Even the best curriculum is doomed to failure if it is not properly linked with instruction. On the other hand, instruction that draws from and builds upon a meaningful curriculum base has the potential to greatly improve the teaching/learning process. As with other curricula, the thematic curriculum is only useful to the extent that it contributes to quality instruction. Instruction grounded in a broad theme has the potential to assist students in seeing the relevance of learning by connecting it with real-world situations and expectations. Engaging students in authentic, real-world experiences that relate to themes can help motivate them to become involved in additional learning and acquire knowledge and skills that transfer to other situations and settings.
In this section, some of the more popular teaching/learning strategies used to enhance the value of thematic curricula are presented. Many of these strategies are well known, whereas, others may be relatively unknown. The strategies have been organized into three areas: (1) school-based teaching/learning strategies, (2) work-based teaching/learning strategies, and (3) strategies connecting the school and workplace. Clearly, these three areas have a great deal in common and tend to overlap each other. It may, thus, be noted that teaching does not begin and end in school settings. Contemporary teaching, and therefore learning, begins in a school classroom or laboratory, a workplace, or somewhere in between; and ultimately can end up somewhere else.
School-based teaching/learning strategies organized around broad themes offer numerous opportunities for teachers and students to work together in the classroom and laboratory. Contextual, interactive instruction that is integrated across subjects aligns well with the thematic curriculum. By using interactive and interdisciplinary approaches, teaching can engage students in activities that include a broad range of functions, issues, concerns, and technological knowledge and skills. The learning environment can foster connections between knowing and doing and active participation and application of knowledge, skills, and values in real-world problem-solving settings. First, a description is given of several integrated teaching models that are compatible with thematic curricula. Then, examples of school-based teaching strategies are described to include interactive teaching, small group activities, cooperative group projects, case studies, and simulations.
In integrated teaching/learning settings, group interactions become central to the process. If organized in the proper fashion, using a broad theme as a starting point for integrated instruction can ultimately provide students with opportunities to accomplish group tasks and projects related to that theme (e.g., industry or field). The social context associated with integrated teaching can provide students with a greater appreciation for others and develop abilities needed to learn complex concepts such as solutions to theme-based problems.
Building on discussions of integration presented in Sections 4 and 6, it may be most meaningful to consider ways instruction based on a broad curriculum theme may be organized. Fortunately, several models that schools are using to successfully integrate instruction have been identified. As noted in Figure 7-1, the more commonly encountered models focus on relationships within, between, and across teacher and student groups (Fogarty, 1991; Grubb, Davis, Lum, Plihal, & Morgaine, 1991).
Figure 7-1. More Commonly Used Integration Teaching Models
Relationships Within Between Across Teacher Relationships Individual Teachers Two or three teachers Teams of teachers Subject Relationships Within a single subject in a school Between several subjects within a school Across all subjects throughout the school Relationships to Learners Engaged in separate courses Connected across courses and around related themes and topics Organized in multiple groups, networked across subjects
At one end of the integration continuum is a traditional school model where courses are organized around separate subject areas. In this setting, an individual teacher works with students in a classroom or laboratory setting focusing on teaching the course subject matter. At the other end of the integration continuum, an entire school is organized around broad themes (e.g., clusters, majors). In this setting, teachers from different subject areas work as teams to teach students through multidisciplinary experiences that cut across subject matter lines. Students learn individually and in small groups, interacting with teachers who provide them with the instruction needed to attain instructional objectives. At the middle of the continuum is an integration process where small groups of teachers from different subject areas within the school collaborate with each other for varying time periods. The students are enrolled in separate courses but are taught to apply knowledge and skills that cut across traditional subject matter lines.
Integrating the Curriculum at a Secondary Technical Center
At Dauphin County Technical Center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, teachers have organized themselves around several different themes or clusters (e.g., transportation, human services, and construction). In each of these clusters, academic and vocational teachers have used projects to develop integrated opportunities for students in a number of theme-related activities. For example, in the electronics and communications cluster, students read a Shakespearean play in English class, designed a theatre set for the play, planned the theatre space lighting, learned principles of electrical circuitry in science and mathematics classes, and investigated the labor and management organization needed to produce the play in a social studies class. The project's capstone experience was a trip to New York City to see a Broadway production; visit the set backstage; and talk with the director, actors, and technicians. In this experience, the broad electronics and communications theme was blended into relevant learning activities that provided opportunities for students to apply what they were learning in realistic settings.
