I have been advising teachers on differentiation and adaptive learning as the best ways to support each child. This approach evolves based on the individual needs of each student. Now in my second year of conducting mainstream Interdisciplinary Unit (IDU) lessons, I have found satisfaction in focusing on cohort planning. Key components I consider crucial for delivering my lessons effectively include seating arrangement, note-taking, time management, and aligning the class with the relevant topic. I aim to ensure that every child gains some understanding of the topic, with at least 90% of the class producing written work. The remaining 10% will require one-on-one attention, either during the lesson or in an individualized learning time (ILT) session. Additionally, pairing these students with peers who work well in buddy systems—under a set protocol to avoid disruption—can be beneficial. A well-laid plan that aligns my expectations with the students’ output helps gauge the effectiveness of the teaching and learning process.
Despite the challenges of a Friday afternoon when some students were drowsy, I kept the class engaged by inviting students to explain slides and encouraging questions, which revitalized their energy.
For a student who struggles with sitting for long periods, I allowed him to walk at the back of the room, which helped him stay active and participate verbally. With only 30 minutes left, I introduced two types of questions—‘create’ and ‘justify or evaluate' to address specific criteria. For the ‘create’ task, students used connecting words and mixed sentence structures, while for the ‘justify or evaluate’ task, they followed a format to write an introduction, provide a point, quote an example from the PRM, and explain their observations. This approach focused on building note-taking skills and writing detailed responses, essential for final MYP 5 e-assessments.
-Nilanjana
I completely agree with the Friday afternoon blues, students feel. :)
ReplyDeleteThis lesson highlights a thoughtful and well-structured approach to IDU lesson, demonstrating effective strategies for engaging students in interdisciplinary thinking. I particularly appreciate your focus on adaptive learning techniques, like allowing students to move when necessary and incorporating diverse question types. The use of Padlet and AI tools to develop a personalized word bank is also a creative way to build students' vocabulary and analytical skills. One area that could be further explored is the connection to Global citizenship and Digitial citizenship policies of our school. This particular activity may also be connected to the SOI and GC of the unit. Really a great way to explore ID thinking.
This must have been an engaging lesson with every single student applying their mind , even if the degree may vary - you have addressed the elephant in the room by touching upon seating arrangement and the flexibility of moving around. I feel as teachers it disturbs us when students move around, but by acknowledging that this is a need for some, and without disrupting the other learners , if we are able to facilitate this - I think it is a sign of growth for us as teachers. Additionally, I think we undermine, the importance of seating arrangement or sometimes do it in a forced manner which again backfires. Allocating seat as students walk in helps to reduce settling in time and any resistance which is likely to be there once they have nestled in. So yes, I think, the two main reiterations for me are the aforementioned points.
ReplyDeleteAlso thank you for letting us know of Sandbox - will definitely explore this!