WEEK 31 ACTIVITY 7 Professional Context Crossing Boundaries

WEEK 31 ACTIVITY 7
Professional Context Crossing Boundaries

Ross Curriculum is an integrated system of all areas and subjects combined to provide an interdisciplinary approach to learning. 
All subjects are interconnected and involve a system of dynamics, thinking processes.
These systems are also integrated and the approach is complex. 

Students learn skills in different disciplines and examine the world as an interconnected hierarchy of systems both in the natural and cultural world. Students also learn about cultural sustainability inter connectedness in the classroom and on field trips.  These can be referred to as  inter connected experiences.

Science, history, culture and other skills and disciplines are taught 'wholistically' and together to explore many ideas and possibilities.

e.g.The life cycle of a butterfly, if anyone of these systems is affected the whole process break downs and the cycle is no longer achieved or part of that cycle is not completed.Each part is reliant on the other. Taking into account all the variables, conditions, the whole cycle or overall system is affected.

With this in mind, on reflection our playgroup functions and services the community very similar to the Ross Curriculum. All aspects combined, e.g. resources, subjects, people etc provide an inter-disciplinary approach to learning. 

With this way of thinking in mind and implementing the Te Whariki Curriculum (the New Zealand Early Childhood Education Curriculum) can be seen as 'professional context crossing boundaries'.  The framework for this Te Whariki curriculum has just been updated.  Essentially metaphorically, it interweaves the principles and strands which woven together like a mat and describes a holistic curriculum.

Each service, provider and early childhood place of learning, (registered) weaves a local curriculum (or whariki) based on principals, strands, goals and learning outcomes found in Te Whariki.  Teachers and educators take into consideration, the interests, strengths and needs of the children and the aspirations of the parents, whanau and community, when deciding on what areas to focus on in the programme.  

I have discussed with the carers what types of activities they would like to do in the planning, places we might want to visit,(field trips) what ideas would they like included in the programme. Therefore reinforcing their children's interests too. How might they like to put their children's progress and assessment book together, that is their child's own personal learning portfolio as a hard copy. Therefore empowering the child and their child's learning development.  This also encourages parents to engage with their child's learning and interacting with them.

The following map shows those current and potential interdisciplinary connections that our community playgroup needs and uses to help it function and provide a 'wholistic' place of teaching and learning.

Diagram 1: MAP-by Vera Cheffers

"INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION

What does interdisciplinary collaboration mean?

Andrews (1990) defines interdisciplinary collaboration as occurring "when different professionals, possessing unique knowledge, skills, organizational perspectives, and personal attributes, engage in coordinated problem solving for a common purpose" (cited in Berg-Weger &. Schneider, 1998).

While multidisciplinary collaboration involves paralleled work of several disciplines, interdisciplinary practice may include inter professional interactions in which two or more disciplines collaborate in the process of “joint planning, decision-making, and goal-setting”(American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2016, p.1)" (class notes week 31 26th June 2017 Practise-Professional Context-Crossing Boundaries)

I implement and operate the playgroup with the help and support from a team and organisation, where I work. We are interdisciplinary collaborators. 

The following model highlights the responsibilities and types of roles that myself and my co-workers use when we work together.

" When all three facets come together, we believe successful collaboration can occur. In the event that one facet is absent or lacking, we believe that collaboration can still function but may be difficult to sustain.

Table 1. Qualifiers for a three-faceted conceptual model for successful collaboration"

Workplace Conditions	Qualities/Attitudes	Common Goals
Regular communication Standing meetings Physical space Administrative support	Cooperative—able to compromise Equitable—respect for roles Trust—perceived competence Shared vulnerability—safe setting to explore, inquire & critique Enthusiasm—desire to continue collaboration	Identify individual strengths Select conference & publication venues that “count” for both, or alternate Establish research “pipeline” & philosophy Articulate/update timelines"

"A Conceptual Model for Interdisciplinary Collaboration"(2015)

Teaching and working in a disciplinary way, will help and empower our children, families, to do this an inter-connective way.  We can inquiry, research and solve problems in our fast changing world in a wholistic way and together, which will continue to benefit everyone and nature globally.  We can build on our strengths, differences, cultures and knowledge together to make the world a better place for every living creature and everything. We are faced with globalisation, climate change, population growth, technological advancement, political change etc and inter-connective, collaborative disciplines is important to achieve harmony and help solve world issues.

REFERENCES

Source: Ross Institute. (2015, July 5). Ross Spiral Curriculum: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Science. [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHZhkB0FJik

Table 1.

ACRLog. (2015). A Conceptual Model for Interdisciplinary Collaboration. Retrieved from http://acrlog.org/2015/05/14/a-conceptual-model-for-interdisciplinary-collaboration