Discussing the training of teachers in cross-field aesthetic education courses from the perspective of historical disciplines

Associate Professor Shi Lanmei, Department of History, National Taiwan Normal University

I. Introduction

Since the information revolution, the third technological innovation in human history, began in the 1980s, the development of the Internet has brought about the convenience of instant messaging, the innovation of big data databases, and the impact of the virtual world, which have greatly affected and changed of people’s lifestyles and ways of thinking. In the rapidly changing era, knowledge systems and interpersonal relationships are becoming increasingly networked. Whether to adapt to contemporary or future life needs, "cross-field" knowledge learning has become an inevitable trend, and has become a need for all people to mobilize collective efforts. new topics to learn. The education reform promoted by the Ministry of Education in 2014 comprehensively "field-based" all subjects in primary school, junior high school and high school education, and revealed that curriculum development should take "core competencies" as the main axis, focusing on the coherence between each education stage and The integration of various fields/subjects (Twelve-year National Education Outline, 2014) reflects the importance and urgency of this issue.

Under the new curriculum emphasizing the concept of "lifelong learning" and learning that can be integrated with life, the curriculum development of primary and secondary schools should not be limited to the knowledge and skills of a single subject. The number of required credit hours for courses in various fields has been reduced. New elective course credits that significantly encourage cross-field teaching have been added. In the current learning content structure of the social field curriculum, integrated curriculum teaching in the field of elementary schools has been in practice for many years. The flexible learning courses in junior high schools and the revised compulsory, elective, flexible learning in high schools, as well as subject-specific inspections/fields in the compulsory courses Courses such as investigation need to strengthen the integration and application of courses across fields or subjects to achieve literacy-oriented teaching goals. Therefore, the development and research of cross-field curriculum design has become a prominent science in today's education world.

Under the normal situation of modern academic division, although the history subject is rich in humanistic storylines and life experience themes, due to the limited curriculum structure and hours of school education and the examination and admission system, the content of history teaching often focuses on intellectuality and rationality. , and the few perceptual parts are even more difficult to connect with learners’ daily life. Therefore, if we want to achieve literacy-oriented teaching goals, we must rethink "new materials that need to be expanded" and "new teaching methods that need to be developed" for curriculum development through cross-disciplinary approaches.

However, cross-field curriculum development is completely different from previous learning experiences, methods and approaches. The interdisciplinary curriculum design for a single subject goes beyond the usual subject experience and tests the interdisciplinary literacy of individual teachers; the curriculum design for the interdisciplinary teacher community tests the team's "cooperative learning" tacit understanding, during which cross-domain dialogue, communication and understanding, Even the agreement on the collaboration model requires considerable time and interdisciplinary literacy requirements. Therefore, the practice of cross-field teaching really depends on the cultivation of teachers with cross-field knowledge. The reform of teacher training should be one of the important links in education reform. Cross-field teacher training is obviously a priority that should be actively considered today.

2. The idea of introducing history teacher training courses into the aesthetic education plan

Since 2013, the cross-field aesthetic education excellence pilot project team has been actively promoting cross-field teaching research and development using "aesthetics" as a common element in various fields/disciplines. It has achieved remarkable results in promoting cross-field teams and curriculum development, and is also committed to For the cultivation of cross-field teacher talents in primary and secondary schools, a considerable cross-field database and human resources network have been built, which has great energy in promoting cross-field teaching.

After joining the project team in the 2016 academic year, the author gradually gained a concrete understanding of cross-field aesthetic education. Therefore, I further thought that in addition to the changes in the frontline teaching field, if these experiences and resources can be introduced into university-level teacher training, so that teacher students can have cross-field learning experience in advance and be well prepared for cross-field teaching knowledge, it should be more Contribute to the realization of cross-field teaching ideals. Therefore, the aesthetic education teacher training university program was implemented in the 108th academic year, taking the opportunity to guide teachers and students to learn different teaching strategies of the five senses and six senses in aesthetic education from the perspective of non-art subjects, and then try to implement the curriculum plan.

In order to enable teachers and students in the history subject to understand and use the concepts and resources of cross-field aesthetic education, as a new element of active teaching in the history subject in the new era, the author hopes to start with the first experience of cross-field aesthetic education and then gradually add Broaden and deepen your exposure and experience of the course. Specifically, the step-by-step learning process is conceived as follows:

1. Observe excellent cross-field course design plans and establish a preliminary understanding of cross-field courses
2. Through special lectures, refine cross-domain vision and practical experience beyond professional disciplines, and accumulate basic knowledge of cross-domain curriculum design.
3. Conduct cross-disciplinary aesthetic curriculum design research workshops to understand the composition and operation of the cross-disciplinary teacher community, as well as the steps for cross-disciplinary curriculum development
4. Through class observation, actually observe the implementation and results of cross-field aesthetic courses
5. Counsel teachers and students to develop cross-field aesthetic lesson plan designs, and appropriately introduce expert consultation during the process.

