Starting this project, I assumed that it would be very easy to find resources about how to integrate science into every area of the classroom. However, as I began to dig deeper into the research, I realized how limited the research really is. I took a class a few years ago about integrating art into the elementary classroom. We learned about a lot of different ways to integrate art into the classroom and there were many resources out there that useful in the integration of art. I was surprised to find that this was not the case for science.
I found a lot of resources about integrating math and science. I also found a few articles about integrating literacy and science. I was actually sort of unimpressed by the amount I was able to find about integration. I learned a lot about the importance of integration and how much better it is for students to learn through integrating subjects together. I have been more convinced of the fact that learning should be a fluid process. Subjects, especially in the elementary classroom, overlap and run together sometimes. I need to let that happen in my classroom. I want to teach my students to be lifelong learners, not just learners for the few years they are in school. We, as teachers, need to teach our students to learn, not just the content they need to learn.
I agree with having the subjects be integrated together enough so that students are able to tie things together and be able to make intellectual decisions throughout their lives. I, too, did some research about integrating science in the classroom. I found that depending on the teacher and the school, they are able to do a better job than other places.
ReplyDeleteI agree that often times schooling can be very content and product driven. Unfortunately, the process of learning is often overshadowed by the products of learning. Nevertheless it is important that we encourage our students to be meta cognitive learners because it is an essential skill that can be used throughout their lives.
ReplyDelete