Benefits of Integrated Curriculum

          I think that there are a number of benefits to an integrated approach to teaching. The most important benefit in my mind, is results. As seen in the readings and videos, in schools where they have moved towards a more integrated approach to teaching, scores on standardized tests have gone up, and this is not due to teachers "teaching the test". Rather, integrated learning seems to teach kids how to 'bring it all together' for a lack of a better term. In the edutopia video one of the teachers makes a great point where she states that students come back to her to tell her how they remember a certain project from her class, but they never come back and say that they remember tests.

       I think this is important because it is showing that kids are retaining information. I think that integration is also beneficial because it may suit more kids than simply bookwork. There was a girl in one of the videos that stated that she cannot physically pay attention when reading textbooks or listening to lectures, while she finds herself engaged during these integrated projects. Also, the world is not defined by subjects. Instead, you are more likely to find yourself in a situation where you need math skills, language skills, and teamwork skills all at once. 

         By teaching kids to 'bring it all together' earlier in school we are better preparing them for the real world. In addition, these inquiry based integrated projects teach students essential interpersonal skills as well.