An Interdisciplinary Approach to Using Community Resources

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An Interdisciplinary Approach to Using Community
Resources

• Dr. Dennis Kubasko, Jr.
• Dr. Angelia Reid-Griffin
• University of North Carolina Wilmington
• http//www.uncw.edu/ed/informal/

NSTA, St. Louis, MO 3/31/07
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(No Transcript)
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The Presenters

• Angelia
• Assistant Professor of Science Education (6-12)
• North Carolina Middle/High School Science Teacher
• Dennis
• Assistant Professor of Secondary Science
  Education
• High School Biology Teacher for seven years
• 1996 Pennsylvania New Teacher of the Year

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Overview

• This presentation showcases instructional
  approaches faculty used to help students develop
  inquiry-based lessons using community resources.
• Experiences are for K-16 learners

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Movie
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Purpose

• Battleship NC Objectives (Math, Social Studies
  and Science)
• Realize that informal learning settings exist
  throughout every community and each can add a
  true contextual experience to the Standard Course
  of Study, if integrated appropriately.
• Gain experience planning an interdisciplinary
  lesson with teachers outside your content domain.
  
• Be able to design and implement an effective
  field trip.

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Background Literature

• Benchmarks for Scientific Literacy
• Informal science learning experiences offer
  teachers a powerful means to enhance both
  professional and personal development in science
  content knowledge and accessibility to unique
  resources.
• National Science Education Standards
• A growing body of research documents the power
  of informal learning experiences to spark
  curiosity and engage interest in the sciences
  during school years and throughout a lifetime.
• NSTA (http//www.nsta.org/positionstatementpsid1
  3)

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Standard Course of Study
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Our Position (Bill of rights)

• Learning does take place outside the classroom.
• Students need a plurality of learning
  opportunities.
• Informal settings (Museums, Aquariums, Zoos)
  provide rich contexts for authentic learning.
• Field trips provide motivation for STEM related
  endeavors as a career choices.
• Students need to become aware of connections
  within multiple disciplines

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Context for an informal experience

• Battleship NC Agenda
• Arrival tour the exhibition hall
• 500 530 (Introduction)
• Meet in lobby
• View the introductory film (12 minutes)
• Handout informational materials
• Begin Instruction
• 530 600 (Group Orientation)
• Self-directed and guided tours of the USS NC
• 600 630 (Discipline Orientation)
• Discipline areas meet with respective students to
  discuss and generate content specific themes.
• For example, science students discuss PBL at
  informal science sites. 

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Context for an informal experience

• Battleship NC Agenda (cont.)
• 630 700 (Curator instruction)
• Battleship curators share primary artifacts and
  resources.
• For example, a team will focus on the medical
  aspects of the ship.
• Whole group conversation about interdisciplinary
  education.
• Share an example of a prior year experience.
• 700 745 (Primary artifacts)
• Break into teams to work on interdisciplinary
  projects.
• Guided tours to departments and/or other relevant
  areas of the ship.
• 745 800 (Conclusions)
• A second visit to the Battleship is strongly
  encouraged

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Interdisciplinary Content Addressed

• Social Studies content
• Historical aspects (WWII as a time period)
• Primary artifacts (Access to logs and manuals)
• Sociology (Life of a sailor, journals)
• Math content
• Geometry (projectile trajectory, navigation)
• Algebra (moving ships relative to another)
• Statistics (Food preparation)

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Interdisciplinary Content Addressed

• Science content
• Physical science Archimedes principle
  (Buoyancy)
• Chemistry Water quality characteristics
• Biology Disease prevention (STDs, scurvy,
  etc.)
• Physics Projectile motion and trajectory
• Earth and environmental science Navigation
  (stars as guidance)
• Ill-Structured Problem
• Example

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Transformational Applications

• Pre-service teachers need a theoretical framework
  (inquiry, PBL, etc.) to guide the practical
  experience
• In-service teachers need to be involved with the
  selection of content goals, the planning of
  curricula to meet their needs, and the training
  for integration of lessons.
• Middle and secondary students need well designed
  task-orientated activities

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Practical Applications

• Lesson Plans

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Limitations

• Adapting a formal school structure to an informal
  experience
• Developing a partnership with an informal setting
• Time for very difficult planning and
  implementation
• Administrative costs for travel, services
  rendered, and resources consumed (loss of
  integrity)
• Working with your interdisciplinary peers

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Conclusions

• With the advent of school restructuring (i.e.
  Gates foundation), the opportunities exist for
  thematic approaches.
• Motivation across populations (students,
  pre-service teachers, in-service teachers,
  university faculty)
• Tie informal settings with the missions and
  curriculum goals of schools

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Future Endeavors

• Does modeling appropriate pedagogy translate into
  effective school-based practice?
• http//www.uncw.edu/ed/informal/

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An Interdisciplinary Approach to Using Community
Resources

• Dr. Dennis Kubasko, Jr. (Science)
• Dr. Angelia Reid-Griffin (Science)
• Dr. Robert Smith (Social Studies)
• Dr. Denise Terry (Math)
• University of North Carolina Wilmington
• Dr. Joseph Feinberg (Social Studies)
• Georgia State University