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Central idea: The integrated curriculum
asks one teacher to teach all five or six subjects (like the
elementary school teacher)
Two Teachers Split the Work: If you don’t feel
confident about teaching the entire curriculum to a group of
studnets, what if you split the curriculum with another teacher?
Each teacher would have three subjects and this will let the teacher
see 50 or 60 students per week instead of the typical 150 to 180
students.
That’s the core of the “Two-Teacher School.” If we limit
the number of students that a teacher is asked to face and evaluate,
then the teacher can learn more about each student.
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Contents
Part 1: The Integrated Curriculum and
Littky
Part 2: How does Littky’s system fit in
with the transformation of education?
Part 1: The Integrated Curriculum and
Littky
Part 2: How does Littky’s
system fit in with the transformation of education?
Here are six important books, each with a
part to play in giving advice to teachers who want to use the
integrated curriculum.
The Big Picture
by Dennis Littky gives stories to inspire people
Personalizing the High School
by Clarke and DiMartino give procedures for teachers to use.
One Kid at a Time by
Eliot Levine gives specific projects
Leaving to Learn by
Eliot Washor and Charles Mojkowski gives an endgame view for
principals and administrators to see how the Big Picture can be
applied.
Building More Responsive Schools, Dr.
Fischler's book of commentaries. places the computer and other
technology in the context of the discussions and projects that come
with implementing a portfolio system.
Projects Matt Blazek's collection of projects
for digital portfolios helps teachers and students see how a
portfolio might be used in a class.
The videos by Dennis Yuzenas show how to
arrange a classroom around projects and at least one computer per two
students.
the missing ingredient:
a small book with photos and large quotes that will reach students,
-- and then the students can reach out to parents, principals,
teachers, taxpayers and potential mentors.
a) STUDENTS: give students examples of what a
two-teacher classroom looks like and what behavior is expected in the
room.
b) PARENTS: help parents get over their
memories of school and their internal standard of what "good
school work" looks like and what "a classroom show look
like." These images can prevent a parent from seeing herself as
a member of the volunteer faculty that a two-teacher classroom needs.
c) PRINCIPALS: how can a principal train
teachers to consider getting the multiple certifications? This
simple book starts the conversation. When teachers can be shown the
joy of teaching 50 kids instead of 120 kids, then it becomes clear
that more time can be given to those students. The principal needs
a second book (the large format TWO-Teacher Class workbook with
posters") that provides support and training for staff to adapt
to the
d) TEACHERS: Even a teacher who has
certification in only one area can become part f the two-teacher
classroom, since the lesson plans can be performed by the other
multi-certified teacher. For example, Steve is certified in math,
history (social studies), middle school science 5-9, math, ESOL and
English, so a Spanish teacher could teach some of the other subjects
under Steve's guidance until the Spanish teacher passes the
alternative certification of
e) TAXPAYERS
f) MENTORS business owners, managers of
officers, waitresses in restaurant workers, they all have a place in
the two-teacher classroom. This book is aimed at showing that they,
too, have a role to play in making the two-teacher classroom function
better.
Students can start the conversation with
questions
One of the key parts of this book are a list of
questions and statements and quotations that the student can use to
start the conversation
How to persuade a parent to support an
innovative approach
“Mother, have you ever wondered what it
must be like to be a teacher who has to see five groups of kids every
week? Imagine seeing 120 kids and having to memorize their names and
the names of their families."
How to get a mentor to adopt the school
“Excuse me, sir, I know that you are a
client of my father. He helps you when you need your car fixed. I
wonder what is your profession? I think you are a lawyer, do you
think you can come to our class. One of my classmates wants to be a
lawyer someday and it will really help him if he can write to you or
send you some questions. Can you gie me your email address?”
Approaching a principal
“Mr. Principal, I heard about the
two-teacher classroom. Do you think you can put me in this kind of
classroom? Is it possible? I really like these features of the
classroom. I want to be able to study with the same teacher at least
three subjects so I can see the math in physics and history... and
then when we study literature the same teacher can show us art and
perhaps Spanish.”
“Teacher, have you considered asking
the principal of the school to let you teach two subjects or perhaps
three subjects together? I see that your ipad has a picture of
Italy. You could teach geography as well as your primary subject,
English literature. I am sure that you also could show us how art
connects with literature, so that could be three subjects together
(Geography, English Literature and Art). I heard that it is possible
for teachers to get two or three certifications using the FTCE
process. It would really be nice if you could be my teacher next
year and follow me and also if you could teach at least one more
subject so we can blend the classes together.”
Students, if you practice these short speeches,
you will capture the attention of adults.
first many adults assume that you are still a
child and that you don't have much ability to think about the future.
second they remember when they were children
and how they were expected to be passive and accept the ideas of the
their teachers. "The teacher knows the best way for your to
learn" was the sentence that many adults heard 40 years ago.
