Making Cross Curricular Work

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Making Cross Curricular Work

• Ben Smith and Tim Smith
• Red Lion Area School District
• Thursday, June 04, 2015

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About Us

• Ben Smith
• Physics Teacher
• K-12 Science Coordinator
• Technology Resource Teacher
• Keystone Technology Integrator
• Doctoral Student in Instructional Technology
• STAR Discovery Educator
• ISTE Consultant
• EdTechInnovators

• Tim Smith
• Government Teacher
• BlendedSchools Consultant
• AP Reader
• STAR Discovery Educator
• Masters in Educational Technology
• Staff Development Trainer

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Ready or Not . . .The World is Different
Then Now
telecommunications audio tapes video tapes simulations email web projects problem-solving multimedia hypermedia mobile access laptops (11 access) GIS/GPS systems instant messaging wikis / blogs MUVEs cell phones virtual reality
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Our Vision

• Students will use technology seamlessly as a
  regular part of their education
• Each student will come to class with their own
  computing device
• All of the computing devices will be
  interconnected
• Teachers and Students will have the skills
  necessary to appropriately use the Hardware and
  Software

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Taxonomy for Integration of Technology into the
Curriculum

• Observing
• Students are passive spectators of the technology
• Incorporating
• Students are leveraging technology to increase
  productivity
• Producing
• Students create a product with a single
  technology
• Exploring
• Students engage in discovery learning prior to
  formal instruction.
• Collaborating
• Students interact with peers, instructors, and
  outside resources
• Applying
• Students are guided to combine and integrate
  technologies
• Creating
• Students are making sound choices about the
  appropriate synthesis of content and technology
  into a final product

Created by Ben Smith and Jared Mader
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Integrating Technology into the Curriculum
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National Educational Technology Standards for
Students
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Why Work Cross-Curricular?

• Knowing Content is NOT enough
• Students must be able to
• Construct new understandings
• Solve problems
• Make decisions
• Communicate and express themselves
• Understand complex issues
• Work collaboratively
• Set goals and work to a timeline
• Make ethical choices

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Why Work Cross Curricular?

• Makes for an authentic assignment
• Students develop a deeper understanding of the
  content from each discipline
• Students identify relationships among different
  and distinct subject areas
• Students visualize the interconnectedness across
  curricular areas

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Buzz Words - Making the Case

• Knowledge and skills are Transferred
• (Applebee, Langer, Mullis, 1989)
• Raise the Level of Engagement
• (Resnick, 1989)
• Meet the needs of Diverse Learners -
  Differentiation
• (Brozo Puckett, 2008)
• Creates an effective Learning Environment
• (Thaiss, 1986)

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Handouts and Links

• PowerPoint File and Related Links
• www.edtechinnovators.com
• Wikispace
• http//redlionsssci.wikispaces.com

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Why Wiki

• Collaboration Opportunities
• Ability to Include Rich Media
• Embed Code for video and web 2.0 tools
• Makes Communication Transparent

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Elements of a Curriculum Project

• Dynamic Material
• User Created Content
• Visible Communication
• Grading Rubric

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Dynamic Content

• Audio - Podcasts made with Audacity
• Video - Use Photobooth or iMovie
• Multimedia - Web 2.0 Tools
• Animoto, OneTrueMedia, Google Timeline

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User Created Content

• Photobooth
• Mimio
• Wacom Tablets
• Screenshots
• Graphic Organizers
• External Links
• Web 2.0 Tools

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Communication

• Emails
• CC the teachers
• Discussion Tabs in wiki
• Wiki page itself

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Our Project

• AP Government - AP Physics
• Find areas of common ground
• Examples
• Ben Franklin
• Isaac Newton - John Locke

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Keys to Success

• Be Vague
• Give Time
• Guide students through discussion
• Be Flexible
• Communication
• Among Teachers
• Among Students
• Between Students and Teachers

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Lessons Learned

• Students can work at high level
• Exposed the differences and similarities in the
  nature of each teacher and course
• Communication and Monitoring is very important
• Students may not understand the scope /
  requirements of the assignment

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The Future

• Add other content areas
• Add other schools
• Please contact us to get involved

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New Possibilities

• Embed Code for Wikis
• Blabberize
• VoiceThread
• Animoto
• OneTrueMedia
• Graphic Organizers

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Act 48 Credit

• Session Number HL08Session
• Title Making Cross Curricular Work
• Act 48 Code HL081668

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Questions

• Email
• ben_at_edtechinnovators.com
• smitht_at_rlasd.k12.pa.us
• Website www.edtechinnovators.com
• Click on PETEC link