http://suzyred.com/integratedten.

htm

Ten Reasons to Teach an Integrated Curriculum

10. Unless you have 50 hours a day to teach, you'll never get it all in.

9. An integrated curriculum allows science and social studies to frame

your reading, writing, and math.

8. The brain thrives on connections.

7. Life is not divided into neat little blocks of time called science, math,
reading, writing, social studies, and recess.

6. Problem solving skills soar when all of our knowledge and higher
level thinking from all curriculum areas are tapped.

5. Real literature in real books provides an authentic diving board into

learning all subjects. Award-winning literature provides models for
problem solving, peer relationships, character development, and skill
building as students are captivated by exciting adventures with realistic
characters who go through problems very much like their own or
problems (like war)from which they will learn historical truths.

Integrated Curriculum
Teachers throughout the nation are constantly being bombarded by that "just one
more thing" being added on to the already overwhelming curriculum
responsibilities. The "throw out last year's initiative and embrace the new fad"
has initiated a new mentality among some of the more experienced, jaded
teachers: "just hang on this too will pass." And it usually does, but the
expectations continue to mount. Each time that "one more thing you must teach"
is announced, teachers ask, "When? Where can I possibly find one more minute
in my day? I don't have enough time as it is to teach everything!"

Education for the real world

When subjects are taught individually there really isn't enough time to fit
everything in, but then, the real world doesn't divide our day into math, reading,
science, social studies, physical education, music, art, and recess. But, the real
world does not work in absolutes and individual subjects. Rarely, does one find
the answer to a problem at work by doing one-step arithmetic or by looking up
the definition in a dictionary. Instead, in the real world, successful people in all
walks of life use all of the tools at their disposal to tackle real world issues.
Sometimes LIFE demands that you save a bird, design a plan with a group of
friends, outrun a bear, draw a map, counsel a co-worker, or decipher directions in
a foreign place.
Police officers and scientists use logic, group problem solving, research, math,
questioning, science, intrapersonal skills, maps, and language skills to solve a
crime or find a cure. A business man pours a myriad of skills into creating a
sound business. In the same way, our best teachers do not isolate the skills they
teach, but draw on the strength of some to empower the weaknesses of others.

Learning the whole thing

It has been said, "If the brain were so simple that we could understand it, we
would be so simple that we couldn't." Isolating subjects in the curriculum robs the
brain of what it does best--integrate and make connections that apply to solving
problems. Knowledge of facts and skills, essential foundational ingredients in an
integrated curriculum, is best learned in relationship to a WHOLE that gives
purpose to the learning.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_curriculum

Integrative learning
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Integrated curriculum)
Jump to: navigation, search

Integrative Learning is a learning theory describing a movement toward integrated

lessons helping students make connections across curricula. This higher education
concept is distinct from the elementary and high school "integrated curriculum"
movement.

Contents
[hide]

• 1 The term and concept

• 2 Integrated Medical Curriculum
• 3 Literature on Integrative Learning
• 4 References
• 5 See also

• 6 External links
 [edit] The term and concept
The term Integrative Learning was coined by Jerry Perez de Tagle [1] and "... comes in
many varieties: connecting skills and knowledge from multiple sources and experiences;
applying skills and practices in various settings; utilizing diverse and even contradictory
points of view; and, understanding issues and positions contextually."

• "...making connections within a major, between fields, between curriculum,

cocurriculum, or between academic knowledge and practice."[2]

Concept map describing activities offered by universities to encourage integrative

learning.

Integrated Medical Curriculum

In many American medical schools, an integrated curriculum refers to a non-
compartmentalized approach to basic science learning. As opposed to traditional
curricula, which separate subjects such as embryology, physiology, pathology and
anatomy, integrated curricula alternate lectures on these subjects over the course of the
first two years. (Jonas 1989) The course of study is instead organized around organ
systems (such as "Cardiovascular" or "Gastrointestinal"). Another major component of
the integrated medical curriculum is Problem-based learning.

References

1. ^ Peter Kline, "The Every Day Genius", 1988

2. ^ Huber, M. T., Hutchings, P., & Gale, R. (2005). Integrative Learning for
Liberal Education. peerReview, Summer/Fall.
 http://www.ias.uwa.edu.au/new-critic/ten/venville

Disciplinary versus Integrated Curriculum

Disciplinary versus Integrated Curriculum - Grady Venville [PDF, 92.4 kb]

Updated 20 Aug 2009

Issue 10, August 2009 | Grady Venville, The University of Western Australia, Léonie J.
Rennie, Curtin University of Technology and John Wallace, University of Toronto

This article is a shortened and revised version of a chapter that will be included in the
Second International Handbook of Science Education that will be published by Springer
in 2010. (Editors Barry Fraser, Ken Tobin and Campbell McRobbie).

