Knowledge of Subject Matter OCPS Alternative Certification Program

Knowledge of Subject MatterOCPSAlternative Certification Program

Subject Matter Florida Accomplished Practice

The professional teacher has a good understanding of the subject s/he teaches.

Subject Matter Florida Accomplished Practice

The professional teacher understands that her/his subject is linked to other disciplines and can be applied in real world integrated settings.

Subject Matter Florida Accomplished Practice

The professional teacher seeks out ways and sources to expand her/his knowledge.

Subject Matter Florida Accomplished Practice The professional teacher repertoire of teaching skills includes a variety of means to assist student acquisition of new knowledge.

Subject Matter Subject matter refers to the content and skills learners need to know.

It is the curriculum instructors teach.

Subject MatterThe effective teacher possesses knowledge of:

Elements, logic, possible uses and social biases of subject content

State and district content curriculum expectations and standards

Pedagogical content knowledge - best practices for teaching the content

Subject MatterCourse Descriptions for grades 6-12:

www.fldoe.org Go to the site index on the right side, scroll to course descriptions (click on GO).

Subject MatterGrade Level Expectations for grades K-8:www.fldoe.org

Go to the site index on the right side, scroll to Sunshine State Standards (click on GO).

Subject Matterwww.cs.ocps.net

Interdisciplinary Teaching1. Interdisciplinary teaching works well in elementary school, but doesnt translate well to secondary.

2. Math and Science match together and English and Social Studies match together, but all four dont mix well in the same lesson.

3. Electives are the easiest to integrate with other disciplines.

What is Interdisciplinary Teaching? Interdisciplinary teaching involves a conscious effort to apply knowledge, principles, and/or values to more than one academic discipline simultaneously.

The disciplines may be related through a central theme, issue, problem, process, topic, or experience.(Jacobs, 1989)

What is Interdisciplinary Teaching? Interdisciplinary teaching is often seen as a way to address some of the recurring problems in education, such as fragmentation and isolated skill instruction.

It is seen as a way to support goals such as transfer of learning, teaching students to think and reason, and providing a curriculum more relevant to students.(Marzano, 1991; Perkins, 1991)

Interdisciplinary TeachingValues and Benefits

Applies, Integrates, and Transfers Knowledge

Increases Motivation

Improves Learning

Interdisciplinary TeachingWhat is its purpose?

The interdisciplinary approach enables teachers to teach the whole student and make links between disciplines.

One goal for this approach is to give students a more relevant, less fragmented, and stimulating experience.

(Jacobs)

Interdisciplinary TeachingTerminology

Disciplinedistinguished by the questions they ask about the world (facts, concepts, theories)

Multidisciplinefocuses on the separate contributions that disciplines make

Interdisciplinary the integration of the contributions of several disciplines

Interdisciplinary TeachingStudent work should:

Be well grounded in the disciplines

Advance student understanding

Show critical awareness

Interdisciplinary Teaching How interdisciplinary learning affects you

Introducing an interdisciplinary element into a curriculum encourages all involved to develop meaningful links among the fields in ways that intrigue and motivate both teacher and students.

Interdisciplinary Teaching How interdisciplinary learning affects your colleagues

When teams of educators work together to develop effective units, they often feel a sense of collegiality and enthusiasm that would not be achieved if they were working in isolation.

Interdisciplinary Teaching How interdisciplinary learning affects your students

Interdisciplinary units further the development of higher-order thinking skills.

It can push your students toward more powerful thinking and the ability to make comparisons that bridge disciplines and encourage the application of knowledge.

Interdisciplinary TeachingTasks for engaged learners have the following characteristics:

Challengingtasks are complex and require sustained amounts of time.

Authenticcorrespond to tasks in the home and workplace.

Integrative/interdisciplinaryblends disciplines into thematic units and incorporates problem-based learning.

Interdisciplinary TeachingHow do I plan an interdisciplinary unit?

Choose a topic.

Brainstorm for ideas that can be organized onto an interdisciplinary concept model. This model has the theme in the center and the subject areas are explored in relation to the theme.

Guiding questions are developed to serve as scope and sequence. The questions are general and should transcend discipline lines.

After the questions have been developed, the activities that explore the questions can be developed.

Remember toPlease read the article

Growing A Thematic Interdisciplinary Unit: From Prairie Ecosystem To Prairie Architecture

.