Disciplinary Purpose & Depth of Meaning
Published on Jun 21, 2016
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PRESENTATION OUTLINE
"To understand the nature of the discipline that one teaches, is to understand how each discipline makes sense of the world through the content within the discipline (Mandarino & Wickens, 2014)"
To make sense of the world is to create meaning. An understanding of how one make sense of the world can lead to an understanding of the person. Likewise, an understanding of the nature of a discipline is to understand a discipline.
To be an expert photographer, one must understand how a photographer views the world and what tools a photographer uses as an expert to engage with the world around him/her.
To be an expert photographer, one must understand how a photographer views the world and what tools a photographer uses as an expert to engage with the world around him/her.
Photo by evalottchen
Consider: If I were a photographer, chef, or professional runner . . .
Pick a profession from the list . . . or create your own!
Now, challenge yourself to answer the following:
1. What is it that I create through my profession or hobby?
2. What view of the world do I have that supports this creation?
3. What skills do I need to support this creation?
Discuss!
Now, challenge yourself to answer the following:
1. What is it that I create through my profession or hobby?
2. What view of the world do I have that supports this creation?
3. What skills do I need to support this creation?
Discuss!
Photo by twinnieE
The Nature of a Discipline
Guides the Meaning Making process
The depth of meaning that students arrive at through the negotiation and creation of the disciplinary content can be accelerated through lessons that are created in a way that support the nature of a discipline. Understanding how disciplinary experts make sense of the world, the tools, skills and knowledge that experts possess to negotiate the world that they inhabit, and an understanding of the creation process in the discipline is essential to the creation of meaning.
Photo by Nick Kenrick.
When Building Lessons A Teacher:
- Considers the way in which disciplinary experts views the world.
- Considers the tools and skills a disciplinary expert needs to create meaning within the discipline.
- Considers the ways in which he or she can explicitly teach the nature of the discipline as well as the tools and skills needed to support the disciplinary demands.
The use of instructional strategies to reinforce purpose and relevance is an important component to literacy—explicit teaching allows students access to the mind of the expert in the discipline—the teacher.
The purpose of the lesson should always be central the creation of instruction and the strategy of explicit teaching helps teachers support the transparency necessary for building meaning in the content.
The purpose of the lesson should always be central the creation of instruction and the strategy of explicit teaching helps teachers support the transparency necessary for building meaning in the content.
Photo by recombiner
The Natures of the Disciplines--Examples
- ELA: “The desire to understand the human condition as expressed through the written word (Mandarino & Wickens, p. 29).
- Science: “A systematic method of inquiry though predicting, observing, recording, and replicating to understand how forces in the natural world work (p. 29-30)”.
If the nature of ELA is to understand the human condition through the written word . . .
1. What skills do students need in order to achieve the purpose that is ingrained in the nature of ELA?
2. How will you teach students both the nature of the discipline and the skills that support the depth of meaning available through expertise within the discipline?
1. What skills do students need in order to achieve the purpose that is ingrained in the nature of ELA?
2. How will you teach students both the nature of the discipline and the skills that support the depth of meaning available through expertise within the discipline?
Photo by Candace Nast
Framing Instruction
Why frame instruction around Disciplinary Nature?
Discuss--
Why might it be important to frame instruction around the nature of a discipline?
How might a discipline benefit from the framing of instruction around the central purpose of the discipline?
What might the results of such lesson building be? Short Term: What skills might be taught? Long Term: What creations might be built?
Why might it be important to frame instruction around the nature of a discipline?
How might a discipline benefit from the framing of instruction around the central purpose of the discipline?
What might the results of such lesson building be? Short Term: What skills might be taught? Long Term: What creations might be built?
Photo by kfergos
What is the Nature of your Discipline?
1. Individually, brainstorm an answer to the following questions:
How might an expert in your discipline view the world? How does the discipline that you teach make sense of the world?
Share answers with the group.
Session Group
2. In disciplinary groups, discuss the previous questions, and answer the following--include examples--"What does it look like to incorporate the “nature” of the discipline into the lesson?
How might an expert in your discipline view the world? How does the discipline that you teach make sense of the world?
Share answers with the group.
Session Group
2. In disciplinary groups, discuss the previous questions, and answer the following--include examples--"What does it look like to incorporate the “nature” of the discipline into the lesson?
Photo by Hammonton Photography
Let's Create!