The impending Australian national school curriculum leads to important questions about
what knowledge should and shouldn’t be included in a curriculum and how the included
knowledge should be arranged. Dominant modes of curriculum in the twenty first century
suggest there is established, canonical knowledge that is included in school curricula
within disciplines such as physics, mathematics, history and literature, and that the
disciplines themselves almost always provide the structure of the school day (Scott,
2008)1. This is widely referred to as a disciplinary, or traditional, approach to curriculum.
Current, education-based debates, however, question the assumption that there is a corpus
of disciplinary received wisdom that is beyond criticism (Kelly, Luke, & Green, 2008)2.
Disciplinary knowledge is translated in curriculum documents throughout the world into
key criteria, standards, or educational outcomes that are narrowly focused on what is
readily measurable, or amenable to standardized achievement testing. As more and more
attention in schools turns to the issue of preparing students for high-stakes tests, there is a
real risk of reducing the opportunities for students to engage in more contextual, issue-
based and applied learning that does not fit within the boundaries of the traditional
disciplines. The problem is acute in science where there is considerable evidence that
students are disengaged with the way it is currently taught in Australia and other western
countries.

In this article we will explore the conundrum that faces Australian curriculum developers
and curriculum consumers about the issue of disciplinary versus integrated approaches to
curriculum, particularly within the broad subject area of science.

Integrated and Disciplinary Approaches to Curriculum

A number of progressive school programs exist that can only be described as ‘different’
from the traditional approach to curriculum in that they are at odds with the hegemonic
disciplinary structure of schooling and deliver programs that can be described as
‘integrated’. All curricula include some form of disciplinary knowledge; it is the structure
of the curriculum and the underpinning issues that drive the curriculum that determines
whether the curriculum can be considered disciplinary or integrated. Examples of
integrated curricula go by a number of names, for example, contextualized instruction
(e.g., Rivet and Krajcik, 2008)3 ; authentic tasks (e.g. Lee and Songer, 2003)4 ;
community connections (e.g. Bouillion and Gomez, 2001)5; science technology and
society (e.g., Pedretti, 2005)6; place-based education (e.g., Gruenewald and Smith,
2008)7; democratic schools (e.g. Apple and Beane, 1999)8 ; futures studies (e.g., Lloyd
and Wallace, 2004)9 ; and, youth-centered perspective (e.g., Buxton, 2006)10. All include
approaches to education that involve students looking towards multiple dimensions that
reflect the real world and are not bounded by the disciplines.

A specific example of an integrated approach was found in a school we worked with in

the northern suburbs of Perth. The Year 6 and 7 classes in the school were working on a
science-based project about the ‘health’ of a local lake. During Science, students learnt
about concepts like water quality and aquifers. They tested the quality of the water in the
local lake and completed a number of individualized investigations on related topics such
as the breeding of midges (a small insect) in the shallows of the lake. In Society and
Environment students examined human development in their local region and the impact
that has on the lake. In English they participated in an extended hypothetical debate and
role play of different advocate groups about the development of the surrounding
environment and the recreation that should be allowed in the lake. One of the features of
integrated curricula is that the knowledge that is taught and learned is determined by
issues that are relevant to the students. In this way, there tends to be more connectedness
and application of knowledge to the issue of concern. In integrated approaches to
curriculum students are generally given long periods during the school day to research
areas of interest to them. They are guided and supported by the teacher, but the focus is
on the student being an active learner. Assessment tends to be individualized; for
example, it may take the form of a portfolio of work completed by the individual. This is
in contrast with traditional approaches to curriculum where disciplinary knowledge drives
the curriculum and lessons are sequenced in ways that allow students to develop
conceptual understanding in a highly structured and cumulative manner. Traditional
approaches to school curriculum involve students studying separate subjects that are
independent and disconnected from each other, taught at different times during the day by
specialized teachers. Predominant forms of assessment include written tests and
examinations.

