Integration Taxonomy Board 09

Integration Taxonomy

Eastside Preparatory SchoolFall 2009

Inter-DisciplinaryINTEGRATED

ThinkingINQUIRY-BASED

ExperientialHANDS-ON

EPS Discipline-Based Curriculum

Defining Our Terms

• A taxonomy is a collection of controlled vocabulary terms organized into a hierarchical structure.

Integration Taxonomy Goals• Issue: The term INTEGRATION can be “big”, “ambiguous”,

and “amorphous” and needs DEFINITION.

• Response: Create a VOCABULARY/TAXONOMY that identifies specific integration structures and practices.

Define

• Issue: INTEGRATION is happening in big and small ways, and not always recognized.

• Response: IDENTIFY/LOCATE integration that is already happening and employ DEFINITONS.

Locate

• Issue: Integration CONNECTIONS between disciplines and courses can be obvious or require deeper exploration.

• Response: Build a number of different integration TOOLS , REPORTS and VISUALS that help connect disciplines, courses, topics and skills.

Construct

• Issue: Integration can be seen as an ADD-ON to classes or AN OBSTACLE in to covering already required course material.

• Response: EMPLOY shared vocabulary/taxonomy to tie integrations more closely to discipline topics and skills.

Use

ENHANCE CURRENT WORK—MAKE INTEGRATION MORE PURPOSEFUL AND IDENTIFIABLE

PROGRAMMATIC INTEGRATIONEPS Integration Taxonomy

The Starting Point

Discipline- BasedApproach

Mastery of Discipline Content

Knowledge

Mastery of Discipline Skills and

Processes

Discipline- Based

Content Design

Parallel Discipline

Design

Complementary Discipline Units or Courses

Inter-Disciplinary

Units & Courses

Integrated Day Model

Complete Integrated Program

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Unit to Unit ---------------------------------------------------------------------

Institutional IntegrationShared UnitIndependentUnit

Range of Integration

EPS Programmatic Integration

Jacobs, Heidi H. "Design Options for An Integrated Curriculum." Interdisciplinary Curriculum: Design and Implementation. Alexandria:

ASCD, 1989. 13-24. Print.

Independent Integration

Discipline- Based Content Design

•Musical Instrument Project• Luhrs’ Poetry Assignment

Focuses on a strict interpretation of the

disciplines during separate time blocks, with individual

teacher modeling integrated thought.

Unit Integration

InterdisciplinaryUnits & Courses

Parallel Discipline

Design

Complementary Discipline Units

or Courses

Periodic units or courses of study deliberately bring together the full range of disciplines in the school’s curriculum.

Related disciplines are connected in formal unit or course to investigate a theme or issue or reinforce a concept or skill.*not always concurrent

•Curriculum/lessons sequenced or planned to connect to the similar areas of other disciplines. •Hope that students will find implicit linkages.

History-Literature

Pairings (9-10)

• Science-History Materials Unit

(6th Grade)• 7-8 EPIC

Program

•Dead Sea Scrolls Project/Event• Frontier-

Enclosure Project

Institutional Integration



Students live in the school environment and create the curriculum out of their day-to-day lives. (i.e. Summerhill)

Based primarily on themes and problems emerging from the child’s world, and the interests of child.

•Focus the Nation•Impact Projects•Fall Overnights •Spring Trips

Discipline- Based

Content Design

Parallel Discipline

Design

Complementary Discipline Units or Courses

Inter-Disciplinary

Units & Courses



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EPS Programmatic Integration

Individual teacher modeling

integrated thought.

Curriculum sequenced to connect to the similar areas of

other disciplines.

Disciplines investigate a

theme or issue or reinforce a

concept or skill.

Units /courses of study bring together the full range of disciplines in

school’s curriculum.

