* Disrupt: To Radically Change *The last two weeks you have been working hard. You have been working on your mindset and getting that bar raised off the ground. You did it! Now you’re in mid-lift and it is time to push the bar to its maximum height! It is time to disrupt what you thought was possible to create a new norm and a new expectation for yourself! Let’s elevate that bar to its highest point! This week we are digging into the third level of our IntegratED Framework; Level 3: Disrupting the Norm. This level is what we strive for in our instruction and what we believe will showcase integration at its pinnacle. This level received its name “Disrupting the Norm” for a very distinct purpose. As we were developing the framework and the levels for our framework, this was the level that we started with. This is the level that we wanted to strive for and that we want other educators to strive for. When you define the word disrupt, one definition that is given is ‘to radically change’. If that doesn't fit our mantra we don’t know what else does! This level is disrupting, radically changing (education), because it is here that we are breaking all ‘norms’ that we have grown accustomed to knowing, performing to, and accepting in the world of education. It is in this level that “reading block”, “writing block”, “science block”, “math block”, “social studies block”, no longer matter and/or exist. It is here that all subjects are taught and engaged in through the IntegratED Workshop. It is at this level in which students are engaging in multiple subjects, standards, intelligences, and skills at a time. It is at this level in which students are flowing between different subjects throughout the day. It is in this level in which we see behaviors lessen, inquiry heightens and scores rise. Science, Reading, Writing, Math, and Technology in this Unit It is at this level in which teachers are truly becoming a guide to their students’ learning. It is at this level in which students are highly engaged, motivated, excited, and truly engrossed in their learning. This is the level that we feel teachers can truly let their creativity, flexibility, and fun shine in their lessons and/or unit. Our whole goal of the IntegratED framework is to provide a guide for teachers to help condense what is constantly being put on our ever-filling plate spinning act, while at the same time trying to bring back a teacher’s love of teaching and a student’s love of learning through creativity and learning experiences. This level is the epitome of how we feel we can help make that happen. Now, we will tell you that in this level of “Disrupting the Norm” planning and forethought are required. Work will need to be put into creating a unit at this level and magnitude. But we can also tell you that the outcomes, involvement, understanding, growth and experiences that accompany the planning for this level will surpass your expectations and excite you as an educator. “If you do nothing it feels safe, but everything stays the same. If you do nothing, there is less to experience, less to love, and less to learn.” -Yamada, Trying To help you get started in your IntegratED teaching, we want you to have a resource that we use to help us plan…the IntegratED planner! Click on this link and it will take you to a free sample of our IntegratED planner that you can download and use right away to help you get started!
Also, for more individualized and in depth learning on multi-subject integration in the classroom, be on the lookout for the upcoming IntegratED cohort starting August 2022! LIMITED spots will be available! Stay tuned for next week’s blog on Purposeful Integration!
0 Comments
Raising the BarYou’re in the gym, you’ve grabbed the bar, and now it’s time to start raising that bar! This week, we are ‘raising the bar’ into the second level of our IntegratED framework. In this second level of the IntegratED framework, we are Challenging the Norm. We are beginning to exercise our “muscles” that may not have been exercised recently. The muscles of creativity, flexibility, fun, and excitement! This level is wanting to grow you as an educator, showing you the possibilities and success you can have when integrating content in the classroom. When thinking of this level, we think of how your mindset is already changing. You have already committed to wanting to make a change for yourself and your students and have stepped up to the bar. Now you are challenging yourself and your students to do things that may be outside your comfort zone, pushing yourself and your students just a bit further. You may also begin to challenge other educators' mindsets on what should be considered “normal” in education. At this level, there are so many opportunities for educators and students to grow in exponential ways. In our classroom, this level is often seen as “partially holistic”. Clear as mud, right? We use this level to have almost every subject area integrated within our day, with usually one subject as an outlier, a subject that doesn’t seem to fit naturally or authentically with the others. Oftentimes it is the subject of math that becomes the outlier, but not always. We use the biggest uninterrupted amount of time for this level, creating what we call our “IntegratED Learning Workshop”. Within this workshop students are still working on multiple subject areas and standards, but doing it in a way that is engaging and more time effective. We are also creating classroom experiences that our students can draw from to maximize their learning presently and for in the future that falls within our IntegratED Workshop time. Similar to the Confronting the Norm level, here in this second level we have a technology and arts component. The difference is in the Challenging the Norm level we encourage both a technology AND an arts component, not an “either or” situation. You may be thinking, “That’s a lot! Both technology and an arts component along with all those subjects!?” Yes. That is exactly what we are saying. We promise you that it works and it is not as difficult to plan/create as you may think. With multiple subjects being taught around a common thread, the technology pieces and art pieces usually flow quite naturally. You may even come up with multiple throughout the unit/lesson! And remember, the arts doesn't just mean drawing a picture. It could include song, dance, drama, storytelling, and movement. To help you get started on “raising the bar” in your IntegratED teaching, we want you to have a resource that we use to help us plan…the IntegratED planner! Click on this button and it will take you to a free sample of our IntegratED planner that you can download and use right away to help you get started! Now, do you feel ready to get started but are wanting some more coaching and support along the way? Don’t hesitate to get a hold of us at [email protected] For more individualized and in depth learning on multi-subject integration in the classroom, be on the lookout for the upcoming IntegratED cohort starting August 2022! Limited spots will be available! Stay tuned for next week’s blog on Disrupting the Norm: Level 3!