Integrated approaches to curriculum remain a contentious issue with ardent commentators

presenting a number of arguments either supporting or opposing its implementation in
schools (Hatch, 1998)11. These arguments have tended to be either epistemological,
focused on the structure and utility of knowledge, or affective, focused on students’
attitudes and engagement with science. On the epistemological front, disciplines, it is
argued, create a sense of order about the complex world and provide students with the
specialized knowledge they need to solve complicated, discipline-based problems or
create rigorous explanations of focused aspects of the world. Disciplines are considered
important human achievements that have provided the best answers to fundamental
questions about the world that human beings have generated. In contrast, supporters of
curriculum integration argue that knowledge in the real world is holistic and the division
of knowledge into subjects for teaching and learning in schools is an unnecessary
historical tradition and simply a practical method to deliver a curriculum (Hatch, 1998)12.

On the affective front of the debate, supporters of integrated approaches refer to the
statistics showing adolescent disengagement with traditional approaches to schooling and
suggest that integrated approaches motivate and interest students in ways that disciplinary
content, delivered by traditional pedagogical means, fail to do (Senechal, 2008)13. Other
commentators go further and suggest that the reason why integrated approaches to
teaching and learning tend to be more engaging for young people is that they better
reflect the realities of students’ experiences outside school; “it makes learning more
applied, more critical, more inventive, and more meaningful for students” (Hargreaves et
al., 2001, p. 112)14. Apple and Beane (1999) explain that integration:

involves putting knowledge to use in relation to real life problems and issues…
Rather than being lists of concepts, facts and skills that students master for
standardized achievement tests (and then go on to forget, by and large), knowledge
is that which is intimately connected to the communities and biographies of real
people. Students learn that knowledge makes a difference in people’s lives,
including their own. (p. 119)15

Apple and Beane’s comments, made in 1999, reflect another powerful argument that is
currently impacting the perceived role of science within the curriculum, that of
connection to ‘real problems’, ‘real lives’, and the ‘real world’. Jenkins (2007) argued
that students need better, more realistic ideas about the multiple realities of what
constitutes science in the real world and wonders “whether a subject-based curriculum
can provide students with the inter- and cross-disciplinary perspectives required to
respond to challenges of this [global] kind” (p. 278)16.

References

1. Scott, D. (2008). Critical essays on major curriculum theorists. London:

Routledge.et.al

http://www.google.com.ph/search?
hl=en&defl=en&q=define:integration&ei=WtFBS9qVIIzW7APoxNT_Dg&sa=X&oi=gl
ossary_definition&ct=title&ved=0CAcQkAE
Related phrases: vertical integration sensory integration horizontal integration computer telephony
integration integration testing data integration very large scale integration continuous integration
large scale integration computer telephone integration

Definitions of integration on the Web:

• the action of incorporating a racial or religious group into a community

• consolidation: the act of combining into an integral whole; "a consolidation of
two corporations"; "after their consolidation the two bills were passed
unanimously"; "the defendants asked for a consolidation of the actions against
them"
• an operation used in the calculus whereby the integral of a function is determined
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
• Integration is an important concept in mathematics and is the reverse of a
derivative. It is a fundamental part of calculus and mathematical ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integration_(calculus)
• The act or process of making whole or entire; Template:society The process of
fitting into a community, notably applied to 'visible' (ethnic ...
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/integration
• integrate - make into a whole or make part of a whole; "She incorporated his
suggestions into her proposal"
• integrate - desegregate: open (a place) to members of all races and ethnic groups;
"This school is completely desegregated"
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
• integrated - formed into a whole or introduced into another entity; "a more closely
integrated economic and political system"- Dwight D.Eisenhower; "an integrated
Europe"
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
• integrate - become one; become integrated; "The students at this school integrate
immediately, despite their different backgrounds"
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
• integrated - not segregated; designated as available to all races or groups;
"integrated schools"
• integrated - resembling a living organism in organization or development;
"society as an integrated whole"
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
• Integrated - In statistics and econometrics, and in particular in time series
analysis, an autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model is a
generalisation of an autoregressive moving average or (ARMA) model. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_(random_process)
• InteGrate (formerly known as "Solution 42", a name taken from Douglas Adams's
"Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" cult series) is a pipe-lined high ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InteGrate
• integrating - That integrates
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/integrating
 • integrated - composed and coordinated to form a whole; characterized by racial
integration
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/integrated

http://k6.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/linkages/Curriculum/curriculum_literature.html

A Sample of Literature

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

a
Alleman, T. and Brophy, J. (1993) Is Curriculum Integration a Boom or a Threat to Social Studies? Social
Education 57(6) 1993, pp. 287-291.

