As a former self-contained elementary classroom teacher, I believe that my classroom became transformative once I began to understand the concept of cross-curricular instruction. And it really wasn't until I was in my third year (of five) in elementary that I began to institute such a practice.
Prior to my elementary experience I was a secondary Social Studies teacher (both middle and high school). Throughout the course of nine years, I developed a knack for segmenting coursework (not embedding strategies for learning), differentiating textbooks (and not for students), and giving information (instead of allowing for exploration). In essence, I was a college professor either lecturing with notes pages for students to complete or giving an activity that took text-based details and having students transfer it to graphic organizers. Ultimately, I was a "giver" of information - much like Lois Lowry's book - instead of a facilitator of learning.
In my third year as an elementary school teacher, I was introduced to the Comprehension Tool-Kit by Harvey and Goudvis (2008) - ironically the same two authors whom my current coursework readings derive from - which changed my approach to instruction completely! I began utilizing the strategies described within the toolkit for not only my reading block, but in mathematics, science, and social studies. I became transformed, and in-turn, my students benefited tremendously. They were able to break-down complex questions and challenging texts with comfort and ease (not stress and displeasure).
In Strategies that Work (Harvey and Coudvis, 2007), the recipe for literacy strategies embedded into social studies and science content are that of a master chef! Much of the text provides a gallery of examples and questions, a perfect mesh for both the novice teacher and the veteran educator. I feel that if I had a classroom today, I would constantly look to Harvey and Goudvis daily for ways to enhance student learning in those content areas.
Again, Comprehension Tool-Kit taught me a natural, fluid way of instructing students to manipulate text for understanding. However, another key "buzz-word" resonated around the same time in my career - schema. Schema is the background knowledge that a person has based on experiences in their life. Schema is what students bring with them to the classroom environment and assists in drawing connections from real-life to coursework content. Keene and Zimmermann (2007), remind me of what I learned about schema and it's connection to comprehension monitoring across subject areas. Much of my instruction in the elementary classroom connected students to prior learning and experiences as they navigated through their understanding of content by drawing upon real-world experiences.
Additionally, I employed the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model with my students and instill this in my pre-service teachers today. I expect my pre-service teacher to model their thinking through think-alouds and scaffold their instruction and questioning with their students to allow for gradual release across all content areas. Fisher and Frey (2014) highlight these points when connecting reading strategies for use in content-based information texts.
In essence, all of these instructional practices are a synthesis of expectations I have for my pre-service teachers as they navigate the early-years of their educational career journey. I now know that it is my job to advocate for cross-curricular instruction by sticking to the basics - comprehension is key to academic success. If a student can understand the how then they will be better equipped to explain the what, when, where, and, most importantly, the why.
Prior to my elementary experience I was a secondary Social Studies teacher (both middle and high school). Throughout the course of nine years, I developed a knack for segmenting coursework (not embedding strategies for learning), differentiating textbooks (and not for students), and giving information (instead of allowing for exploration). In essence, I was a college professor either lecturing with notes pages for students to complete or giving an activity that took text-based details and having students transfer it to graphic organizers. Ultimately, I was a "giver" of information - much like Lois Lowry's book - instead of a facilitator of learning.
In my third year as an elementary school teacher, I was introduced to the Comprehension Tool-Kit by Harvey and Goudvis (2008) - ironically the same two authors whom my current coursework readings derive from - which changed my approach to instruction completely! I began utilizing the strategies described within the toolkit for not only my reading block, but in mathematics, science, and social studies. I became transformed, and in-turn, my students benefited tremendously. They were able to break-down complex questions and challenging texts with comfort and ease (not stress and displeasure).
In Strategies that Work (Harvey and Coudvis, 2007), the recipe for literacy strategies embedded into social studies and science content are that of a master chef! Much of the text provides a gallery of examples and questions, a perfect mesh for both the novice teacher and the veteran educator. I feel that if I had a classroom today, I would constantly look to Harvey and Goudvis daily for ways to enhance student learning in those content areas.
Again, Comprehension Tool-Kit taught me a natural, fluid way of instructing students to manipulate text for understanding. However, another key "buzz-word" resonated around the same time in my career - schema. Schema is the background knowledge that a person has based on experiences in their life. Schema is what students bring with them to the classroom environment and assists in drawing connections from real-life to coursework content. Keene and Zimmermann (2007), remind me of what I learned about schema and it's connection to comprehension monitoring across subject areas. Much of my instruction in the elementary classroom connected students to prior learning and experiences as they navigated through their understanding of content by drawing upon real-world experiences.
Additionally, I employed the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model with my students and instill this in my pre-service teachers today. I expect my pre-service teacher to model their thinking through think-alouds and scaffold their instruction and questioning with their students to allow for gradual release across all content areas. Fisher and Frey (2014) highlight these points when connecting reading strategies for use in content-based information texts.
In essence, all of these instructional practices are a synthesis of expectations I have for my pre-service teachers as they navigate the early-years of their educational career journey. I now know that it is my job to advocate for cross-curricular instruction by sticking to the basics - comprehension is key to academic success. If a student can understand the how then they will be better equipped to explain the what, when, where, and, most importantly, the why.