It has been challenging to develop authentic interdisciplinary teaching and learning in the previous years. Constraints include, but are not limited to:
I have been very inspired by what Aidan Hammond (@soghum) has implemented with his colleagues at Branksome Hall Asia. We have decided to try out a similar model this year at KIS International School (Bangkok, Thailand) and collaborate with Branksome Hall Asia to exchange resources and ideas. We will allocate one week, off regular timetables, for interdisciplinary learning. I am very grateful that Aidan and his school have shared their resources with us generously. After reading through their work and reviewing relevant literature, I came up with a system to help our teachers develop interdisciplinary units.
However, I want to be very honest. Finding collaborative planning time for developing interdisciplinary units is challenging and sometimes feels impossible. MYP is a very ambitious framework, and there are just so much to do within the hours we have at school. This could be one of the many reasons why there are so many unsuccessful and inauthentic interdisciplinary teaching and learning in MYP schools. Our grade level IDU teams had only met once before our October break. We are implementing the IDU week in the first week in January after returning from the December holidays! Luckily, we have very creative and flexible teachers at KIS, which made collaboration easy. In our first meeting, we have considered students’ feedback and identified possible topics that are age-appropriate for our students. At the beginning of the school year, I asked all MYP students to completed a survey and share with their teachers what product they might like to make or outcomes they would like to achieve. In the survey, they also listed two possible subjects for integration to make the product/outcome . This was not an easy survey for many grade 6 and some grade 7 students as they did not know what interdisciplinary learning is about. Some students knew about IDU, but they found it difficult what interdisciplinary learning was about. Another example is that we should avoid using abbreviations or MYP jargon with our teachers and students whenever possible!
We explored the project-based learning model and embraced IDU with a more positive and engaging attitude to break the wrong impression of interdisciplinary teaching and learning. The question asked is, “If we could do anything fun and not worry about the subject-specific curriculum requirements, what inquiry-based projects can we do with our students?” Teachers are also encouraged to consider their own experiences, skills, and talents when brainstorming the topics. Teachers need to have fun in this process as well!
We have one more meeting and one in-school interdisciplinary training event with an experienced outside workshop leader in November. As an MYP Building Quality Curriculum (BQC) reviewer, I understand some of the difficulties for teachers to put their ideas on the unit plans and outline the purpose of integrating two or more subjects in detail. I am conscious of the time we currently have and thought it might be time-saving this year to draft MYP unit plan stage 1 inquiry planning based on what the IDU teams had discussed to facilitate the next collaborative planning. Having something to work with might be slightly easier to create something from scratch. The purpose is also to help distinguish the differences between transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary learning and ensure IDU is disciplinarily grounded. Teachers are encouraged and have the flexibility to make changes or revise the purpose of integration and statement of inquiry that reflects on what they will be teaching.
After reflecting on this process, the tip to craft a good IDU is to identify a clear and focused global context with an exploration. Two subjects can be integrated for so many different reasons. Without a clear identification of context and form of integration, information researched on the internet becomes overwhelming. Students might end up studying everything and being unable to articulate the WHY of their learning.
There are so many great resources supporting project-based learning on the internet. I am sharing some resources that I frequently use here:
Happy exploring! Either transdisciplinary or interdisciplinary events often encounter our life. In the MYP, I believe authentic interdisciplinary learning not only inspires innovation in students but also helps them make connections with real life. Throughout the process, they develop necessary skills and empathy; become aware of the world they live in; take appropriate actions to improve communities and the quality of life.