Day 16 - Making connections across learning areas - messy and engaging.

Interdisciplinary connections between subject areas might seem innovative and new as seen in Hobsonville Point Secondary School but it is something primary school teachers have been experimenting with for years. The only way to fit everything in, at a depth that makes learning purposeful and interesting, is to mix it all up together like it happens in life!

But how do we define Interdisciplinary teaching? Mathison and Freeman (1997) suggest the purpose is to enhance learning by having two or more subjects work in together to help make the connections. They suggest that the interdisciplimnary approach is more teacher driven, an intergrate approach is inquiry driven and the intergrative approach is about sharing student and teacher ideas to co-construct the curriculum. The basis of all of these approaches is to make connections between learning areas and apply skills across different contexts.

Interdisciplinary connection map:

My interdisciplinary connection map is totally different from those of other Mindlab students because I have focussed on aspects I am so passionate about that they seep into everything I do as a teacher.

I love utilizing digital technologies for learning to scaffold student success. They allow students to create and share their learning as digital citizens with an understanding of the strengths and challenges involved in working ‘online’.

Being the Enviro School lead teacher has a huge impact on how I do everything. The five guiding principles are that of empowering students to take action for real change, teaching and learning for sustainability, honouring Māori perspectives, respecting the diversity of people and cultures and developing the skills in our students that will nurture both people and nature as a sustainable community. These Enviroschool principles tie in with my passion for Te Reo, raranga (flax weaving), Māori tikanga and empowering students to be independent change-makers.

My focus is to develop independence in learning and developing the Key Competencies so my students have the necessary skills for participating in the challenges of the 21st Century.  A key component of this is self reflection, unpacking the metacognition behind their learning which will help them develop as a self directed learner. (Ministry of Education 2016)

Topmost in my mind is the way the Feuerstein Method has changed my teaching. I focus on unpacking - cognitive functions into manageable chunks, mediate learning by asking those challenging questions that help students identify effective strategies, while making connections from learning to other contexts and the real world. I believe that every student is modifiable and feel that it is my responsibility to give them the skills they need to grow. (Feuerstein 2010)

Finally, I strive to make learning engaging, for a purpose and social. We co-create learning as we struggle with an inquiry or problem based learning which requires us to use all of our skills and make connections across the curriculum areas.

Identify two of the potential connections from your map as your near future goals:
In the challenge of fitting everything onto the page in my map, I forgot to mention the possible future steps.....

1. Make closer links with the Marae and local Māori community. I hope to return to studying raranga (flax weaving) in 2017, which will continue to build my relationships within tthe Māori community, but also need to look at ways to make my teaching even more culturally responsive. One way is to take more of an active role in my local marae so that I can build relationships and incorporate these into my classroom.

2. Unpack the effect of Feuerstein amongst our learners. This will take the form of carrying out my research project, supporting new other teachers from the school in their training and developing a bank of resources that can be used in implementing this amazing method. This will also require further training over the next few years, so that I can teach the full range of enrichment tasks within our school Dynamic Thinking programme, while also embedding the approach across the curriculum with the aim of providing ‘Equity for all’. (Ministry of Education 2016, NEG 2).

The beneifts of making connections:
Feuerstein states that teaching specific cognitive functions should be done repeatedly and in isolation so it can then be embedded in a task. His key focus is to always make those connections between the strategy and where in the world it was being used. This is fine for an intense cognitive function programme but I believe that it is more motivating if the 'need' for learning arises from an authentic learning opportunity. This results in....

• clear connections being made between subjects, strategies and encourages application into new contexts
• more complex and challenging isssues can be unpacked - in depth rather than superficial 'coverage'
• collaboration as a focus, using creativity, communication, problem solving and critical thinking to socially co-construct knowledge
• authentic lines of inquiry engage and inspire students
• student interest and voice leads the direction of inquiry or problem soving challenge
• learning being fresh and interesting because it is driven by student interests

The challenges of interdisciplinary connections:
Uncertainity of planning:
These issues tend to sit with the teacher. Are they prepared to 'back-plan' or cope with the uncertainty of not having the planning completed for the term? Relying on student imput takes the control away from the teacher and requires flexibility. 

Curriculum hour blocks:
The other current issue I can see in primary school is moving away from specific subject blocks. While we might be using reading or writing to support the inquiry or project based leawrning - why do we need to separate the day into 1 hour sections? Breaking down these barriers is fine in a single cell classroom but how do you manage three teachers and 90 students in the mix?

Tracking and assessment:
If the subject blocks are removed and we focus on 'Integrated Learning' how do you check that each subject recieves an appropriate amount of time, track the learning in separate subjects and keep it sorted in your own mind? How then do you explain this to parents who are set in the traditional apporach of hour blocks?

It is obvious that real life does not fit into small clearly labelled sections but is messy and skills from one part of life are always applied to other areas. This is the life we are preparing our students to thrive in. Lets give them the skills they need!

Allana Taylor's Blog
References:

Feuerstein, R., Feuerstein, R. S., & Falik, L. H. (2010). Beyond smarter: Mediated learning and the brain's capacity for change. New York: Teachers College Press. 

