Integrated Curricula in Gifted Ed
Interdisciplinary Teaching Benefits Gifted Children
Teaching gifted children becomes more effective when lessons are taught via a thematic approach instead being disjointed.
What is an Integrated Curriculum?
There has been a great deal of research over the past few years that supports the idea that students learn better when the information they receive is presented in a thematic, or comprehensive manner. The premise is that since the real world does not fragment complex problems into neatly defined topics areas, why should schools teach the subjects that way. If an executive were trying to solve an issue such as how to maximize profits from an airlines, the answer wouldn’t simply be found in math or economics – it would involve an understanding and blending of numerous fields of study. If a real world problem takes the ability to merge different skills, why do schools insist on teaching core subjects as disparate fields of study?
Is it really possible for students on any given school day to flip a switch in their brains that tells them they are turning off their ‘math brains’ and engaging their ‘social studies brains?’ The concern here is that this kind of learning doesn’t necessarily lead to students deeply internalizing their lessons because it isn’t based on meaningful previous learning, and it doesn’t provide learning skills that the students can use in other subjects or in the world of work.
Aside from the necessity to prepare for high-stakes, subject-driven state mandated tests, is segregating the curriculum really best for students, especially gifted students who have the abilities to find connections in their studies that others might not?
There are many names for integrated curricula, including synergistic and interdisciplinary teaching. Basically, the idea is that teachers focus on concepts that cut across the subject areas so the students can focus on the common skills, rather than on a singular discipline. Here the students look for connections within the themes and take responsibility for their own educational discoveries.
Integrated Curriculum and Gifted Children
Teaching an integrated curriculum promotes the use of higher-order thinking skills because the students have to take an active role in their lessons by using their abilities to find their own answers and manipulate their information to formulate response higher on the educational hierarchy. This is exactly the kind of academic programming that works well for gifted students who need to be challenged.
While this type of teaching clearly benefits gifted students, it is not always used in many schools because the policies within the states and the districts vary greatly. Therefore, it could be the responsibility of teachers, homeschool associations, and parents to search for ways to make the learning more meaningful for their students using comprehensive practices such as interdisciplinary teaching.