Disentangles curriculum integration processes and practices: those which assist learning in social studies, those
which assist learning in other subject areas but not social studies, and those which hinder learning in most, if not all,
subject areas.

Anderson, J., Reder, L., and Simon, H. (1996) 'Situated learning and education', Education Researcher, 25, 4,
pp 5-11.

Argues that the transferability of skills from one context to the next depends on factors such as the number of
symbolic components that are shared, where attention is directed and the relationship between new and former
experiences.

b
Bailin, S., Case, R., Coombs, J., and Daniels, L. (1999) 'Common misconceptions of critical thinking', Journal
of Curriculum Studies, 31, 3, pp 269-283.

Dismisses the view that a set of generic skills can be applied in any context, pointing to the work of McPeck,
Facione and Barrow on the link between domain-specific knowledge and critical thinking skills.

Beane, J. (1995) Curriculum Integration and the Disciplines of Knowledge. Phi Delta Kappa, April 1995, pp.
616-622.

Argues that there is a clear distinction between 'disciplines of knowledge' (the boundaries of which are fluid) and
their misrepresentation as 'subject areas' in schools. Suggests that curriculum integration is seen as a threat to the
institutionalisation of subject areas because positions and professional identities are symbiotically related to them.

Beane, J. (1991) The Middle School: The Natural Home of Integrated Curriculum. Educational Leadership
49(2), October 91, pp. 9-13.

Argues that curriculum areas are territorial spaces carved out by subject specialists.

Benton DeCorse, C. (1996) Current Conversations. Teachers and the Integrated Curriculum: An
Intergenerational View. Action in Teacher Education, Spring 1996, Vol XVIII, No. 1.

Describes some of the perceived obstacles to, and benefits of, curriculum integration. Relates the observations of
five teachers on their ability to accomplish the task of curriculum integration. Implications for curriculum integration
and teacher education are described.

Boidy, T. and Moran, M. (1994) Improving Students' Transfer of Learning Among Subject Areas Through
the Use of an Integrated Curriculum and Alternative Assessment. Dissertation/Thesis. Saint Xavier
University, IL., USA.

Reports on an intervention program for Year 3 and 5 students where two strategies were used to improve their
transfer of learning between subject areas: i) integrated curriculum programming and ii) the use of alternative
assessment. The report indicates that the teachers interviewed believed that students were unable to transfer learning
between subjects due to curriculum fragmentation, time constraints and the teacher's preference for traditional
subject-based curriculum programming. The evaluation of the program showed that as a result of the intervention
strategies the lack of connection between subjects was reduced and that students were better able to transfer learning
among subject areas.

Boreham, N. (1999) 'Key skills, transfer and contexts of competence', paper presented at the British
Education Research Association Conference, 1999.

Draws on various research studies to suggest that skills do not transfer easily from one context to another.

Brandt, R. (1991) Overview: The Outcomes We Want. Educational Leadership 49(2), Oct 91, p 3.

Suggests that a thoughtful definition of outcomes-based education requires a cross-disciplinary approach to

curriculum.

Brandt, R. (1991) On Interdisciplinary Curriculum: A conversation with Heidi Hayes Jacobs. Educational
Leadership, October 1991, pp. 24-26.

Suggests that curriculum integration requires cultural change within subject disciplines and argues that good
planning can result in the elimination of repetition in separate subject areas and therefore increased efficiency.

Bredekamp, S. (1996) 'Reaching potentials of young children through national curriculum standards:
Panacea or pipedream?' Paper presented at the First Years of School Conference, Hobart, 1996.

Argues that an obvious example of a generative process that is fundamental to one discipline but applicable to many
is the scientific method. She suggests that formulating hypotheses, making observations, collecting data and
revisiting hypotheses are processes that define project work of all kinds. Learning to use the scientific method may
be a goal of the science curriculum, but it also applies to mathematics, health studies, social studies and other areas
that require problem solving.

Brooks, Sandra R., Freiburger, Susan M., Grotheer, Debra R. (1998) Improving elementary Engagement in
the Learning Process through Integrated Thematic Instruction. Action Research project Saint Xavier
University and IRA/Skylight

The problem of non-engaged learning was documented by means of observation of class participation, a student
attitude survey, and assessments of student academic performance. Analysis of the data revealed deficits in
motivation and thinking skills as well as current teaching strategies that contributed to non-engaged learning.
Solution strategies resulted in an intervention focusing on thematic integrated unit, student assignment choices, and
problem solving.

