Cross Curricular Themes to Encourage Collaboration

At the Taylorville Jr High, my goal is not only to get teachers to include technology into their curriculum, but to get the teachers of different subject material to collaborate and teach with one particular topic while covering their standards within their subjects curriculum. I see the TJHS Jr High teachers teaching their curriculum every day , so I had to create something to show them that they can collaborate and include every subject while focusing on one topic. I started by focusing on one grade level and having them chose a topic. I began with the Science teachers, they were working on space. I then went to each teacher and had them present varous skills that they would be working on within the next two months. Once I had this information – I began working on a website that included various curriculum skills that covered Mars and space activitieis. I shared the website with the grade level – tweaked it with feedback from teachers. Last we scheduled a week that all teachers could begin the website. I went into each classroom and talked to the students through the entire website. Students then knew in Science, we work on the Science tab, same with the other subjects. Teachers loved the activities. They enjoyed not only doing the website – but the collaboration with the students and their grade level teachers. I had done similar websites with elementary – on now I have 6th grade teachers on board knowing they can use these websites in the future. My hope is to work up grade levels and develop more at the grade levels I have already got on board. 6th grade teachers have already come to me with more ideas for this school year.