When implementing thematic curricula, specific classroom and laboratory teaching/learning strategies need to be identified and used. Traditional classrooms have typically relied on the lecture-demonstration approach to teaching. However, changes in student composition and new knowledge about how people learn have created a need for teachers to move beyond their roles as transmitters of knowledge and become facilitators of learning. Student diversity calls on teachers to create more active and collaborative teaching and learning modes. Teachers are encouraged to view the learning process as an effort to construct new knowledge through active cognitive involvement. This process requires a collaborative, interactive teaching environment using a variety of visual, auditory, and tactile instructional materials (Stover, Neubert, & Lawlor, 1993).
Interactive teaching/learning is composed of three essential components: (1) elements, (2) teaching strategies, and (3) instructional resources (Meyers & Jones, 1993). Teachers can combine these components in creative ways and design active learning environments that focus on broad themes. Figure 7-2 provides examples of elements, strategies, and resources commonly used in an interactive teaching environment. And how are these components used? Elements are active learning verbs that are applied to both general content and the mastery of that content. For example, reading might be applied to technical manuals, thus producing "reading technical manuals." In order for this element to be assessed, it is important to know such things as how well the manuals should be read, what should be remembered, and whether information read in the manuals is to be applied in some way. Teaching strategies point to ways that elements may be taught in interactive ways; thus, teaching students how to test theories might require the use of strategies that are quite different from those used to teach students some aspect of writing. Instructional resources can also contribute to interactive teaching and learning. The selection of resources varies as a function of the elements to be focused on and the teaching strategies selected to be used. In order to illustrate how teaching strategies may be used to teach in interactive ways, four of these strategies are described in some detail. The strategies described include small group activities, cooperative group projects, case studies, and simulations. Additional examples of strategies are presented later in the section.
Figure 7-2. Components of Interactive Teaching Strategies
Elements
- reading
- writing
- questioning
- talking
- listening
- other
- conceptualizing
- applying ideas
- summarizing/ scanning
- interacting (collaborating)
- solving problems (analyzing)
- testing theories
- adapting
- questioning
- demonstrating
- visualizing
- exploring
- self-evaluating
- reflecting
- illustrating
- concluding
Teaching Strategies
- small group activities
- cooperative group projects
- case studies
- simulations
- lectures
- class discussions
- demonstrations
- teamwork
- mental calculations
- movement
- review
- guided practice
- media integration
- technical applications
- mentoring
- role playing
- cooperative learning
- individualization
- mastery learning (self-paced)
- independent work
- drawings
- music
- facilitation
- projects/products
- goal setting
- modifying/accommodating
- questioning
- peer and cross-age tutoring
- job coaching
- student/teacher contract
- journal writing
- experiments
- metaphors/analogies
- collaborative teaching
- curriculum integration
Instructional Resources
- textbooks
- videotapes
- audiotapes
- library services
- field trips
- tools
- manipulatives
- directories
- worksite visits
- equipment
- computers
- other
- materials
- guest speakers
- supplemental materials
Small group activities engage students in short-term activities focusing on specific assignments or objectives. These activities are useful in assessing students' prior knowledge or skill levels, preparing for guest speakers and field trips, developing clarification questions that focus on specific assignments, summarizing discussions and concepts covered in classroom instruction, and watching video presentations. Small groups may vary in size from two to six students. Groups of two or three students are most beneficial for generating ideas or summarizing main points while groups of four to six work best for problem-solving or brainstorming tasks. It is important to prepare specific guidelines for small group activities. Before initiating small group work, the following questions should be considered:
Addressing these questions can contribute to positive small group process outcomes (Meyers & Jones, 1993). Small group activities encourage students to assume responsibilities for active learning. Students engaged in small group activities are better able to learn to listen, reflect, clarify their thoughts, and appreciate others' viewpoints.
In comparison to small group activities, the cooperative group project engages a larger group of students for a longer period of time (several days to several weeks). Members of the group collaborate to organize, plan, and conduct a specific project with individual student efforts contributing to total group accomplishment. Cooperative group projects allow students to integrate and apply skills and knowledge from various subjects. Students utilize constructive criticism, accept and challenge others' viewpoints, and participate in group consensus decisionmaking.
Six steps should be considered when organizing a cooperative group project (Sharon, 1994):
Cooperative group project success depends on the interaction among student members, and interaction between students and teachers. The teacher helps students to apply their skills and knowledge to produce a product or solve a problem, motivates students to make a personal connection with the proposed project, guides students to sources of information related to particular topics, and assesses students' abilities to plan and work together. Students reflect on the personal significance of the experience and demonstrate integrated and applied learning skills.
