WIT 2003

Professional life in the passion curriculum classroom

Introduction

In this lesson, you design your classroom to parallel the work of adults engaged in the ideas behind your theme.

Back to the start of the Passion Curriculum WIT module

Design of professional community

Professional life is modeled on the community life of adults working in the same domain, including work flow structures, collaboration styles, decision-making tools, etc. The professional life strand allows students to learn about the social norms that exist among adult practitioners who work and play in the domain of the theme.

In the video crew, social interactions involved in decision-making around large group projects were conducted in accordance with the practice of filmmakers. In other words, the teacher acted as “executive producer,” with final veto over creative and structural decisions on the project, and the option to make active decisions when that seemed necessary. The producer was responsible for making sure that the script, storyboard, props and costumes were prepared prior to shooting. The director (often the same person as the producer, and in smaller projects often the screenwriter as well) was responsible for shot selection and the direction of actors. And so forth. Socially speaking, this meant that students had formal relationships with each other and with the teacher, relationships that were subject to bargaining, negotiation, and revision, in ways that were similar to the ways adults might interact in a creative working context.

In the Passion Curriculum WIT module, you and your mentors are web-designing educators -- this is the design of professional life for this module. In your classroom, your students should develop a sense that they are professionals in their area as well.

To develop professional life in your classroom, look at adult culture around your theme, and pattern classroom identies, rules and rituals after the real world. Should your students be astronomers? Biologists? Mechanics? How do people interact in the culture of your theme? Who makes what kinds of decisions? What kinds of specialized language and behaviors are used?

Issues to consider: Are you already a member of a community of adults who works or plays in the area of your theme? If so, your own experience can provide an excellent model for designing your classroom. If not, make sure you get involved with that community before you get started -- experienced members can help you understand how that culture works, and how you might adapt it for your classroom. You might also find that people are quite interested in visiting your classroom to share their passion for the theme, and to help teach.

Return to the top of the professional life page