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Title: The Role of Positioning in the Ecological Learning of Human Youth Making for Pet Companions
Making engages young people with the material world and reflection-in-action, creating promising science learning contexts. Emphasizing relational and social dimensions of making, we conducted a week-long workshop for middle schoolers who are current and aspiring pet companions. Supporting participants’ inquiry into pets’ senses and related behaviors, we asked them to work on maker projects meant to improve their pets’ lives. Following a qualitative analysis of participants’ positioning in relation to their pets, we present case studies of two female participants’ positioning. We find that through the process of making, the two participants demonstrated an increased awareness of pets’ biology and related behavior and their personal interests in pet care, while also differing in what aspects of human-pet relations they focused on. We conclude that through making, especially in contexts with a robust relational draw, youth become attentive to complex and otherwise difficult-to-notice transactions central to taking care of pets.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1736051
PAR ID:
10475705
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ;
Editor(s):
Blikstein, P.
Publisher / Repository:
International Society of the Learning Sciences
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Proceedings of the International Conference of the Learning Sciences
ISBN:
978-1-7373306-7-7
Format(s):
Medium: X
Location:
Montreal
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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