The cooperative group project stresses team member interdependence in finding solutions to problems. Projects also provide opportunities for students to integrate skills and knowledge around realistic projects that can include exposure to a wide range of functions, issues, concerns, and technological skills. Students may thus make better connections with real-world situations, build closer partnerships with peers and teachers, and further stimulate their own learning.
Case studies offer excellent opportunities to create active teaching situations. A case study is a narrative description of a realistic event that requires a solution to a problem or answers to questions. They are commonly used to provide practical illustrations of material discussed in lectures, to study particular incidents, and to illustrate "best practices." Case study activities require students to be actively involved in reading, discussing, listening, analyzing, interacting with each other, evaluating solutions, consensus building, and making decisions or recommendations. Since many case studies are based on real-life problems and open-ended with more than one possible solution, developing a logical rationale for decisions and gaining experience at making informed decisions are important outcomes. The case study approach allows students to explore the multidimensional nature of complex issues in a comprehensive manner.
A clearly defined process for working with case studies is followed. Students receive case information in a written document, audiovisual tape, or interactive computer program. They discuss and analyze the situation and work on possible solutions in small groups. Each group proposes a set of recommendations to solve the dilemma or problem. The teacher observes and facilitates group discussion as needed, interprets or clarifies points that are not well-understood, and helps students make important connections about the case under study.
While case studies provide a versatile teaching medium, teachers must be well-prepared and organized to use them as a teaching strategy. There are several important factors to consider when case studies are used with students (Mostert & Sudzina, 1996). Teachers must
Thus, case studies offer learning opportunities based on realistic situations or problems. For example, students are offered the chance to vicariously learn about complex, problematic workplace situations within the safety of the classroom. Effective use of case studies enables students to develop decisionmaking and problem-solving skills that can be transferred to and used in real-life situations.
Water as an Elementary Theme
Fifth graders at Blanchard Elementary School in Edmore, Michigan, learn about water conservation in an interdisciplinary fashion. In social studies class, students investigate and map world sources of water, including oceans, fresh water, and ice caps. In language arts class, they research information about water sources. After exploring the water-holding capacity of gravel and sand in math class, students construct aquifers and discover the properties of clay. Science classes create cross-sectional drawings that illustrate the flow of ground water. A local well driller presents an assembly on the process of well drilling as well as information about soils, depth, equipment, and contamination of water. Students also participate in a field trip to the city's water facility and sewage lagoons where they learn about sewage treatment in a growing community. Students collect data of their family's water use over a four-day period and compile the data in math to use later in language arts to write arguments for water-saving measures. The culmination of the interdisciplinary project is the creation of a water-saving campaign. This real-life workplace situation guides students in applying their academic learning to solve problems and gain critical skills for success in the world of work (Analyze and Apply, Inc., 1995).
Simulations are designed to capture realistic aspects of real-life situations. A simulation places students in an artificially constructed, yet realistic, context where they can practice and apply their skills and knowledge and receive frank feedback. "Simulations are not just concerned with imitating the known. They are capable of placing students in novel circumstances and stretching their experiences and capabilities in new and unexpected ways" (Fripp, 1993, p. xii). Simulations can include role playing, exercises and games, or computer-based models. Role playing involves a small number of students who act out various character roles in a prescribed scenario. For example, in a law enforcement class, students can learn the proper technique for making an arrest of an unruly individual. The simulated exercise or game allows students to apply acquired knowledge and skills. For example, students might hold a mock stockholders' meeting and debate issues such as a leveraged buyout or compensation package for the chief corporate officer.
Using Simulation in a Travel and Tourism AcademyComputer-based models use computer software to deliver and manage the simulated situation. Quite often, computer-based simulations provide experiences that may be too costly or dangerous to provide in a real-life situation. In recent years, many computer-based simulations have been developed for instructional purposes. One example is a simulation which presents a manufacturing business organized as a corporation. Students engaged in the simulation are faced with many of the problems and decisions that are faced by those who operate large businesses.
The Academy of Travel and Tourism, located at Fleming-Ruffner Magnet School in Roanoke, Virginia, provides students with a comprehensive overview of the travel and tourism industry through classroom activities, field trips, and summer internships. A feature of the academy is "Travel Connections," a simulated travel agency office. Students enrolled in the academy have access to a worldwide trip planner computer system and an on-line saber travel system. Each student learns to use the computer systems while making simulated travel arrangements and service needs for clients or customers. Students also have opportunities to serve as interns in the travel and tourism industry. During work-based internships, students transfer their classroom knowledge and skills about the travel and tourism industry to the real world.
