Al Schademan joined the Warner School community in fall 2007 as acting director of the science education program. Previously, he taught middle school science and environmental education for ten years in both public and private schools and taught an undergraduate course in elementary science methods at the University of Utah. Earning his master’s degree from the University of Utah in 2002, Al is currently pursuing his doctoral degree at the Warner School and plans to graduate in spring 2008.
Schademan’s research interests focus on learning and development as youth engage in cultural practices. His dissertation focuses on the resources related to science and mathematics that youth learn and develop through cultural practice. Grounded in cultural historical activity theory and theories of social and cultural practice, his research is designed to confront deficit notions of African-American young men and to inform educators seeking to create culturally affirming contexts in their classrooms. Through his research, he seeks to uncover the robust forms of science and mathematics that African-American young men learn through everyday practices in an effort to improve educational contexts in science for students from non-dominant groups.
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