Module 3 Integrated Programs

Chapter 1 Introduction

My opinion on the concept of 'silo' and 'non-silo' learning in the middle years is that in some situations the learning does need to occur within the boundaries of the subject. The only example of a necessary silo situation that I can think of is when students are learning the very foundation of a skill, such as how to read. Obviously the skill can be related to their needs in other areas of their lives, but in the beginning stages the focus area needs to be quite narrow. As the student becomes more competent in reading and develops skills in other focus areas, they can start to integrate their learning as they now have a basis for which they can construct knowledge. Where possible I think all learning should be integrated, occurring across the boundaries of subjects, as this is reflective of real life, it makes knowledge useful, relevant, and gives the learner a reason to learn. It also gives the students a well-rounded view of a topic and allows them to make choices and follow specific interests they may have.

Chapter 2 Definitions

Definitions and information about curriculum terms:

• Connected learning “is a type of learning that integrates personal interest, peer relationships, and achievement in academic, civic, or career-relevant areas. In addition, connected learning is an approach to educational reform keyed to the abundance of information and social connection brought about by networked and digital media” (Connected learning, 2016, para 1.).
• Curriculum integration- “the term curricula integration infers equality of achieving two (or more) standards from different key learning areas (KLAs)”.  “Curricula integration of standards into an activity necessitates pedagogical knowledge for developing students’ understandings and skills in both subject areas, usually simultaneously” (Hudson, 2012, p. 41). Overall, it can be rationalised that curricula integration can:- contribute significantly to student learning outcomes- make students the centre of learning- provide a more holistic perspective- connect learning to the real world- link subjects for different perspectives- expand students’ knowledge and skills- provide students with methods of devising innovative ideas, and- attempt to negate an overcrowded curriculum(Hudson, 2012, p. 44)
• Disciplinary- “Of or relating to a specific field of academic study” (The Free Dictionary, 2016). “An academic discipline or field of study is a branch of knowledge that is taught and researched as part of higher education” (Outline of academic disciplines, 2016, para. 1.).
• Multidisciplinary- Fraser (2000) says the term curriculum integration is often called a multidisciplinary approach overseas (p. 20).
• Interdisciplinary- “combining or involving two or more academic disciplines or fields of study” (The Free Dictionary, 2016).
• Transdisciplinary- “pertaining to or involving more than one discipline; interdisciplinary” (Dictionary.com, 2016).

Dowden (2007) says that: integrated curriculum; interdisciplinary curriculum; multidisciplinary curriculum, fused curricula, transdisciplinary curriculum; cross-disciplinary curriculum and integrative curriculum are all terms associated with subject integration (p. 55). “The variety of terms presents confusion and ambiguity”, so ‘curriculum integration’ is a clearer term (Hudson, 2012, p. 41).

So they all mean the same thing…

*Update- In this Module, Chapter 4.1, there is an infographic showing that intradisciplinary means within the subject area. As it is a term that describes curricular connections, I assume that this is one teacher in a subject, making connections within the lesson to other subject areas, and unless the teacher has a good knowledge of the other subject area, this could be the least effective.
Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary are as stated above. Transdisciplinary means beyond subject areas, so I assume this means the learning from other disciplines (same as interdisciplinary), but also other types of learning such as the General capabilities i.e. Ethical behaviour, or life skills such as problem solving.

Chapter 3 Inquiry based learning

In the SWOT graphic organiser below, I have used my knowledge of inquiry-based learning to identify Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of this approach.

Chapter 4 Integrated curriculum

3 facts I have learned about curriculum integration:

1. “Five key questions instructors must ask when designing an interdisciplinary unit or course. What topics lend themselves to interdisciplinary teaching? What kinds of disciplinary ideas, methods or tools are most suited to address the topic? What will students come to understand by integrating disciplines that they would not through single disciplinary means?  What will students do to learn at different moments in the unit? How do we know they are making progress?” (Project Zero, 2016).
2. In the US a high percentage of college and university institutions offer interdisciplinary studies majors (Mansilla, 2008). I felt that in my major of Outdoor Education we were educated with integrated curriculum (though I didn’t know what it was called at the time). I learnt about topics through science, geography, maths, physical education, sustainable education, literacy etc. and I was surprised and motivated to learn when the big picture started to make sense in a way that a single discipline could not have done.
3. “Teachers at Hood River Middle School collaborate daily to help students see connections between science, math and language arts” (Edutopia, 2016). Collaborative planning would be very helpful for the teachers. They also said that “you can’t have collaboration if teachers don’t have the time to collaborate”, which of course is obvious, but I didn’t think about that when I was thinking about teaching across disciplines. Teacher collaboration has the learning benefits of:- Teachers can leverage resources, ideas, and learning opportunities.- Students make connections between subjects.- It communicates a common message across classrooms, showing students that their teachers are aware of what they're learning in other classes.It keeps teachers on the same page in terms of not assigning too much homework on any given night or scheduling tests on the same day. (Edutopia, 2016).