When simulations are used for learning activities it is important for the teacher to
Simulations provide dynamic, realistic situations that motivate students to engage in active learning. They allow students to demonstrate their capabilities in relatively "safe" simulated environments without the danger of harming themselves or others. They allow teachers and students to apply and practice generalizable, as well as specific, skills. Within a collaborative team effort, students synthesize and solve problems and build understanding and empathy for other viewpoints and positions. A series of constraints are presented at critical decisionmaking intervals. The students are able to relate the good, bad, anticipated, and unanticipated results to their own actions. Simulations should be used sparingly due to their complexity and the large amounts of time they can consume.
Running Companies in the Classroom
Students in the United Kingdom are required to gain economic and industrial understanding through aspects of the course, Design and Technology. Simulations offer a viable and cost-effective way to meet this requirement. Commonly, teams of three to seven students simulate companies designing and making products for the marketplace. Teams are comprised of students of both genders, with a variety of ability levels and ethnicities. The simulation task is presented: Design and market a prototype meal with packaging for inter-city bus travelers. Teams are given five "work-sessions" to complete the task. Each team or "company" is responsible for designing and developing the product and launching it on the market at a trade exhibition. Students establish a simplified business plan, a point-of-sale advertising plan, and sales display set-up. Periodic demonstrations and briefings are given but these can only be attended by one member of each team. This team member is responsible for gathering information and communicating it to their team. Briefings and de-briefings are held daily to review performance in any previous sessions and evaluate the experience up to that time. On the final day, "trade displays" are set up and a simulated "marketplace" is held. Team members take the roles of buyers with the purchasing power of $1,000. This has to be spent using criteria the buyers feel are important. The financial position of each company is established on the basis of orders placed. Teachers provide written feedback on the design work, with assessment focusing on the team product rather than on individual contributions (Denton, 1994).
Work-based teaching/learning strategies assist students in getting firsthand exposure to the workplace. These strategies can be very beneficial to students; however, they require employers to provide quality learning experiences that give students a broad view of the workplace. The scope of work-based teaching/learning is first presented, followed by descriptions of several of the more common teaching/learning strategies that are used in the workplace.
Teaching and learning in the workplace occurs on a continuum integrating three learning contexts: (1) formal, (2) informal, and (3) nonformal. Characteristics and examples of these teaching/learning contexts are shown in Figure 7-3 (Tamir, 1990-1991, p. 35).
Figure 7-3. Characteristics and Examples of Formal, Informal, and Nonformal Learning Contexts
Characteristics* Formal Learning Informal Learning Nonformal Learning Place Classroom, school, workplace No special institution home/neighborhood Nonschool institution Learning Environment Pre-arranged Not arranged Pre-arranged Subject Matter Structured Not structured Structured Management of Learning Teacher/ supervisor/ students Students Teacher/ supervisor/ students Motivation More extrinsic than intrinsic Intrinsic More extrinsic than intrinsic Assessment Included/expected None Not expected Examples of Activities
- Lecture presentations
- Questioning (written and oral)
- Reading instructional materials
- Written and oral presentation of ideas
- Debates
- Research
- Discussion
- Reflection
- Observation
- Trial and error
- Actions on the job
- Interpersonal relationship development
- Conversations
- Hobbies
- Watching TV and/or listening to the radio
- Reflection
- Self-directed learning
- Coaching
- Networking
- Field trips
- Educational television and radio programs
- Open-ended field experiments
- Independent experiences
- Reflection
*Included in the above figure are some characteristics extracted from Tamir, 1990-1991.
Formal learning involves widespread, traditional in-school and in-class activities and experiences. Formal experiences are, for the most part, definable, predictable, and controllable. Formal learning that precedes nonformal experiences can facilitate student learning. For example, students enrolled in a horticulture class may study the durability of outdoor plants in certain weather conditions. As a follow-up activity, the students may visit a local landscape design operation to discuss plant selection practices and principles with the workers or manager. In this example, the formal in-class learning better equips students to ask pertinent and knowledgeable questions and assimilate the new information into existing knowledge. Formal learning and teaching can also occur in workplace settings. One example would be a department store manager providing all employees with a presentation and discussion focusing on shoplifting. Another example is an automotive dealership service manager who sends service advisors to a three-day workshop dealing with advanced service sales techniques. While formal learning at school and at the worksite is advantageous, educators and workplace representatives must seek to develop strategies and methods for improving workplace learning outside of the formal setting.
