Interdisciplinary Learning Collaborative
In working with many schools across the country, Lewicki has been privileged to experience foundational school design elements that work well. In 2009, James worked with a team of Wisconsin educators at Appleton Career Academy to create a distinctive high school pedagogical design personalized to each student. They created an original secondary school design that is called the Interdisciplinary Learning Collaborative (ILC). This short video below explains the ILC origins and shows how a new system of seminars, workshops, and field studies can replace the Carnegie Course structure. In short, ILC = collaborative teaming as central to a truly generative curriculum.
7 Design Essentials to implement the ILC
The Interdisciplinary Learning Collaborative engages its learners in purposeful interdisciplinary learning, leadership development, multiple community connections, and career pathway experiences that contribute to and benefit from the greater community. Seven design elements are central to the successful implementation of the Interdisciplinary Learning Collaborative.
1. Integrated and interdisciplinary curriculum where assorted elective standards are woven into the range of core academic Science, English, Math, and Social Studies standards to create a reinvented methodology for learning.
2. Dedicated time for collaborative teacher planning; and a significant commitment to team teaching.
3. Flexible scheduling to implement a wide range of learning infrastructure.
4. Interdisciplinary learning designs of seminars, workshops, modules, symposiums, capstone projects, field studies, job shadows and internships that are responsive and responsible to the student's personalized blueprint for learning.
5. Interdisciplinary management teams where each teacher coaches a multi-age advisory group of students for four years: small group dynamics, team management, problem solving, and communication skills development.
6. Community Business/Industry/Recreation/Non-Profit/Natural Resource Partners as places to learn and learn from. Experts and Elders that often contribute as adjunct faculty to the learning at hand.
7. Development of a courageous small school culture -- respectful and responsive to the voices and choices inherent in a generative learning community -- founded on the above design elements of the interdisciplinary learning collaborative and willing to make a difference in the many expressions of community touched by student leadership, learning, and change.
1. Integrated and interdisciplinary curriculum where assorted elective standards are woven into the range of core academic Science, English, Math, and Social Studies standards to create a reinvented methodology for learning.
2. Dedicated time for collaborative teacher planning; and a significant commitment to team teaching.
3. Flexible scheduling to implement a wide range of learning infrastructure.
4. Interdisciplinary learning designs of seminars, workshops, modules, symposiums, capstone projects, field studies, job shadows and internships that are responsive and responsible to the student's personalized blueprint for learning.
5. Interdisciplinary management teams where each teacher coaches a multi-age advisory group of students for four years: small group dynamics, team management, problem solving, and communication skills development.
6. Community Business/Industry/Recreation/Non-Profit/Natural Resource Partners as places to learn and learn from. Experts and Elders that often contribute as adjunct faculty to the learning at hand.
7. Development of a courageous small school culture -- respectful and responsive to the voices and choices inherent in a generative learning community -- founded on the above design elements of the interdisciplinary learning collaborative and willing to make a difference in the many expressions of community touched by student leadership, learning, and change.
