This week I chose the following reading
Williams, D. (2008). Sustainability education's gift: Learning patterns and relationships. Journal of education for sustainable development, 2(1), 41-49.
In this paper, the author has presented a case study from United States about establishing the Learning Garden model in schools in Portland. Students in grade levels all the way from kindergarten to grade 8 are learning to grow, harvest, and cook food. The program is based on a multicultural, interdisciplinary and multisensory curricular and instructional framework. Students' learning has been assessed through their written reflections of gardening experience. Their writing reflections show that learning through gardening projects has led to students’ understanding of patterns and relationships in nature.
Stop # 1
“The whole is more than the sum of its parts. The essential properties of a living system are properties of the whole which one of the parts have; these properties arise from the interactions and relationships among the parts” ( Williams, 2008. p.42)
William (2008) described the above understanding of learning as an essential part of sustainability education. This just got me thinking about our current education system especially at high school level which is so much divided and compartmentalized into different subject areas. The demands of curriculum are so intense that as teachers, even if we try to establish interdisciplinary connections by collaborating with teachers from other subject areas, it can only be limited to a few certain aspects of the curriculum areas. For a true understanding of the understanding of patterns and relationships, we need to move beyond the walls of our subject areas. A true shift is only possible if a major change happens the way our curriculum has been written or designed.
I wonder if it is possible to revamp our education system so that the curriculum is designed with a more interdisciplinary approach without any compartmentalization between different subject areas?
Stop # 2
This is a great example provided in the table as a sample of curricular goals and integration of subjects and shows how the different lessons and activities in the learning gardens address the curricular benchmarks at different grade levels and different subject areas. Most of the examples I have seen in the past are limited to elementary levels, inclusion of grade 8 examples is giving me ideas to ponder and it is something very practical that I can present to my colleagues at school for interdisciplinary collaboration projects.
I am interested in learning more about collaborative teaching approaches (so as to build relationships between different subject areas) at high school level. If anybody has any experience to share or any resource that you can guide me towards, that will be much appreciated.
Activity Experience and Reflection
Disclaimer - I can not draw. I should have probably had my 4 year old draw for me - which would have been lot more presentable. But here it is - my best attempt at drawing what I Observed in the backfield at my school.
I noticed that man-made things (Flood light poles, grass field, markings on the grass field) are clearly very symmetrical and consist of straight lines, right angles. Even semi circles drawn on the field are very symmetrical. The rough path created around the field was also very clearly defined and well carved.
In natural living things e.g. humans, squirrels, dogs, tree trunks- I noticed everything is upright and standing/sitting perpendicular in relation to the ground level. Humans, and trees have a common feature in terms that they are vertically symmetrical.
Despite my clear dislike for drawing, I enjoyed the observation and reflection part of this activity, and I am thinking that there is so much opportunity for students to learn about different shapes and angles in an outdoor setting. Rather than having them draw what at 45 degree or 75 degree looks like on paper, we can have them go outdoors and do a walking activity and have them figure out what is the angle or direction in relation to a particular object. And on sunny days, just learning about shadows and angles, position of sun and directions of sun rays can be so much more engaging and help them in learning patterns and relationships in the real world.
This sounds like a really interesting article! I like the real life and practical examples that are provided, as it helps me to see how I could do something similar in my own work. I think this would mesh really well with the more theoretical/philosophical approach to outdoor learning found in my article. The focus on the bigger picture as opposed to the individual parts would be one way that teachers can "parkour" the grid. Essentially they are creating a more efficient and elegant pathway through the grid of the curriculum.
ReplyDeleteAs for ideas on collaborating with other disciplines, I've listed a few that I've done so far!
Terraforming Mars - math (area, perimeter, scale, surface area, 3D shapes etc.), science (needs of living things, environmental conditions, sustainability), english (creative writing, informative writing, research techniques) and socials (creation of a civilization, colonization, ethics), PE (physical health, nutrition, mental health) combined into one big project. Students work in groups to design and build a model of a colony on Mars, and present their ideas on how to create and manage a civilization from the ground up, as well as the ethics of colonizing new lands.
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind - English (Novel study) and Science (electricity, engineering). Students read the novel in English and simultaneously complete similar activities and lessons on electricity in Science. At the end, students design and build miniature working windmills and write about their connections to the main character.
Design and build electric toys - Math (financial literacy), science (electricity and engineering), English (write a business proposal, create advertisements). Students design and build toys with an electric component. They must "purchase" the parts required with their limited budget. They then create a toy company and calculate the cost of "doing business" and what kinds of profits they would potentially earn.
These are just a few of the different ways my teaching partner and I have collaborated over the years. Let me know if you'd like more information or if you have questions!
Great examples, thank you so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI think there a many benefits of outdoor learning of the kind you describe in your reading this week. As you mention, it is easy to make cross-curricular connections and also it allows students to see real-world applications and/or examples of concepts/theories/etc.
ReplyDeleteAnd for whatever reason, going on field trips and learning outside of the classroom is very memorable - I hear this from students but also adults when they think back on their days in grade school. I personally remember several outdoor excursions from when I was in elementary school. I suspect it's something about the sensory aspect of being in a new and stimulating environment, but I would love to look further at research on what makes those experiences particularly memorable.