CROSS-CURRICULAR COLLABORATION Chad Carter

PRESENTATION OUTLINE Background Timeline Problem Identification Review of Literature Cross-Curricular Student Achievement Methodology Results Implications

BACKGROUND Action research Cross-Curricular Collaboration Six teachers Curriculum Coordinator requests Social studies, math, English, physical education Survey of pre and post benefits Wiki

TIMELINE school year Planning with Curriculum Coordinator Participant selection Initial meeting Pre survey Organization of Wiki Wiki went public Final Survey- final week of school

PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION High demand tests, end of course exams, and student drop out rates. The problem is the lack of collaboration between high school teachers. Feel isolated in their particular subject area Action Research Improve schools, student achievement, professional development and teacher quality Determine the benefit of cross-curricular collaboration

REVIEW OF LITERATURE Collaboration practices have been central to professional development because it gives teachers the opportunity to establish networks of relationships (Musanti and Pence, 2010). Such relationships have helped novice and pre- services teachers (Gilles, Wilson, and Elias, 2010). Relationships lead to collaboration between the content areas (Gillies et al., 2010)

Collaboration tends to remove the feelings of isolation that many teachers feel (Gillies et al., 2010). Collaboration among novice and veteran teachers deepens within the action research state Gillies et al., (2010).

Meaningful interaction with peers creates an environment for interdependent relations, where teachers can grow as autonomous individuals within a community of practice (Musanti and Pence, 2010). School wide collaboration is needed (Diggin, 2004). In meeting the goals for exit exams and state standards cross-curricular, school wide collaboration was used in Holloway High School located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee (Duggin, 2004).

Meagher discusses the need to include everyone within the school in collaboration of curriculum (2006). This would include the librarian, art, music, and P.E. teacher as well as reading specialist and technology teacher.

The use of cross-curricular academic teams can lead to improved integration of subject matter and to deeper understanding of content and pedagogy relation to state standards, stated Reed and Groth (2009).

METHODOLOGY Six teachers Pre conference Introduce Wiki Initial survey 14-items Open-ended and close-ended Post Survey Close-ended

RESULTS Six teachers were involved in the project. Only five of those teachers answered the initial survey. Initial survey results Four out of five respondents indicated they did not teach cross-curricular lessons. Thus, 80% of the respondents did not teach using cross-curricular lessons. Participants were asked if they looked at other teachers’ pacing guides. Again, 80% of the respondents indicated they did not look at other teachers’ pacing guides.

100% of the respondents indicated they did indeed collaborate with other teachers often. 100% of the respondents indicated that the administration was supportive of cross-curricular collaboration. Respondents indicated they did believe it was beneficial, with 100% agreeing. 100% of the respondents thought cross-curricular collaboration could improve student success.

Respondents indicated that English/language arts was the most favorable to collaborate. Math was the most difficult subject to collaborate. Participants found time to collaborate during lunch and after school.

Open-ended questions (few responses) “I have planning with two different area teachers where we may or may not have time to communicate briefly on working each others’ subjects into our own.” “I have not done much cross curricular collaboration. I can see the benefits of using this, but finding the time to actually put it into play is the hard part.” “Yes, all teachers I think would acceptingly collaborate with you if it is in the best interest of the students. And this would promote professionalism. And it would be positive because it is for the students and that is why we are here.”

Post survey results 100% of the participants indicated that this project did indeed make them consider cross-curricular collaboration. Participants responded with 83.3% stating yes this project was easy to implement into their daily curriculum. The remaining two participants (16.7%) stated maybe. The participants all indicated that cross-curricular collaboration was important to the population they serve (100%).

All of the participants (100%) indicated they would be willing to cross-curricular collaborate in the future. All of the participants (100%) indicated this project did enhance professional relationships. 66.7% of the participants indicated this project did benefit their students. However, 33.3% indicated maybe, it had benefited their students. No participant indicated it did not benefit students.

Verbal feedback from participants Wiki was successful Participant concerns Making time Getting others on board Classroom lessons Africa and cricket and soccer

IMPLICATIONS Pilot for Learning Communities Learning Communities for Central tool for sharing documents Goal is to find a tool to collaborate Successful use of a Wiki