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Take it a step further and have the topic of the realistic-fiction book be about one of the historical persons or events you are studying. What if we created a unit in which the history texts we worked with were used for research and we taught the nonfiction-text strategies prior to reading it? Let’s say we also emphasized research skills and proper note-taking daily during the reading, then had students use that information to create an oral presentation to help reinforce the information for the whole class. But what if we “shared time” between subject areas and separated out what absolutely needed to be done? You might be thinking, It’s too much… and you’re right! It is too much. By the way, math and science cannot be forgotten. Finally, you like to teach oral-presentation skills (uh-oh, we didn’t allow time for that add an hour!). In reading, you are in your nonfiction reading unit and are teaching specific skills for effectively reading nonfiction text. Additionally, your writing curriculum calls for a realistic fiction piece. Imagine this: It’s time to learn your state’s history for social studies and it’s over 200 years’ worth! You also want your kids to practice research skills. What’s the purpose of silos in education?
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What if we broke down silos in education and shared time across the curriculum? What would happen if we decompartmentalized subjects? Would it take away the organization and safety we’re used to? Probably! Would that be so bad? And don’t forget, in order for our young learners to be able to handle all this curriculum, they need breaks-RECESS! Add 20 more minutes! We’re now totaling a minimum of 7 hours to nearly 10 hours! None of this even takes into account all the transition time in an elementary classroom! There simply is not enough time in the day to give each subject area its due-so why do it? We want our kids to participate in the fine arts and physical education add 1 more hour. Now we’re at 5 hours 40 minutes–8.5 hours. But wait… our kids need to eat lunch! Add 40–60 minutes. Okay, that works! We’re in school for 7 hours each day. Wait, we forgot about social studies that needs time! Our kids need to learn about the social world around them, right? But we can’t leave out a writing block today’s youth in the job market are missing critical writing skills. Don’t forget about reading! Nothing’s more important that reading, right? Reading deserves an hour or more. Now add the science curriculum, which also requires 1.5 hours a day. When a school purchases curricular materials, let’s say for math, the new math curriculum demands 1.5 hours a day. For example, teachers collaborate and work together, children work more in collaborative seating arrangements (instead of isolated desk islands), cross-curricular connections are made… yet, subject-area silos in education, or the projected time frame for each subject, remains a constant in many of today’s schools. Some of these silos in education have been deconstructed in many U.S.A. Historically, the silos in education has been set up as the following: one teacher per room, every subject its own class or time frame, and every child his or her own desk! Compartmentalized, organized, safe. It’s perfect for storing grain on the farm not so good in education, however. In the United States of America, silos in education is a simple structure that keeps things compartmentalized, organized, and safe.
WHATS A SILO HOW TO
Silos in Education: How to Break Them Down by Sharing, Cutting, and Buying Time