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Week 7 MY INTERDISCIPLINARY CONNECTIONS




CROSSING BOUNDARIES AND CREATING CONNECTIONS.....

Having to sit and reflect on how I would develop my interdisciplinary connection map took much time to consider and design. As I used an Inquiry process to ponder the amazing people who have mentored, guided , supported and inspired me on the teaching journey,I have noticed how these personal/professional communities of practice that developed have then branched into many different forums of learning, exchanging ideas and knowledge with others pertaining to finding ways of supporting student learning outcomes. However it is not finite and they are still evolving. I believe from my reading and interpretation of interdisciplinary practice that it is essentially the integration of ideas and principles from different disciplines, then synthesizing these together so that we create a more complete framework by which to practice by and hence  support student learning.
 Inquiry learning appears to be indicative of interdisciplinary practice and had been advocated for by Bloom many years earlier (1958 as cited in Mathieson & Freeman, 1997).  Providing Rich learning experiences and focused conversations can greatly benefit students, especially when challenged with real-life issues, making connections between “information and to connect such knowledge to the needs of everyday living” (Mathieson & Freeman, 1997)
We are projected in to removing our content from teaching in isolation to evolve a program that meets the demands of "21st Century Learning" a catch phrase that in itself needs further unpacking. Our pedagogy is supposed to place research and inquiry at the centre of our curriculum. Beane (1991, 1992, 1995) has advocated strongly for an integrative approach at the middle school level. "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).

 Having discovered and reflected on my Interdisciplinary Connections NOW WHAT?

 Moving forward I am embracing the opportunity to develop a new team, due to travel beckoning a current team member, the opportunity has created the opportunity to collaborate on new beginnings, working on each others strengths and abilities to co-ordinate the contents of the various separate courses that underpin the teaching demanded by the guise of National Standards and explore more general themes through various discipline based activities. We will have to ensure there is transitional time for both ourselves and the students. "However, difficulties in the implementation of interdisciplinary or integrated approaches do not lie solely with teachers. Teachers report their students were unable to overcome their dependence on disciplinary knowledge; had difficulty with unfamiliar open-ended tasks; and were either reluctant or unable to discuss information at deeper levels (Anderson, 1995; Jacobs,1989; Wicklein & Schell, 1995). We will need to ensure that in enabling our students to synthesize information and connect to everyday living we have to collaborate with all our inter-connections to ensure ourselves and then our students have the development required for successful learning. There will need to be robust dialogue around a child centred curriculum that covers all the physical, emotional, social and cognitive needs of all our students. Differentiation will need to be at the heart of our planning with our pedagogy developing the research and inquiry that is at the heart of a 21st learners curriculum needs.

MOVING FORWARD THE CONTRADICTIONS ARE ...TIME!
We are time poor, can we really fit any thing else or develop anything new into an already overwhelming over full day? Without even looking at "My life", and hearing continually the platitudes of "care for yourself" , one asks how? where? when?
T The biggest challenge is fitting everything in,  I have barely enough time to do everything in one professional day as already each day is mapped out with morning meetings at 8am, and at least 3 days a week afternoon meetings until 4pm , school initiatives and PLD, squashed in between is teaching , guiding, offering feedback, breaks there's duty, so after 4pm comes planning,  study, assignments, and those other extra curriculum items you put your hand up for, be it sport, library,  supporting colleagues. In there is the other part of who you are, family, friends, home ( that needs to be maintained), and your own passion that once you did every weekend, then monthly and now ? To develop a strong program that is integrated then to use various inquiry methods that are relevant to our students and prepare them for a more integrative approach is going to need time to research, view, plan and prepare. Time to work collaboratively as a team, so what can we negotiate to change and how will we maintain the focus and not be removed from the strength of other teams, how can you step aside from many to deeply commit to strengthen the one thing that is more important, in my opinion from the reading inquiry and research that is coming from these challenges set, and that is to "engage in a coordinated problem solving for a common purpose" (cited in Berg-Werger and Schneider, 1998) that of strengthening our cohort and their engagement in learning. 

     My  other task : Manage my Professional Portfolio
    
     Earlier in the course I set my Inquiry, it still needs to be completed, the results need to assimilated, reflected on and new goals set. I am hoping I can improve my critical and in-depth reflection of my Inquiry and other practices, seeking contributions from successful colleagues and building networks with other educators, rather than lurking, I will instigate greater discussion within topics. My aim is to also create a better implementation of
      disciplines across curriculum areas and to worki towards intradisciplinary discipline so students are finding success such as better student agency, and my knowledge acquired can inspire the team I am with to come for the ride.

       
References:

Berg-Weger, M., &. Schneider, F. D. (1998). Interdisciplinary collaboration in social work education. Journal of Social Work Education, 34, 97-107.
Lacoe Edu (2014, Oct 24) Interdisciplinary Learning [video file]. Retrieved fromhttps://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:

Mind Lab Readings.

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Image 1 - My interdisciplinary connection map using coggle.com





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