Interdisciplinary Problem

     On the New York Times website I found this article, At California School, Parents Force an Overhaul, which I found very interesting and which posed a problem that needs more than one discipline to solve. The problem is that of our education system and ways to improve it. In the article one parent, Marlene Romero, showed her extreme dissatisfaction with her son's school by starting a petition to have the school become a charter school, which she believes will benefit her child and the others attending that school. She believes the school is not doing enough to help her son and wants change.

     One discipline needed to solve this problem is sociology. The aforementioned article is a good example of how that discipline can be used, as the parents are members of the community who are taking a stand for better education. In this case that comes in the form of a charter school.

     Education obviously is a discipline needed here. Teachers need to be aware of educational shortcomings in their schools and ways to improve them. If teachers are educated on new ways to teach and help students learn this could vastly improve our education system. One website, Big Ideas for Better Schools: Ten Ways to Improve Education, gives some examples of how teachers, schools, and parents can contribute to making educational improvements.

     Lastly, economics and government come into play. These two are combined because it is the government (federal, state, and local) that fund our public schools and are in charge of how much money education will receive. With the economy being in a slump, budget cutbacks are becoming common in many school districts. The article The Effects of Budget Cuts shows how our schools and children are affected by inferior funding, and why it needs to be increased.

     Good education is critical to the future of our society and we need to start now to improve it.

References

Edutopia Staff, . (2005, September). Big ideas for better schools: ten ways to improve education. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/big-ideas
Jaye, E. (2009, January 25). The effects of budget cute. Retrieved from http://socyberty.com/education/the-effects-of-budget-cuts/4/
Medina, J. (2010, December 7). At california school, parents force an overhaul. The New York Times, Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/08/education/08teacher.html?_r=2&ref=education

DISCLAIMER: This blog is an assignment for an Interdisciplinary Studies course at National University. It is not a real blog.

Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants

Technology has become such a big part of our lives that it's hard to imagine a world without it. But many people lived without it and are now having to learn how to incorporate it into their lives. These people are the digital immigrants of today. The younger generations who have grown up with technology at their fingertips are the digital natives.

I believe I am part of the generation that is both native and immigrant. I didn't grow up with the new technology but I was still fairly young when it "exploded" onto the scene. I remember doing projects in middle school with real books and using a pen and paper, but in high school doing a power point presentation.

Digital natives learn different than digital immigrants. They are visual and hands on learners. They don't want to be talked at, but entertained. Video games are a big part of their lives and making learning a game is one way of ensuring attention. "Digital Natives are used to receiving information really fast. They like to parallel process and multi-task. They prefer their graphics before their text rather than the opposite. They prefer random access (like hypertext). They function best when networked. They thrive on instant gratification and frequent rewards. They prefer games to “serious” work." (Prensky 2001)

Web 2.0 is a very interactive medium. This is important for digital natives, as they become bored and distracted with "old school" learning. They get to be hands on with the material and use media to present it, something they are very familiar with. It is more than reading a text book and taking notes, which is how the digital immigrants learned. They have access to articles, videos, slide shows, graphics, and can combine these in their learning and projects.

Incorporating technology is extremely important in today's classrooms. Showing videos, power point presentations, and using sites like Cool Tools For Schools, can help digital learners stay focused and use their skills as a digital native to research and work together. Allowing students to use the internet for research is a must, so learning how to do that effectively needs to be part of the curriculum. Educational video games can also be used.

With technology moving forward so rapidly, it is imperative our education system keep up.

Resources

Cool tools for schools. (2010). Retrieved from http://cooltoolsforschools.wikispaces.com/

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5), Retrieved from http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf

DISCLAIMER: This blog is an assignment for an Interdisciplinary Studies course at National University. It is not a real blog.

Interdisciplinary Lesson Plan

Interdisciplinarity in the classroom can easily be achieved in lesson plans. Using different disciplines will give children a full understanding of a topic and can help the teacher assess which areas students are weak or strong in.

One lesson I found interesting was on Ancient Egypt. The main assignment is creating a travel brochure on Egypt, but the process of making that brochure uses many disciplines.

• Geography - Students will learn where Egypt is, the geography of the country and where the many attractions are located.
• Vocabulary - Students will learn new words associated with Ancient Egypt to use in their brochure.
• Writing - Students will practice their writing skills, specifically persuasive writing when discussing why the reader should go to Egypt.
• History - When doing research for their brochure students will learn about the history of Egypt and its people.
• Communication - The students will present their brochure to the class.

Combining all these disciplines gives the students a wide range of knowledge on Ancient Egypt and will allow them to be creative in the making of their brochure.

Technology is a big part of this lesson. It begins with the teacher showing a video on Ancient Egypt. This gives the students a background on the topic. The students will then use the internet and electronic encyclopedias to find information on Ancient Egypt and the attractions they want to include in their brochure. They will also need to find an electronic image to put into their brochure.

References: Besteiro, B. (n.d.). Lesson plan: ancient egypt travel brochure. Retrieved from http://www.teach-nology.com/lessons/lsn_pln_view_lessons.php?action=view&cat_id=2&lsn_id=916

 DISCLAIMER: This blog is an assignment for an Interdisciplinary Studies course at National University. It is not a real blog.

Interdisciplinary Traits and Skills

Most people choose a degree or career that fit their traits and skills. Something they enjoy and are good at. But what are important traits and skills for an interdisciplinarian, and why? Here are a few that I believe are important and that I possess.

• Love of Learning - A love of learning and a curious nature are imperative for an interdisciplinarian. They not only have to have a basis in many disciplines but want to learn about complex ideas and problems that encompass those disciplines.
  I have always loved learning and actively seek out information on topics I am interested in. My love of reading also helps fulfill my curiosity.
  
• Appreciation of Diversity - An interdisciplinarian must have respect for others' beliefs and views. They must be willing to see the bias in themselves and use others' views to fully understand ideas and problems.
  I was raised to be respectful to everyone and their beliefs and my love of learning has lead to an even deeper knowledge and understanding of cultures and views that differ from my own.
  
• Ability to Communicate Competently - According to Repko, "An interdisciplinarian must possess keen interpersonal relations skills and be able to engage in productive communication with people who hold a variety of interests, beliefs, and mindsets" (26).
  Communication is something I deem very important and have worked hard on improving, either by taking classes or emulating those I feel communicate effectively. I feel  I can communicate with many types of people in many fields.
  
• Ability to Think Creatively and Intuitively - Creativity is a skill an interdisciplinarian needs because many times you will have to think of new ways to solve a problem or combine information. Intuition also comes into play because this area of study is new and you might not have all the information. You might have to make decisions based on intuition.
  Working with children I have learned that creative and intuitive thinking are necessary in being able to connect with and teach children. Things will not always go as planned and creative thinking can help you keep your sanity and control of your classroom.

References: Repko, Allen (2005) .  Interdisciplinary Practice: A Student Guide to Research and Writing. Boston,  MA:  Pearson  Custom  Publishing.

DISCLAIMER: This blog is an assignment for an Interdisciplinary Studies course at National University. It is not a real blog.