ERIC ED384455: Dissolving the Boundaries: Planning for Curriculum Integration in Middle and Secondary Schools [and] Facilitator's Guide.

166 Pages·1995·3.5 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
RC 020 129
ED 384 455
Burns, Rebecca Crawford; Sattes, Beth D.
AUTHOR
Dissolving the Boundaries: Planning for Curriculum
TITLE
Integration in Middle and Secondary Schools [and]
Facilitator's Guide.
Appalachia Educational Lab., Charleston, W. Va.
INSTITUTION
Office of Educational Research and Improvement 1ED),
SPONS AGENCY
Washington, DC.
PUB DATE
95
RP91002002
CONTRACT
169p.' For a related document, see RC 020 130.
NOTE
AppE,F_hia Educational Laboratory, P.O. Box 1348,
AVAILABLE FROM
Charleston, WV 25325 ($28.95 each, postpaid; 10
percent discount for 20 or more copies).
Non-Classroom Use (055)
PUB TYPE
Guides
EDRS PRICE
MFO1 /PC07 Plus Postage.
*Curriculum Development; *Educational Change;
DESCRIPTORS
*Educational Environment; Educational Objectives;
Instructional Materials; *Integrated Curriculum;
Interdisciplinary Approach; Intermediate Grades;
Learning Activities; Middle Schools; Models;
*Participative Decision Making; *Professional
Development; Program Implementation; Secondary
Education; Secondary Schools; Team Teaching
ABSTRACT
This manual provides information and ,_aterials for a
professional development program aimed at assisting middle and high
school faculties with decision making regarding curriculum
integration. The program is an outgrowth of a 2-year research and
development project on interdisciplinary teamed instruction conducted
in four rural secondary schools in Virginia. Curriculum integration
is a holistic approach to learning that stresses connections and
relationships rather than delineations across academic disciplines
and between academic -and vocational programs. Section I presents a
rationale for curriculum integration and a continuum of models
ranging from discipline-based to fully integrated. The goal is for
staff to find answers to three important questions: What is
curriculum integration? Why do we need to integrate? How do we
integrate? Section II discusses four conditions in the school
environment that are conducive to curriculum integration:
collaborative school culture, compatible core beliefs, support for
change, and facilitating structures. The goal is for staff to
ange and to make an informed decision
determine their readiness for
about integrating the curriculum. Section III provides first steps in
curriculum integration, such as selecting team members, choosing team
structures, and designing appropriate schedules. An accompanying
facilitator's guide includes objectives to guide planning of group
meetings and processes; an overview of suggested activities,
including recommended time structures and agendas for meetings; a
complete description of each suggested activity to facilitate group
consideration of curriculum integration, including general tips to
the facilitator; handouts for participants; and overhead
transparencies.
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Planning for Curriculum Integration
Schools
in Middle and Secondary
Rebecca Crawford Burns
EDUCATION
U S. DEPARTMENT OF
Improvement
Office of Educational Research and
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
CENTER (ERIC)
as
This document has been reproduced
received from the person or organization
originating it
to
Minor changes have been made
improve reproduction quality.
this
Points of view or opinions stated in
represent
document do not necessarily
official OERI position or policy
Appalachia Educational Laboratory
BEST COPY AVAILABLE
2
klhOLVIN
BOUNDARIES
ration
Plann g for Curriculum Int
in Mid to and Secondary = chools
Rebecca Crawford Burns
Appalachia Educational Laboratory
3
Fhe Appalachia Educational Laboratory (AEL), Inc , works with educators in ongoing R & D-based efforts to
improve education and educational opportunity. AEL serves as the Regional Educational Laboratory for Kentucky,
Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia and operates the Eisenhower Regional Math/Science Consortium for these
same four states. It also operates the ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools.
AEL works to improve:
professional quality,
curriculum and instruction,
community support, and
opportunity for access to quality education by all children.
Information about AEL projects, programs, and services is available by writing or calling AEL.
Post Office Box 1348
Charleston, West Virginia 25325-1348
304 / 347-0400
800 /624-9120 (toll-free)
304/347-0487 (FAX)
©Copyright AEL, 1995
This publication is based on work sponsored wholly or in part by the Office of Educational Research and
Improvement, U. S. Department of Education, under contract number RP91002002. Its contents do not necessarily
reflect the views of OERI, the Department, or any other agency of the U. S. Government.
AEL is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
4
Contents
Foreword
vii
Preface
3
What Is Integrated Curriculum?
Section I
Understanding
4
Why Do We Need to Integrate?