Hipkins, R., Bolstad, R., Boyd, S., & McDowall, S. (2014). Key competencies for the future. New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER) Press.

Lacoe Edu (2014, Oct 24) Interdisciplinary Learning [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cA564RIlhME

Ministry of Education, http://www.education.govt.nz/ministry-of-education/legislation/negs/  11/5/16 uploaded

Ministiry of Education, Key Competencies. http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/Key-competencies 26.6.16 uploaded. 

TEDx Talks (2001, April 6). TEDxBYU - David Wiley - An interdisciplinary path to innovation. [video file].Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ytjMDongp4 

Twitter - from Daily 5 to 'Self Directed Learners'

Twitter - from Daily 5 to 'Self Directed Learners'

How much has your classroom changed in the last two years?
If it is not obvious to you, your learners and your colleagues that things are changing then you need to get out there and grab yourself some PD. To be specific, some Self-Directed Professional Development.

Get going with Twitter:
Three years ago I found Twitter and a whole new world of PD opened up. This was not what 'Management' decided I needed to learn but was driven by my interests and the needs of our classroom.
I noticed that educators globally kept talking about the same things and one of them was Daily 5 and Reader's Cafe.

Investigating Daily 5:
Always nosy and keen to improve my teaching, I began the investigation.  The books arrived and I was raring to go but ….. two student teachers and 12 weeks later… I began in Term 4 of 2012. We started the process of developing reading muscles, stamina and independence within our own learning.  The class loved it.

All those 'Internet Based' tools come into play when beginning something like this. Pinterest has already gathered up all the resources you would ever need and tweeting or catching up at F2F meetings likeeducamps and coffee is the way to see things in action.  Make those connections and visit other  classes.


In the first year it all began to click into place and I could see the connections we could make with the work of The Book Whisperer @donalynbooks.  We unpacked genre, tracked our reading with 'Piggy Pyramids', wrote shopping lists of books we wanted to share and did 'Book Speed-Dating'.  Most importantly we have heaps of books around our class and I activelly helped kids find 'Good-fit books' because I knew what they like to read and have read most of the books in our class library!  Daily 5 was our favourite time of the day but that was not the end.  It was only the beginning.



Growing Daily 5 into independence:
To start 2014, my neighbouring teacher, @KeelingAlice, and I were questioning how we could grow the independence of Daily 5 to help develop Independent Learners with aspects of a student led timetable.  We had already successfully applied the approach to our maths programme and the language of independence was being used confidently… start straight away, move away from distractions and know my target.

Independent Learners:
Our class identified the success criteria for an Independent Learner, designed a licence and decided what choices the licence would give them. We started at the beginning of Term 3 with 13 Independent Learners and now at the end of Term 3, the whole class of 27 have their licence.

Does it make a difference?
I am in the process of getting the class to complete a Google Survey to establish their views on the difference 'Choice' makes but a couple of anecdotal observations really showed me how powerful giving students agency and autonomy really is.

I have two boys in my class who in their own way have been a huge challenge.  They were defiant and angry, unco-operative and not willing to be part of our class.  I took the risk of allowing them a Learner Licence earlier than I would have liked.  Their success criteria were much more limited than what was expected of the class.  I didn't make the connection but after a couple of amazing weeks with these boys, I asked what had changed to make learning with them so much more positive and self managing.  They both said it was getting their Learner Licence and having control over their day.

It was Daily 5 that began this journey and allowed us to get to this point where the students know their targets, select the most appropriate learning activity and suggest even more appropriate ones to meet their interests and needs.

Positive Mindset:
My final challenge for this last term was to help improve the attitude of the class. This links closely to the work of Carol Dwek, as sourced via Twitter, and is linked to my focus on Te Reo.

We begin every day with this as a karakia then move into a loud chant.

Hard work brings success.

Success makes me feel good.

I can get better.

I will be adventurous.

I can solve it!

This is a great vocal way to claim the day and has made the class aware of the importance of having a positive mindset.  They identify it as a personal need, include it in their daily targets and then we celebrate evidence of a positive mindset throughout the day. My most negaitve student at the beginning of Term 3 is now constantly referring to and exhibiting a positive mindset, as well as idenifying it in others.

Where to now?
The journey never ends if you are making use of the available contacts and links via Twitter. There is always a next step as the teacher and these are mine:

Begin to use gaming elements to reinforce the success criteria of independence.  Gaming 4 Community

Collaborativelly build a Google Site 'HUB' for our two classes, in which we can embed our 'Flipped' resources, learning links, weekly programme and follow-up tasks for student access from anywhere and anytime.  Google Sites - Amy McCauley


Join Twitter and get some PD:
My best ideas as a teacher over the past three years have all come from amazing teachers on Twitter. I can't imagine what my class might look like if I hadn't had all this brilliant and free PD.

Sign up and start following some of these great teachers. Christchurch Teachers
Don't forget to check in with groups from your local area like Christchurch Connected Educators because that's your own personal resource and support team!