Topic-Based Learning: A Transdisciplinary Approach to Education

(combined blog entry 3 & 4)
 

In one of our lectures this term, I learned about a concept called “topic-based education” or “topic-based learning,” and found this idea to be very new, interesting and relevant to the field of education today. Instead of having lessons that are divided into subjects throughout the day, topic-based learning focuses on a particular topic and then integrates several subject areas into the lesson. In other words, topic-based learning aims to find links between discrete subjects and specific topics or themes. 

Topic-based learning, therefore, is based on a transdisciplinary approach to education which focuses on problem-solving, collaboration and the interweaving of subjects. This allows for the assessment of real life contexts while enabling students to relate the knowledge they acquire to real life situations - ultimately preparing them to be active members of society.

The following video discusses the idea of transdisciplinary learning and compares it to the structure of our current education system where subjects are distinct and kept separate. The problem with this is that subjects do not interact like they do in the real world. Real world problems are multidisciplinary and require different aspects from different disciplines to holistically explore and solve the issue at hand. If students are learning subjects separately, it causes a mismatch between schooling and reality and does not prepare them for life beyond school. Transdisciplinary learning has great potential to fix this critical issue facing education today as it better prepares students through the development of 21^st century literacy skills and application of knowledge through real world problems.

Using a transdisciplinary approach or topic-based learning would also make it much easier for educators to teach and help students develop 21^st century skills within their classrooms. When subjects are fluid and interwoven, it allows access for multiple literacies to play a role all at once. For example, one topic might be acts of racism (such as police brutality towards people of color). Within this topic, teachers can bring in subject matter from world history, politics, geography, and so on. The 21^st century literacies that students can build on would include multicultural literacy, critical literacy, media literacy, moral literacy, and even mental health literacy. The transdisciplinary classroom should also be designed to facilitate different learning styles and needs of students. For example, some individuals learn better when they work in small groups and are actively communicating and collaborating with others. Others, however, learn more when they teach others, much like our literacy expert groups in our EDUC 4P27 course. Then of course, there are different ways of learning – orally, digitally, visually, etc. The possibilities of topics and literacies to build knowledge and skill are endless in this transdisciplinary approach and also allow students to learn in multiple formats.

 

image retrieved from: crayfishstudios.com

 While this new approach to teaching seems much more fun and interesting, it does have its complications and challenges. As a future educator, I would like to incorporate this method into my own practice, but I think it is important to consider the pros and cons of strategies before implementing them as it can help one prepare for the challenges they may face and to start thinking about how they can overcome them. Here is a brief list of some advantages and disadvantages of topic-based learning that I have come up with:

Advantages:

·         -applicable to real life situations

·         -promotes the development of 21^st century literacies

·         -can be contextualized in a way that is relevant to the students and their community while still following and meeting the provincial curriculum expectations

·         -can be crafted to the specific needs of certain students at different times and places

·         -the idea of a “Negotiated Curriculum” – where students have a say in what and how they would like to learn certain things

·         -improves student participation and engagement within the classroom

·        -greater self-awareness and motivation to learn

Disadvantages:

·         -much more time and effort required on behalf of the teacher

·         -difficult to replicate or make comparisons

·         -harder to teach and assess

·         -teacher must possess interest, creativity and passion (although, if they want to utilize this method but are not sure how, perhaps attending workshops could help them overcome this challenge)

·         -meeting the needs of all students in various different ways may be difficult

·         -access to resources may be limited

Throughout my years of schooling, I have many times questioned the content I was being taught. I’d always think to myself “when will I ever use this knowledge in the real world?” To be honest, much of this knowledge I still have yet to apply to the real world, such as complex mathematical equations. With topic-based learning and the interaction of subjects, students are better able to make connections to their own lives and this promotes greater interest, engagement, motivation, and in due course; greater student achievement and success. Though it may be daunting at first, especially as a beginner teacher, I believe the rewards and benefits of topic-based learning are endless and if teachers really want to make learning more enjoyable and relevant to students’ lives, they can surely find ways to overcome the challenges they may face or alter certain aspects to suit the needs of their own classroom.

References:

SFT Youtube. (December 2, 2013). Answers – The Future of Education: Transdisciplinary Learning. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMMERxJ_ogo

Financial Literacy

When learning about the ten new 21st century literacies, I was glad to see that financial literacy was one of them. I believe financial literacy should play an important role in the education of our students today. Not only is it helpful for them to learn from an early age, but the skills they acquire will be incredibly useful for the rest of their lives and apply to many situations and circumstances. Financial literacy education aims to help students understand and apply the knowledge they have learned in areas such as "earning income, buying goods and services, saving, using credit, financial investing, and protecting and insuring" (Blue, Grootenboer, & Brimble, 2014). As the Ontario Ministry of Education states, basic knowledge in these areas can also assist students in understanding "the local and global effects of world economic forces and the social, environmental, and ethical implications of their own choices" (2011).

image retrieved from: carp.com

I have not received any financial education throughout any of my years of schooling. Currently, as a 23-year-old adult, I still have very little knowledge about finances, banking, and the economy. When I got my first job in high school, I remember getting my first pay check and calculating the amount to make sure it was equivalent to the hours I had logged in my calendar. However, there was a good chunk of income missing and I was concerned and went to ask my dad. The first thing he said was “welcome to the real world” and then proceeded to chuckle away. At the time, I knew that taxes existed, but I had no idea I’d get tax cuts on my pay checks. That was a moment I’ll never forget; not only was I disappointed that I’d make much less than I worked for from then on out, but I truly realized how illiterate I was in the area of finance and the economy. Still today, I struggle to manage my own finances and if I am required to make a visit to the bank, I make sure I take one of my parents with me since I am not familiar with banking language and I do not know what a lot of the terminology means. This causes me to worry and stress about my future financial issues as there is so much knowledge I have yet to learn about taxes, mortgages, investments, and the global economy. 