Curriculum Integration
6
How Do We Integrate the Curriculum?
1
18
Conclusion
22
Condition One: Collaborative School Culture
Section II
Assessing Your
26
Condition .NNO: Compatible Core Beliefs
Readiness for
Condition Three: Supports for Change
31
Curriculum Integration
19
38
Condition Four: Facilitating Structures
45
Conclusion
49
Ready, Fire, Aiml
Section III
Preparing Teams for
50
Selecting Teams
Curriculum Integration
S2
47
Team Structures
57
Developing Teams
59
Scheduling for Teams
62
Supporting Teams with Professional Development
Bibliography
Additional Resources
65
Appendix
73
iii
Dedication
For Catherine Farry, who nurtured my understanding
and appreciation of language,
for my husband, Toni, "the wind beneath my wings."
Acknowledgements
In writing this book, I received assistance and en-
I am grateful to the field-test school facilitators and
couragement from many of my colleagues.
participants and the critical readers, all of whom pro-
Robert
vided valuable comments on the draft manuscript. Also,
Childers, Pat Penn, Beth Sattes, and Ora lee Kieffer pro-
I consider myself fortunate to have worked with the
vided much support for my work. Jack Sanders, Mary
Farley, Carolyn Luzader, Marsha Pritt, and Soleil Gregg teachers and administrators in the four original Interdis-
were most helpful in the final stages of review and
ciplinary Teamed Instruction project schools. They pro-
publish'ng.
I would like to add a special thank you to
vided insight on the concepts and processes of integration,
Susan Drake, a fellow traveler, for writing the foreword
and their work is highlighted in this book.
to this book.
Rebecca Crawford Burns
iv
Foreword
Often deeply held
can begin to clarify our own beliefs.
Today we are being catapulted into a world of
beliefs are implicit and we rarely articulate them; how-
fundamental change by increasingly sophisticated tech-
Exploring these with
ever, they drive our practice.
nological advances. Little will ever be the same again.
others is invaluable and paves the way to working
Most professions are undergoing fundamental changes
collaboratively. As well, educators need time to dis-
in definition To be effective in changing times, educa-
and
cuss and understand current models of integration
tion must also change. The knowledge explosion alone
to explore how they can be applied in practice. In this
tells us how important it is to revisit the question of
something that
way we can create real meaning for
what is worth knowing. New understandings of how
level
may have only been understood at an abstract
people learn challenge the traditional notions of teach-
before.
ing and learning. Across North America, educators are
seeking new answers to the basic questions that under-
Dissolving the Boundaries is an important book, for it
lie education. Time and time again, the search leads to
offers teachers a process through which to examine
of edu-
an integrated approach to curriculum as a way
both personal belief systems and a range of possible
cating students to live productively in the 21st century.
models for integration. Thus it facilitates building a
faculty's readiness and commitment for curriculum
However, fundamental change is never easy.
I
integration before they start on the journey. It is stacked
have worked with many different teams developing
with real-life examples of how other schools have used
and implementing integrated curriculum at all levels
integration successfully and offers useful change man-
ranging from elementary to college. Again and again, I
agement strategies. Perhaps the greatest strength of
essentially about
am struck by how this process is
this book is that it is unique as a schoolbased profes-
thinking in new ways about both what's worth know-
sional development tool promoting faculty readiness.
ing and the underlying principles of teaching and learn-
Without faculty readiness, any efforts at curriculum
ing. Some educators have already made shifts in beliefs
integration seem doomed for resistance and even fail -
and the path ahead is clearer; for others this is new
beginwith
ure. This book begins where we must all
territory to explore both in practice and through dis-
ourselves.
cussion.
Perhaps the most important ingredient for success-
Susan M. Drake, PhD
ful curriculum integration is the time to dialogue to-
Associate Professor, Faculty of Education
gether. Without time for such dialogue, a dissenting
Brock University
voice can sabotage the project. Through discussion, we
St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada
7
V
Preface
Assessing Your Readiness for Curriculum Integra-
Planning for Curriculum
Dissolving the Boundaries:
tion, Section 11, discusses four conditions in the school
Integration in Middle and Secondary Schools is an outgrowth
environment that are conducive to curriculum integra-
of a two-year research and development project on inter-
tion: (1) collaborative school culture, (2) compatible core
disciplinary teamed instruction (ITI) conducted by the
beliefs, (3) supports for change, and (4) facilitating struc-
author in four Virginia secondary schools. I would like
As educators read about each condition, they
tures.
