Igniting the Integration Disciplines of Curriculum

Looking back on high school and the structure of curriculums, I remembered that all subjects were looked at separately, math was simply seen as math, and english class was just seen as english class. As a future educator for the 21st century, I realize now that subjects and curriculum material can be looked at at a highly complexity than I once thought: Multidisciplinary, Interdisciplinary, and Transdisciplinary approaches are all integrated curriculums that surround our 21st century learning.

What Are Multidisciplinary, Interdisciplinary, and Transdisciplinary Integrations?

The Multipdisciplinary integration to curriculum keeps the separate disciplinary boundaries, but keep a connection of a common theme or issue between then.  Each discipline in this integration is looked at in it's primary state. As explained in my recollection of high school, art is not connected to english, or science and geography do not interact with each other.

Retrieved from: http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/images/publications/books/drake2004_fig1.1.gif

Educators who follow this integration would look at the standards in the curriculums of each subject and only relate a common theme between them.  The image to the left shows the relationships of the different subjects to each other and to a common theme. For example: English, Science, and Geography may connect to look at the common theme of problem solution essays or presentations for the environment. With all different types of subject areas, and many themes that relate to them, we see that there are many different ways to connect subject areas to different themes. This type of integration same to be useful in all classes in education from primary to post secondary, as the topics and connections can get more specific and reflective with each level of education. It also helps to connect students to the big picture when they ask "well how does english help me if I want to be a chemist?".  

Retrieved From: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/ca/
63/0e/ca630e91430536843058d68d41d8c541.jpg

The Intradisciplinary integration as explained in Interweaving Curriculum and Classroom Assessment is a curriculum that integrates the concepts from different disciplines and blends them together in order to point out important themes and concepts. In this approach to integration the educators would organize the curriculum around the common theme, instead of looking at the separate curriculums and pulling out the common themes from them. Common learnings found in the disciplines to highlight the interdisciplinary skills and concepts that are important to learn. The disciplines become less important in this approach than in the previous approach, and themes and concepts highlight the curriculum. This integration approach is seen in schools today, the importance of technological literacy is highlighted in high schools. It is seen in all subject areas; English for multimedia studies, graphic design for art, math with excel functions, and science using different machines for experimental analysis. It is also a common concept and theme that was integrated in many of the blog posts this week as a new approach to education.

In the transdisciplinary approach to integration, the curriculum completely changes in comparison to the other two integrations as educators organize curriculum around student questions and concerns in culture, socio, political, and environmental concerns. In this integration, the students develop skills to suit life in society, and within their separate social institutions. Different from the other two integrations, students are taught lessons using real life contexts; they are given actual real life examples to work with. This integration leads to either project based learning projects, or leads to negotiating with the students of how the curriculum would run. Instead of looking at primarily the concepts and learning straight from texts that focus on the different subject areas, the transdisciplinary integration focuses on new perspectives based on previous theories and concepts, and the issues within these pre assumes notions in texts. Therefore, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches use a theme to learn about different types of disciplines, but transdisciplinary appears to look through the lenses of these different disciplines to look at the bigger picture these themes emphasize.

What are examples of transdisciplinary integration units involve topics?

Equality and inequality, the environmental, media and gender dynamics, topics of democracy, and global education.

To review the concepts:

Retrieved From: http://www.greenwichschools.org/uploaded/virtual_library/transdisciplinary/trans3.gif

How Do The Three Integrations Connect?

When looking at all three degrees of integration, I saw no connection between them. Looking closer at the three interpretations though I began to see the relationship between the connections to subject areas and their surrounding themes. Throughout a timeline of education it seems that each subject area started off as it's own separate curriculum, and throughout time the web of connections between subject areas began to grow. As education moves toward the future, I feel that education will move further from multidisciplinary, and closer and closer towards transdisciplinary. In participating in teaching observations, it is becoming clearer to see not only the blending separate subject curriculums , but the complete removal of the subject as a singular entity- classes may consist fully of developing themes, and working on societal issues. Looking at these three integrations, I see the past, the present, and the future of education. 

Retrived From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5sX7ffffxI

The video above gives great examples of the three integrations to curriculum, but looking at this video, I start to wonder...

