Of Bridges and Blue Suede Shoes
Cross-Curricular Connections
Why Elvis?
• He was the King of Adapting
50s
60s
70s
One for the Money
Goals for this Session
Promote Cross-curricular Teaching
Equip teachers with Cross-curricular
information and strategies
Provide tried and true tips for success in a
one-to-one technology /digital teaching
environment
Challenge you to create a technology
facilitated cross-curricular lesson that is
relevant for your students.
Two for the Show
What is Cross-Curricular Teaching?
A Bridge over Troubled Waters
• involves a conscious effort to apply
knowledge, principles, and/or values to more
than one academic discipline simultaneously.
TV Dinner Teaching
Electives
Math
History
Language Arts
Gourmet Teaching
Math
Why do we believe in Cross-Curricular
Teaching?
CREATIVITY
• Cross-Curricular Teaching makes students
operate on the higher levels of Bloom’s
Taxonomy.
CREATIVITY
• “The principle goal of education is to create
men who are capable of doing new things, not
simply of repeating what other generations
have done - men who are creative, inventive
and discoverers”
• --Jean Piaget
MOTIVATION
People often say that motivation doesn't
last. Well, neither does bathing - that's
why we recommend it daily.”
--Zig Ziglar
• “Motivation is the Art of getting people to do
what you want them to do because they want
to do it.”
--Dwight D. Eisenhower
RETENTION
• Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I
remember. Involve me and I learn.
--Benjamin Franklin
This is Our Story
•
•
•
•
Cultural Diversity Fair
TAH Grant—Civil War
TAH Grant--World War II
The Origins of Fairy Tales/German
Romanticism
• Germs and Hygiene
• Careers
Three to Get Ready
Steps to plan for a successful
Cross-curricular Unit
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
A Little More Conversation
• 1. Theme—must engage your students
• 2. Grade-level appropriateness
http://edsitement.neh.gov/
• 3. Focus—a single sentence that represents
the direction and focus across curriculum
areas.
• 4. Objectives—specific to subject area and
PASS objectives
4. Gather Materials and Resources
– Printed Resources
– Computer/Internet resources
– Audio/Visual Resources
– Community Resources
– Literary Resources
• 5. General Activities
– Web-based—podcasts-6. Discussion
7. Culminating Activity—Creative project that can be
evaluated across subject areas.
8. Assessment—subject rubrics
9. Communication, Communication, Communication
Resources
• http://www.crescentok.com/staff/klovett/ofbr
idgesandbluesuedeshoes.htm
• http://www.crescentok.com/staff/klovett/SYL
LABUS.HTM
Tried and True Tips for Working in the
1:1 Environment
Provide links to lead students where you want them to go.
Teach students to find reliable resources.
(.gov / .edu)
Or this might happen:
http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/
See the linked lesson plan on our website.
Parental Input (aka: Suspicious Minds)
• Compile a list of parent e-mail addresses or
create a facebook page just for students and
parents.
• Parents want to know
what is going on.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/CrescentOK/Crescent-High-SchoolArt/124881477542656?ref=ts
Classroom Management
Have an across the board understanding of
acceptable technology use.
Make sure students and parents are aware of
the consequences.
Be consistent.
Curriculum Development
• Start with a plan!!!
– Course Outlines and
– PASS footprints
Make your
Lesson Plans Digital!
Don’t Be Intimidated!
You can do it!!
http://www.crescentok.com/staff/klovett/index.html
Creating a Visual Learning
Environment
• Words can only recall images we’ve seen before, so use
lots of images!
• Where to get free images:
http://www.freeimages.co.uk/http://www.imageafter.c
om/images.php
• Etc…..
• Google is your friend.
• Visuals increase learning up to 400%!
• We process images 60,000 times faster than text.
• --Dr. Lynell Burmark
3 biggest mistakes teachers make
when using technology in the
classroom
1. Technology is not used in a focused manner
2. Technology is the focus.
3. Inadequate planning
_“You call this a multi-media production? This is
a slide projector and a bed-sheet!”
-Archibald Asparagus
Don’t Re-invent the Wheel
• Search for it!!
• Find a forum for teachers of your subject to get ideas.
• http://arted20.ning.com/
Now Go, Cat Go!