3. Examples of cross-field aesthetic education teacher training activities

(1) Teachers and students’ first cross-field experience

The 108th year started with a sharing lecture on the cross-field aesthetic course plan, which opened up the cross-field horizons of history teachers and students. Teachers and students all said that it was the first time they were exposed to such concepts and teaching models, and they were full of surprises. We then invited a team of outstanding teachers from Xiaogang High School who discovered the power of copywriting to lead empowerment training workshops. Through the lecturers’ sharing, the teachers and students learned about the composition and operation of the cross-disciplinary teacher community, and learned from the middle school teachers specially invited by the lecturers and the author. Under the guidance of assistants, students used cooperative learning (simulated teacher community) to produce cross-domain course design processes and works, which left students with a profound experience and affirmed the performance of such learning activities. attitude. The following excerpts are examples of feedback from teachers and students after the event:

Student A: This lecture taught me how to make lesson plans and how to collaborate with other teachers when preparing lesson plans. Throughout the teaching, every teacher was very responsible in explaining. During the activities, they also used note paper and large posters to record every plan and idea. Finally, they spread these plan ideas from diffusion to convergence, and finally proposed a reasonable And with executable lesson plans, the process is very practical and interesting.

Student B: The most difficult and challenging thing today is to constantly check whether what we have developed can be linked back to our themes, big concepts, core competencies and learning objectives, and remember to consider the content of the course design from the perspective of students. .

Student C: The parts that I still want to improve and enhance in the future are conceptual analysis and questioning, preparation with different people, the structure and content design of the entire semester course, focus on teaching topics, practical skills on stage, handouts, etc. How to design teaching materials.

Student D: This workshop provides a very good development framework for future diversified courses. I think that in the further future, subjects may no longer be the dividing line of teaching, but cross-field courses on various topics will be provided for high school students as electives. I think the idea that teacher trainees can be exposed to such courses early is very helpful in promoting cross-field courses in the future, and it can also train us to express our teaching concepts accurately in writing.

(2) Interdisciplinary cooperation experience between teachers and students

A conversation at the swearing-in ceremony in 2019 gave the author the opportunity to cooperate with Pan Yuwen, a teacher from the Music Department of the National Normal University, to jointly plan a keynote speech for teachers and students from the two departments to learn from each other across fields, and specially invited the project co-students to Professor Chen Yunwen from the National Taiwan University of Arts, one of the presenters, shared his experience in designing a cross-disciplinary aesthetic course on "Using Knowledge and Learning through Drama". The speaker first led the students to discuss the purpose of cross-domain courses, and then proposed a cross-domain curriculum design that uses art as a glue to help learning become more organic and connect life experiences. In the meantime, through the combination of drama and teaching, the teachers and students on site were actually led to operate several practical cases. The reactions of teachers and students after class were generally eye-opening, impressive and rewarding. They expressed that they had a better direction and understanding of cross-field implementation, and began to have ideas about cross-fields and beauty. They affirmed the teaching benefits of combining history and art. And are willing to try history teaching combined with art. Feedback examples include:

Student A: I benefited a lot from this speech. It gave me a clearer direction for the originally vague literacy course design.

Student B: The teacher in this lecture explained many "qualities" of art very clearly, and I also discovered that many of them are actually connected with the literacy of history, such as empathy, thinking about "people" and other ways of thinking. , that is to say, the only way is different, but the end point is the same.

Student C: Drama itself is a very active medium. Perhaps the history subject has the opportunity to break away from other subjects in the social field and try to combine it with the courses of other subjects to create a different spark.

Student D: The drama depicts the situation at that time with specific images of history, uses the window of people's souls as a lens, directly uses vision and hearing to stimulate people, and then arouses people's emotional reactions and strong feelings.

Student E: Using the concepts of art and drama, a historical event can be presented completely. Even if it is not complete, it can still sprout in the hearts of students, allowing them to not only remember historical events and social theories that have nothing to do with themselves, but also Through role simulation and situational dialogue, we can further establish their connection with the times. Only by establishing a connection can the brain further operate, so that this period of historical consciousness can be deeply left behind.

(3) An initial attempt at cross-field aesthetic course design for teachers and students

In order to examine the learning benefits of the aforementioned introduction and empowerment activities for teachers and students, and to actively cultivate future seed teachers of history subjects with experience and ability in cross-field curriculum design, we also want to understand more about the design of cross-field aesthetic courses in history subjects. Feasible construction models and possible obstacles. In 2019, the author made an attempt to guide university teachers and students to learn and develop integrated curriculum programs in the social field and the artistic field.

The participating teachers and students are selected by the author from the teachers and students who have experienced the above-mentioned activities. Senior teachers and students with positive attitude and potential are selected as leaders, divided into two groups, and encouraged to invite cross-disciplinary and cross-grade teachers. Teachers and students form a community together, through independent learning, with the goal of producing 18 weeks of cross-domain aesthetic lesson plans. Throughout the whole process, the author only played a coaching and consulting role, and assisted in introducing expert teachers to guide and revise, and came up with a more realistic micro-course plan (see the following simplified table).