1) Can the curriculum blend subject areas as close to transdisciplinary, without creating problems?Some people need structure when looking at subject areas as separate curriculums, will blending be beneficial to some, while risking the education of others?

2) How far can education blend the subject areas together without making them unrecognizable? 

3) How will teachers who study different practices be able to teach with transdisciplinary integration into curriculum?

4) Which integration is the most beneficial to primary, secondary, and post secondary education? 

Until Next Time,

Miss. Bieber

Students are not empty vessles to be filled

Imagine as a first year teacher that you spent your entire summer going over the curriculum and creating your lesson plans based on what you wanted your students to know, do, and be. You walk into your classroom and you notice in the first 5-10 minutes that your students are not what you expected. You spent your whole summer memorizing every final detail of the curriculum, but never took any consideration of what your students would be like. How are you going to manage your classroom if you don’t know your students?

Getting to know your students and having a background on their previous knowledge and skills can make a world’s difference in the outcome you and your students want accomplished by the end of the year. Not all students are the same and as stressed in Interweaving Curriculum and Classroom Assessment: Engaging the 21^st Century Learner, “The curriculum can be relevant only when it connects to student’s interests and experiences” (Drake, 2014, p.52).

When determining students pre-knowledge and skills, it is important to keep two factors in mind:

Retrieved from: https://s-media-cacheak0.pinimg.com/
236x/4c/c5/3a/4cc53a644caa2ec4696255dafeb67fe9.jpg

Learning Preferences:

Different students have different learning preferences in any classroom a teacher enters. One of the approaches I was evaluated by in primary and secondary school was VAK. I was evaluated through a multiple choice test to see if I was a visual learner, an auditory learner, or a kinetic learner. Visual learners (as the picture to the right suggests) learn through visually seeing the information in front of them. Teachers need to reinforce visual learning by: using graphics, colour organizing notes, give written directions, and using charts to explain theories. Teachers should note that auditory learners learn best when hearing, and teachers should reinforce this method of learning through reading out loud, or using storytelling/analogies to get a point across. Lastly, kinesthetic learners learn through hands on work, so teachers should reinforce this method of learning through role play, translating information into models, recite a list by counting fingers,and memorization through movement.

Retrieved from: http://hdthomas.files.wordpress.com /2013/09/learning-multiple-intelligences-infographic.jpg

Another way to track own a students learning preference is through Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences as depicted in the diagram to the left. This diagram challenges the previous set of learning styles by stating there are different, more unique sets of learning styles than just visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. Teachers in the 21st century apply this model in different methods of assessment for project based learning. How do I know this? Back when I was in grade 12, my English teacher gave my class a project that analyzed William Shakespeare's Othello and through our own interpretation we had to come up with one major theme that was emphasized in the text. I was paired up with a student who was musically inclined and our project was a song recording we made that related to the themes we had chosen from the text. The notes, tempo, and lyrics all related to the theme of betrayal, and we got an A+ on the project. My point is that students are able to shine based on the multiple intelligence column they fall under, and if a teacher gives them room to grow in that intelligence, they will excel in the tasks they are given.

Environmental Preferences:

As a teacher it is also important to analyse how each student interacts and adapts to their surroundings. In what type of environment does a student work best it? How can I as a teacher set up my classroom to appease most or all of my students? As a high school teacher the task is more tricky, some teachers might have one room dedicated to their classes, while some move from room to room each class making it harder to create a concrete environment model.  

The picture above was taken from a classroom management model, and emphasizes that different environments are suitable for different situations based on the lesson plan of the day. These various models of classroom arrangement account for the multiple needs of the students, the u-shaped model takes the art of discussion into account, and those who excel in class discussions and collaboration succeed based on this model. Kinetic learners and those who learn best in groups will benefit in a cluster formation model as students have easy accessibility to other students around them. The teacher centered instruction model is great for visual learners as all students have great visuals to the board and to the teacher. This model is also a great way to alternate the classroom if students are easily distracted in group formations. These models can be used in different types of classes that emphasize on group work, debates or discussions, or lectures and tests. Therefore, as a teacher is is important to look at the environment needed for the lesson plan of the day, and it is important to change the environment every once in a while to suit the needs of all students. Depending on the students profile, and their learning and environment preferences, a teacher should model their instruction of the curriculum based on the students needs.