Burnaford, G. (1993) The Challenge of Integrated Curriculum. Music Educators Journal, Vol 79, No. 9

Defines curriculum integration, finding common bonds between subject areas.

c
Carter, C. and Mason, D. (1997) A Review of the Literature on the Cognitive Effects of Integrated
Curriculum. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the American research Association, Chicago,
March 24-28, 1997.

Reviews empirical research (1986-1996) on the effects of integrated curriculum. Categorises approaches in the
literature into four types: intradisciplinary, interdisciplinary, infused and correlated. Concludes that comparisons
between integrated or non-integrated approaches show little difference in relation to increased student learning.
More and better research is needed, it is asserted, before either proponents or critics of integrated curriculum can
make their claims with any validity.

Collier, S. and Nolan, K. (1996) Elementary Teachers' Perceptions of Integration. Paper presented at the
Mid-South Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, November 1996.

Reports on a study of how primary teachers interpret and understand three different curriculum models: integrated,
thematic and interdisciplinary. The paper states that teachers made little distinction made between these models.
Results indicated that inservice teachers are not in agreement as to the definition, application or evaluation of
integrated, thematic and interdisciplinary instruction. Staff development to help them make distinctions among these
models may enable teachers to select and use these curriculum models more effectively.

Coutts, L. and others. (1996) Missouri's Framework for Curriculum Development in Mathematics K-12.
Missouri State Dept of Elementary Education, Jefferson City.

The frameworks provide indicators of what students should know and be able to do in Mathematics by the end of
grades 4, 8 and 12. Many of the suggested activities encourage an integrated, interdisciplinary curriculum and there
is a discussion of how school districts might begin to explore the advantages of curriculum integration.

d
Deketelaere, Ann and Kelchtermans, Geert (1996) Collaboratice Curriculum Development: an encounter of
different professional knowledge systems teachers and Teachning: theory and practice, Vol 2, No 1, 1996.

Analysis of collaborative curriculum development as the encounter of different professional knowledge systems
which implies certain tensions and specific difficulties, but at the same time it offers rich opportunities to benefit
from 'complementary competence' of the different collaborating professionals.

Drake, S.M. (1991) How Our Team Dissolved the Boundaries. Ibid, pp. 20-22.

Reports that unnatural barriers (subject divisions) can be removed through multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary and
transdisciplinary approaches.

f
Fleischer, C., Koch, R., Lewis, J. and Roop, L. (1996) Learning to Walk It, Not Just Talk It: Standards and
Michigan's Demonstration Sites. Language Arts, Vol. 73, January 1996.

Reports on the professional development of teachers from four districts regarding standards and the integration of
language arts.

g
Grisham, D. (1995) Exploring Integrated Curriculum (Research into Practice). Reading Psychology, 16, 2, pp
269-279.

Provides an account of classroom observations of the teaching of integrated units. Includes a set of suggested
requirements for effective integration.
h
Henschke, M. (1996), Curriculum Integration. Department for Education and Children's Services,
Curriculum Division, South Australia.

This paper provides an overview and analysis of curriculum integration as a strategy for maximising student learning
outcomes and managing curriculum balance. Four models of curriculum integration are presented, issues and current
practices are discussed and a rationale to support curriculum integration is provided.

Hoffman, J. V. and others. (1996) Literature-based Reading Instruction: Problems, Possibilities, and Polemics
in the Struggle to Change. Reading Research Report No. 67, National Reading Research Center, Athens, GA.,
National Reading Research Center, College Park, MD.

A longitudinal study of first-grade teachers and literature-based teaching. Research relating to curriculum integration
and literature-based teaching indicated that approaches varied widely and demonstrated a need for more inservice
training.

Hurd, P. D. (1991) Why We Must Transform Science Education. Ibid, pp. 33-35.

Argues that integrating the disciplines, modernising content, teaching for change and higher order thinking are
essential for replacing an obsolete science curriculum.

i
Integrated Learning Approaches Using Student Outcome Statements. (1997) W.A. Cross-Sectoral
Consortium, Commonwealth of Australia.

Integrated examples of work developed by teachers trialling the Student Outcome Statements. Working Edition
(1994).

