Diagnosed with LPP

So let’s start with defining legitimate peripheral participation (LPP). In my group we decided to create a drawing of an orchard. The orchard represents the many subjects, talents, skills, and knowledge that people learn throughout their life time. Each tree represents a subject at its basic form. Let’s say the tree represents “a person learning math” within this tree are apples which are subjects that relate to math such as geometry, statistics, basic math, everyday math, etc… As each person/tree grows, growth represents learning; they collect more and more apples of knowledge. The tree roots represent the connections between subjects and other trees of knowledge. For example the roots of math can branch out to reach a tree that represents fashion designing. Fashion designing requires a specific type of math and so the student has knowledge that connects to this other tree. The sun would represent the encouragement of growth for all the trees of knowledge. The sun represents peers, teachers, family, independent learning, and people within the person’s environment such as at work, in school, etc. This basic ecological system demonstrates that people learn by what is in their surroundings and are able to learn different forms within one subject matter. This is how I believe that legitimate peripheral participation is defined, but it should never be limited to this definition.

I want to circle back to the quote I was discussing from Wednesday. I don’t think I explained my thoughts clearly in class so I would like to take the time to further clarify my ideas. The quote states, “We should emphasize, therefore, that legitimate peripheral participation is not itself an educational form, much less a pedagogical strategy or a teaching technique. It is an analytical viewpoint on learning, a way of understanding learning” (40). By stating this quote I believe that Lave and Wenger are explaining that the way we learn should not be limited by forms of education that are provided in the same manner for everyone. Each person has their own system of learning that works for them so it cannot be written into our educational teachings as a uniform way of how things are taught. They believed that LPP was defined as understanding and observing how people learn in different environments and that these forms of learning are constantly changing and adapting to the environments that they are presented in.

For my first week in the ESL center I learned a lot from observing. The first thing I noticed is that the tutor established a relationship with the student before beginning to approach the student’s assignment. He did this by establishing connections by asking questions about the student hometown, their goals when living in America, and what differences did they find interesting about both countries. By establishing this relationship it helps the student relax and allows them to have confidence to ask questions later on. Honestly, I don’t like the ESL environment I found it a bit stiff and unwelcoming. This may be because I am used to the center at Butte which has more natural lighting and larger spaces while Chico State is more closed off with uncomfortable chairs. This will not affect the established students who come in for help, but it will affect future students who are hesitant to come inside making them feel uneasy and more nervous. Nothing makes a student more nervous than opening a solid door with a feeling of uneasiness about what is on the other side. For the ESL’s resources the students have access to a printer and computer to print out their materials and there are several reference sheets and books they are allowed to use while at the center. I believe that space and materials affect the center by either creating an environment that is comfortable and welcoming or just the opposite. The ESL center could use some rearranging and upgrade in furniture to make it more welcoming and busy. Upon entering I noticed the ESL student seemed resistant to come into the building because it was hidden and closed off, but once he was inside and settled in the tutoring went smoothly. It is difficult to work with limited resources, but I believe the students are doing the best with what they have been provided with.

For class I would like to explore some ideas of how we can best use the ideas of LPP and incorporate them into our teaching methods and curriculum.