Week 31 - APC - Professional Context - Crossing boundaries and disciplines

My Interdisciplinary Map

https://bubbl.us/mindmap

My Near future goals:

Goal one: Student Voice

I use student voice to gain feedback from students to shape future sessions and learning. However, I feel I need to gather more quantitative data to support some more changes in how we deliver our programmes to our students and require more evidence to support these changes. This may be another inquiry!

Goal two: Collaboration

 Following the Mind Lab course, I have included more collaboration during sessions, although largely the sessions are delivered 'participative style'. My goal is to provide more opportunities for students to collaborate around the 'content' learning and to discover their knowledge through  'blended' learning or in class 'flipped learning'.

The benefits and challenges of working in a more interdisciplinary environment:

I am very fortunate being a technology teacher, as it allows for interdisciplinary learning. I teach process and skills and to do this involves combining many disciplines (Mathison & Freeman, 1997). Students have opportunities to transfer knowledge from other curriculum subjects such as maths, literacy, social science, art and science and use this knowledge in an authentic context. The context and briefs provide students with 'real life' contexts allowing for critical thinking, communication, problem solving, creativity and innovation.

All curriculum areas are embedded in the learning. For an example: measurement is used in many of the different areas in technology and where students do not know this is it is learnt in the context. Students are exposed to many new technology terms and design concepts.

Students are provided with opportunities for 'lifelong learning' skills and this is valuable for their future and also to encourage them to pursue their passion to be 'lifelong learners' (Jones, 2009).The relationship between teacher and students is more meaningful (Mathison et al, 1997)  and established because the context is more meaningful and personalised.

The disadvantages to this style of learning is that students have not experienced this in their 'home classroom' and some students find it very challenging when they come to technology.  They are unable to transfer some knowledge that they already know because it is not 'maths' time and struggle because they are learning in a different context. They are used to learning their knowledge in silo blocks of learning; numeracy and literacy. This can take time to teach and sometimes can delay the learning other important content knowledge (Jones 2006). Students are at many different levels and this information is not always available prior and can disadvantage students' success and support required.


References

Jones, C.(2009). Interdisciplinary approach - Advantages, disadvantages, and the future benefits of interdisciplinary studies. ESSAI, 7(26), 76-81. Retrieved from http://dc.cod.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1121&context=essai

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

Mathison,S.. & Freeman, M.(1997). The logic of interdisciplinary studies. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, 1997. Retrieved from http://www.albany.edu/cela/reports/mathisonlogic12004.pdf: This review of literature of interdisciplinary studies can help you explore more about the interdisciplinary approach used by teachers in their class.