Integrating Curriculum within and across Subjects. (1996) Missouri's Framework for Curriculum
Development. Missouri State Dept of Elementary and Secondary Education, Jefferson City.

Provides teachers with information and strategies for integrating the curriculum described in each separate
framework.

j
Joyce, B. and others. (1997) Inquiring and Collaborating at an Exemplary School. Educational Leadership,
May 1997.

Describes Hempshill Hall Primary School, Nottingham, England. The curriculum is organised around related
concepts, not topics. The performance of students on a national assessment was almost double the national average.
k
Kain, D (1993) Cabbages - and Kings: Research Directions in Integrated / Interdisciplinary Curriculum. The
Journal of Educational Thought 27(3), pp. 312-331.

Examines past research into integrated/interdisciplinary studies and identifies future research possibilities. The paper
is based around four focus questions: Why integrate curriculum? What constitutes integrated studies? Who benefits
from curriculum integration? and What pedagogical changes accompany integrated studies? The paper concludes
with a warning that there will be tension for some time between those who advocate for an interdisciplinary
approach and those who share the views of the broader community in relation to the traditional subject divides.

Klein, M. (1992) Integrating the Curriculum: Re-examination of a Near Truism. Yearbook of the American
Reading Forum, pp. 141-150.

Argues against the curriculum integration movement, which, Klein suggests, accuses distinct subject disciplines of
fragmenting teaching content and process.

l
Lapp, D. and Flood, J. (1994) Integrating the Curriculum: First Steps. The Reading Teacher 47(5), February
1994.

Suggests that an integrated approach should not try to encompass everything but should be relevant to the
educational goals determined beforehand.

Lolli, E. M., (1996) Creating a Concept-based Curriculum. Principal, September 1996.

Discusses the way in which an inquiry classroom using a concept-based curriculum requires teachers to step beyond
thematic teaching. 'The integrated curriculum of the 21st century will be based not on themes but on broad and
unchanging concepts. Questions will be "how" and "why", not "where", "what" and "who".

Lonning, Robert A., DeFranco, Thomas C. (1998) Development of Theme-based, Interdisciplinary, Integrated
Curriculum: A theoretical Model School Science And Mathematics October 1998 Issue 6, p312.

Presents information as it pertains to the development of interdisciplinary integrated curriculums, with emphasis on
mathematics, science and social studies curriculum.

m
Mathison, S. and Freeman, M. (1997) The Logic of Interdisciplinary Studies. Paper presented at the Annual
Conference of the American research Association, Chicago, March 24-28, 1997.

Examines three approaches: interdisciplinary, integrated and integrative curriculum. The paper acknowledges that
although the proponents of each approach report positive experiences, there is little evidence that positive outcomes
actually occur.

Miletta, M. M. (1996) A Multiage Classroom: Choice & Possibility. Heinemann.

Discusses how teachers can plan and develop a multi-age program, expand the choices offered to children, integrate
the arts into the curriculum and effect change in their schools.

Miller, K. A. (1995) Curriculum: To Integrate or Not to Integrate. Youngstown State University

Argues that teachers who use cooperative, integrated methods will produce students more competent in using
problem-solving techniques, in communicating effectively and in working cooperatively.

Misko, Josie (1995) Transfer: Using Learning in new contexts National Centre for Vocational Education
Research, Leabrook Australia.

A review of literature on the extent to which knowledge, skills and attitudes learned in one area transfer to another
for the purpose of identifying issues. The review focused on whether training for transfer makes a difference, the
importance of context-specific knowledge, factors that facilitate or hinder transfer, techniques for teaching transfer
and models for testing transfer by assess cognitive skill.

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (1996) Integrating Curriculum Within and
Across Subjects: Missouri's Framework for Curriculum Development. Missouri Department of Elementary
and Secondary Education, Jefferson City, Missouri, USA.

A guide for integrating the curriculum using the Missouri curriculum 'Show-Me Standards'. The document is in five
sections: I) what curriculum integration is; ii) how to get started; iii) development of integrated units, projects and
activities; iv) reasons for integrating the curriculum; and v) assessment of student performance.

Moore, J. (1996) East School: Movement and Growth. A Case Study for the Vermont Institute of Science,
Math and Technology. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research
Association, 1996.

