Notes from Faculty Discussion on Interdisciplinary 12/3/12
Denion/Liptak
1) Nancy gave an overview of the interdisciplinary work currently going on and asked people to
share what they are doing, what works, what they would like to be doing, what are the
obstacles.
2) Neil made a comment about the difference between interdisciplinary work and team teaching
(Spec. Ed /Subject). Helps to diffentiate instruction not real interdisciplinary.
3) Maria – Interdisciplinary means brining in content from another discipline to help teach history.
World History – projects with art (Maria does her own background on art history); Public policy
on immigration she does guest lectures on immigration law. Most of lessons she infuses art,
music, literature. She does her own work and would love to have experts in and she would like
to share her own expertise. Time is the constraint both for planning and executing. Also
participated in Carnegie Hall and loved it but time was an issue.
4) Carol – Lincoln Center Program in the past – dance, music. Her students participated with
visiting Ecuador. Incredible time commitment. It’s wonderful but have to be realistic about
curriculum goals because the visiting experts cuts into curriculum. School really has to look at
the overall schedule. We would have more things available if we had a different schedule
model.
5) Neal – question about schedule. Years ago when we explored changing schedule, his memory
was that math and language wanted to have daily meetings. Carol responded that she believed
the department would be more open.
6) Dom agreed the department would be interested but he was worried about time.
7) Carol talked about model in Bronxville that she felt offered a good balance with large blocks.
She said that she does not necessarily feel that daily contact is needed.
8) Nancy – why does language teach 5 while other departments have fewer? Neal gave an
overview of the history.
9) Bob – I have done interdisciplinary in the past. He has worked with music teachers and Lincoln
Center. He found tremendous crossover with music and art with physics. You do lose
curriculum time but he felt it was worth it. It all comes back to a movement that is not well
understood in Scarsdale – model is the inquiry model of instruction. Interdisciplinary work lends
itself to inquiry model. If you are used to getting good results with the accepted paradigm –
hard to move away.
10) Lauren – I have worked with Natalie Farina as an expert on teenage issues and other mental
illnesses (as a resource) and health classes. It was successful but my schedule is more flexible.
Lauren really enjoyed it.
11) Carol – back to schedule – would be great to offer interdisciplinary electives to seniors.
Singletons are a problem with the current schedule.
12) Dina -- If we offer interdisciplinary electives, it will pull kids away from art electives. I don’t want
to pit dept. against each other, but I worry that my department which is entirely elective that it
will impact us. I always teach from an interdisciplinary approach in my own lessons. I am
concerned that fewer kids will have pure art experiences.
13) Alex -- PE department would love to get involved with other departments because they have
specific coursework that has to be covered. It would be great to work with art and history on
some of our units e.g. world games – games from other countries and other time periods.
14) Don – teaching foreign language is by nature interdisciplinary. Would be great to have visiting
history teachers. Know that art teachers come into classes. Also run exchange programs where
kids sit in on classes in other subjects in other countries. A lot of interest but there is a time
constraint.
15) Neal – it is just easier for me to take a poem or piece of art myself rather than take the time to
do the organization and preplanning. I know it would be better to bring in the expert. It is hard
to figure out and deal with the time issues. Even changing some of the emphasis in my course
means I have to eliminate curriculum.
How far should we go to instituting more interdisciplinary? More electives? Interdisciplinary
requirement? Is it working as it is?
1. Bob – begs the larger question. Students want to get it down and get a grade. The more
interdisciplinary the more connected for them. As an institution, I think it would be a good path
to make it a requirement and restructure the school.
2. Dina – why are we doing this? I enjoy working with my colleagues but does it really enrich my
curriculum? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Doesn’t really work within the model of our school,
so we need to go back to the overall goals of our school.
3. Neal – it has the capacity to be very important. Courses that just focus on one subject can be
equally valuable. But would it be fun to blow up the entire schedule and rethink how we
approach teaching. Senior Seminars that involve the whole class is so exciting. The problem in
this school is that we just keep adding and never take anything away. So maybe give no
homework or have it 7th period Fridays. Not extra course work but more of a seminar series
with no homework. Okay Neal just described a really crazy course and I can’t follow him.
4. Carol – we have Amstu and Civ Ed just they stand. I think having 3 pilot courses sound
reasonable. The only thing that hold us back is time. Time to plan and time to do it. This work
could create a sense of community within the faculty though.
5. Maria – back to why are we doing it? If we really look at significant commitment, we have to
look at the schedule. I think we are talking about designing courses with teachers from different
disciplines – should be experiential. Also the time for planning is crucial.
6. Bob – Environmental Science and English – one imagines that those teachers would have to
have same kids in two difference courses. Would be better if you could co-teach?\
7. Ann – co teach models have to consider the assigning of credits.
8. Bob – maybe it should be an honors model. Only kids who demonstrate their ability to handle
it.
9. Nancy – should be more inclusive.
10. Dina – if you call an elective honors, everyone will want to be in it.
11. Maria – the honors gatekeeping is a nightmare. I am not sure these types of course should be
that selective. I just realized that I am going to offer my expertise to be guest lecturer in other
classes.
12. Bob—we don’t need a faculty meeting to see if people are interested in interdisciplinary.
Certain people pursue it all the time.
13. Maria – I don’t think that we are ready to require an interdisciplinary credit.
14. Bob – institutional change needs a rationale for it.
15. Dina – do not want it required.
Nancy – I know this was a beginning conversation, could you please fill out the schedule.