From the practical experience of teachers and students, the author observed that students have indeed begun to add aesthetic elements or artistic strategies to the conception of course design. In the plan of the Tudigong Cultural Festival, in addition to the perspective of literature and history, teachers and students also paid attention to the analysis of architectural space and the use of color science to strengthen their understanding of the hidden meaning of the cultural content, making this theme more interesting. Learning has a more vivid and three-dimensional look. In the theme of "Petition Movement for the Establishment of Taiwan's Parliament" in the history compulsory course, teachers and students also expressed different ideas about static documents and pictures, trying to design activities to create an experience of historical situations, and enter the text through in-depth reading and empathy. During the analysis, under the guidance of experts, students learned to properly apply the strategies of integrating drama into teaching, allowing people to see a truly activated image of historical teaching.

The feedback from teachers and students can indeed see their learning and growth through broadening their horizons and exchanging experiences. Here are a few excerpts:

Student A: Just discussing the theme and formation process of the lesson plan is of great help to each other... we can know the content and viewpoints of teaching in various fields, and supplement each other's different knowledge of the same topic.

Student B: During class observation and discussion, everyone can fully make objective suggestions and adjustments based on the difficulty and clarity of teaching in different fields. Not only can they point out areas where the teaching design is too ideal, but they can also give suggestions based on other subject directions. Examples or ideas.

Student C: The teacher’s suggestion really made us better understand how to use experiential drama teaching strategies so that history and drama can be more intertwined and contrasted, making the historical knowledge we want to convey to students more three-dimensional.

Student D: During the discussion, since the team members come from different grades and departments, new sparks can always be struck in unexpected places...Through this community project, I think for us, this It was not only a lesson plan designed, but also an unforgettable cross-field learning experience.

Student E: We are trying to introduce the concepts of drama teaching that we have learned in past classes, hoping to give the history course new vitality and find a way for students to have the opportunity to get closer to the society at that time... In this study program, I have been exposed to a lot of Different teaching methods or tools, through these understandings, I have a broader view of teaching.

4. Conclusion

The cross-field aesthetic education team has achieved remarkable results in promoting cross-field teaching. However, in addition to the changes in the front-line teaching scene, the author deeply believes that it should be able to actively take planned and active actions at the teacher training university. After summarizing the feedback from all members participating in the project, we only put forward the following points for reflection:

1. The importance of conducting "enhance motivation" training courses first: by exploring the benefits that cross-field aesthetic teaching will bring to teaching itself, including students and teachers, or by having an experienced teacher team guide the implementation of teacher-student simulation courses, It can trigger the willingness and motivation of teachers and students to learn.

2. Strengthening of "aesthetic literacy" in non-art subjects: In order to train teachers in non-art subjects to become teachers in cross-disciplinary aesthetic education, it is advisable to first strengthen their aesthetic literacy, which can be combined with relevant experiences or knowledge activities to gradually develop them. Develop a sense of aesthetic literacy to avoid opportunistic manipulation, so as not to create a negative perception that increases the burden and becomes a resistance to promotion.

3. The need to strengthen the knowledge of "cooperative learning": In the process of executing the plan, we found that it is not easy to work together in groups. Even teachers and students who may be future teachers need to cultivate an open cooperative attitude and be brave enough to accept suggestions. Only by actively improving it can we carry out cross-field cooperation.

4. "Knowing and doing" of cross-field concepts: In the process of guiding teachers and students to implement lesson plans, we found that it is not easy to practice cross-field concepts, even for teachers and students who have experienced multiple cross-field teaching enhancement experiences. , in the process of independently forming cross-field communities for curriculum development, conceptual confusion and limitations in teaching methods still often occur.

5. Cross-field aesthetic education teacher training requires "field learning": cross-field curriculum development exercises for teacher students, guided by experts and middle school teachers, can enable teacher students to clarify myths, make good use of teaching, and strengthen their understanding of the teaching scene. Concrete understanding can be used to appropriately revise the teaching design and come up with practical plans. Therefore, in order to improve the effectiveness of cross-field aesthetic teacher training, it is necessary to strengthen arrangements for teacher students to have more opportunities to contact middle school teachers and to conduct experimental teaching at the teaching site to review teaching plans.

There are infinite possibilities for the development of the future world, and cross-field learning also has unlimited potential. Under the trend of literacy orientation, "cross-field" learning has become a new "field" in the contemporary era, with many aspects and issues that need to be explored. The above is my personal inspiration from the aesthetic education project and my brief experience in the university's end-disciplinary teacher training education. I hope it can provide a reference for the history discipline and art field to create cross-field aesthetic education courses. I also hope that the humanities disciplines can We can carry out more dialogue and cooperation with art subjects, and truly realize the ideal of cross-field/disciplinary teaching cooperation to bring benefits and growth to each other, and achieve common goals. I believe that through cross-field cooperative learning, everyone can smoothly enter a new era of cross-fields.