Series New Tech Network Deeper Learning: Collaborative Teaching for Interdisciplinary Learning

Collaborative Teaching for Interdisciplinary Learning

Lesson Objective: Work together to plan and co-teach a class
All Grades / All Subjects / Professional Learning
5 MIN

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Discussion and Supporting Materials

Thought starters

  1. How do students benefit from cross-disciplinary connections?
  2. How do teachers benefit from cross-disciplinary connections?
  3. What do you notice about the collaborative planning process?

61 Comments

  • Private message to Constance Wright
  1. How do students benefit from cross-disciplinary connections?  Students benefit from cross-disciplinary connections by making the association that ties to one another. The student will be able to see the effect one may have on the other peer that can help them in problem-solving as a team.
  2. How do teachers benefit from cross-disciplinary? Teachers benefit from cross-disciplinary connections because it encourages and supports working as a team.
  3. What do you notice about the collaborative planning process?  I am aware that collaborative planning process teachers must work together. Each teacher must put their foot forward and create the lesson . Planning, objectives, and activities for the class. The students can feed off each other and intervene when they need to add or take away something.
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  • Private message to Teresa Clark

 

  1. How do students benefit from cross-disciplinary connections? Students are able to benefit from cross-disciplinary connections by being able to learn from more than one subject through team teaching. Teachers are now able to implement multiple disciplines into lessons. This will prepare students for real-life situations.  
  2. How do teachers benefit from cross-disciplinary connections? Teachers benefit from cross-disciplinary connections because it encourages and supports working together as a team (team building), Teachers are allowed more in-depth discussions while supporting lesson planning, and smaller groups to work with to be able to give that one-on-one time to focus on subject/assignments.
  3. What do you notice about the collaborative planning process? I noticed that the collaborative planning process, takes both teachers giving their best in planning the lessons, daily objectives/agendas, and who will teach the lesson. The teachers take turns, one will take charge of the lesson and the other will be supportive. It shows they’re ability to collaborate and demonstrate team work.
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  • Private message to Michael Daigre

Cross-disciplinary connections can benefit students and teachers. The students benefit by having multiple teachers available to teach a specific subject. And the teachers benefit because they are able to reach more students within the class time and meet the course objectives of the day. The planning time for cross-disciplinary connections is essential and requires alot of communication. The two teachers in the video did a good job of discussing, planning, and communicating the upcoming lessons to be taught. 

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  • Private message to Avinus Calloway

1. How do students benfit from cross-disciplinary connects? Students benefit from cross-disciplinary connects by being able to gain two different ideas about the content subject and how the subjects are related as well as how their likes and differences relate to each other in order to expand on an idea, project, or theory.

2. How do teachers benefit from cross-disciplinary connects? A few of the benefits of cross-discipllinary for teachers is that it allows for flexibility of teaching of an assignment, it also brings such a vast amount of knowledge from which the two of them can pull from to take their teaching to the next level.

3.What do you notice about the collaborative planning process?  Some of the key component of collaborative planning is the planning itself , teachers must work together, meet and create an agenda about how they see the lesson unfolding and progressing. Finally they agree that there must be respect for each other, be open with each other, and most of all, always have the communication  process open between the two of them.

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  • Private message to Nakeisha Gardner
  1. Students benefits from cross-disciplinary connections by being able to make connections between the two subjects. The students will be able to see that one subject can impact the other, increase their ability to collaborate together, and prepare them for real life experiences.

2. Teachers benefit from cross-disciplinary connections by being able to model good examples of coexising and splitting the class to smaller groups to focus on one subject and its assignment at a time.

3. I noticed about the collaborative planning process that they plan together and split up how they will analyze, instruct, and coordinate the assignments.

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Transcripts

  • Collaborative Teaching for Interdisciplinary Learning Transcript

    Teacher: Good morning, everybody. We’re gonna start out with some teamwork time.

    Teacher: As you come

    Collaborative Teaching for Interdisciplinary Learning Transcript

    Teacher: Good morning, everybody. We’re gonna start out with some teamwork time.

    Teacher: As you come up with websites, just take a moment and share those with us to make sure that that’s gonna give you information that’s relevant for the project.

    Teacher: After that, you’re gonna create a research plan.

    Leah and I co-teach. I’m the social studies part of the brain, and Leah’s the science part of the brain.

    Teacher: We’re accountable to one another.

    Teacher: The reality is we both know these subjects pretty well.

    Just remember post all your work in your team Google folder, and just so everyone has access to it.

