Interdisciplinary Learning Through International Baccalaureate

Middlebury Union High School, in unison with all of the schools of Addison Central School District, has recently embarked on an ambitious journey to become an International Baccalaureate World School. Our successful transition depends on working collaboratively within and across buildings to re-envision our systems, structures, and instructional approaches. The range of stakeholders is wide, and the work requires an all-hands-on-deck approach across the district; numerous teams are forming to advance various components, working in tandem with one another. As 2017 Fellows, we will support this effort by studying how to best support the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) in our school through interdisciplinary teaching teams.

While many effective interdisciplinary teaming models exist, extensive systemic change is required at MUHS to launch, support, and sustain this pedagogical approach. However, while such a transition will be complicated, it will also be richly rewarding for our students, staff, and community. We wish to dedicate ourselves to this endeavor, using our sabbatical to launch a deep inquiry into interdisciplinary team instructional models, the educational research underpinning and supporting them, and the practical systemic changes and professional trainings that will need to be developed in order to create an environment conducive to interdisciplinary teams.

Our fellowship will allow us to develop the expertise in interdisciplinary team theory, pedagogy, and structures needed to assist MUHS in supporting the development and implementation process over the next several years; our work will help our school build capacity, will inform the extent, sequence and potential timeline of deep systemic changes, and provide pedagogical resources to help maintain teams once launched. Dedicating this gift of time to this project will result in an asset that will keep giving long after MUHS has completed IB candidacy.