Sherin Darwish,
Cairo American College,
PO Box 39,
Maadi 11431, Cairo, Egypt
Rationale for this "Interdisciplinary
Links" practice: This is an innovative interdisciplinary
approach to teaching within an organized framework, to broaden
the student's vision and mastery of knowledge through the use
of technology.
Purpose of this practice: The purpose of the "Interdisciplinary
Links" approach is to develop the student's desire to uncover,
then discover, then create a meaningful vision of life before
the learner gets cast into a less flexible attitude to the world's
complexities.
For whom:
This year, I used this approach with my Level 2 students of French,
at the Middle School grade level. This approach can be tailored
to fit any level/unit, depending on the 'clientele', and can be
used in any subject.
Narrative analysis:
When I was studying for my BA at Oxford University, one of my
friends was a graduate student who was reading International Law.
His area of studies was not important to me; what was though,
was his amazing capacity to talk about apparently unrelated factors
and weave them into such a cohesive, comprehensive whole that
I felt I really understood... (I suppose this is why he was to
be a lawyer!) He could also delve into any topic with an inquiring
and flexible mind. Needless to say, I enjoyed his conversation
tremendously, but used to wish I could have the same connected
grasp of the world. This is really what lead me to seriously think
about how I was taught at school...
We had a certain number of subjects, taught
by a certain number of teachers; these were compartmentalized
disciplines with separate homework assignments. Math was separate
from English, and yet you were asked to
understand the meaning of a problem written in English; Science
was only Science but used Latin names, yet in Latin class, those
names were not even mentioned; Geography was the study of the
earth but we did not discuss modes of nutrition and fashion in
relation to agriculture and climate. And so on.
When my students make comments like:"
Yesterday in Social Studies, we were doing The Silk Road and I
said they could get there faster because of the Suez Canal like
Fogg did! (hero of Around theWorld In 80 Days)... or when
I explain the workings of the steam engine and the hydraulic piston,
and they say :" Wow, Mme Darwish, we're doing science in
French class!", then, I know I've achieved my main purpose:
to get them to see the "Links" between language and
history; between geography and civilization; between world economy
and the Industrial Revolution; between steam-boats and ocean liners
and the fact that chocolate became so important to our lives;
and so on, and so on...This is why I believe that
uncovering this synthesis of knowledge for the student is of tantamount
importance; it gives flexibility of thought from a young age;
it frees the imagination before rigidity sets in. In so doing,
we might be able to witness some truly wonderful acts of mastery
and creativity. In attempting to give information in a truly connected
way, I am better portraying the reality of life, and thus, I make
it more interesting and more relevant to the student's experience.
My "InterLinks"® approach makes
the student more responsible for his/her own learning, while at
the same time allowing for teacher input. I have taught along
those lines for a number of years now, but the progress of technology
has enabled me to present this synthesis in a more 'palatable'
and student-friendly form. It is in the nature of young students
to be risk-takers, and this approach attempts to make them to
be more knowledgeable in their pursuits. It enables them to explore,
which in turn leads to an open-mindedness we may all benefit from.
In this age of strife and intolerance, we need to help our
children became inquiring, adaptive, literate, cultured, competent
citizens of the future, life-long learners and problem-solvers.
This approach promotes co-operative learning,
as they are asked to share their resources and contribute their
ideas to the greater picture. The inquiry promoted is open-ended;
it taps into the unlimited pool of human shared experience....
It encourages them to understand concepts, strategies, practices
and attitudes, before developing their own discerning opinions.
I enjoy leading the students around on this
merry chase for "Links"! They have enjoyed it as well;
ideally, I would have liked to devote more time on this unit.
However, because of curriculum constraints, I could not extend
this approach to two quarters as I would wish or ask other teachers/specialists
to lead different parts of the extended project.
Finally, this approach also allows the student
to do his best and use a particular skill which would not be otherwise
tapped into in a regular language class such as artistic talent,
musical interest, kinesthetic ability, or a gift for acting ...