For this reason, I believe introducing financial literacy as early as possible would be extremely beneficial and useful to all students as it is a topic that is applicable to our daily lives. Teachers can include financial literacy practices into the classroom in various ways. A reward system can be implemented within the classroom where coins are given to students for good behaviour (teachers can relate this to hours put into work and job performance in the real world) in order to receive or “buy” a reward in the classroom (relate this to how money is earned, teach students how to save for bigger, more important purchases, etc.). Furthermore, students can engage in a fundraiser project where they must learn how to raise money, budget finances, and be effective consumers to purchase items for students in a third world country. This can further promote knowledge in other areas such as global, environmental, and multicultural literacies. 

image retrieved from: legacytracker.com

Realizing how important understanding finances and the economy are to our daily lives and actions, I still wonder why it was not taught to me during my years of schooling, especially because this topic has been relevant in society for ages. Personally, I believe it would have been much more valuable to learn than some of the other topics we have covered in math class (e.g. algebra, logarithms, etc. all of which I still have yet to use in the daily, real world). Although financial literacy is starting to be recognized as an important aspect of education and schooling today, many schools and educators seem to resist the idea, or do not readily accept it as they would digital or environmental literacy, which I have seen implemented in classrooms I volunteered in. Why is this? Are we reinforcing the role of students as consumers and preventing them from becoming producers – much like their role in education, where they have been taking in knowledge from the expert (the teacher) but are not given the opportunity to be active in their own learning?

Perhaps it is the fact that we might be indirectly communicating to students that money is the most important factor in their lives. Although being financially secure and learning how to support oneself are critical to living and thriving in our society, as educators we must know where to draw the line and find a balance in how we communicate this information to our students. Furthermore, because I consider myself to be financially illiterate, this may also be the case with other teachers out there, and they may not feel comfortable teaching something that they have no skill or knowledge in either. To combat this, I believe attending workshops, outside of teachers doing their own research, or even having financial experts assist educators in the classroom should be a necessary component prior to teaching financial literacy in the classroom.

References:

Blue, L., Grootenboer, P., & Brimble, M. (2014). Financial literacy education in the curriculum: Making the grade or missing the mark?. International Review of Economics Education, 16(Part A), 51-62.

Ontario Ministry of Education. (2011). Financial literacy: Scope and sequence of expectations grade 4 to 8. Ontario Ministry of Education.

21st Century Literacies

As a young student, I always associated the word ‘literacy’ with the general concept of reading. However, as I became older and progressed through my years of schooling, I learned that there are other ways one can be literate, besides having the ability to read. For example, people could be mathematically literate, historically literate, and scientifically literate. These were the four main literacies I knew of and was taught throughout my years in elementary and high school. It was only a few days ago in our very first EDUC 4P27: 21^st Century Literacies Across the Primary Junior Curriculum class that I had learned there are multiple other literacies as well. Some of these literacies include multicultural, mental health, financial, environmental, critical, global, and digital literacy. We have not yet covered or learned about these different literacies thoroughly, but that is the goal of the course, as well as how to integrate them into a primary junior curriculum.

retrieved from: http://www.loosetooth.com/Viscom/gf/21c_literacy.htm

 

As a future teacher, I believe the 21^st century literacies are all very important aspects of teaching and learning today. The world around us is rapidly and constantly changing with new technologies, skills and innovations and we must prepare and educate our students in these various areas so they are fully equipped and ready to enter the ‘real’ world. This means that we must change our traditional ways of teaching and find a way to adapt to the current demands of our society. There is not just one way of doing something, or one specific route to success. Multiple intelligences exist and lead to different kinds of skills and successes. In the same way, educators need to realize that students all learn differently, enjoy different topics, and excel in diverse skills and subject areas. Therefore, it is essential that educators learn about and incorporate 21^st century literacies into their daily classroom instruction and activities.

The reason I wanted to become a teacher is because I love working with kids and I wanted to help people, make a difference, and assist others in realizing their full potential. I look forward to the knowledge I will be learning in this course and hope it will provide me with the skills and resources needed to effectively incorporate 21^st century literacies into my own classroom one day. I believe the use of 21^st century skills will help me motivate and inspire my students, fully prepare them to be contributing members of society, and most importantly, make learning fun and engaging.

Throughout the course, I will be using this blog to share my thoughts and opinions about 21^st century literacies and to reflect on my own experiences in regards to education and the world around us.