Walking Toward Cross-disciplinary Integration: Exploration of Innovative High School Education Models
Industry-integrated Educational Training Activity for New High School Teaching Talents in Foshan (Nanhai District), China, in 2023
Related News for the activity (in Chinese)
Introduction:
The Nanhai District Education Development Research Center in China organized the second cross-disciplinary training event for high school educators in May 2023. This initiative aims to promote a high-quality teacher workforce in Nanhai. Industry resources from companies like Mona Lisa Ceramics and the Foshan Copyright Center were brought together to conduct hands-on, innovative training. This approach helped participants' horizons, break traditional knowledge boundaries, and broaden and enhance teachers' comprehensive skills.
My Responsibilities: This is a collaborative activity. In this activity, I assisted the team in preparing the event and organizing the teachers for their participation as a volunteer.
Field Visits & Practical Learning
Industrial Integration with Education
Professional Guidance
Significance:
This activity was significant in helping teachers understand more about the cross-disciplinary development of enterprises in Foshan. It provided insights into how technology, art, and industry intersect.
In-depth discussions on various topics, including the introduction of cross-boundary learning in education and the stimulation of internal motivation for learning. Through this training, teachers gained a deeper understanding of how enterprises integrate diverse disciplines, inspiring them to bring innovative ideas into their educational practices. The exposure to real-world applications emphasized the importance of breaking away from traditional subject boundaries and adopting innovative approaches to student development.
Educators visited the Foshan City Exhibition Hall to learn about Foshan's urban and industrial transformation. Teachers experienced local culture and history first-hand, enriching their understanding and ability to integrate humanistic values into daily teaching practices. This part of the training emphasized "learning beyond books" to cultivate intellectual knowledge, emotional perception, and practical creativity.
The activity involves the visitation of Mona Lisa Ceramics Factory' Digital Intelligence Model Workshop and the Foshan Copyright Center. The visit showcased how technology, art, and industry could be effectively integrated, providing a multidimensional perspective on manufacturing. At the Copyright Center, teachers discussed the importance of copyright in education and explored how interdisciplinary learning could motivate student engagement.
We also invited Dr. Huang Zhihong, an expert from the Education Department in Foshan, to provide an in-depth presentation "Teaching for the Future: Design and Implementation of Interdisciplinary Learning." Dr. Huang emphasized why and how to conduct interdisciplinary learning, furthering the high school teachers' understanding of how to incorporate these ideas into their curriculum planning. This presentation helped high school teachers to have a deeper recognition of Interdisciplinary learning design and its implementation.
Reflections and Outcomes:
The participating high school teachers reflected on their experiences, expressing their newfound appreciation for cross-disciplinary learning. They engaged in group presentations, discussing the integration of new ideas into their daily teaching methods.
As one of the team contributors who organized the activity and followed the learning team, I am aware of the importance of innovative education and the competencies that companies currently need from the new generation of students. It is also significant for educators to update their teaching approaches to solve the challenges brought about by the educational revolution.
"The visit to the City Exhibition Hall not only deepened our understanding of Foshan's past and present but also the significance of interdisciplinary learning. Learning through practice helps us appreciate history, experience local customs, and apply these insights to our daily work."
— one of the participating teachers