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Week 31: My Interdisciplinary Practice


Encouraging students to see the world holistically, through different perspectives beyond their own, is a key aspect of using an interdisciplinary approach to teaching. At school we try to do this through our inquiry units that require students to draw on different areas of expertise in order to broaden their understanding. By teaching students in this the way it is argued that we can increase their empathic horizon (sense of understanding) and develop a system to interact with others. For an understanding of the world we need to stretch our empathic horizon beyond ourselves, and around others (Thomas McDonagh Group, 2011). This brings up the importance of teaching students a shared language to communicate and work with those who have an understanding and knowledge base different to our own. 

 As teachers to support students to carry out interdisciplinary work we need to explore the concept ourselves. At school we explore this by drawing on different team members' expertise in order to carry out units of work, or by bringing in outside professionals to provide our students with a different perspective or sense of understanding. 

 For myself I think that I have done a lot of work this year with other professionals in education, however one thing I would like to explore more is being able to draw on the expertise of the local community. I think one thing that has held me back in this area is feeling very new to the community, and not having a personal sense of belonging within it. I know that I would be able to provide my students with a better learning experience if I was able to better harness the incredible knowledge and skills of those within the community, whether it is for cultural groups, lunch time activities, sharing stories or other forms of learning.

 Thinking about this area of my interdisciplinary practice gives me a great framework for creating some specific goals about how I might improve the connections I have with the community my students belong to. I know that for many in our community they would share the same goals as myself and the other teachers in my team, in terms of wanting to give our students the tools to become agents of change within their own community. I know that one way I can improve these connections is through frequent communication with the community with regards to what is happening within the classroom. 

 I think that this job can become overwhelming at times, and yet the resources that surround each student are both precious as well as plentiful, and for me it is my responsibility to develop skills in expanding my own interdisciplinary practice so that I enhance and engage my students interdisciplinary learning and ability to learn more about the experience of themselves and others. 




Jones, Casey (2009) "Interdisciplinary Approach - Advantages, Disadvantages, and the Future Benefits of Interdisciplinary Studies," ESSAI : Vol. 7, Article 26.
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Thomas McDonagh Group. (2011). Interdisciplinarity and Innovation Education.[video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDdNzftkIpA

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