Informal learning, sometimes referred to as incidental learning, applies to situations where learning is unintentional or spontaneous and usually a byproduct of accomplishing a specific task or job. Informal learning is reflected in what students read, listen to, and view in their "non-school" or social life. Nonformal learning occurs in planned but flexible ways in institutions, organizations, and situations outside the sphere of formal "schooling" (Tamir, 1990-1991). Nonformal learning can be intentional, planned, and have specific outcomes. Informal and nonformal teaching and learning takes place at the worksite through direct and indirect interaction with equipment, materials, information, and people. In fact, in a work-based environment, much of what a student learns will be informal or nonformal. For example, students at a worksite can develop appropriate working relationships with their coworkers and supervisors. They can also learn to closely observe their coworkers performing specific tasks and strive to imitate these performances independently. Involvement in informal and nonformal learning activities in the workplace has been found to be strongly associated with intentions for further study or career aspirations in related areas (Tamir, 1990-1991).
Both informal and nonformal learning offer an alternative to formal learning that may encourage educators and workplace personnel to rethink previously held notions of workplace learning. Educators must reflect on their past traditional roles and challenge themselves to seek alternative methods and contexts to promote workplace learning and enhance the linkages between formal, informal, and nonformal teaching and learning.
Several work-based teaching/learning strategies have already been discussed in Section 5. These include job shadowing, job mentoring, and youth apprentice programs. Job shadowing is perhaps the most readily available and commonly used strategy. With job shadowing, students spend a short time, usually measured in hours, following assigned workers around as they perform their job and observing what they do. Another strategy, job mentoring enables students to spend a greater amount of time in the workplace, working under the mentorship of one or more employees. Mentoring is often provided to students who are taking internships in the workplace. Youth apprenticeship programs typically engage high school students in apprentice-like experiences. These programs emphasize formally structured learning experiences on-the-job that closely correlate with students' school studies.
Regardless of the work-based teaching learning/strategy, work experience must be carefully coordinated among the employer, the student, and the teacher. This coordination is usually documented in a written agreement. The agreement typically addresses occupational and academic studies competencies the student is expected to learn and ways that students' learning experiences will include broad rather than narrow exposure to the workplace. These strategies can provide students with first-hand exposure to and learning in actual workplace settings.
It is important for students to develop learning process strategies that can be applied when they are working and learning on the job. Students need to be taught strategies they can use when approaching tasks and situations that utilize several cognitive learning processes. These strategies have been recommended because of their value in enhancing informal and nonformal learning at the individual level (Marsick, 1987; Marsick & Watkins, 1990; Tamir, 1990-1991).
These strategies can be used by students while they work on routine tasks individually or as part of a group. The strategies assist students to learn and thus benefit from critical incidents that occur as part of everyday life in the workplace.
Coaches and/or mentors play a critical role in fostering student success in acquiring specific workplace values and skills. A mentor has personal experience in and knowledge about the workplace and can support, guide, and counsel a student in accomplishing tasks and interacting with others. The mentor can strengthen student skills and provide feedback through informal teaching and learning situations. Instruction may be designed to address a wide range of organizational concerns such as dress codes, job performance, team building, leadership, and communication (Lynch, 1993).
Students can profit from work-based experiences that capitalize on informal learning. When serving as an extension of the school, the workplace can provide opportunities for students to apply skills and knowledge and test values and principles in the real world. The workplace also serves as a vehicle for a safe and positive transition from school to work. Linking school-based learning with workplace learning experiences is critical to students' long-term success.
There are several teaching/learning strategies that can be used to connect the school and the workplace. These include the traditional cooperative education and related instructional classes that have been typically offered in high schools. More recent additions to the list of connecting strategies include clinical interviews, student logs and journals, project review panels, and small group seminars.
The simplest strategy for connecting school and workplace is the clinical interview. The process begins with the school internship coordinator and the student intern meeting to discuss student achievement of a predetermined set of objectives or competencies. When determining student expectations, consideration should be given to the particular workplace where the student is employed, and the extent to which student experiences include broad exposure to the many aspects of the company. For example, one objective might be to describe the organization's mission statement and explain how this relates to the activities being performed by the student. A student may be expected to explain how the company responds to the needs and expectations of its customers. These aspects of the company can be learned formally or informally in the workplace. However, the clinical interview connects what the student has learned about the company in the school setting and what the student has learned about the company in the workplace setting.
