Integrated Curriculum : The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread !

The curriculum is a complex framework that is used in education and is firmly embedded in society (Brady & Kennedy, 2007). Within the curriculum there are key concepts which include the intended curriculum, enacted curriculum, null curriculum, negotiated curriculum, emergent curriculum, hidden curriculum and lived curriculum (Gobby, 2015). The intended curriculum as explained by Gobby (2015) is the plan or framework on a national, state, school and classroom level. The enacted curriculum is what is practiced and is translated into a learning experience (Gobby, 2015). The null curriculum according to Gobby (2015) refers to what is not taught or avoided by educators. The negotiated curriculum is more of a community and hands on part of the curriculum which is learning experiences decided by more than just the educator (Gobby, 2015). The emergent curriculum as described by Gobby (2015) is the exploration of interesting and personally meaning information to children. The hidden curriculum is things that children

Patricia Roberts (1996) describes integrated curriculum as “a way of teaching and a way of planning and organizing the instructional program so the discrete disciplines of subject matter are

Ah Sam and Ackland (2005) defined curriculum as “… an interrelated set of plans of experiences that a student undertakes under the guidance of the school”. (p.42) While these two definitions are applied in school context, Horn and Banerjee (2009) described curriculum as the guidance of the project for a group of people. Similarly, Makura and Makura (2012) adopted the definition by Gatawa (1990) as “the instrument through which complex societies transmit and maintain cherished bodies of knowledge values and skills” (Makura & Makura, 2012, p. 509). They suggested that curricula did not exist in vacuum but shaped by a larger cultural values, traditions and beliefs of

It is evident that EngageNY has addressed these shifts through its variation of assessments, performance tasks, and in the design of each module, unit, and lesson. For example, each lesson is sequenced to build upon a skill set and increase the rigor through the progression if each unit, until reaching the final assessment. Moreover, to further incorporate the shifts, text based answer and discussions are incorporated in each lesson and performance task.

The Curriculum for Excellence, introduced in 2014, aims to transform education in Scotland for ages 3-18. It intends to progress the standards of education and learning in the country by moving away from more traditional methods of teaching. This strategy, developed by the Scottish Government, recognises that learning is a lifelong process, beginning at birth, and therefore it is important to employ methods which prepare children from a young age for a life of work. In order to do so, the curriculum is based on seven key principles which are designed to provide young people with the knowledge and skills for life in the 21st century. This knowledge and skill is learnt through experiences and opportunities which are carefully planned for each age group, encouraging space for learning out with the standard school subject boundaries. The programme has four main outcomes prompting children to become successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors. Once an individual has completed the education programme, reflections of the curriculum’s purpose can be assessed in the child or young person to see if they have met the proposed outcomes and therefore determining the overall success.

A study conducted in 2003 by Ofsted that involved England, Denmark and Finland, showed England’s national curriculum compared to the other two countries was:

curriculum. Additionally, this enables for a higher than usual level of explicit teaching in all subject areas. However, it does not make integrated curriculum delivery very viable. Fortunately, Mrs. Bea has an innovative teaching style and adjusts her teaching to cater to Gardner’s multiple intelligences (1983) and diverse learning styles.

Ultimately, Common Core is not the education our children need. Students need a mixed curriculum of learning, with the intention that they will recognize what their passions are, and not just how well educated they are in general subjects. Having knowledge in these subjects are extremely important, however only emphasizing on certain subjects narrows the child’s ability to learn more. The Common Core standards prevent students from that excessive knowledge they would have, and only focuses on how well they can think on a test. Despite the elaborate plan Common Core presents to raise the educational standards in our nation, these same standards will diminish the student’s individualism, as well as inflict stress and anxiety on the child’s

Prompt: Discuss the impact of Curricula on their intended beneficiaries as described in the readings of Jean Anyon and John Taylor Gatto.

The components of high-quality mathematics instruction are a standards-based curriculum and evidence-based instructional strategies. A standards-based curriculum is the content and skills that students should learn. Evidence-based instructional strategies are teaching strategies that are backed by research proving them to be effective.

Integrated Co-Teaching, also known as ICT, is an educational setting where students with disabilities learn alongside general education students. The ICT setting provides students the support of a special education teacher within the general education classroom. The goal of integrated co-teaching is to ensure that students with disabilities master grade level skills and concepts, while having their special education needs met. In addition to mastering skills and concepts, having ICT classrooms allows students with disabilities to remain with their age appropriate peers and learn in an environment that is least restrictive. There have been many debates on whether or not integrated co-teaching has positive or negative effects for students with and without disabilities. The concerns are either academic and social benefits or setbacks. There has been quite a bit of research to show that integrated co-teaching has positive outcomes for both general education students and students with disabilities.

When curriculum are designed, planed daily activities follow. Curriculum designed by the interest of the children and go through steps. Include philosophies of education, theories, standards, principles values, research, and views on how children learn best. Usually contained different domains that children develop through the activities. Socio emotional, intellectual. Then, goals and objective are written and say how this goals will be recognize. A plan is coming for outside and inside environment, the activist have to be planned to be out or in the classroom.

Standard based educational services for our societies students has transformed through the years. The establishment of the National Governor’s Association set of common core standards (CCS) has gained widespread attention according to Allman and Lewis (556). Within this shift, general education teachers and teachers of students with disabilities are being held more accountable for their student’s growth and knowledge. These standards have been adopted and implemented throughout our nation in order for our youth to be better prepared for higher learning once they

Curriculum was developed the late 80s out of an aim to make learning more balanced and

Curriculum is a term often highlighted during discourse about education and most commonly understood as a policy with overt leaning outcomes for teachers to apply and achieve. Ornstein and Hunkins (1998), as cited by Selvaraj (2010), defined curriculum based on two lenses; micro and macro, which identify the term as both policy towards certain goals and what students experience with consideration for relevant theories and principles central to its development and implementation. However, Wilson (n.d.) argued that curriculum is not restricted to certain individuals, subjects and environments, since teaching and learning can also occur beyond the scope of official curriculum (Ebert & Culyer, as cited in Marsh, Clarke & Pittaway, 2014). I believe this interpretation is the closest to the true nature of curriculum, or education, as there are more complex layers to curriculum than just a written guideline. For example, not one curriculum is similar to another because it is subjected to influences from continuum number of factors, such as politics and economy. Hence, it is wise to conclude that curriculum could not be defined based on a singular perspective due to its dependability on context.