Chapter 4.1 Approaches to integrating curriculum

My thoughts about the types of curriculum integration:

• In Fogarty’s (2009) Ten Ways to Integrate the Curriculum, I think that ‘The Connected Model’ which connects ideas, theories, and topics within the boundaries of a single subject is just as important as the cross curricula approach, sometimes more important depending on the level, age, and understanding of the students (p. 61). The Connected Model is similar to the Intradisciplinary approach which links “disciplines within a subject area, such as teaching literacy concepts in subjects other than English”, but they’re not quite the same...(Sparks, 2016).
• Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary involves teaching more than one subject. Transdisciplinary is when curriculum planning goes beyond the subject area.I think that both of these sound important and would make teaching and learning more fun and informative.
• Drake (2014) talks about backward design, essential or big questions, and growth mindset, which I think are all integral to integrated curriculum. I hadn’t heard about backward design before I began my Masters of Teaching, though the concept just makes so much sense that I believe I would have come to that conclusion when designing units anyway, and can’t really think of another way that I plan for an outcome.

Chapter 4.2 Integrating the Australian Curriculum

The two conditions for purposefully connected curriculum that Jenny refers to in the video (Nayler, 2014) are:

1. “Maintaining the integrity of the curriculum areas” from which we are drawing on.
2. “The use of a clear conceptual link among curricular area content descriptions with links of 2 types: overlapping or common concepts; or complimentary concepts.

Some factors that should be considered for authentically connecting curriculum are:

• What the learning intentions for the unit or lesson are, and how they relate to the curriculum content description.
• What the success criteria for the learning is.
• The process of delivering the connected curriculum.
• Age and level of the students. Do they have prior knowledge that allows them to utilise a connected curriculum to construct their own knowledge, or is that too advanced for the particular students at this stage?
• That the content is personally meaningful for the students, and socially relevant to the world.
• That the process does not lose the integrity of the curricular areas.
• Will teachers need more planning time?

References

Connected learning (2016, March 8). Retrieved July 20, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connected_Learning

Dictionary.com. (2016). Transdisciplinary. Retrieved from http://www.dictionary.com/browse/transdisciplinary

Dowden, T. (2007). Relevant, challenging, integrative and exploratory curriculum design: Perspectives from theory and practice for middle level schooling in Australia. The Australian Educational Researcher, 34(2), 51-71.

Drake, S. (2014). Engaging students in deeper learning through aligning the learning areas [Video file]. Retrieved from https://lms.latrobe.edu.au/mod/book/view.php?id=1993695&chapterid=124957

Edutopia. (2016, April 19). Collaborative Planning: Integrating Curriculum Across Subjects [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/practice/collaborative-planning-integrating-curriculum-across-subjects

Fogarty, R. (2009). How to integrate the curriculum. (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Corwin

Fraser, D. (2000). Curriculum integration. What it is and is not. set: Research Information for Teachers, 3, 34-37.

Hattie, J. (2015, November 9). John Hattie on inquiry-based learning [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUooOYbgSUg

Hudson, P. (2012). A model for curricula integration using the Australian Curriculum. Teaching Science, 58(3), 40-45.

Mansilla, V. B. (2008). Integrative learning. Setting the stage for a pedagogy of the contemporary. Retrieved from http://www.pz.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/Peer%20review_RealityCheck.pdf

Nayler, J. (2014, March 22). Enacting Australian Curriculum Making connections for quality learning [Video file]. Retrieved from https://lms.latrobe.edu.au/mod/book/view.php?id=1993695&chapterid=132251

Outline of academic disciplines (2016, July 18). Retrieved July 20, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outline_of_academic_disciplines

Project Zero. (2016). Interdisciplinary Work & Education. Retrieved from http://idglobal.gse.harvard.edu/work/interdisciplinary-work-education

Sparks, A. (2016). EDU5MTM, Module 3, Chapter 4.1, Integrated Programs [Modules]. Retrieved from Department of Education, La Trobe University, LMS web site: https://lms.latrobe.edu.au/mod/book/view.php?id=1993695&chapterid=124957

The Free Dictionary. (2016). Disciplinary. Retrieved from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/disciplinary

Dictionary.com. (2016). Disciplinary. Retrieved from  http://www.dictionary.com/browse/interdisciplinary