Discovering and Supporting Successful Learning Pathways of Youth In and Out of School: Accounting for the Development of Everyday Expertise Across Settings

摘要: A fifth-grade girl, born in Haiti and adopted into a Seattle family, talked at home about how she wanted to be chemist or paleontologist when grew up. For 6 months, spent portions of her Saturdays mixing perfumes, as might, with mother. But public schoolteacher, who is seasoned professional sophisticated teaching expertise, thought the girl was lazy surprised see become highly excited engaged science curriculum unit end year. fourth-grade boy same school got moved back classroom because he frequently “off task” “resistant” curriculum. He significant periods his time room mentally deconstructing physical environment around him, “thinking structures” put it. Unbeknownst teachers, had been deepening participation hobby—an elective vocation—since attending summer design program local university third grade. Outside design, construction, building projects all manner technological objects. It would 3 more years before came understand that there such field engineering it might good match for interests. By point much difficult make way along typical academic path. To simply say these youth may “at risk” making their pathways ignores depth academic-related interests developing expertise. skirts evaluation positioning them occurred different contexts based on partial understanding they were become, severely discounts complexities associated productively pursuing becoming wish become. We argue we need discover then support successful learning across social settings over developmental so can promote development expertise lead both personal success.