Crossing Boundaries

Professional Context - Crossing Boundaries

The New Zealand Curriculum (MOE, 2007) supports the notion of all students receiving  “a broad education that makes links within and across learning areas, provides for coherent transitions, and opens up pathways to further learning.” This document also goes onto say “all learning should make use of the natural connections that exist between learning areas and that link learning areas to the values and key competencies.” (MOE, 2007) This I believe gives a certain amount of license as to how we approach teaching and learning.

My map shows different areas of an interdisciplinary approach.The two areas from my map that are my near future goals will be to use a problem solving approach more widely, and developing student agency with my learners. Both of these goals will lead me towards the steps required to have a functioning  innovative learning environment.

My Interdisciplinary Connection Map

The benefits and challenges of working in a more interdisciplinary environment

Interdisciplinary learning (curriculum integration) involves making connections across learning areas. It supports the idea that students are actively participating in their learning and make some of the decisions. They have buy in and some ownership. There is also an element of negotiation. It recognises prior knowledge and learning, and this becomes a place to start. The teacher is also involved and ensures the environment is rewarding and challenging. However this model of learning is not ‘thematic’. There is often confusion between the two. (Fraser, Aitken & Whyte, 2013) Interdisciplinary models seek to imitate the real world while providing students with the opportunity to problem solve and make decisions. (Mathison & Freeman,1997).

Benefits

The benefits of this model are many and varied in a classroom. In my situation the students are just starting their learning journey (new entrants and year one). I cannot assume they have had limited experiences. I want them to connect with what they know and be able to use this as a foundation to build on learning across the various disciplines. For them to be able to negotiate some of their learning needs based on what they know would be powerful. Understanding and being able to verbalise next step learning would be empowering. We have used a problem solving approach in maths with success and this could be used more widely. It develops an authentic context and ‘real life’ situations which children put themselves into and this helps understanding. Having this learner engagement and buy in would develop agency and ownership. Having multiple areas to discuss similar issues can only be beneficial in the long term for children to question and understand a concept.

Challenges

The issue of content planning and time is always present with teachers. How much is required especially when I’m endeavouring to develop student agency? My pedagogy has to change with the idea of becoming more collaborative and becoming a facilitator to these young learners. I need to ’let go’ and not keep rescuing, and ‘have a little faith’ in their effort and abilities. My knowledge of curriculum integration needs to be developed and understood, through more reading and professional discussions. At five years of age are they ready, - socially, emotionally and developmentally for this shift from more traditional teaching and learning models?

“The interdisciplinary approach provides many benefits that develop into much needed lifelong learning skills that are essential to a student’s future learning”. (Jones C., 2009)

References:

Fraser, D., Aitken, V., & Whyte, B. (2013). Connecting Curriculum, Linking Learning. New Zealand: NZCER Press.

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

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:

Ministry of Education. (2007). The New Zealand Curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media.