Having trouble achieving curriculum integration in your academy? In this session participants will learn about forms of curriculum integration and techniques to overcome obstacles. Presenter: Laura Fidler, National Academy Foundation

2. Curriculum Integration : Overcoming Obstacles
Laura Fidler, NAF Instructional Manager
laura@naf.org

3. #nafnext

4. Continuum of Curriculum Integration
BEGINNING INTERMEDIATE ADVANCED
Single Subject Parallel (Paired) Interrelated Conceptual
Two teachers
share some
topics, without
team planning
Several
teachers plan
to coordinate
topics and
instruction

5. #nafnext
Forms of Curriculum
Integration
• Work-Based Learning
 Skill Integration
 Activity Integration
• Content Integration (natural
overlaps)
• Activity/lesson integration
• Culminating Project Integration

6. #nafnext
Which of these is my biggest
obstacle to achieving curriculum
integration?
• Teacher collaboration/buy-in?
• Common planning time?
– Curriculum content mapping with clear scopes & sequences?
• Cohort scheduling?
• Student engagement/cooperation?

7. #nafnext
Overcoming Obstacles

8. Teacher buy-in

9. Engaging teachers
• Team building
• Start small
– Curriculum access
• Introduce content of NAF
courses
– Scope and Sequence
– Culminating Project
– Curriculum Integration suggestions
• Common core standards
• Look for „natural overlaps‟

10. #nafnext
Lack of time

11. Addressing „time‟
• Start small
– Curriculum access
• Realistically assess how much time you
have to do this.
• Prioritize your goal(s)
• Which form of curriculum integration can
you realistically accomplish?

12. #nafnext
Meeting Common Core Standards

13. Addressing ‘standards’
• Natural overlaps
• NAF curriculum
• Course objectives

14. #nafnext
Scheduling and/or student
cohorting

15. Tackling scheduling and/or student
cohorting
• Involve:
– School
counselor
– School
“scheduler”
• WBL skill
integration
• Physical layout of
classroom

16. #nafnext
Common Planning time

17. #nafnext
Overcoming lack of common planning time
• Start small
• Work with those who want to
• Agendas to utilize time
• Physical layout of classroom – academy culture

18. #nafnext
Student engagement/cooperation

19. #nafnext
Lack of student engagement/cooperation
• Things to consider why this is happening:
 Have you set clear guidelines for your assignment?
 How do you evaluate your students‟ work?
• Individual vs. group – are you grading the „end product‟
or the „process of getting there‟?
• Harmful consequences?
 In what way is your classroom culture playing a role in
this?
• Equitability - “Hogs vs. Logs”
• Are „norms‟ established and is there accountability?
 How do you group your students together?
• Do you allow for mixed ability when high scaffolding is
crucial?
• Do you allow for ability-alike grouping when there are
opportunities for growth and curricular extensions?

20. #nafnext
What is one big “take-away” from
today‟s session?

21. What are my next steps?
What can I realistically
implement given the
obstacles I face at my
academy?