Creating an Explicit teaching Moment
In your disciplinary groups, find a concept that you might teach in your classroom.
Create an introduction to the topic that achieves the following: Introduces the concept in a way that connects to the disciplinary nature/purpose.
Breaks down the skill/concept into feature parts and provides a review of all of the skills necessary to understand concept/skill.
Breaks do
Create an introduction to the topic that achieves the following: Introduces the concept in a way that connects to the disciplinary nature/purpose.
Breaks down the skill/concept into feature parts and provides a review of all of the skills necessary to understand concept/skill.
Breaks do
Photo by Ed Yourdon
But First . . .
Watch ME!
Model my introduction to topic: Memoir Writing
Introduce the connection between memoir and nature of lesson--the link between personal experience/perception and the greater human condition--what is shared
Introduce process of Memoir Writing and Review skills necessary to process: Brainstorm, Noting connections to humanity, noting importance, the writing pr
Introduce the connection between memoir and nature of lesson--the link between personal experience/perception and the greater human condition--what is shared
Introduce process of Memoir Writing and Review skills necessary to process: Brainstorm, Noting connections to humanity, noting importance, the writing pr
Photo by Grégoire Lannoy
How did We/I
- Connect the concept/skill to the nature of the discipline?
- Introduce and or review the prerequisite skills and/or concepts necessary for writing a Memoir?
Discuss the following questions--share answers.
What suggestions do you have to enhance the introduction to the concept?
What suggestions do you have to enhance the introduction to the concept?
Photo by pipcleaves
It's Your Turn!
Create introductions to concepts in your small disciplinary groups.
Share your introductions with the larger group. Together, we will answer the "How did we do?" Questions on the previous slide in regards to your presentations.
Share your introductions with the larger group. Together, we will answer the "How did we do?" Questions on the previous slide in regards to your presentations.
Photo by nan palmero
Connecting
How did Disciplinary Nature Support The Mini Lesson?
How does the nature of the discipline support your mini lesson in which you used explicit teaching?
If you had not focused your lesson around the disciplinary nature--and explicitly introduced the nature of the discipline and its connection to the concept/skill that was being taught, how might the lesson have been constructed different? How might it have been less effective?
If you had not focused your lesson around the disciplinary nature--and explicitly introduced the nature of the discipline and its connection to the concept/skill that was being taught, how might the lesson have been constructed different? How might it have been less effective?
Photo by Keoni Cabral
Onward!
Progress is Investment
When teachers teach explicitly . . . when teachers build lessons around the nature of a discipline, instructional time and the time for collaboration during the creation process will dramatically increase. But, we must move slow to move fast . . . PROGRESS IS AN INVESTMENT--less content more teaching of skills necessary to think and create like a disciplinary expert!
Photo by kevin dooley
Depth of Knowledge
and the connection between Breadth and Depth
The result of teaching explicitly in alignment to the purpose and nature of the discipline is that students will have a depth of understanding in regards to the discipline. In small groups, answer the following:
1. What does it mean to have a depth of knowledge?
2.What does it mean to have a breadth of knowledge?
3.How are the concepts of breadth and depth connected?
1. What does it mean to have a depth of knowledge?
2.What does it mean to have a breadth of knowledge?
3.How are the concepts of breadth and depth connected?
Photo by IamNotUnique
Depth is Access
When you increase student depth of learning, you will increase a student's ability to access meaningful connections across content areas. No longer will students have a superficial understanding of skills and concepts, rather, students will possess the ability to integrate cross-disciplinary skills and concepts to support the creations and meaning that are being made in your content!
Photo by Yogendra174
Now, Dream Big!
Use nature” of your discipline as a guide in creating a lesson—or unit—that uses disciplinary literacy strategies to increase student knowledge and understanding within a specific area of your content.
Use the following sentence to begin your brainstorm: If the “nature” of my discipline is to (insert nature of discipline here—i.e. Science: a systematic method of inquiry though predicting, observing, recording, and replicating to understand how forces in the natural world work), then I would create a lesson that . . . (insert lesson that capitalizes on the nature of the discipline here).
Use the following sentence to begin your brainstorm: If the “nature” of my discipline is to (insert nature of discipline here—i.e. Science: a systematic method of inquiry though predicting, observing, recording, and replicating to understand how forces in the natural world work), then I would create a lesson that . . . (insert lesson that capitalizes on the nature of the discipline here).
Photo by Le.Sanchez
