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Courses

Integrated Curriculum for K-12 Instruction

This course explores the principles, theories, and practices involved in creating an integrated curriculum. Integrated curriculum design aims to foster interdisciplinary connections, promote critical thinking, and enhance student engagement. Participants will learn to design, implement, and assess integrated curricula that align with educational goals, support students' development, and address real-world challenges. The course will encourage collaborative learning, research, and creativity to design innovative and effective integrated curricula.

This graduate-level course offers a comprehensive exploration of integrated curriculum design, providing educators with the knowledge and skills to create cohesive and engaging learning experiences for students across various disciplines. Through a combination of theoretical frameworks, and hands-on activities, participants will gain a deep understanding of the principles and benefits of an integrated curriculum.

Throughout this course, participants will delve into strategies for aligning subject areas, connecting learning objectives, and fostering cross-disciplinary connections that promote critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity. Additionally, emphasis is placed on cultivating collaborative teaching practices, encouraging educators to work together to design interdisciplinary projects that bridge gaps between traditional subjects and inspire a deeper understanding of real-world applications. By the end of the course, participants will be equipped with the tools to design and implement integrated curriculum plans that cater to diverse learning styles and nurture students' curiosity, enabling them to thrive in today's complex and interconnected world.

 

Carlow University ED 6021 • Madonna University EDU 5830.58 • Mercy University EDUT 528

The required text for this course is Rigorous Curriculum Design: How to Create Curricular Units of Study That Align Standards, Instruction, and Assessment by Larry Ainsworth and Kyra Donovan.

ISBN: 978-1328027078


Graduate participants earn 3 semester hours of graduate credit and will receive a transcript from one of our partner institutions below. Professional development participants will receive a certificate of completion for 45 hours of professional developments credit for face-to-face classes and 60 hours of professional development credit for online classes.

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Course Schedule

  • 1/9/24 - 4/9/24
  • 3/12/24 -6/11/24
  • 5/14/24 - 8/13/24
  • 7/9/24 - 10/8/24
  • 9/10/24 - 12/10/24
  • 11/12/24 - 2/11/25

Course Schedule

Fall 2024

  • Nov 8-10 & Nov 22-24
  • Joan Goldsmith

Spring 2025

  • Apr 4-6 & Apr 25-27
  • Brett Agostini

Session 1: Introduction to Integrated Curriculum Design

Participants will be able to…
1. Analyze current curriculum standards
2. Evaluate the curriculum and decide which standards are effective and impacting their curriculum.


Content:
• Prioritize Standards
• Decide on the Curricular Units of Study

Session 2: Building the Foundation for Designing Curricular Units- Dig Deep and Clarify the Focus

Participants will be able to…

  1. Analyze the current curriculum and develop new lessons
  2. Develop engaging and relevant content to enhance student learning. 

Content:

  • Decide Where to Start
  • Plan Engaging and Relevant Learning Experiences

Session 3: Interdisciplinary Connections

Participants will be able to…

  1. Analyze the current curriculum and create connections across disciplines
  2. Identify common themes and analyze their connections 

Content:

  • Explore connections between academic disciplines
  • Identifying Common Themes

Session 4: Student-Centered Learning

Participants will be able to…

  1. Evaluate their special needs population 
  2. Design and create lessons to incorporate a variety of learning levels. 

Content:

  • Understanding student learning styles and preferences
  • Designing a Curriculum that aligns with student needs

Session 5: Curriculum Mapping and Alignment

Participants will be able to…

  1. Create a curriculum that is continuous with student learning across disciplines
  2. Analyze and evaluate the importance and effectiveness of integrated curriculum 

Content:

  • Explore cross-curricular connections
  • Align integrated curriculum with student learning goals

Session 6: Addressing Real-World Connections

Participants will be able to…

  1. Apply their knowledge of course content by creating real-world applications through student learning. 
  2. Analyze and create real-world applications 

Content:

  • Designing a curriculum that addresses real-world experiences
  • Incorporating learning with real-world applications

Session 7: Innovative Instructional Strategies

Participants will be able to…

  1. Design and create a curriculum to support innovative teaching strategies through an integrated approach 

Content:

  • Explore creative teaching strategies to support student learning in an integrated curricular approach

Session 8: Designing Curricular Unit of Study

Participants will be able to…

  1. Implement various instructional strategies to support and enhance student learning through integrated curricula. 

Content:

  • Create strategies for the successful implementation of integrated curricula

Session 9: Implementing Rigorous Curriculum

Participants will be able to…

  1. Develop and create a curriculum to support the integration of disciplines and reinforce a rigorous approach.  

Content:

  • Implement strategies to help students explore meaningful learning opportunities

session 10: Reflection and Future Directions

Participants will be able to…

  1. Continue to evaluate and determine elements of their newly defined curriculum to support and enhance student achievement.

Content:

  • Reflect on professional experiences in designing and implementing integrated curriculum
Objectives

Students will:

  1. Explain the theoretical foundations of integrated curriculum design.
  2. Identify the benefits and challenges of an integrated approach in college-level education.
  3. Analyze various interdisciplinary connections within academic disciplines.
  4. Design integrated curriculum units that promote critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity.
  5. Incorporate student-centered and active learning strategies in integrated curricula.
  6. Apply appropriate assessment methods for evaluating integrated curricular outcomes.
  7. Collaborate effectively with colleagues to develop interdisciplinary initiatives.
  8. Reflect on their own teaching practices and integrate interdisciplinary approaches into their future curricular design.
Partner Universities

Our Partners are well-established regionally and nationally accredited colleges and universities, recognized for academic excellence and their commitment to teachers.

Important Information

Online 3-graduate credit courses are 13 weeks in length.

On-site weekend courses are held Friday evening from 6:00pm-9:00pm and Saturday/Sunday, 8:30am-5:30pm.

Weekday courses are Monday-Friday from 8:00am- 6:00pm.

It is the responsibility of the student to check with their state, county, district, or school to ensure that all requirements are being met by the course you're taking.  

Check the Partner Universities page for specific university information as well as course numbers which are specific to the university partner. 

Students are required to purchase their own textbook, the information for which can be found here. If no book is required it will be specified on the list. We have copies of many of the textbooks should you wish to purchase directly from TEI. 

Professional development (PD) participants receive a certificate of completion from TEI for 45 hours of PD credit for face to face classes and 60 hours of PD credit for online classes. These certificates are mailed within one week of the end of the class and reflect the course title, dates of attendance, and credit hour information. 

Student Academic Integrity
Participants guarantee that all academic class work is original. Any academic dishonesty or plagiarism (to take ideas, writings, etc. from another and offer them as one's own), is a violation of student academic behavior standards as outlined by our partnering colleges and universities and is subject to academic disciplinary action.