Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic
I sometimes hear people advocate for the need for the educational system to go “back to basics”, with a primary focus on reading, writing, and arithmetic. This verbiage often comes from non-educators, yet just as often I witness educators who consistently place importance on English language arts and mathematics content above every other subject area. Equally neglected are soft skills necessary for college and career readiness. The goal of this blogpost is not to devalue reading, writing, or mathematics. I have an English degree and a passion for early literacy. I work with mathematics consultants who I value highly for the work they do in promoting number sense, critical thinking skills, and attention to precision. While English language arts and mathematics are vital for success, when taught in isolation, apart from the context of the world we live in, the instruction to students lacks relevance to the learner and does not provide opportunities to apply the learning to the world.
Context Matters
The brain sustains learning that is connected to prior context. A memorable experience cements learning for students. When we infuse English language arts and mathematics within the context of history/social studies, science, computer science, the arts, world languages, health/physical education, and/or the technology that surrounds them, we go beyond isolated standards and design experiences that are not quickly forgotten after the test.
As the affective network of the brain is activated, students are better able to be purposeful, motivated learners. Universal Design for Learning, a framework for learning based on decades of research in neuroscience, calls upon teachers to optimize relevance, value, and authenticity (guideline 7.2). Life is not divided into subject areas, why should learning be any different? Interdisciplinary learning invites learners to experience learning as it exists in the world around them.
Interdisciplinary Learning: It’s Nothing New
I was introduced to interdisciplinary learning while in the womb. This was back in the twentieth century, when my mother was in the recording studio to prepare audio materials for a music integration curriculum she had co-written. At the time, cassette tapes were the latest iteration in audio, having replaced vinyl. This technology would soon be replaced by another technology foreign to many of today’s students – the compact disc. My mother and curriculum co-creator Gail Geringer used the technology of the day to engage students in learning academic content that crossed content areas.
Technology, music, and subjects such as mathematics, creative writing, and science were merged together for a memorable experience for students. The format of the instruction provided relevance, value, and authenticity. The tune pictured on the right contains an image of a piggy bank with lyrics asking learners if they can “count their money”. Back in the 1980s, piggy banks were relevant. This brings value to elementary aged students and activates the affective network of the brain through a method of interest – music. The learning can be transferred outside the walls of the classroom and into life away from school. As a child, I grew up listening to and remembering the lyrics for these tunes. These positive interdisciplinary experiences cemented the learning. To this day, decades later, I can still sing many of the tunes by memory.
Examples from Real ClassroomsWhat does this look like in today’s classroom?
Provide students with the opportunity to engage in an engineering challenge connected to scientific content. Their subsequent written reports and data analysis will stem from a kinesthetic learning experience rather than from an abstract concept. The first grade example pictured was particularly effective in motivating struggling writers in the class.
This interdisciplinary approach is much different than isolating reading, writing, and arithmetic into separate subject areas in which students solve discrete problems on a worksheet. Rather, problem based learning experiences activate the affective network of the brain and provide context for which students can attach English language arts and mathematics concepts. It gives them a reason to read, write, and/or solve mathematical problems. In addition to the various content areas addressed simultaneously in this example, students engaged in soft skills as they learned to ideate, iterate, and seek feedback.
What about technology? How was this integrated? In the example above, the teacher took video as students tested their prototypes, providing them an opportunity to compare and contrast with the prototypes of their peers. How do we infuse history/social studies into students’ modern world? As seen in the tweet below, students use the foundation of a historical context to practice research, writing, speaking, and media arts skills.
In the example provided via the embedded video below, students researched and wrote a mock trial based on a historical character. They then allowed the audience to interact using their smartphones.
The students on the jury used iPads to vote whether or not the defendant was innocent or guilty. Through this experience, students met several English language arts standards while integrating technology in a meaningful way. The technology was used to promote communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity.
Students researched, synthesized information, produced and published writing, and engaged in public speaking skills. Students strengthened soft skills during the mock trial planning process as they worked collaboratively, created project timelines, and determined appropriate roles for each member of their team.
The Power of a Memorable Experience
What will your students remember about this year in school? Will it be facts and dates? Will it be procedures to solve a mathematics problem or strategies for comprehending a difficult reading passage? Our students can ask Siri, Alexa, or Google to give them facts and dates. While they may remember how to solve for a variable or may recall ways to decode difficult vocabulary, I am certain that they are more likely to sustain these concepts if they are learned within the context of a relevant, memorable experience. Interdisciplinary learning provides this context. Life is no longer basic. Artificial intelligence surrounds our students’ lives. It would be a disservice to students to go “back to basics”. Let’s go beyond the basics and teach to the now.