Crossing the Boundaries

I have spent 90% of my teaching career working in small rural schools; and teaching composite classes. Obviously, there are some disadvantages to working in such an environment, not least the seeming isolation from colleagues working with the same age groups.

My professional Interdisciplinary Connections

Technology has been an invaluable tool in helping me to overcome the challenges associated with the size and location of my school environment. Over the years I have extended my professional network in ways that may not have been possible had I worked in a larger school or been limited by syndicate plans or thematic units.

One such experience involved connecting with a forensic scientist through Future in Tech. This outside expert afforded my students the opportunity to engage with someone with a passion for their profession who is directly involved in the field that we had been studying. The forensic scientist and I worked in collaboration to developed content that suited the learning needs and interests of my students.

The expert based the content of their presentation on questions generated over the course of our classroom-learning program, for example is the fancy 3-D crime scene scanner in the program Crossing Lines a real thing? (The answer - it's not far from the truth!)

Image sourced from https://www.axn-india.com/galleries/crossing-lines-episode-1-photo-gallery

There were many advantages to working across interdisciplinary lines:

•         The forensic scientist was able to provide accurate information and correct any misconceptions or misunderstandings that we had about different aspects of forensic science
• The students were able to gain information on career pathways from someone working in the field
• The students were highly motivated and engaged in the learning as they were communicating with someone involved in helping to solve real crimes
• The students were able to ask questions about the expert’s work that gave them a more realistic view of what life as a forensic scientist is actually like – not simply as it appears on TV programs
• The content was tailored to the interests and needs of my students
• A long period of communication leading up to the expert’s presentation enabled us to establish a shared vision and suitable goals for the session
• An opportunity to connect with an outside expert reduces the pressure on me as the teacher to have all the answers
• The Future in Tech organisation do the hard work of connecting schools with outside experts for free – it is a service that all teachers should know about and take advantage of!

The challenges associated with collaborating with an outside expert were:

·       A great deal of time was spent communicating with the expert prior to her actually connecting with the class

·       The presentation was delivered via Adobe Connect – we went through a long process of trialing different applications that would allow her to share a slide shown on her computer and be seen by the students

·       Finding a suitable app for connecting the expert to the classroom was time-consuming and required a great deal of assistance from YouTube and Google!

·       Finding a time that suited our school schedule and the expert’s work commitments proved to be quite challenging – we had to cancel our session a couple of times due to her needing to give evidence in court

Whilst the challenges were a source of frustration to all involved, the benefits once again far outweighed the negatives. Connecting with outside experts whenever possible remains a goal to which I am vehemently committed.

References

(n.d.). Retrieved July 21, 2017, from https://www.futureintech.org.nz/for-schools/about-ambassadors.cfm

Fraser, D., Aitken, V., & Whyte, B. (2013). Connecting curriculum, linking learning. Wellington: NZCER Press.