Cross Curricula

In this blog post we shall be exploring why cross curricula is so important within education establishments and the benefits the students get from it. We need to ask ourselves as professionals do we stick to the traditional way of teaching or do we need to utilise and make links with other subjects to help the pupils.
 According to (Plowden, 1967, p555) Stress that children’s learning does not fit into subject categories’ and this was 50 years ago and only know are we getting to a point where we are linking other subjects together and this is where Donaldson who is recommending the Welsh government on curriculum reforms to improve our educational system here in Wales and wants to see more cross-curricula links within todays education to prepare them better for the workplace of the future. This is why Eisner (1996) blame this way of thinking for a diminution of children’s knowledge of which is very true and could have been rectified some decades back and not left until now. Other modern curriculums are reviewing this and want to see cross curricula links.
Many critics argue that this would be the key to release the creative side of a child’s learning. Hus and Grmek (2011, p. 160) besides acquiring new knowledge the emphasis in what they call project lessons is also on motivation and acquiring practical knowledge and developing social learning. If we have a look at a project that Finland has lead in one of its schools and look at the process they undergo but see how many cross curricula links they are making without having the traditional way of having subjects separated. Their teacher is taking them through a video re-enactment - shown on the classroom's interactive smart board - of the day Mount Vesuvius erupted and destroyed the city of Pompeii.
In groups they take out their mini laptops. Their task is to compare ancient Rome with modern Finland. One group looks at Roman baths and today's luxury spas; another puts the Colosseum up against modern-day stadiums. This is a history lesson with a difference, says Aleksis Stenholm, a teacher at Hauho Comprehensive School. The children are also gaining skills in technology, research, communication and cultural understanding.
"Each group is becoming an expert on their subject, which they will present to the class," he explains. The board game is the culmination of the project, which will run alongside normal classroom teaching. (BBC News, 2017) That is one example of how they link different subjects and concentrating on many different skills and linking them together. Finland is one of the best countries in the world for education and score very high in the PISA rankings and it shows their pupils, educators, parents etc think it will work for them and the future for their country.
If we view education at the moment children entering education today will start to enter the workforce around 2030 and we need to think as educators what skills will they need? At the moment our curriculum doesn’t meet the needs of what we need for the workplace of the future. Within the blog post I have included a picture of what critical skills we need by 2020 which was produced by University of Phoenix and most of these skills aren’t included in our out of date curriculum.
‘Schools need to embrace cross curricular learning, and move away from reform that positions subjects in ways that hark back to some imagined past, rather than forwards to more globalised times’ (Power, 2002, p. 103). We need to revamp our curriculum and especially with what Donaldson is proposing in his new curriculum design that again we need to review and make as many cross curricula links as possible. The essential features of a curriculum devised in 1988 reflect a world that was yet to see the World Wide Web and the advances in technology and globalisation that have transformed the way we live and work. These changes have profound implications for what, and how, children and young people need to learn during the period of their statutory education. The curriculum, then, has become overloaded, complicated and, in parts, outdated.
‘At the heart of the educational process lies the child’ (Plowden, 1967, p.9) We again need to make sure the child is at the heart of the educational process as that is why we have education in the first place for them to adapt and have the required skills for their future workplace and adapt to new advances when required.
“Subject progression is difficult to achieve, even when only two subjects are involved; it is almost impossible with three or more.” Barnes. J (2012) Saying that we need to have as many cross curricula links as possible with different subject areas, but we have also got to make sure we have a balance for teachers as we don’t want them over worked with too much preparation and the stress. A review of the current National Curriculum has been taken and recommendations of how we can improve are in progress.
A curricular approach which maximises the use of the widest range of mental and physical faculties is likely to be more effective than one which only uses some. Neuroscientists have argued that for learning to be successful teachers must ensure… (Barnes, 2011, p.137)
·         There must be challenge
·         Provide positive learning experiences
·         Provide multi-layered experiences
·         Must stimulate the senses.
We also have neuroscience backing up this approach for education. – Which provides the best result for the learners. (Alexander, 2010) makes a very good point that repetition also significantly helps us to memorise more easily. It is very important to do it more than once to get better at that skill or to reinforce existing knowledge.
To finish we just need to remember that Any changes to the curriculum should be made with the main goal of education in mind (Lawson et al, 2007) that is crucial to making sure we are preparing and having educated individuals to adapt, have the skills necessary to adapt and be ready to take on new challenges. We have reviewed certain aspects of why cross curricula is good and backed by science but also the dangers of too much cross curricula but most importantly teachers need to be given the tools so helping them adapt and improve before any changes are implemented so then it will benefit the students.   
References:
  • .Plowden, Lady Bridget. (1967). Children and Their Primary schools: A report of the Central Advisory Council for Education, Volume 1. London: HMSO.
·         Barnes, J. (2011). Cross-curricular learning 3-14 (2nd ed.). Los Angeles, [Calif.] ; London: SAGE.
  • Barnes, J., and Shirley, I. (2007). Strangely familiar: cross curricular and creative thinking in teacher education, Improving schools, v
  • BBC News. (2017). Could subjects soon be history in Finland?. [online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39889523# [Accessed 9 Dec. 2017]
·         Eisner, E. (1996). Cognition and the Curriculum Re-considered (2nd Edn). London. PCP.
  • Pollard, A. (ed.) (2010). Professionalism and Pedagogy: A contemporary Opportunity: A commentary by TLRP and GTCE. London: TLRP.



Comments

  1. caroline8 February 2021 at 14:09

    Hi just wondering do you have the full reference for this statement "Schools need to embrace cross curricular learning and move away from reform that positions subjects in ways that hark back to some imagined past, rather than forward to more globalized times" by Power? Thank you

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