!
What local issues could resonate
in your geoscience classes?
Urban Students:
What to Be Aware Of…
• Many students are financially
limited
– Many students will work fulltime jobs
in addition to school
– Limits on time students can be
expected to work on school-related
activities
• Career matters!... Stress
practicality, marketable skills, and
career opportunities
What are the most common careers
for geoscience graduates in your
community?
Which college-valued skills are
most marketable in these careers?
Urban Students:
What to Look Forward to…
• Students have a sense of personal
responsibility
– They understand consequences
– They are used to making pragmatic
decisions
• Treat them as responsible adults...
Negotiate and discuss deadlines.
Be flexible and reasonable.
Urban Students:
What to Look Forward to…
• Students have a strong desire to
improve their lives (and those of
their family)
– They are motivated to succeed
• Again, career matters!... Stress
practicality, marketable skills, and
career opportunities
Urban Students:
What to Look Forward to…
• Students bring diverse experiences
(cultural and geographical)
– Someone in the classroom has a
connection to whatever topic that you
are discussing
• Use their experience... Provide
opportunities for students to share
and reflect on applications and
implications
From which geographic regions
do your students originate?
What geological topics/issues
correlate with these regions?
Urban Settings:
What to Look Forward to…
• Rewarding partnerships
– Non-formal education organizations
(museums, parks)
– Community organizations
– Other universities with potentially
complementary research facilities
Which organizations and facilities
exist in your community that could
provide support to your teaching
and research?
Urban Settings:
What to Look Forward to…
• Public learning resources
– Abundant and diverse building stone
(weathered to varying degrees)
– Museum exhibit halls
– Park environments
– Municipal natural disaster educational
materials
How could you redesign an
assignment in one of your courses to
be better suited to urban students in
an urban setting?