The idea of collaborative teaching is not new and "theme teaching" is an example of this. Here, I am looking at theme teaching across content areas. I came across a website (http://wik.ed.uiuc.edu/index.php/Wiki_ina-K-12_classroom) which presented the idea of "Collaboration between teachers" using wikis. It was a short piece but it got me thinking about wikis and how it can be used among teachers.
Theme teaching across content areas lends itself to team teaching on a wider scale but it is sometimes hindered by one stumbling block - TIME. Teachers of different content areas can't seem to meet together as a unit to work on a plan. Then came Wikis! Wikis can be used among teachers to collaborate on a unit. Using Social Studies, for example, teachers can choose a topic for a particular school's term, such as, "Relationships". Content area teachers can make suggestions as to how they can express this topic, as lessons, using the specialities of their content areas. They could "work together to create lessons, track how lessons are being administered in their various classrooms and give suggestions" towards a more successful implementation of these lessons.
As Reading Specialists, our concern is largely for those students with learning difficulties and it has been my experience that such students learn better when they can identify a pattern or "connect the dots". Theme teaching is a good way to keep students' attention and interest as teachers bring to light different aspects of a theme in their particular area. I am thinking, too, as a scaffolding technique, it can help students learn how to link old information or familiar situations with new knowledge thus expanding their prior knowledge and giving them a sense of competence and accomplishment.
Next: The practical side of "Theme teaching in Content Areas" using concept maps!
Theme teaching across content areas lends itself to team teaching on a wider scale but it is sometimes hindered by one stumbling block - TIME. Teachers of different content areas can't seem to meet together as a unit to work on a plan. Then came Wikis! Wikis can be used among teachers to collaborate on a unit. Using Social Studies, for example, teachers can choose a topic for a particular school's term, such as, "Relationships". Content area teachers can make suggestions as to how they can express this topic, as lessons, using the specialities of their content areas. They could "work together to create lessons, track how lessons are being administered in their various classrooms and give suggestions" towards a more successful implementation of these lessons.
As Reading Specialists, our concern is largely for those students with learning difficulties and it has been my experience that such students learn better when they can identify a pattern or "connect the dots". Theme teaching is a good way to keep students' attention and interest as teachers bring to light different aspects of a theme in their particular area. I am thinking, too, as a scaffolding technique, it can help students learn how to link old information or familiar situations with new knowledge thus expanding their prior knowledge and giving them a sense of competence and accomplishment.
Next: The practical side of "Theme teaching in Content Areas" using concept maps!