A case study report on changes brought about by a principal in a K-2 school. Though the case study deals with a
number of matters related to leadership, change and school organisation, the use of an integrated teaching framework
was central to the study. The report includes a checklist for those looking to bring about change using integrated
curriculum.

n
Nuyen, A. (1998) Theory and Practice: The Queensland Experience in Testing Generic Skills. Paper
presented at the Australian College of Education 1998 National Conference, Canberra, September 1998.

In an analysis of Queensland's generic skills, Nuyen suggests that the major difference between 'generic skills' and
'core skills' is one of transferability. Nuyen posits that while core skills are content- and context-specific, generic
skills are embedded in well-designed, balanced curriculum - they transcend subject areas.

p
Peppard, J. (1997) A Guide to Connected Curriculum and Action Research. Wisconsin State Department of
Public Instruction, Madison.

This project used action research to study curriculum connections. This guide provides basic information on
connected curriculum and action research, and explains the processes that underlie them.

r
Rothman, R. (1996) Linking Standards and Instruction: HELPS is on the way. Educational Leadership 53(8),
May 1996.

Suggests that curriculum integration assists and supports standards-based education.

s
Shanahan, T., Robinson, B. and Scheider, M. (1995) Integrating Curriculum: Avoiding Some of the Pitfalls of
Thematic Units. The Reading Teacher, Vol. 48, No. 8, May 1995.

Argues that curriculum integration is more effective when considered in terms of 'themes' rather than 'topics'.

Schmidt, W., Roehler, L., Caul, J., Buchman, M., Diamond, B., Solomon, D. and Cianciolo, P. (1985) The Uses
of Curriculum Integration in Languages Arts Instruction: A Study of Six Classrooms. Curriculum Studies
17(3), pp. 305-320.

Looks at the work of six teachers. The study reports that although the majority of these teachers indicated support for
an integrated approach, their practice did not, in fact, reflect an integrated approach.

Stasz, C., Ramsey, K., Eden, R., Da Vanzo, J., Farris, H. and Lewis, M. (1994) Classrooms that work:
teaching and learning generic skills, Rand Publications, Santa Monica, Cal., USA.

Reports on the findings from eight classroom-based studies involving generic skills. Stasz et al identified access to
expert knowledge, modelling and scaffolding of techniques, and situated learning as being conducive to student
achievement.

t
Travis, Dennis B., Pickard, Dawn, Lang, Debra (1999) Promoting Staff Collaboration and Curriculum
Integration: An Evolving District Model, ERS Spectrum: Vol 7 No 3 pp34-40 Win 1999.

Describes a learning model developed by a Michigan School working to foster an evolving process of staff
collaboration and curriculum integration. Supportive professional-development activities include staff-planned and -
facilitated workshops, staff writing and sharing of learning activities, and local university partnerships requiring
collaborative action research.

v
Vars, G. (1991) Integrated Curriculum in Historical Perspective. Ibid, pp. 14-15.

Argues that curriculum integration has a historical context which 'waxes and wanes' as educational priorities change.

Venville, Grady Wallace, John (1998) The Integration of Science, Mathematics and Technology in a
Discipline-Based Culture School Science and Mathematics, October 1998 Vol 98 Issue 6 pp294-303.

Examines the integration of science, mathematics and technology curriculums among ninth-grade students in
Australian Middle schools.

w
Walker, D. (1996) Integrative Education. ERIC Digest, No. 101, January 1996, Clearing House on
Educational Management, University of Oregon.

Draws on the literature to answer a number of questions: What is integrative education? Is integrative education
new? Is integrative education more effective than traditional (single-discipline) education? How is integrative
education implemented? and How can administrators support integrative education?

http://www.todaysteacher.com/ThematicTeaching.htm

Integrated Curriculum:
"The integrated curriculum is a great gift to experienced teachers. It's like getting a new pair of
lenses that make teaching a lot more exciting and help us look forward into the next century. It is
helping students take control of their own learning."

- M. Markus, media specialist, quoted in Shoemaker, September 1991, p. 797

"I'm learning more in this course, and I'm doing better than I used to do when social studies and
English were taught separately."
 - Student, quoted in Oster 1993, p. 28

This teacher and student express an increasingly widespread enthusiasm for

curriculum integration. While not necessarily a new way of looking at teaching,
curriculum integration has received a great deal of attention in educational
settings.