    Teacher: Can I add a couple points, Mr. Morel 00:40?

    Teacher: Sure.

    Teacher: When you did your benchmark one and you identified the cause and effects for each of the environmental and social issues, that information remains relevant.

    One thing that really excites me about co-teaching is that we find that the real world is not siloed into disciplines. You take a problem like climate change. Can you call that a scientific problem? Do you call that a social or political or economic problem? The answer’s all of the above.

    Teacher: Now, it’s just a matter of putting deadlines to those benchmarks.

    Teacher: While co-teaching isn’t always the easiest thing to do, it really models for the students the way we need to tackle problems in the real world, and so we have to make sure we understand each other’s language.

    What’s the first step in your teamwork time?

    Student: Choose deadlines for all the benchmarks.

    Teacher: Good.

    Teacher: Nice.

    Teacher: I think we had one conversation earlier in the year about what a theory is. A theory in social studies and a theory in science are totally different. For me a theory is law. Having those cross-disciplinary conversations I think really enriches what we’re able to offer the students. It’s simplistic, but two minds are really better than one.

    Mr. Morel and I will each be working with half of the teams, and we’ll help to identify…

    One strategy we use that’s helpful for the students is to take the teams—we have usually between eight and ten teams—and divide them between the two of us. During that formative assessment period when we’re going around meeting with the students, they know who their key mentor is.

    Teacher: What do you know about that currently?

    Student: About our topic?

    Teacher: Right. How to answer that bullet point related to your topic.

    Teacher: I would look up another source because this tells you about its existence but not its impact.

    Student: Say what it is. Give an example.

    Teacher: We tend to keep tabs on and have more of a detailed analysis of what that particular team is doing just cuz it’s smaller in number.

    Tomorrow when you have your meeting, that’s one thing you’ll be looking for for accountability is making sure that everyone had that posted and complete.

    In terms of their content, one of the most helpful ways I’ve found to formatively assess what they’re doing is to get right on that Google Doc with them.

    Planning is key. I mean we meet two to three times a week for common planning time.

    I think that real-time formative assessment is key cuz then if they don’t get that feedback right away, they’re walking down the wrong road.

    Teacher: Right.

    Teacher: During that time, we create our agendas for the class and we decide who’s the lead for different activities and who’s the support.

    Why don’t I take the lead on helping them develop the need to know?

    Teacher: Okay.

    Teacher: Do you wanna take the lead on—

    Teacher: Developing the workshop?

    Teacher: - the workshop?

    Teacher: Absolutely.

    Teacher: Okay.

    Teacher: It’s balanced.

    Teacher: Exactly.

    Teacher: Honestly, I think it comes down to a few basic things, and that’s respect and openness. I think if—

    Teacher: Mm-hmm, and communication [laughs].

    Teacher: And communication.

    Encourage the kids to show their passion. What is convincing versus not convincing look like?

    Teacher: Exactly.

    I think that just having another brain there to say, “Well, why? Why do you wanna choose that article and not this article?” slows you down enough to apply your full intelligence to your profession.

    That’s a content you’ll need to know, so I would look at what you’ve already done for your benchmark one on your topic. Put all that information as know and then figure out what your gaps are in your research. I can help you with websites.

    Teacher: What could be a cause for environmental racism and what are the effects of it? Excellent.

    Teacher: One thing I appreciate about this faculty is that we’re all expected to be flexible and innovate. If Tom has an idea and I don’t necessarily think it’s a great idea, my job is to be willing to give that a try.

    I’m not so excited about the politicians.

    Teacher: That sounds great.

    Teacher: I might suggest modifications, but we have an experimental mindset.

    Maybe we can build in some scaffolding around modeling.

    Teacher: The other day I was saying to Leah—Leah was trying to convince me of something. I said, “You know, Leah, I just don’t get it. Convince me.”

    Teacher: Did I convince you [laughter]?

    Teacher: On that point, I don’t remember. I don’t know if we resolved that one.

    Teacher: I think it’ll remain a challenge for them to come up with something strategic and doable within the timeframe.

    Teacher: The biggest role we take is helping coach them to make sure it is manageable.

    Teacher: We try things. We learn. We modify. That sort of spirited inquiry, having that between us, has been helpful too.

    Teacher: Part of the reason why it appears we’re on the same page is because we’ve gotten to this point through that process.

    [End of Audio]

Teachers

teachers
Tom (Thomas) Morrill
teachers
Leah Penniman