Making Learning Stick

How, and why, can we provide cross-disciplinary instruction?

​How can we keep instruction relevant?

Instruction is relevant and integrates other disciplines or real-world examples.

When real-world examples and connections are incorporated into lessons, students understand why what they are learning is useful beyond the walls of their classroom. They can see how they can use learning in real life, and how it impacts their true world.

Connecting classroom learning with real-life examples builds engagement, fosters critical thinking, and encourages outside-of-the-box ideas. It connects lessons with other subjects to create a holistic way of thinking that deviates from the one-track linear way that teaching is typically done.

1. Start by creating groups that include members of different teams/grade levels.

2. Share examples of times you integrated real-world examples to promote student learning/engagement.

3. As a group, come up with at least 3 scenarios of when and how you could do this moving forward. At least one should focus on a cross-disciplinary approach.

4. Write these out on the provided anchor charts and prepare to share.

Transdisciplinary learning in the PYP conveys learning that has relevance between, across, and beyond subjects that transcends borders connecting to what is real in the world.

PYP students learn to appreciate knowledge, conceptual understandings, skills and personal attributes as a connected whole. They can reflect on the significance of their learning to take meaningful action in their community and beyond.

Through this process of learning in the PYP, students become competent, self-driven learners that have the cognitive, affective and social tools to engage in lifelong learning.

Keeping instruction relevant and cross-disciplinary has direct correlations to our TEKS. Most of our grade levels/subjects have TEKS that refer to making connections. These help our students retain information and promote comprehension across content areas.