“I Never Thought of Science as Something Like This”

Graphical Abstract

Learn about how a university-based teacher preparation program, public schools, and local science-focused museums implement an ecological approach to STEM learning in Chicago.

Abstract

In this article, we describe our efforts to incorporate an ecological perspective into an elementary teacher education program. Thirty-six teacher candidates participated in Loyola University Chicago’s Teaching, Learning, and Leading With Schools and Communities (TLLSC) program, which was designed to respond to Bevan’s (2016) call that, “at the heart of an ecological perspective on learning is the need to make connections across formal, informal, and everyday learning … [which] require(s) us to understand what other educators are doing.” The four-year program provides sustained opportunities for candidates to work alongside educators in multiple contexts to experience learning through a teacher learning ecosystem.

Keywords:

• Informal Education

Author Contributions

Daniel Birmingham ([email protected]) is assistant professor in the School of Education at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Lara Smetana ([email protected]) is an associate professor in the School of Education at Loyola University Chicago in Chicago, Illinois.

Heidi Rouleau ([email protected]) is the school learning experiences manager at The Field Museum in Chicago, Illinois.

Jenna Carlson ([email protected]) is a doctoral student in the School of Education at Loyola University Chicago in Chicago, Illinois.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Daniel Birmingham

Daniel Birmingham ([email protected]) is assistant professor in the School of Education at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Lara Smetana

Lara Smetana ([email protected]) is an associate professor in the School of Education at Loyola University Chicago in Chicago, Illinois.

Heidi Rouleau

Heidi Rouleau ([email protected]) is the school learning experiences manager at The Field Museum in Chicago, Illinois.

Jenna Carlson

Jenna Carlson ([email protected]) is a doctoral student in the School of Education at Loyola University Chicago in Chicago, Illinois.