So it might surprise them if you ask for their help to shape your
learning experience.
third, you could even use parts of this book
and make your own book or powerpoint. if you want to use a
powerpoint, you can download it at XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.ppt and then
you can make your own version.
or
steve mccrea
954 646 8246
“I love math but I don’t
understand physics.”
If a teacher can teach something abstract and
another teacher teaches something physical and concrete, the
connection can be lost.
If the same teacher can show something
physical and connect it to the abstract idea of math, then
the student can see the connection.
If a teacher teaches English Literature and the
grammar of writing, then the abstract and the concrete can be
connected. “I enjoy writing but literature is boring.”
If I’m the writing teacher for this student,
I know what appeals to him. I can find literature that he will enjoy
-- and suddenly literature class is interesting.
If you can write and use math, you have the
tools to go farther.
You only have to see the connection. If you
have one teacher who teaches you both science and math
if the same teacher teachers you literature and
writing, then you connect the abstract to the concrete.
It is easy to understand math as connection to
natural sciences.
A message to the teacher
Of course you are an expert in one area of the
corpus of knowledge. But you also know some connections between your
special area and every other special area. What is the link between
spanish and math? Between history and math? Between chemistry and
history? between Literature and art? Between physics and
literature? Every teacher went through high school. WE’ve been
where the student is, we have suffered through the illusion that math
is separate from the other subjects. We can learn different points
of view from diffrent teachers. The skill of the two-teacher
classroom is to bring in separate views while keeping the
connections.
If teacher A and Teacher B share the subjects,
they can bring in the lesson plans of Teacher C, D and E. They can
ask these other teachers to visit the class and give a ten minute
lecture or lesson, which the students can video record. Then the job
of the students is to present the information to Teachers A and B and
show how the viewpoints of Teachers C, D and E connect with the
subjects that A and B are teaching.
The two-teacher classroom does not limit points
of view. The two-teacher classroom brings in other teachers with
lectures. The purpose of having only two teachers is to make sure
the connections are kept.
we want students to understand the integration
of the information.
Up to grade 6, there is usually one teacher who
in elementary schools around the world shows the connections. That
one teacher knows each student very well, their moods at different
times of the day, their potential best time to soar and shine, when
they need time to rest and what subjects inspire them.
The teacher creates the integration of
learning.
“I hated algebra when I was your
age.”
-- An 8th grade teacher of English, who said
this sentence in front of six students.
As a math teacher, when I heard this statement, I was annoyed. But
then I decided to use this to my advantage. i asked the teacher to
sit with the students and just listen to them describe the problem.
Maybe my students could teach the English teacher to enjoy algebra.
Why? Algebra might be best explained by an English teacher. Algebra
is really a study of relationships.
this is the challenge of integration. Math and grammar follow rules.
So why can’t a teacher of English rise above her fear of math and
show the parallel systems of rules in grammar and math?
We think that the best teacher is the most accomplished. We look for
the best person to learn from and we often try to find the most
accomplished person. We need to find the person who can connect the
subject to what we know. we need to find teachers who can connect
the information to other information.
“There is so much more to learn today than in the 1940s.”
this is the danger of focusing on content. We need to focus on
skills. I greatly admire my uncles, people who were trained in the
1940s and 1950s. the content was less, many of them studied only
pre-algebra, algebra and geometry, then didn’t learn trigonometry,
calculus or statistics. They are very practical and they can
describe the world around them very well without calculators. “What
if this field were 1/8th bigger? How much more would we need to
plant?”
Today we try to teach too much. We present material that will not be
learned permanently.
fifty years ago, the teachers trained and retrained the students.
Today we present trigonometry and equations with three variables.
What is the practical use?
Of course, let the material be available if the student wants to
pursue it or shows interest or ability, but let’s not make everyone
take so much content. If you have decided to become an engineer, you
can prepare for those classes or you can take the classes when you
get to university. in the meantime you will have ethics, extra
languages and a strong ability to communicate and collaborate. These
skills are more important than derivative and integration of a
formula.
If you want to become an editor of a magazine, why do you need to
know about calculus? it is better that you study the history of
printing.
-- This section of this book comes from a discussion between Mario
and Steve
25 June, 2013.
There’s a school in Providence, Rhode Island, where one teacher
teaches all six subjects to the same group of 15 students for four
years. The “integrated curriculum” is presented through
projects, which allows the student to explore math, science, history,
literature and ethics through
The students’ interests and passions are further developed and
explored with internships with local businesses.
Putting Littky’s advice into practice
If you don’t feel confident about teaching the entire curriculum
to a group of students, what if you split the curriculum with another
teacher? Each teacher would have three subjects and this will let
the teacher see 50 or 60 students per week instead of the typical 150
to 180 students.
That’s the core of the “Two-Teacher School.” If we limit
the number of students that a teacher is asked to face and evaluate,
then the teacher can learn more about each student.
