Using Web as A Space for Interdisciplinary Teaching

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Using Web as A Space for Interdisciplinary
Teaching

• Anna Li
• SouthEast Initiatives Regional Technology in
  Education Consortium (SEIRTEC)

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Objectives

• Observations
• Theoretical basis for web-based interdisciplinary
  teaching
• Design of Web-based interdisciplinary projects
• Web resources

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Some Observations

• Web are used mostly as a source of information
• Teaching is departmentalized in many classrooms
• Most classrooms have computers that are not being
  used
• Technology integration is a very slo-o-o-ow
  process

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What is Interdisciplinary Teaching

• Conscious effort to apply knowledge, principles
  to more than one academic discipline
  simultaneously.
• Multiple subjects, multiple teachers, multiple
  students learning together and multiple
  technologies (4M) (Dodge Casey)

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Two Levels

• Integration of the language arts listening,
  speaking, reading, writing and thinking
• Integration of all curricular areas

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Approaches

• Through
• - a central theme
• - an issue
• - a problem
• - a topic
• - an experience

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Approaches

• Project-based Learning
• Thematic Teaching/Learning
• Inquiry-based Learning

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Approaches

• One teacher
• Grade level teachers
• Whole school curriculum

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Journey of One Teacher

• Mr. Ramme, 30 years of teaching experience
• Setting 5th grade self-contained classroom
• - 27 students
• - 3 Macintosh LC, 3 Apple IIe,14.4 K modem
• - Rantoul, IL

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Steps Mr. Ramme Took

• Setting up a goal
• Equipping himself
• Preparing the students
• Developing the project with the students

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Pedagogical Goals

• Make connections between different subjects
• Take more interests and responsibility for their
  own learning
• Critical thinking and problem solving
• Researching and organizing ideas
• Make connections with other students around the
  world

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Two Projects

• Web-based projects Exterminator, CUSEEME
• HyperStudio Projects

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Preparing the Students

• Basic computer skills basic operations, typing,
  word processing
• Designing a class web page using a template
• Involving students in Web-based projects - GeoGame

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Getting to Know Me
  Hello, my name is ______. I was born in
_____(city), _____(state). I'm in the 5th grade
and I attend Broadmeadow School in Rantoul,
Illinois. The following information is for you
to get to know me better.   One skill I have is
_____. I know a lot about _____. I am really good
at _____. One thing that people like about me is
_____. I am best at _____. One thing I like about
myself is _____. When I don't know what to do, I
_____.   MY FAVORITE Game is _____. School
subject is _____. Sport to play _____. Sport to
watch _____. Food is _____. Place to visit
_____. Television Show _____. Animal _____. Kind
of Book _____. Hobby _____. Singer _____. Athlete
_____. Season _____. Holiday _____.
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(No Transcript)
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Exterminator Mystery Contest

• ExTerminator travels around the US destroying all
  species of insects with which he comes in
  contact. Your assignment, if you decide to take
  it, is to catch the evil ExTerminator by locating
  the city he has committed his heinous crimes and
  to identify the insect he exterminated.

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A Journey of Two Teachers

• Tammy 7, 8 grade science teacher
• Steve 7, 8 grade language arts teacher

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Mississippi Wild Flower Quilt

• Science Class
• Research on the flowers
• Learn about the flowers
• Language arts
• Write a poem on the flowers

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My Observations

• Classroom dynamics changed
• Teachers role shifted
• Student leaders emerged
• Teacher and students became friends

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Effects on Teaching

• When computers are used in the classroom, your
  day is spent in a different way than just simply
  standing up lecturing and grading papers.
• - Mr. Ramme

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Effects on students

• Became active learners
• Became very motivated
• Learned new skills that could have been learned
  otherwise
• Learning improved

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Challenges

• Student assessment
• Technical difficulties
• Limited time

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Reflections Why Interdisciplinary

• Mimic how our brain works
• Gardeners Multiple Intelligence Theory
• Dissolution of disciplines of knowledge
• Dissolve boundaries between disciplines and
  people
• Chinese People separated by disciplines are
  like separated by mountains.

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Why Interdisciplinary?

• Helps students to see connections between
  schooling, lessons, and life.
• Helps students understand their own ways of
  thinking, learning, and imagining, enabling them
  to become independent learners.
• Challenges students to make new connections, to
  rethink what they know and do.
• Focuses on processes various ways to encounter
  life.

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Why Web?

• The Web mimic the map of our brain
• Portal to vast amount of information

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Benefits

• Applies, integrates, and transfers knowledge
• Increases motivation
• Improves Learning

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Thematic Teaching

• Thematic teaching is interdisciplinary teaching
  that organizes instruction around, and delivers
  curriculum through, the exploration of major
  issues.

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Examples of Promising Practices

• Mr. Marshall Ramme
• Tammy Mooney
• Whiteville City Schools social studies and
  communications
• Booneville Middle School Cultural Fair

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Key Elements

• Content
• Design
• Technical Capacities
• Assessment
• Reflections

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Hints

• Pick a subject area that you love
• Equip yourself and your students
• Let students use encyclopedia before the Web
• Involve students in online projects before
  starting your own projects
• Have student project coordinators

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Mr. Rammes Recommendations

• Prepare and equip yourself
• Be flexible in terms of classroom schedule
• Take small steps and build on them
• Use bookmarks and assignments to guide
• Changing pedagogy and teachers role

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Project Checklist

• http//www.4teachers.org/projectbased/

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Students Assessment

• Rubrics http//rubistar.4teachers.org/
• Electronic portfolio- Dr. Helen Barret
  http//transition.alaska.edu/www/portfolios.html

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Resources

• Web based learning http//www.ed.gov/offices/AC/W
  BEC/FinalReport/
• A university course http//edweb.sdsu.edu/courses
  /edtec570/
• http//communitydisc.wst.esu3.k12.ne.us/HTML/sdm/w
  hyinterdisciplinary.html

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Resources

• Project-Based Learning http//www.4teachers.org/p
  rojectbased/
• Thematic Units http//atozteacherstuff.com/theme
  s/
• ITI- Interdisciplinary Teams Instruction
  http//www.ael.org/rel/iti/
• Inquiry-based Learning http//www.biopoint.com/in
  quiry/ibr.html
• Inquiry Pagehttp//inquiry.uiuc.edu/

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Online Interdisciplinary Projects

• Global School Project http//www.gsn.org/
• China Project http//www.globaled.org/chinaprojec
  t/index.html
• K-12 Projects http//www.esc20.net/etprojects/

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Web Research

• Evaluating Internet Research Sources
• http//www.virtualsalt.com/evalu8it.htm
• http//www.louisville.edu/infoliteracy/evaluate.ht
  m

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SEIRTEC Resources

• GRITS-Online Great Resources for Integrating
  Technology into Schools
• http//www.gritsonline.org
• Lessons Learned Factors
• Planning into Practice

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Thank You!!!

• Anna Li ali_at_serve.org
• http//www.seirtec.org/