Needs Assessment Integrated Curriculum

Needs Assessment: Integrated Curriculum

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EDA 524

Supervision of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

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University of _______________________

| Integrated curriculum is an educational approach that prepares children for lifelong learning. There is a strong |
|belief among those who support curriculum integration that schools must look at education as a process for developing |
|abilities required by life in the twenty-first century, rather than discrete, departmentalized subject matter. Thus, |
|bringing together various aspects of the curriculum into meaningful association to focus upon broad areas of study. It |
|views learning and teaching in a holistic way and reflects the real world, which is interactive. In general, integrated |
|curriculum includes: combining subjects, emphasizing projects, linking concepts, creating flexible schedules/ groups, and |
|using sources other than textbooks. Why is curriculum integration important for students in many school districts? It |
|provides students with theme-based tasks as they relate concepts and ideas, and assessment is continuous, based on learning|
|tasks. Additionally, it allows students to relate school activities to those outside of school, providing them with |
|expanded ideas and the ability to listen to others. In turn, these positives attributes will, hopefully, result in more |
|respect, responsibility, and cooperation among students. |
|The three major components of integration are: instruction, hands-on curriculum, and parent involvement. Instruction is |
|planned to accommodate individual interests, abilities, and rates of learning while fostering a climate of teamwork and |
|mutual support. Students are grouped into heterogeneous, mixed-age classes that are taught by a two-teacher team. Students |