How do I assess which each of my students' need?

Determining each of the students needs is up to the teacher and how they would like to approach their students. Interweaving Curriculum and Classroom Assessment: Engaging the 21^st Century Learner  takes a great approach at answering this question: “Teachers can record the information they learn about their students on a student profile” (Drake, 2014, p.55). Usually during the first two weeks of school most students fill out this type of a profile. The profile is created to analyze various points that make each student unique and emphasize the strengths each students have. Making a profile is beneficial to students as well as it allows themselves to critically think about who they are as an individual and as a learner- it's a fun activity that allows wiggle room for creativity.

                I stumbled upon this activity for a student profile and I absolutely loved it. As a 21st century "teacher in training" I found the Facebook profile was ingenious when it comes to getting to know your students in a high school setting.  Here students fill out information that makes each students unique, and at the bottom it asks questions such as, "I learn best from teachers that...", and "I struggle to learn from teachers that...", and this assists in a profile development that teachers can work from. I also allows for goal setting as it asks for what type of goals they would like to achieve in that particular class for the end of the term. A more up-to-date version of this activity can be found here.

Retrieved from: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/287597126178033340/

In closing, I will leave you, fellow readers, with some questions:

• What type of lessons could you construct as a teacher to engage all three types of learning styles?
• What is your favourite Student profile activity and why? Share below!
• How would you construct your learning environment to fit the needs of all your students?

Until Next Time,
Sabrina Bieber

Educational concepts referenced from Chapter 2: 

Drake, S.M. & Reid, J.L. & Kolohon, W. (2014). Interweaving curriculum and 

        classroom assessment: Engaging the 21 Century Learner. Toronto, ON: Oxford 

        University Press.

How to Adapt PBL, and Are There more Cons than Pros?

Good Evening, Everyone!

For my first blog, I thought it would be a great idea for my first blog post to introduce myself. My name is Sabrina Bieber, and no, I am not related to Justin. I am a fourth year Concurrent Education Student at Brock University in Saint Catharines, Ontario, Canada! My teachable subjects included English and Chemistry; I am hoping to teach between grades 7-12 as I am enrolled in the Intermediate/Senior Stream. My blog post officially start today as I have been told in my EDUC4P19 course that I have to write posts based on the content we reviewed in the previous sessions. Based on the topics I talk about, I will critically analyze a trait or aspect that I found interesting and would like to share with all of you!

After reviewing "Chapter One: Toward a New Story of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment" in Interweaving Curriculum and Classroom Assessment I found the curriculum of project based learning to be quite compelling. As we enter the 21st century of education, I am finding that the traditional model of curriculum does not work for student learning anymore. The Traditional Model (you know, where the teacher is in front of the classroom lecturing, and the students in in separate seats to listen) is no longer suitable as education is not focused on straight memorization. How often do we hear students say “This is pointless to learn, when am I ever going to need this in the real world”?

But what is Project based learning, and why is it so adaptable to the 21^st century learner? Essentially, Project based learning is a comprehensive approach that helps allows the students to learn while focusing on a large project. The project might be 2 weeks long to a length of a semester. Students use constructivist learning, while mastering the content, and thinking critically of the content given before them. This diagram explains all of the characteristics of the PBL Learning Model:

  http://modelschoolscnyric.pbworks.com/f/1306333049/PBL.png

Project Based Learning has 7 different elements in it:

1.  Driving Questions
2.  Need to know
3.   Inquiry and Innovation
4.  21^st century skills
5.  Student Voice and Choice
6.  Feedback and Revision
7.   Publicly Presented Project

  

     More on the 7 Essentials, Click the link below!

 http://edtech.michaeldflint.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/7_Essentials_PBL_EdLeaderSept10.pdf 

For this blog I will focus on one project I found in order to explain PBL more in depth: http://www.envisionprojects.org/pub/env_p/29.html

Danielle Johnson of City Arts and Tech High School uses the subject of High School English in order to form her PBL method. The topic, “Can We Overcome Racism? A Case Study of South Africa”, focuses on the book Kaffir Boy, this project can be focused on any novel or narrative that deals with the difference of races or racism (holocaust, genocide, and colonialism topics). This also looks at the hidden curriculum of racial differences or socioeconomics in the classroom, students will be educated on these differences. Ms. Johnson’s project falls under the 7 elements of the project based learning in these simple explanations:

1.  Driving Questions: Why are these instances in history played repeatedly? Why is writing important to the understandings of history? Why are these historical events brought up in history and language arts classes constantly? How does this reflect society? How do these narratives help us improve ourselves based on events in the past? Questions like these should be addressed and students should look at how they are addressed in the given narrative. Brainstorm possible solutions and looking at movements forward should be a topic of discussion and allow for students to move forward.
2. Need to Know: The topic of racism and discrimination is brought to the students attention after reading a text such as Kaffur Boy; as long as the text has relevance to colonialism, racism and discrimination, genocide, apartheid, or holocaust like event. Teacher should point out the topics of racism and instances in the narratives where they occur.
3. Inquiry and Innovation: The students should inquire deeply into the topic at hand, and based on the driving questions, students should be able to use their research sources clearly and effectively. As a future educator, I would allow my students in pick the narrative themselves. When I say “narrative” I mean any source of film, novel, graphic novel, television shows, commercial, or video game. As long as the guidelines still stick, and the video game (or any other narrative) as a storyline, I would say go for it! If they wanted to provide adaptations to a text in different mediums
4. 21^st century skills: The types of 21^st century skills that can be found in this project include teaching the students how to communicate effectively and persuasively. Students will be given a time line as to when tasks need to be completed and therefore, they will manage projects effectively. Students will have to look deeper into texts and think critically about the language used, the cultural background, and why the author chose some words as he did. Lastly, because the students will be working with classmates of different backgrounds and possible morals and values, student will have to work collaboratively.
5. Student Voice and Choice:  The more choice the students have on this type of a project, the better. With the culturally diverse society we live in, students in the group may pick up hints of injustice or racism better than other students would. In my opinion, if a certain topic in history and a narrative reflects a topic of interest, why not go for it? Unlike Ms. Johnson’s requirements, I would allow my students to pick a topic in the theme of injustice and racism, as long as it is an interest to them.
6. Feedback and Revision: Constant feedback and revision in a project like this is critical to the understanding of the topic at hand. Creating a process of feedback and constantly making wiggling room for feedback is important when narrowing down a topic like this. Making an emphasis on products of higher quality shows the students that they are able to reach their best potential. As expressed in lecture—it is okay to fail! You can only get better from where you started!
7. Publicly Presenting the Project: Making a class presentation may be a little nerve racking (especially on a sensitive topic), but this allows for communicative skills and presentation skills that you simply do not get to learn when you’re sitting in front of a teacher lecturing all day. Quality in the presentation and how they teach others about the topic will help them with their understanding of the topic as well. If I were to give this type of a project to my students, I would not limit them to a Power Point presentation. Maybe I would have them make a short movie, or make a collage/painting, make a song based on the theme and how we can work towards change. Lastly, I could have them make a class presentation and have everyone assigned roles based on a council of a past event. Presentation possibilities are limitless!

Obviously, as a future educator I would take this project a bit further in terms of elasticity and creativity on narratives of choice and presentation. Now looking at this project, I also see some cons to project based learning, and how project based learning could go terribly wrong.

Could it be possible that the teacher could fail in the role of the facilitator?

It is very possible this could be the case, the teacher could have a lack of understanding of the topic the student group wants to discuss, and therefore, limit the students growth in the topic at hand.

Could the teachers own prejudices and biases get in the way of the students inquiry and innovation on the topic?
The teachers have to be able to push their own biases aside in terms of project-based learning—especially in and English/History topic like this. As a facilitator, the teacher has to act as a referee, and has to keep up-to-date on the topic of discussion in the feedback in revision stage.

Is it possible to integrate all the course material?
With the possibly of writing, reading, creativity, and media studies, it would be very easy to incorporate all the curriculum goals of English, but what about integrating other subject in the PBL project? What about History in a project such as this?

Is it really a smart idea to have group projects where it is possible some students do the work while others do not?
Obviously, this has to work with the group dynamics and how each student is assigned to the group (involuntary, or chosen groups?). But how do you have each members of the group collaborate? How do you monitor without shadowing the project/task?

These are all questions I leave with you!
Until next time,
Sabrina Bieber