KEYS to Teaching Success: Make Learning Relevant

     As we integrate content with students’ prior knowledge, it is also imperative to forge connections across disciplines. Demonstrating these interconnections is crucial as it can be challenging to effectively teach a concept in isolation from its relevance to other subjects. While these intersections often naturally emerge during class discussions, deliberate efforts can be made through lesson planning to explicitly link multiple content areas, thereby enriching the learning experience with meaningful and relevant connections.

     When exploring ways to foster interdisciplinary connections, it is valuable to consider research on transfer—the process through which individuals acquire knowledge and skills in one content area and apply that knowledge to novel situations. Transfer is essential for prompting higher-order thinking, including problem-solving and creative thinking. Within a classroom context, transfer can occur both during the learning process and during subsequent application. During learning, transfer is facilitated by techniques such as activating prior knowledge and vocabulary, establishing connections across related contexts, and using visual and verbal cues to link terms and content. Examples include drawing explicit parallels, employing similes and metaphors, utilizing concept maps, encouraging reflection, and adopting a thematic approach to teaching. To extend transfer beyond immediate lessons, instruction should aim to cultivate higher-order thinking skills, such as considering multiple perspectives, fostering conceptual understanding, and making explicit connections to real-world context. This approach supports students in applying their learning in meaningful and impactful ways across various disciplines. 

     In recent years, there has been a growing interest among educators in exploring the interconnectedness of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and the humanities. Concurrently, the STEAM approach (STEM with Art) acknowledges the inherent synergy between arts and sciences. While thematic learning often integrates these disciplines effectively in elementary education, achieving similar integration in middle and high school can be challenging due to compartmentalized subject areas. By embracing interdisciplinary overlaps, students enhance their critical thinking abilities and develop skills in generating creative solutions to complex problems (Dubek et al., 2021; Khine & Areepattamannil, 2019). STEAM education typically involves collaborative teaching units across multiple subject teachers, yet it also manifests within individual classrooms. Examples include an ELA teacher incorporating science writing activities or a mathematics teacher guiding students to apply geometric principles in designing mazes for rodents.

     In elementary grades, STEAM learning “falls under the umbrella of inquiry instruction,” which “encourages active (often hands-on) experiences that support building understanding and vocabulary, critical thinking, problem solving, communication and reflection” (Linder & Eckhoff, 2020, para. 1). Activities could involve instructing students in charting and illustrating weekly summaries of weather patterns, including cloudy, rainy, and sunny days (Linder & Eckhoff, 2020). Another example includes projects where students are asked to solve a problem, such as fair use of the science station. Lessons may be designed to encourage children to propose organizational solutions for materials and engage in role-playing scenarios to practice effective communication when multiple students require access to the same resources.

     For middle grades students, STEAM instruction can foster students’ “divergent tasks,” which are those that have students “generat[ing] several ideas about possible ways to solve problems” and that “have no unique solution” (Sousa & Pilecki, 2018, p. 37). An example of a divergent task could be seen in a solar system unit, where students explore various planets, their sizes, distances from the sun, and proximity to other planets. The creative and artistic component of this unit could involve students selecting a planet and creating a detailed illustration and description of a hypothetical creature capable of surviving on that planet, considering factors such as oxygen levels, gravity, surface temperature, and other environmental conditions. In another instance, within a government class, students might analyze different candidates’ rhetorical strategies throughout an election campaign. As part of this study, students could be tasked with writing and delivering their own speeches, applying the rhetorical techniques they have studied to effectively communicate their ideas and positions.

     Works of literature raise valuable opportunities for cross-disciplinary conversations. Agrawal et al. (2021) suggest the following ways literature can be used:

• Mathematics teachers can integrate literature to teach various mathematics concepts, which can appeal to students who may lack confidence in their mathematics skills and invite opportunities to position mathematics in a context of interest. 
• When studying Lee’s (1960) To Kill a Mockingbird, students can engage with probability and statistics while exploring themes of race and inequality.
• Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah (2019) could offer students insights into apartheid history while providing opportunities for students to develop skills in writing business plans.
• Through Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia, beginning with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950), students can explore how people might betray others for power while also learning about the research methods involved in tracking and forecasting weather patterns.

Please open the next tab: Connections to Real-World Experiences

     The aforementioned examples of STEAM instruction illustrate practical applications of concepts in real-world contexts. By demonstrating the utility of these concepts, educators equip students with valuable tools to navigate a complex world and broaden their perspectives. Understanding our students [See "Standard 7"] allows us to establish meaningful connections, and as we cultivate relationships with them, we can further align academic concepts with the issues and questions that resonate with their interests and concerns. 

