“Real‐World Cognition Doesn't End When the Bell Rings”: Literacy Instruction Strategies Derived From Situated Cognition Research

This article discusses situated cognition research and its impact on literacy studies concepts and instruction. It provides a brief historical comparison of cognitive psychology and situated cognition and emphasizes the importance of understanding the complex relationships that exist between learners, the settings in which they engage in cognitive activities, and the reconceptualization of time and its usage. Two classroom strategies derived from the work of Jean Lave and Sylvia Scribner are discussed in depth, as are the lives of students who benefited from these approaches. The author emphasizes the need for cognitive activities that begin in the classroom to continue after the class has ended and encourages educators and researchers to further examine the nature of adaptive thinking and working intelligence. Instead of teacher training courses placing emphasis on teachers' mastery of “closure” of the 40‐minute lesson, courses should encourage teachers to allow their students to engage in problem‐solving opportunities that will persist after instruction has ended. Finally, the article asserts that processes of deriving meaning from reading and writing require components of positive affect in order to be successful and that further studies are needed to explore the nature of adaptive thinking and working intelligence.