WOBURN – Superintendent Matthew Crowley is pleased to share the recent success of the Connection Block, a multi-week effort that integrates curriculum with art, health, music, and physical education in elementary classrooms.
Classroom teachers collaborate with teachers in specific topic areas, and integrate topics and instructional strategies with their own students.
Teachers and students across the District participated.
Music
Music Teachers Joshua Daponte and Jordan Gravel compared World Music and music in the United States, contrastingrepertoire, instrumentation, customs, and creative processes. Students gained a deeper understanding of how different cultures incorporate music into their lives.
Students sang, moved, and played instruments while using maps to show the nations of their World Music’s origin.
Wellness
Physical Education Teacher Lee Ann Hatch worked with students in Grade 2, using the motto “Better Together.” Topics included kindness; not spreading rumors, making a friend and being a good friend; “filling people’s buckets;” sportsmanship; bravery, courage and being a hero.
Students learned about Welles Crowther, a former Boston College lacrosse athlete and volunteer firefighter who saved 18 people in the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center but lost his own life. Crowther was identified due to his trademark red bandana; Boston College holds an annual “Red Bandana Game” in his memory. The Boston College Athletic Marketing and Fan Engagement Departments graciously donated red bandanas for each student.
Physical Education Teacher Ken Yanofsky encouraged students to use teamwork to perform the folk dance “7 Jumps,” starting in pairs then completing the dance with two students pulling all other students in scooters. Other wellness initiatives included a “Math Pyramid” class where students combine rolling dice and completing grade-appropriate math to determine the next step; and “Gym Measurements,” where students measured lines/distances on the gym floor and developed a game using those lines.
Art
Teachers Vyctoria Smith and Meghan Decatur used their Connection Block time to have students answer essential STEAM questions through collages. Students in Grades 1 and 3 discuss questions such as “What is in the night sky?” and “Where do different animals live?” Students create personal art to display their answers. This work enhanced understanding of scientific concepts, and encouraged teachers and specialists to exchange ideas and practices.
Health
Fifth-graders under the direction of Health Teacher Linda Blasi learned how to “Be the Agent of Change,” advocating on the topics “Helmet Safety” and “Healthy Snack.” Students designed posters and pamphlets, and discovered that leading by example is a powerful way to encourage healthy habits.
“It is wonderful to walk into a Connection Block classroom and see the excitement from the students as they learn how their classroom assignments are reflected in their specialist projects,” Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum Courtney Young said.
Other collaborative efforts included Kindergarteners signing along with music teachers playing the piano or guitar; fourth-grade teachers serving as conductors of the school band; and third-grade teachers incorporating the art concept of “gallery walks” to showcase students’ writing. Teachers are able to learn instructional strategies from one other.
Susan Thifault, K-12 Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Coordinator, said, “Students and staff love seeing a different teacher’s perspective on the curriculum.”
“During professional development we use the phrase ‘Learn Together’ to stress the value of collaboration and teamwork,” Superintendent Crowley said. “Connection Blocks encompass the vision of students and educators learning together, and developing fresh teaching perspectives that enhance student learning.”