Based on themes & problems

emerging from the child’s world

and interests

Students live in the school environment with curriculum from their day-to-day lives. (i.e. Summerhill)

Programmatic Integration Spectrum

Discipline- Based Content Design

Parallel Discipline Design

Complementary Discipline Units or

Courses

Inter-Disciplinary Units & Courses


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Unit to Unit ---------------------------------------------------------------------

Institutional IntegrationShared UnitIndependent

Unit

Range of Integration

COLLABORATIVE & DAY TO DAY

Addressing the Integration Spectrum

EPS Integrated

Model

Discipline- Based Content

Design


or Courses


or Courses

Interdisciplinary Units & Courses



Design Options Definition Evidence in EPS Program

Advantages Disadvantages


Students live in the school environment and create the curriculum out of their day-to-day lives. (i.e. Summerhill)

Spring Adventures Most integrated program where life of the student is the focus of the school.

Students are empowered and self-directed.

Requires full commitment of families and school personnel.

Residential No guaranteed exposure to

standard curriculum.

Integrated-Day Model

Based primarily on themes and problems emerging from the child’s world, and child’s interests.

Impact Projects Focus the Nation Grade Level

Overnights

Curriculum and time are structured according to the needs of students.

Enormous work because it is not based on existing curriculum.

Management of classroom organization is highly sophisticated.

Interdisciplinary Units/Courses

Periodic units or courses of study deliberately bring together the full range of disciplines in the school’s curriculum.

7-8 EPIC Program Dead Sea Scrolls

Fosters comprehensive epistemological experience.

Instructors can plan interdisciplinary work around themes, issues and concepts.

Need for timing, time for planning, and energy on the part of the planners.

Teachers need education and practice in this approach.


or Courses

Certain related disciplines are brought together in formal unit or course to investigate a theme or issue.

• Musical Instrument Project

• Luhrs’ Poetry Assignment

Limited number of disciplines makes planning easier.

Connections between related disciplines are more obvious for teachers, students and parents.

Impacts institutional design and schedules, planning for revised content, and need for staff training resources (time/money).

Parallel Discipline

Design

Teachers sequence and plan their curriculum and lessons to correspond to lessons in the same area of other disciplines. *Working in a parallel fashion does not deliberately connect across fields of knowledge; it simply re-sequences existing curriculum in the hope that students will find implicit linkages.

History-Literature Pairings (9-10)

Planning and design are impacted only by the time of year in which content is offered.

Concurrent teaching in related subjects.

Missed opportunities for deliberate, in-depth integration.

With no team teaching, students do not see dynamics of 2 teachers interacting in classroom.

Students study concepts in isolation .

Discipline- Based Content

Design

Focuses on a strict interpretation of the disciplines during separate time blocks, with individual teacher modeling integrated thought.

Musical Instrument Project

Luhrs’ Poetry Project

Focusing on each discipline provides students with specialized skills and concepts in a field.

Reflects training model of teachers.

Has fragmenting effect on students’ day.

Teachers focus plan activities for allotted time at cost of student needs?

Does not reflect the reality of life outside of school.

LEVELS OF INTEGRATIONCurriculum Levels, Big Questions and Big Ideas

Curriculum Levels

Broad-BasedMeta-Curriculum

Discipline-Focused Curriculum

Course-Specific Curriculum

Concepts being not merely related to their subjects, but important to them. (i.e. kites v. sustainability)

•Enhances discipline-based concepts (i.e. cycle v. system)•Content transcends subject matter bounds. (i.e. humanities-history, literature, art, music)

Purposefully impacts learner’s overall approach to knowledge focused on flexible thinking, use of analogy and metaphor, and awareness of disciplines.

Integration Criteria

Ackerman, David B. "Intellectual and Practical Criteria for Successful Curriculum Integration." Interdisciplinary Curriculum:

Design and Implementation. Alexandria: ASCD, 1989. 25-37. Print.

Big Ideas

Discipline Questions

Discipline Ideas

Course Questions

Course Ideas

Habits of

Mind

Discipline Processes

Discipline Skills

Course Processes

Course Skills

Big Questions

Epistemological Understandings

Broad-BasedMeta Curriculum

Course-SpecificCurriculum

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Discipline-FocusedCurriculum

CONTENT SKILLS

Content

Essential Questions

Essential Ideas

Big Ideas


Discipline Ideas

Course Questions

Course Ideas

Big Questions

Definition and Criteria: An Essential Question

(1) inspires sustained inquiry into core

discipline

(2) provokes deep thought, lively

discussion and new understanding as well

as more questions

(3) requires students to consider alternatives and weigh evidence

(4) sparks meaningful connections with prior lessons and personal

experiences

(5) creates opportunities for transfer to other

situations and subjects

Big Question BIG IDEA

What does it mean to be human?