Stepping Up to the Bar It’s January 2 and you are determined to keep and meet your New Year’s resolution. That resolution… Go to the gym. When you get there, your friend recommends weights. It’s a great workout that will keep you healthy and gain strength. There’s just one problem. You don’t have much experience in lifting weights. So as you begin this journey becoming a new healthier better version of yourself there are two things happening. You are confronting this new challenge as well as learning more about this new skill and the possibilities that lie ahead. In this level of integration we are bringing you face to face with the possibilities of what “could be” in your classroom. Just as you would approach the bar to begin to lift it above your head, we ask you to approach this level much the same. With an open mindset, the excitement to try, and the driving passion for a much needed change. “Confronting: to bring or meet face to face.” The confrontation that we are referring to comes from the normalization of education “should” look like and what we have all grown accustomed to. Confronting the norm is an interracial part of the framework. It may be lower in the framework in terms of how much you are integrating into your instruction. However, it is vital that this level of integration is included in the framework because of the disruption of one's mindset and the growth of expanding one’s understanding of what could be possible in instruction. Thinking of this level and its purpose in our framework, reminds me of a teacher in our building that we work with. She is an incredible athlete. And even recently, amidst injuries, she still trained and grew as an athlete, not only physically but also mentally. She has encouraged so many in our building and across our community to become better versions of themselves, coaching and encouraging everyone along the way. One thing she teaches , no matter your level of athleticism, is that your mindset, the why and how you approach workouts and nutrition, is where you will either succeed or fail in reaching your goals. When it comes to teaching and education, it is much the same way. Your mindset can very well determine the success you may or may not have with your students. Our first level of integration is taking 2 core subjects and integrating, or combining them together. We often say do one subject that you absolutely love or feel most comfortable teaching, paired with one that isn’t as strong. If you start with a strength, it encourages and motivates you to keep going! We take 2 core subjects and look at the standards for each. Now, at this stage you may or may not have already looked at bundling priority standards. If not, here is your time. Look for common threads in the standards that would feel natural to put together. Then, after looking at the standards and what you might be able to achieve with two core subjects, find the theme that you could create a learning experience on or with. These learning experiences are designed to create an experience in which students can stick information, memories, and learning to. We will be talking more in depth on learning experiences in upcoming blogs! Last but not least, in this confronting the norm level we want educators to think of a technology or arts component that they could integrate with their unit/lesson. Virtual reality field trips, augmented reality apps, book creation, or video creation, are just a few ideas to help you get started with the technology piece. If you need more ideas, go check out our past blog posts on learning and creation apps! The art component can be so many things. Ranging from song, movement, drama, drawing, painting, etc. With art, the possibilities are endless. Sometimes the art can also be a part of the learning experience! Now if you are looking at the first level and are thinking, “Well, that doesn’t seem so hard.” Awesome!!! Then this is a perfect spot for you to start! If you look at this level and think, “That seems like a lot…” Perfect! This is still the perfect level for you to start. This is the point where you get to decide if you are wanting to step up to the bar to start making a change in your teaching, your classroom, and in education! Teacher friends…Grab that bar and let’s go! Do you feel ready to get started but are wanting some extra coaching and support along the way? Don’t hesitate to get a hold of us! Connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter @Integratedk12 or email us at [email protected] For more individualized and in depth learning on multi-subject integration in the classroom, be on the lookout for the upcoming IntegratED cohort starting August 2022! Limited spots will be available! Stay tuned for next week’s blog on Challenging the Norm: Level 2! |
AuthorMegan and Kara are educational leaders, professional development experts, and current classroom teachers who are improving the way instruction is being delivered in the standard classroom. Archives
January 2025
Categories |