Curriculum integration.

I have long been a supporter of curriculum integration at middle school/secondary school level. Most examples of curriculum integration that I see at this level tend to be a couple of subjects (commonly two or more of English, Social studies, Outdoor education, health and science). The integration is based around a theme.

Kath Murdoch and James Beane support involving students as learning plans are developed for integrated teaching. I think what is missing from most models is the planning to teach for conceptual understanding. At the start of the planning process (and based on students interests and questions and curriculum guidelines) key concepts should be identified. The concepts can then be examined in a number of contexts to help students to really understand and apply them. The concepts should be explicit to the students and the teachers through learning activities and form the basis of student research plans.

Some reading or a starting point on curriculum integration:

Beane, J. (1991) Middle School: The Natural Home of Integrated Curriculum. Educational Leadership, October 1991.Beane, J. (1995) Curriculum Integration and the Disciplines of Knowledge. Phi-Delta-Kappan.

Murdoch, Kath (1998), Classroom Connections Strategies for Integrated Learning. Eleanor Curtin PublishingMurdoch, Kath and Hornsby, David (1997) Planning Curriculum Connections Whole-School Planning for Integrated Curriculum. Eleanor Curtin Publishing

Books by James Beane.

Photo: what seems impossible can sometimes happen. A Macrocarpa tree growing on the Southern coastline of Wellington.

Howard Gardner's Five minds for the future.

Howard Gardner's latest book divides 'intellectual approaches' into 5 types of minds for the future. These are:

1. The disciplined mind- schooled in basic subjects like art, history... and master of one


2. The synthesizing mind- able to make sense of disparate information


3. The creating mind- asking new questions and finding imaginative answers


4. The respectful mind- an appreciation of different cultures


5. The ethical mind- responsibility as worker and citizen.

This is an interesting way to divide 'minds' and instead of developing a heirachy as Bloom and Bereiter have done, he has different categories of mind. The focus of this is for management in the work place, rather than education (not that it should make a difference).

I would consider respectful and ethical to be in the same type of category- but that may be because I am a social studies educator from NZ. I would also like to see a focus on being connected through networks, which I see as more than synthesizing, and essential in the creating process.

Connectivism

George Siemens proposes a learning theory for digital age. While it still has some of the underpinning aspects of constructivism, it is fundamentally different. It takes into account one key idea espoused by Bereiter- that knowledge does not exist within one person's mind. This learning theory is worth a look.
George is a regular blogger.