     Sometimes, current events, both good and bad, establish that relevance for us. Many news outlets, such as New York Times, PBS Newshour, NBC, Discovery Education, and CNN offer programming and publications targeting young audiences. Helping students follow the news can reinforce the real-world implications of the concepts they examine in the classroom. For instance, biology, mathematics, and health teachers could design lessons involving public health charts and maps tracking the virus’s spread during the COVID pandemic. The pandemic also helped health and science teachers emphasize the importance of vaccines. As another example, political science teachers can design lessons centered on candidates’ campaign rhetoric and performance, incorporating current events related to elections, history, government, and English language arts. This approach allows students to engage critically with political discourse and form their own informed opinions. 

     We can foster real-world connections by helping students understand the reasons behind their community’s processes and decisions (Thompson, 2018). Inviting guest speakers from local weather services or emergency management agencies, for instance, can help students grasp how scientific knowledge informs urban planning decisions, such as street and sidewalk construction, as well as zoning regulations for residential buildings. Similarly, interactions with local city council members or municipal staff provide insights into the broader impacts of local governance, spanning from neighborhood policies to statewide and even national issues.

     Additionally, field trips and project-based or place-based learning offer valuable opportunities to connect academic concepts with real-world experiences. Georgia's rich history and diverse natural resources provide ample opportunities for educators to organize authentic learning experiences within their school districts. For instance, visits to Georgia's marble mines, extensive marshlands, Okefenokee Swamp, and national forests offer students engaging opportunities to actively explore and learn about the state's natural resources. Educational excursions to historical sites such as the Little White House, the Carter Center, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center, and the town of Plains provide insights into Georgia's contributions to state and federal governance. By visiting Georgia’s many museums [See "Make Learning Relevant Examples"], students can delve into the arts, sciences, and history. These experiences not only enhance academic learning but also foster a deeper appreciation and understanding of Georgia’s cultural and natural heritage.

     In instances where budgetary or time constraints limit physical visits, museum websites and virtual field trips leveraging digital resources offer valuable avenues for remote learning and student engagement. In our dynamic, technology-driven world, organizations and partnerships have made virtual field trips possible to bring immersive experiences to all learners. These experiences provide “windows” to diverse perspectives and multimodal learning opportunities that can ignite student motivation and deepen their understanding of various topics, whether exploring different regions within our state, country, or globally. 

     For example, utilizing tools like Google Earth can enrich a middle school social studies curriculum by allowing students to investigate geographical distances, city sizes, and historical landmarks worldwide. Similarly, live streams from institutions such as the Georgia Aquarium can provide real-time data for mathematics lessons while offering glimpses into the diverse marine ecosystems housed there. Similarly, live streams from the Georgia Aquarium can assist in gathering real-time data for a mathematics lesson while offering glimpses into the diverse marine ecosystems housed there. For elementary classrooms studying Georgia's geographical regions, a virtual field trip to the Okefenokee Swamp introduces students to its unique plant and animal species, vividly bringing this natural environment to life in their imaginations. These virtual experiences not only supplement classroom learning but also broaden students' perspectives and deepen their appreciation for the world around them.

     Thompson (2018) argues that students engage more deeply with academic content when it resonates with their “interests, hobbies, experiences, or cultures” (p. 90). Establishing these connections enhances our understanding of students, empowering us to make learning experiences more meaningful. As you progress through your field placement(s), it will be essential for you to demonstrate how your instruction aligns with students’ prior knowledge, connects with other subjects, and relates to real-world experiences. Building these connections helps you show students how ideas that seem abstract in the classroom have actual, practical implications in their everyday lives. In short, such strategies make learning matter.

Question #1 - Real-World Experiences - The Air Base is located within proximity to the school. Students have familiarity with planes and jobs within the community. 

Question #2 - Other Disciplines - A literature text is used to provide context and different perspectives for the history lesson. 

Question #3 - Other Disciplines - By using scale and art, the text comes alive through different contexts. This is an interdisciplinary lesson.  

Question #4 - Prior learning, background knowledge, and content knowledge - The teacher activates prior knowledge through the KWL chart. Information is shared about what students know. 

Question #5 - Real-World Experiences - The activity mirror a real world context where indviduals assess the nutritional value of foods found in a local store.