Integrated curriculum is an educational approach that prepares children for

lifelong learning. There is a strong belief among those who support curriculum
integration that schools must look at education as a process for developing
abilities required by life in the twenty-first century, rather than discrete,
departmentalized subject matter. Thus, bringing together various aspects of the
curriculum into meaningful association to focus upon broad areas of study. It
views learning and teaching in a holistic way and reflects the real world, which is
interactive. In general, integrated curriculum or interdisciplinary curriculum
include:

• A combination of subjects
• An emphasis on projects
• Sources that go beyond textbooks
• Relationships among concepts
• Thematic units as organizing principles
• Flexible schedules
• Flexible student groupings.

Students see relationships among ideas and concepts as they plan and
experience a theme-based inquiry.

Relationships between in- and out-of-school topics become obvious to

students.

Communication processes become authentic as students engage in

thematically based learning activities.

Students are encouraged to share ideas. As they listen to one another,

their personal bases of ideas are expanded.
 Respect and cooperation among peers are expanded through interaction.

Students become more responsible for, and engaged in, their own
learning.

The teacher assumes the role of facilitator rather than information

dispenser.

A sense of community develops as cooperatively designed student

activities are created.

Many grouping patterns naturally emerge.

Assessment is authentic, continuous, and related to learning endeavors.

The Engle's year-long themes and units can be found here:

Voyage of Discovery Journey of Exploration

Units of Study for the 1st Year (4th Grade) Units of Study for the 2nd Year (5th Grade)

For the ITC teacher, all content areas are taught in large blocks of time with no
separation between the actual subjects. Mathematics is the only subject that
taught in "isolation", but even that is integrated throughout the units. Most of the
units within the year-long theme take approximately 6 weeks to complete. Here is
an example of an outline from the first year of the two year multiage cycle -
Integrated Thematic Unit for Immigration . Please feel free to print it off and use
it as a guideline for creating your own units.

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The Tools of Technology:

Now that technology has become a part of our everyday life in education, we
need to begin viewing it as a tool, not as a separate part of the curriculum. We
believe that technology can be used to enhance learning through skill building
software. The integration of technology is more than simply inserting a CD-ROM
into the computer and letting a child spend 15 minutes working through the
activities.

While this can be a part of your approach to integration, it is only the first
step. As the integration of technology becomes more and more a part of what
we are expected to accomplish in the classroom, we as teachers must become
more creative in the ways that we include it into our daily routine. As we become
more comfortable with our own level of ability and knowledge base, we will be
more likely to impart that "wisdom" onto our students. We are firm believers that
technology cannot replace books, or paper and pencil. It is a tool that is used
merely to enhance and extend the curriculum already in place.

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Team Teaching / Multiage:

"To us there is no other way. Two teachers, two classes, two grade levels, too wonderful."

- 4/5 Multi-age ITC teacher, Geneva Elementary, Florida

Think back to the beginning of the school year. How long did it take you to "get
to know" your students? You have to spend the first few months of the school
year getting to know a new student and their academic, social and emotional
needs. Children in multiage classrooms are placed with a classroom teacher for
more than one year, so there is no "starting over" each year. This multiyear
placement allows the student to bond with the adult for a longer period of time
than the conventional single-grade placement.

A successful multi-age program...

• is free of rigid structures such as • is founded in developmentally

fixed-ability groups, grade levels,
that impedes continuous learning.
• encourages a risk-free
environment allows children to
enjoy learning, to be intrinsically
motivated, and to see themselves
as capable learners.
appropriate curriculum, and
takes into account the
variations in child development.
• honors the development of the
whole child and reflect an
understanding that children
learn through active
involvement in a variety of
group settings.
 • accommodates the broad range of • assessment and evaluation are
student needs, their learning rates integral components of mixed
and styles, and their knowledge, age programs. The information
experiences, and interests to gained through assessment
facilitate continuous learning, and evaluation supports the
through an integrated curriculum child's learning and assists in
incorporating a variety of making appropriate educational
instructional models, strategies, decisions.
and resources.
• invites parents to be active
partners in the education of their
children. Teachers and parents
collaborate to support children's
growth and development in all
areas.

While team teaching is not a requirement for multi-age, it does have its definite
advantages. Team teachers provide emotional support, collaboration in
developing curriculum, sharing of experiences and ideas, and strengths in both
particular areas of the curriculum and in the act of teaching itself.

Students benefit by having the opportunity to see adults interacting in a positive

manner and by being introduced to more than one teaching style, broadening
their range of experiences in education. ITC teachers across America are living
proof that team-teaching really does work. For additional information on team
teaching visit our page on Team Teaching.