Week 31 interdisciplinary connections
Two of the potential connections from your map as your near future goal(s)
1: Google certified teacher: This has been a goal of mine for some time. As a leader of digital technologies (e-learning) within the school I work, I believe it is important to continually up skill myself in this area. We are also a GAFE school so another reason to do this. Several of us had started our level 1 but all decided that we would do the exam together. We were waiting for one other staff member to complete the modules. At this stage, we have not discussed doing this. After going to the GAFE summit and a workshop on the Google certified training I am determined to complete this in my own time. For myself as a leader in this area and as I would like to become a facilitator in this field I think it is important to extend my own learning and knowledge.
2: As my role within the school as SENCO I need to further develop my understanding and learning in this area. Each week I have meetings with our school health nurse, SWISS, and RTLB. I have learnt what it takes to lead meetings with outside agencies as well as questioning them for support for our students.
Benefits and challenges of working in a more interdisciplinary environment.
Like everything, there are benefits and challenges to all involved. Within an interdisciplinary environment, teachers, as well as students can learn from each others. As an interdisciplinary is about gaining knowledge in more than one way. This idea is not new, it is a way of integrated curriculum. As 'interdisciplinary, integrated, and integrative approaches are the conscious effort to provide students with more meaningful learning experiences'. Through these experiences, students are learning in a more meaningful context about the word around them, developing critical thinking skills, working collaboratively together. "The theory behind this approach is that authentic and significant learning occurs as new experiences are integrated into our scheme of meanings in such a way that those meanings are expanded and extended" (Beane, 1992, p. 49). Interdisciplinary learning is a valuable way in which students can also develop 21st -century skills by collaborating, thinking critically, communicating as well as being creative in how they may present their own learning. Through this type of learning, students are able to use the skills they learn in one area into another. “With interdisciplinary instruction, students can become more involved in their learning and teachers can work toward eliminating discipline lines. Students can become independent, confident individuals who ‘learn how to learn’ and develop lifelong learning skills” (Duerr, 2008, p. 177) as Jones, Casey (2009) states in interdisciplinary Approach - Advantages, Disadvantages, and the Future Benefits of Interdisciplinary Studies,
Like everything, there are the disadvantages. With an interdisciplinary environment, teachers need to be flexible in the way in which they deliver the curriculum. We all have strengths in different areas and bring a different understanding of content. This can, therefore, have an effect on students' learning. If students have no prior knowledge or very little on a particular topic/ skills this can also affect their learning.
http://study.com/academy/lesson/integrated-curriculum-definition-benefits-examples.html
References:
Jones, Casey (2009) "Interdisciplinary Approach - Advantages, Disadvantages, and the Future Benefits of Interdisciplinary Studies," ESSAI: Vol. 7, Article 26. Available at: http://dc.cod.edu/essai/vol7/iss1/26
Class notes:
One of the most important skills you will need to learn is to become “self-aware” as a teaching professional and to understand the context of your own discipline: its strengths and its limitations. When you can clearly define our actions as a teaching practitioner and the context of your practice you will able to move across disciplines to other areas of practice where you can make informed contributions to the practice of your own current and future practice along with emerging practice disciplines.
Interdisciplinary practice allows individuals who are based in their practice discipline(s) to focus on collaboration and participate in finding solutions to the increasingly complex problems occurring in the world today. When working in an interdisciplinary manner we need to draw on multiple perspectives, practices, epistemologies and methodologies to identify how these can be utilized to solve real world problems.
1: Google certified teacher: This has been a goal of mine for some time. As a leader of digital technologies (e-learning) within the school I work, I believe it is important to continually up skill myself in this area. We are also a GAFE school so another reason to do this. Several of us had started our level 1 but all decided that we would do the exam together. We were waiting for one other staff member to complete the modules. At this stage, we have not discussed doing this. After going to the GAFE summit and a workshop on the Google certified training I am determined to complete this in my own time. For myself as a leader in this area and as I would like to become a facilitator in this field I think it is important to extend my own learning and knowledge.
2: As my role within the school as SENCO I need to further develop my understanding and learning in this area. Each week I have meetings with our school health nurse, SWISS, and RTLB. I have learnt what it takes to lead meetings with outside agencies as well as questioning them for support for our students.
Benefits and challenges of working in a more interdisciplinary environment.
Like everything, there are benefits and challenges to all involved. Within an interdisciplinary environment, teachers, as well as students can learn from each others. As an interdisciplinary is about gaining knowledge in more than one way. This idea is not new, it is a way of integrated curriculum. As 'interdisciplinary, integrated, and integrative approaches are the conscious effort to provide students with more meaningful learning experiences'. Through these experiences, students are learning in a more meaningful context about the word around them, developing critical thinking skills, working collaboratively together. "The theory behind this approach is that authentic and significant learning occurs as new experiences are integrated into our scheme of meanings in such a way that those meanings are expanded and extended" (Beane, 1992, p. 49). Interdisciplinary learning is a valuable way in which students can also develop 21st -century skills by collaborating, thinking critically, communicating as well as being creative in how they may present their own learning. Through this type of learning, students are able to use the skills they learn in one area into another. “With interdisciplinary instruction, students can become more involved in their learning and teachers can work toward eliminating discipline lines. Students can become independent, confident individuals who ‘learn how to learn’ and develop lifelong learning skills” (Duerr, 2008, p
Like everything, there are the disadvantages. With an interdisciplinary environment, teachers need to be flexible in the way in which they deliver the curriculum. We all have strengths in different areas and bring a different understanding of content. This can, therefore, have an effect on students' learning. If students have no prior knowledge or very little on a particular topic/ skills this can also affect their learning.
http://study.com/academy/lesson/integrated-curriculum-definition-benefits-examples.html
References:
Jones, Casey (2009) "Interdisciplinary Approach - Advantages, Disadvantages, and the Future Benefits of Interdisciplinary Studies," ESSAI: Vol. 7, Article 26. Available at: http://dc.cod.edu/essai/vol7/iss1/26
Class notes:
One of the most important skills you will need to learn is to become “self-aware” as a teaching professional and to understand the context of your own discipline: its strengths and its limitations. When you can clearly define our actions as a teaching practitioner and the context of your practice you will able to move across disciplines to other areas of practice where you can make informed contributions to the practice of your own current and future practice along with emerging practice disciplines.
Interdisciplinary practice allows individuals who are based in their practice discipline(s) to focus on collaboration and participate in finding solutions to the increasingly complex problems occurring in the world today. When working in an interdisciplinary manner we need to draw on multiple perspectives, practices, epistemologies and methodologies to identify how these can be utilized to solve real world problems.
Hi Fiona. I too am keen to become a Google certified teacher and hope to look into this kaupapa during the holidays. I went to the GAFE summit in Wellington and thoroughly enjoyed it - saw some really neat apps that I would like to try! I like the idea of the Interdisciplinary approach to learning as opposed to the customary fragmented approach. I think a project driven curriculum is are ideal for utilising the interdisciplinary approach as it provides an authentic and meaningful context for students to think critically, to problem solve and to apply acquired or new knowledge and skills.
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