I am disappointed by the amount of information about creating functional interdisciplinary curriculum I could find (not as much as I had imagined). While most sources tout project based learning as the solution to disciplinary boundaries, by seeing these strategies first hand as a student, I understand that not always can high schoolers be trusted to self direct their learning. I believe that in order to get students excited about having ideas and performing well academically/artistically, interdisciplinary curriculum should begin very early in a child's life. Unfortunately, I am yet to find research that supports this belief.
As a result, my questions this week pertain to the best means to get children genuinely interested in interdisciplinary curriculum. Is there a way to get students excited about project based learning? How can schools find a balance between allowing interdisciplinary exploration and encouraging high performance?
Do you think they do this more easily in elementary school? Is the problem with the set standards for middle and high school?
ReplyDeleteJust based on personal experience I feel that by the time many students reach middle and high school they have already lost a great deal of curiosity and excitement for learning so project based learning is less effective.
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