This document discusses breaking down subject boundaries and moving towards more interdisciplinary learning at BIS. It describes how the author identified a need for this approach and worked to get others on board, including subject teachers, school managers, and parents. Teacher surveys showed support for cross-subject planning. Example units taught across subjects are provided, such as exploring carbon footprints in science and technology. Issues around staffing, facilities, and scheduling were discussed at senior management levels, and solutions proposed like recruiting multi-subject teachers, reconfiguring classroom spaces, and providing more planning time.

1. Breaking Down Subject Boundaries Jonathan Elliott

2. My PLP Why the Interdisciplinary focus? I was uneasy about the institutional structure that emphasised purely disciplinary learning for 2 reasons The reliance on the ‘fixed’ subject boundaries The MYP framework …so I had to do something!

3. The way forward at BIS Having identified my theme, I next had to do what I perceived as the difficult challenge of getting others to share in these values and goals. Subject teachers and heads of faculty – leave the comfort zone School senior managers: a new mind set (learning centered) - with implications on staffing, timetable and school infrastructure Parents: "Educate me for my future, not your past“ 21st Century Teaching & Learning Initiativen.d., UWCSEA, <http://www.uwcsea.edu.sg/page.cfm?p=2001>

4. Teacher Survey Results

11. Year 7 Cross subject map Following the survey Heads of Faculty, with their teachers, worked together to create cross subject maps for Years 7, 8 and 9

13. Meeting of Year 7 to 9 teachers Looked at some theory and the rationale for interdisciplinary work Presented Results of the Survey Worked through my ‘guide to interdisciplinary planning’ and the associated paperwork Looked for, and developed, interdisciplinary possibilities

14. What is our goal? To improve understanding

16. Is the learning grounded in the subject - are the expectations of the students framed in subject objectives for the unit?

18. The paperwork… The multifaceted question addresses aspects of study that can be productively explored through 2 or more subjects. It should give it purpose & direction; and we should aim to make it relevant, feasible and framed to encourage inquiry. e.g. “Why is it important to lower our carbon footprint, and what can we do about it? or “How do historical monuments influence building styles of today, and what might their influence be in the future?”

19. Activity 3: In your subject area group look through the units taught by other departments during Year 7, (and possibly in Years 8 & 9 t00). Identify one or two that may potentially allow some interdisciplinary opportunities and work with those other subjects to complete an interdisciplinary planner. Remember…Is the learning purposeful ?Is the learning grounded in the subject?Is the learning integrative?

20. Overheard… “Let’s try it” “How can they make puppets in DT without a play/product at the end?” “We can shift our units around, it’ll make more sense to everyone!” “Why don’t we work with PE on that?” “Can we have more meetings like this, its so much more useful than normal Wednesday afternoons!”

22. Whilst this was going on… Information mornings with parents Presentation to Primary Years teachers Introduction to the programme for students Meetings with the Head of Secondary and SLT

23. Issues arising for discussion at senior management level Staffing ; part of the difficulty in getting people together for productive collaborative planning time is the number of teachers involved – over 40 for example teach year 8 (4 classes). This is because many teachers have a strong desire to teach all sectors of the school the MYP is seen as a section with many challenges Heads of faculty in the past had totally freedom on how to deploy their staff Building; the physical internal structure of the school designed around the faculty system Time; the timetable and building in time for collaborative planning (see staff survey result)

24. Results of these issues (1) Staffing Some teachers have expressed an interest in teaching in fewer years (a benefit for them) in more than one subject (for example one of our PE teachers will be delivering Year 7 science next year) Recruiting teachers who are able (and willing) to teach more than one subject (for example we have recruited an English teacher who also enjoys teaching Humanities) Recruiting teachers who express a genuine interest (and possibly experience) in interdisciplinary teaching (our new head of performing arts has already delivered units with the History and English departments)

25. Results of these issues (2) Physical School Organisation The school owner has agreed to invest a large sum of money in updating the main teaching building (now 15 years old) and has employed an architect who has just (last week) undertaken a preliminary visit to the school. One aspect of this will be the development of Year group(s) areas within the school where they will be based for some of their lessons

26. Results of these issues (3) Timetable and Collaborative planning opportunities The school day has been shortened providing additional planning time between the end of school for students and staff leaving time Staff will be expected to do only 1 ‘activity’ as opposed to the 2 currently demanded, thus freeing up an additional after school slot for amongst other things collaborative planning (on a regular basis)