This particular week was a good week. Because of the Green Audit, lesson plans from both Science and English were aligned so that integrated teaching could be carried out. In addition, there was an article in the English worksheets that talked about “Why we fall ill”. This also turned out well because in one of the Health Education (HE) topics, we were dealing with HIV and Hepatitis B.
Inter-disciplinary teach allows the pupils to see the links between the various subjects. It brings more meaning to the pupils learning as they see the significance of what they are learning. In one lesson where I was teaching HE I asked the question, “What lesson are we having now?” Some pupils replied with, “Health Education”, while others replied with, “English”. - we were having a HE lesson.
Pupils need to realise that what they learn in school in inter-related and not stand alone. English is the medium that gives meaning to all IP subjects.
In the above clip, Sir Ken Robinson highlights that today’s education system had a goal in mind. The objective of the goal is to create a professor. With that in mind, it is not difficult to see why education in main stream schools today emphasis on knowledge acquisition and subject mastery. While this is not a bad thing, to focus entirely on it is another matter all together.
There has been talk about inter-disciplinary teaching to be done. However, as a classroom teacher, I think it is also important to bring in the other skills, such as school values, social skills etc. into the lessons. All even more as we talk about educating the holistic child. Surely values should play an important role.