to thank the teachers and administrators in the ITI project
After
compare it with the status quo in their school.
for their efforts. Their wisdom has enriched this book.
assessing the status quo of teaching and learning in their
Among the lessons learned during the IT! project is
school and determining their readiness for change, teach-
that faculty and administrator commitment and support
informed deci-
ers and principals are ready to make an
implementation. Whether
are essential to successful ITI
sion about integrating the curriculum.
curriculum integration is initiated by an entire school
Preparing Teams for Curriculum Integration, Sec-
faculty or by a pioneer group of teachers, all will be
tion Ill, is for those who are ready to begin the journey
affected by the organizational and structural changes
It provides first steps,
toward curriculum integration.
Before initiating Ill, faculties must
that accompany it.
such as selecting team members, choosing team struc-
understand the content and processes of curriculum in-
tures, and designing appropriate schedules. After com-
tegration and determine their readiness to begin dissolv-
pleting Section III, teams of teachers and administrators
ing the artificial boundaries that separate disciplines of
have a "game plan" for initiating curriculum integration
knowledge.
in their school or district.
Dissolvius the Boinitiarics is a unique professional
Alt hough Dis:;oh-TTig the Boundaries is addressed pri-
development tool that can assist middle and high school
marily to teachers and principals, curriculum restructur-
faculties with decisionma king regarding curriculum in-
ing should be the concern of all members of the school
tegration. It also may be helpful to school improvement
community. Central office staff, parents, community
councils, district committees, teacher education classes,
members, and students should be informed about what
about curricu-
or other groups that wish to learn more
works in teaching and learning and be involved in cur-
lum integration. This book may be used effectively in a
riculum implementation decisions. Because their com-
It con-
available.
group setting. A Facilitator's guide is
mitment and support will be essential for successful
tains a timeline for using the materials, step- by -step
curriculum integration, representatives from these groups
directions for an administrator or other group facilitator,
should be included in the study of 1):ssoining the Bound-
interactive group activities, transparency masters, and
aries.
participant handouts.
I hope that teachers, principals, and others will find
Understanding Curriculum Integration, Section I,
this publication useful as a professional development
and a
presents a rationale for curriculum integration
tool and that it will stimulate reflection and conversation
continuum of models. As faculties explore the integra-
about connecting knowledge and promoting learning.
tion process, they find answers to three important ques-
(1) What is curriculum integration? (2) Why do
tions:
Rebecca Crawford Burns
do we integrate?
We need to integrate? (3) How
Section I
Understanding
Curriculum Integration
What Is Integrated Curriculum?
Why Do We Ne- d to Integrate?
How Do We Integrate the Curriculum?
Conclusion
a
Section I:
Understanding
Curriculum Integration
What Is Integrated Curriculum?
It makes sense to
teach through
Historical Perspective
connections, not
fragmentations, of
Efforts to integrate the curriculum have a long history. Some
knowledge.
studies have traced the Origins of curriculum integration in the United
the
States to the 1800s (Vars, 1991). Other studies trace its roots to
progressive education movement of the 1920s that advocated integra-
(Beane,
tion through themes to increase content relevance for students
discipline-
1991; Vars, 1991). During the 19605, there was a shift to
oriented curriculum based on Jerome Bruner's theory that the disc
knowledt,
plines provided the structure for storing and retrieving
However, in the 1980s and 1990s, research on how people learn
indicates that the brain searches for patterns and interconnections to
through
construct meaning (Caine & Caine, 1991). So, if humans learn
connection making, it makes sense to teach through connections, not
fragmentations, of knowledge.
Definition
At the heart of an
Integrated curriculum is a holistic approach to learning that stresses
integrated curricu-
connections and relationships rather than delineations within and
lum are students'
academic and vocational
across the academic disciplines and between
needs and interests.
It is a tool for building bridges instead of boundaries
programs.
between specific bodies of knowledge. Contrary to traditional disci-
pline-based curriculum that focuses on content objectives, integrated
curriculum is concept driven and focuses on performance expecta-
of mind
tions that describe the generic knowledge, skills, and habits
At the heart of an in:egrated
that students are expected to attain.
curriculum are students' needs and interests.
Integrated curriculum may be organized around themes/topics,
essential questions, metacognitive skills, or real-life issues. Section
I
discipline-based to
presents a curriculum continuum that ranges from
fully integrated. Regardless of its structural model, integrated cur-
address
riculum should include appropriate disciplinary knowledge,
the needs of learners, and reflect the real world.
10