Our society requires high quality teaching, alternative approaches and strategies. What should be done to meet expectations of students entering grade 10 and their parents? The response to this question is often limited to generalities. Much is said about the main purpose of the high school which is «to ensure the knowledge competences and skills to enable learners to lead independent lives and be able to move on to further professional education.” Yet, little is done to bridge the theory-practice gap. With this purpose in mind we initiate more substantial discussion to map out up- to- date methods of teaching that identify key characteristics of effective high schools.
The movement toward a global economy and international connections, as well as the rapid changes in technology, are pushing education toward integration.
The growing need for the interdisciplinary curriculum content forces educators to implement various teaching models to meet demands of the times. We identify three major directions that create a gradual system of teaching in the senior grades of high school:
• Integrated curriculum in grade 10
• Content and language integrated learning in grade 11
• Tutoring in grade 12.
One of the most important principles of the state policy in education is integration in the international educational system. Effective integration in the international educational system is impossible without meaningful correlation within national curriculum. Therefore, we can’t but follow some of the advanced approaches and strategies concerning integration in a variety of contexts. It is proposed that integrated curriculum should be considered an ideal method for the teaching and learning of 21st Century Skills. It is essential that students entering grade 10 be offered quite new content and format of teaching from the very beginning, so as they could witness the effectiveness of high school education. If we continue educating students with the same methods and standard structures, we run the risk of leaving them ill-prepared for the increasing demand of creative thinking and transferable, critical problem-solving skills outlined with other key attributes of the frameworks for 21st Century Skills. The child’s brain demonstrates persistent interest in novelty and changes occurring in the teaching environment that can motivate and concentrate on studies. One theme that runs through everything we do is innovation. We are interested in shaking up our teaching in innovative ways that keep our students engaged and excited.
We believe that finding alternative methods of teaching is a crucial skill for high school teachers. The novelty in approaches can truly enhance the learning process, and done right it can be a win-win for both students and teachers. What is integrated curriculum?
«An integrated curriculum is described as one that connects different areas of study by cutting across subject-matter lines and emphasizing unifying concepts. Integration focuses on making connections for students, allowing them to engage in relevant, meaningful activities that can be connected to real life”
