TOPIC LINKS
Integrating Knowledge isn’t a
conventional textbook. Instead of hundreds of pages of information to be
passively read and remembered, it presents students with a carefully
selected sequence of intellectual challenges.
Its “Investigations” include enough instructional material for hundreds of
hours of thought-provoking study and dialog designed to help the student
construct a comprehensive structure of knowledge.
Integrating Knowledge is unconventional in another important way: It
doesn’t “fit” conveniently within one of the traditional course offerings.
Because it reflects the seamless way humans make sense of experience, it
moves smoothly between language arts, science, social studies, and other
fields of study.
This apparent lack of “fit” with the traditional curriculum need not be a
problem. There are a number of ways Integrating Knowledge can be
put in place without changing class schedules, altering grade reporting
procedures, or making other institutional changes.
In some
middle schools, high schools, and colleges, interdisciplinary teacher
teams work for extended periods of time with large groups of students. The
potential benefits of such an arrangement are myriad. Artificial,
arbitrary boundaries between fields of study are erased or minimized.
Teachers are able to learn from each other and make maximum use of
complementary strengths. The negative effects of individual weaknesses or
idiosyncrasies can be minimized. Great flexibility for grouping and
sub-grouping is possible. A sense of community can develop which does much
to eliminate the sense of isolation and alienation students sometimes feel
in large schools. Dropout rates ordinarily decline. This is the primary
environment we had in mind when we wrote Integrating Knowledge.
For such groups, Integrating Knowledge provides a level of curricular
coherence far beyond that which is possible when themes, social problems,
student needs or other organizers shape instruction.
As will be increasingly apparent, almost any standard course content may
be integrated into Integrating Knowledge.
Magnet or
other specialized schools should find Integrating Knowledge particularly
appealing. Its holistic, integrated approach to general academic knowledge
is far more efficient than a separate-subject curriculum and therefore
increases the time available for specialized study. If teachers in such
institutions aren’t teamed, they should nevertheless coordinate their
work, sharing as much as possible a common vocabulary and using the
general conceptual framework.
Integrating Knowledge is considerably more comprehensive than any single
traditional course. However, its emphasis on the building of a conceptual
model for the study of all aspects of human experience make it an ideal
organizer of any particular course or series of courses. Because every
field of study and every course offered students is shaped in one way or
another by culture, helping them grasp the beliefs and values which
underlie history, literature, drama, the arts, and sciences, affords
unparalleled opportunities for thinking “big” and writing broadly.
Elements of
Integrating Knowledge may be used to reinforce learning within any and all
conventional courses. However, the sequence of activities within Integrating Knowledge builds understanding of fundamental knowledge-organizing
principles, so enough of the program should be used to allow application
of those principles to conventional course content.
Differences
in the aims of those who chose to home school, and in the materials and
methods used to pursue those aims, make useful generalizations difficult.
It’s probably accurate to say, however, that nearly all homeschoolers
think instruction should enhance student ability to think well and wisely.
It’s also probably accurate to say that the more thoughtful homeschoolers
realize that filling out worksheets and answering chapter-end questions
does little or nothing to stimulate thought.
In the flexible environment of the home school, Integrating Knowledge can
be the main educational tool for continuing study. It provides a coherent,
comprehensive framework for learning, and expands rather than limits the
development of student abilities.
There is no
educational task more important than introducing teachers and
teachers-in-training to performance enhancing knowledge-organizing
principles. We suggest that schools of education everywhere make Integrating Knowledge or some similar course a requirement for graduation. Yes,
this subject matter is THAT important.
Course
length and level: Although Integrating Knowledge has fewer pages than most
textbooks, the activities and investigations easily provide material for
an intense year (or more) of study. The language level should provide no
difficulties for middle-school students and above. Most Investigations
within Integrating Knowledge are adaptive; their level of challenge depends
on the ability level of each student. Students with advanced intellectual
skills will perform at higher levels.
Standards: State-level standards invariably identify “what students
should know and be able to do" in math, science, language arts and other
school subjects. This emphasis makes it clear that the holistic nature of
knowledge, if not being denied, is at the very least being ignored. If
those who feel compelled for whatever reason to “cover” the standards will
embed the content related to them in Integrating Knowledge, performance on
standardized tests will be improved. This is because organizing content by
logical relationships is far more satisfactory than short-term memory for
attaching meaning to content and retrieving it for further manipulation.
Such embedding is possible because Integrating Knowledge is comprehensive.
No knowledge in any field lies outside its boundaries.
Accountability: The notion that adequate educational accountability
can be achieved via standardized testing is false. The relative quality of
high-order thought processes cannot be judged by machines. Instruction
which routinely requires learners to infer, hypothesize, generalize,
synthesize, value, and engage in other complex thought processes, will
yield insights into ability and understanding far beyond those possible
from standardized tests, insights recognizable only by those working
directly with the learner. Subjective judgments of quality are
unavoidable, and should be seen not as a problem but as evidence of and
respect for the inherent complexity of human thought.
Major Instructional
Procedure: The
conventional image of the diligent student has her or him listening
intently to the teacher and taking copious notes, or reading and
re-reading the textbook and high-lighting important passages for later
study.
This image of the student as mere passive absorber of information is
inappropriate for Integrating Knowledge. The student must actively engage
in information-gathering, analysis, and reporting. Its activities demand
thought. The relationship of thought to speech is direct. It follows,
therefore, that when dealing with complex ideas, learners need every
possible opportunity to engage in dialog. This is the real merit of
small-group work, and we recommend that those using Integrating Knowledge
make maximum use of it.
We’ve
provided ways for users to feed back their experiences and opinions, and
for online dialog between users and between users and authors. We’re
looking for ideas to enhance instruction, and allow continuous program
improvement. Eventually, we’ll set up an index system keyed to specific
Investigations and activities.