How did we get here?

What is the world made of?

Who am I?

What is my responsibility to the global community?

What does good leadership look like?

What is effective critical thinking?

SELF

COMPOSITION

PATH/JOURNEY

HUMANITY/HUMANESS

GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP

LEADERSHIP

CRITICAL THINKING

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UPPER SCHOOL

MIDDLE SCHOOL

CONTENT

HUMANITY

If classification systems are not definite, why bother classifying things?

What is the impact of the concept of frontier on the American consciousness?

CLASSIFICATION

AMERICAN FRONTIER


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Big Ideas


Discipline Ideas

Course Questions

Course Ideas

Big Questions

Discipline Ideas

(Concepts, Themes, Issues)



Discipline Ideas

(Concepts, Themes, Issues)

Course Questions

Course Ideas

Course Questions

Course Ideas

COURSE-SPECIFIC PATHWAYS

DISCIPLINE-FOCUSED PATHWAYS

BROAD-BASED PATHWAYS

What is the impact of the concept of frontier on the American consciousness?

Big Ideas (Concepts, Themes,

Issues)

AMERICAN FRONTIER

Big Questions

Big Ideas (Concepts, Themes,

Issues)

Big Questions

COURSE

#1

COURSE

#2


If classification systems are not definite, why bother classifying things?

CLASSIFICATION

HUMANITY

INTEGRATION: PLANNING PROCESSPathways, Vehicles and Drivers

Integration Type

INTEGRATION PATHWAY=

Content / Skill Structure

Course #1 Course #2

INTEGRATION VEHICLE=

Teaching/ LearningActivity or Product

Integration AlignmentConcurrent Integration• Simultaneous, purposeful and intentional connection

between classes, content and skills.

Non-Concurrent Integration• Staggered, purposeful and intentional connection between

classes, content and skills.

INTEGRATION PATHWAY

INTEGRATION PATHWAY

COURSE-SPECIFIC QUESTIONEssential Question: How has interaction with “the

other” shaped American experience?

Course #1U.S. History

Course #2American Lit.

INTEGRATION VEHICLEAnalysis of Historical and

Literary Texts

INTEGRATION PATHWAY

PARALLEL DISCIPLINE DESIGN

(Concurrent)

DISCIPLINE IDEAConcept: UNIT CONVERSION

Course #1Chemistry

Course #2Pre-CalculusAlgebra 2

INTEGRATION VEHICLEProblem-based learning

INTEGRATION PATHWAY

COMPLEMENTARY DISCIPLINEUNITS or COURSES

(Non-concurrent)

INTEGRATION VEHICLEProject-basedCultural Event

INTEGRATION PATHWAY

BROAD-BASED IDEAConcept:

DEAD SEA SCROLLS

Literary Thinking

Mathematical Thinking

Scientific Thinking

Artistic Thinking

Historical Thinking

INTER-DISCIPLINARY UNITS or COURSES

(Concurrent)

INTEGRATION TYPE

Content StructureInstructorCourse #1

INTEGRATION VEHICLE

Teaching/ LearningActivity or Product

InstructorCourse #2

Parallel Discipline

Design Complementary Discipline Units

or Courses

(Non-concurrent)(Concurrent)ALIGNMENT

INTEGRATION PATHWAY

INTEGRATION: THE WORK AT HANDSkills, Four11, and Program Mapping

Integration Landscape

Challenges to Integration Responses

School-Wide Division Wide Grade Level Course to Course

Daily Schedule

Discipline Objectives

Trimester vs. Year-Long Courses

Multi-Age Courses (Spanish, Math, Electives)

Admin/Faculty use flexible schedule to prioritize integration

Faculty as Discipline Experts and Those of Flexible Mind determine when

integration is effective

Teaching Culture anticipates and stresses use of spiraling, and non-

concurrent reinforcement of essential content and skills

The Integrated Path

Skills

Four11Program Mapping

Assessment

Education

Integration Taxonomy Board 09