EDU40007 Assignment 1 - Professional Poster by Lynelle Logan by https://padlet.com/100801630/bpa51zdj4o5z What are the advantages and disadvantages of an integrated curriculum? (Ranger, 2017). en-us 2017-11-22 13:48:57 UTC 2023-03-24 18:58:28 UTC hello@padlet.com 1. Integrated Curriculum 100801630 https://padlet.com/100801630/bpa51zdj4o5z/wish/209447361
An integrated curriculum is a constructivist approach to learning and teaching that combines multiple learning areas of the Australian Curriculum together.  It can be used in many ways to create authentic learning experiences for students,  such as within, between and beyond subject areas, connecting skills and knowledge to real-life experiences (Gordon, 2014).

Image 1: Scope of Integration (Alberta Education, 2007).]]> 2017-11-22 13:53:00 UTC https://padlet.com/100801630/bpa51zdj4o5z/wish/209447361 2. Advantages of an Integrated Curriculum 100801630 https://padlet.com/100801630/bpa51zdj4o5z/wish/209447709 There are many advantages of incorporating an integrated curriculum in the primary classroom.  A general agreement has been formed that assisting students in making connections within, as well as across key learning areas of the Australian Curriculum is of great value for student learning (Murdoch, 1998).

  • Integrated Curriculum allows students to explore and develop at different degrees of complexity (St. Joseph’s Primary School Collingwood, n.d). 
  • Different learning styles of students are better catered for.
  • An Integrated Curriculum allows students to transfer knowledge and skills (Murdoch, 1998).
  •  As deep learning, critical and creative thinking, collaboration and technology are all key factors in 21st Century learning, using a holistic and challenging approach through an integrated curriculum creates a greater understanding of the content and skills required for the future (Gilbert & Hoepper, 2014).
  • It assists teachers with managing an overcrowded curriculum (Murdoch, 1998).
]]> 2017-11-22 13:54:15 UTC https://padlet.com/100801630/bpa51zdj4o5z/wish/209447709 3. When exploring the advantages of an integrated curriculum, Fogarty's ten models provide an understanding of different approaches teachers can use in the classroom. 100801630 https://padlet.com/100801630/bpa51zdj4o5z/wish/209448879 Some examples include:
  • Integration within each subject area
  •  Shared planning and teaching in two discipline areas
  • A theme is “webbed” into the curriculum
  • Using a metacurricular approach (Fogarty, 1991).

Image 2: Fogarty's Continuum Curriculum of Integration (Gordon,2014)
]]> 2017-11-22 13:57:51 UTC https://padlet.com/100801630/bpa51zdj4o5z/wish/209448879 4.Disadvantages of an integrated curriculum. 100801630 https://padlet.com/100801630/bpa51zdj4o5z/wish/209450333
  • According to Schlesinger (1996), finding the balance between determining student understanding of the material and individual accomplishment can be difficult in integrated programs.

    • Implementing an integrated curriculum can add extra pressures on teachers as they become facilitators not just providers of information (Wood, 2003).

            Image 3: Less Us, More them (Education Rickshaw, 2017).
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    5. Analysis:
    So, what does an integrated curriculum look like in the classroom?
    In the contemporary classroom, examples of the integrated curriculum can be seen in the form of Project/Problem Based Learning (BPL) and Inquiry units where students steer their own learning, focussing on agency (Swinburne Online, 2017).  An integrated unit on National Parks or Rainforests, includes key learning areas found in the Australian curriculum such as Math, English, Art, Science, Music, Technologies, as well as general capabilities, such as, Personal and Social Capabilities (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA], 2017, version 8.3).  Students can explore mapping, data collection and create timelines.  After participating in an excursion to their local rainforest they could write poems and create collages or document their learning through photography using iPads. Reading and speaking and listening and collaborative skills can also be developed (Bopf, Smith & Stewart-Dore, 2002). 

    There are many advantages and some disadvantages to consider when implementing an Integrated Curriculum.   This approach creates an engaging learning environment where students can think deeper and have a greater understanding of their learning.  Developing skills that can be transferred to real-life experiences, as found in an integrated curriculum, better prepare students for their future.     ]]>     2017-11-22 14:05:34 UTC https://padlet.com/100801630/bpa51zdj4o5z/wish/209451358     Integrated Excursion 100801630 https://padlet.com/100801630/bpa51zdj4o5z/wish/209452063
               Image 4: (NSW National Parks and Wildlife, 2017). ]]>     2017-11-22 14:07:49 UTC https://padlet.com/100801630/bpa51zdj4o5z/wish/209452063     Integrated Curriculum 100801630 https://padlet.com/100801630/bpa51zdj4o5z/wish/210747954 2017-11-28 05:47:43 UTC https://padlet.com/100801630/bpa51zdj4o5z/wish/210747954