Written logs or journals of student activities and thoughts constitute another active strategy for helping students to make meaningful connections between school and the workplace. The log or journal is a useful tool in helping students focus on their daily activities. Students are encouraged to record daily activities, tasks, observations, and reflections about their experiences and how these experiences relate to them and various aspects of their work. The log or journal is a useful tool in helping students focus on their daily experiences. The log or journal may also be used to identify workplace questions or issues that need to be answered or clarified. Reflection, a self-directed learning strategy, can help students to contemplate the day's events and attach personal meaning to what they are learning.
Logs and journals can be used to improve the academic quality of internships (Alm, 1996). The process of journal writing forces students to integrate new information with what is already known and allows teachers to assess how much learning has taken place in both the school and work settings. For example, students may be asked to write about how business principles and theories learned about in the classroom relate to actual workplace practices. Students may be asked to present detailed information during clinical interviews and prepare a final report on this experience for presentation to a review panel. Additionally, logs and journals may be used to highlight the relevance of experiences related to a broad theme (e.g., industry or field). After documenting experiences while serving as an intern, a student may use his or her journal to identify which entries are related to the broad industry or field he or she has been associated with as contrasted with those entries focusing on the company within which the student has been working.
Procedures for teachers to follow when using the journal writing teaching/learning strategy are outlined by Alm (1996) below:
The project review panel brings representatives from the school, the workplace, and the community together in one location to examine student workplace experiences. Panel membership typically includes four or five adults such as work experience teacher/coordinators; building principals; academic and vocational teachers; mentors; job coaches; and others who may represent community groups, including the school board, Chamber of Commerce, and/or labor unions. Some of the panel members have also served as student advisors and mentors throughout the year.
The panel is charged with reviewing and assessing a student's accomplishments during his or her work experience. These accomplishments might include a broad range of thematic outcomes or outcomes that focus on a specific project in which the student needed to employ a variety of skills and knowledge in the solution of a problem or situation encountered in the workplace. Panel members focus on how well the student can integrate conceptual knowledge, "hands-on" skills, and practical, acquired experiences related to the project topic. The panel provides "on-the-spot" evaluation and meaningful developmental feedback to the student. Of course, panel members must employ fairness, equity, and consistency in their evaluation and must make sure agreed upon standards are applied equally to all students.
Thus, the review panel serves as a formal team that assists in clarifying and assessing connections the student has made between school-based learning and the application of that learning in the workplace. The participation of business, industry, and community representatives on project review panels strengthens the "buy-in" for alternative or authentic assessments within the broader community.
Small group seminars can be useful vehicles for students to meet as a group on a regular basis to share and discuss their workplace experiences. The seminar may be led by the students themselves on a rotating basis. As appropriate, a teacher, a workplace mentor, or a team composed of school and business or industry representatives, might serve as seminar leaders. The seminars can involve unstructured activities such as discussing the implications of daily workplace experiences and/or strengthening students' interpersonal and work-related skills. Seminars may also be structured to focus on one or more broad aspects of the workplace. For example, discussion might take place focusing on how work is organized and how people behave and relate to each other in these work settings. Social issues and problems in the workplace and their legal ramifications may also be discussed (Grubb & Badway, 1995). The small group seminar can be a multipurpose strategy since it allows students to develop speaking, listening, and sharing skills as they interact with others about their workplace experiences. It also strengthens interpersonal interactions and relationships in small group processes. The seminar is a useful teaching/learning strategy that helps reinforce connections between the less formal workplace setting and the more formal school setting.
Several organizational models and strategies can assist in aligning the thematic curriculum with school-based learning, work-based learning, and connections between the school and the workplace. School-based teaching/learning may be enhanced by including content and subject integration in instruction. More commonly used integration teaching/learning models focus on relationships within, between, and across teacher and student groups. Several interactive teaching/learning strategies that engage students in meaningful school-based activities include small group activities, cooperative group projects, case studies, and simulations. In terms of the workplace, incidental, informal, and formal learning that occurs in students' performance of workplace activities can be processed and given greater meaning by using cognitive strategies ranging from individual interaction to group verification.
Teaching/learning strategies that help students to make connections between the school and the workplace are also available. They include clinical interviews, student logs and journals, project panel reviews, and small group seminars. The selection of these and other strategies is dependent on the school and workplace environment, the level of student ability and interest, and time and instructional resources available to the teacher. Creative application of teaching/learning strategies to school-based and work-based instructional settings as well as settings where the school and the workplace are connected have potential to make the thematic curriculum come alive for students as they prepare for life and living.
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