http://www.aeideas.com/integratearticle.html
by Dr.
Susan Snyder
April, 1999
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All of my career I have been working with integrated curriculum. After many years of teaching and consulting, the picture has become clear enough to synthyesize into a theory that comes out of practice. The book, Integrate with Integrity, came first, and outlines the theory as far as it had been developed in 1996. This article provides some new developments. Between the book and article, you have both the theory and current practice.
Have you noticed a pervasive interest in integrated, interdisciplinary, and/or arts infused curriculum? You're not alone! Current educational literature is full of articles related to the arts and interdisciplinary curriculum designs. This interest affords many opportunities, and equally as many concerns, for music educators at all levels. This article will explore reasons for this resurgence of interest, useful theory, and applications of interdisciplinary curriculum designs that focus on music and the arts.
How has this approach emerged from the "back to basics," anti-arts stance we experienced just a few years ago? Although there has been excellent literature to support arts education from within the field of music and music education, it was not until there was interest and support from outside the discipline that decision makers began to take notice.
The new movement toward interdisciplinary curriculum has been fueled by current research on the brain and learning. Early interest got a great boost from Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences, which described music, movement, and visual image as discrete and specific ways of knowing equal to and unique from linguistic and mathematical understanding. Gardner’s work suggested that all intelligences are necessary for complete human development and communication, and that education without the arts is indefensible.
In addition to the interest generated by Gardner's theory, research on the brain began to uncover more and more secrets of learning. Antonio Damasio's "Descarte's Error" is one of researchers useful sources that provided information about the interaction of emotion and meaning in the human brain. In the educational realm, Jane Healy's popular "Endangered Minds: Why Children Don't Think and What We Can Do About It" was geared toward early learning and literacy teachers, and clearly indicated that music and the arts were essential for effective learning.
"Teaching with the Brain in Mind," by Eric Jensen has provided an excellent, readable synthesis of current research findings on the brain, and the role of the arts in education.
One overarching critical feature of learning is the ability of all humans to extract and/or create meaningful patterns, and eventually use them to understand links between ideas. Educational psychologists have also contributed information about optimum learning situations, including addressing multiple learning styles (visual, aural, kinesthetic, random/sequential, concrete/abstract).
Meanwhile, curriculum specialists were citing the information explosion and suggesting that learning of facts for their own sake could no longer serve as a goal for developing productive members of society. The groundwork was set.
All these theories and perspectives merged to provide a view of schools which challenges the traditional model in terms of curriculum, structures, and interactions. Based on all these different influences, the recommended goals of education today include developing "understanding," the ability to generalize and conceptualize, and critical/creative/higher order thinking skills. The term "learning how to learn" expresses renewed emphasis on process over product.
Because the interest in integrated curriculum was spurred by research from outside the arts, it is not surprising to see a multitude of designs springing up, some of which include the arts, and some of which do not. The original Multiple Intelligences school, Key School in Indianapolis, IN, organizes curriculum around themes that are addressed by teachers in all disciplines or intelligences. In addition, students have structured choice times to explore and increase their skills and understandings in all intelligences.
Another model, the magnet school concept, has enabled schools to focus on one curricular aspect, such as science, social studies, technology, or the arts. These schools employ a wide variety of designs for curriculum development and scheduling. The emerging trend is larger blocks of uninterrupted time so students can become immersed in activities through which they can learn in depth, and authentically demonstrate their increasing understanding and skills through projects and demonstrations rather than tests.
The designs are many, but the concern for music educators must be whether music programs and curricular goals are taken into consideration when these designs are being developed. Often a committee makes recommendations for change, and if there is no one who understands the importance for and needs of the music program, decisions are quickly and irrevocably made. The result may be that the music program suffers or is eliminated. Elementary school arts programs may be eliminated because now these disciplines are being "integrated" into the "core" subjects. In middle schools, performing ensembles become the only options for students, held before or after school, becoming extracurricular rather than curricular. Another middle school model is for the performing ensembles to be scheduled for 9-week chunks, then students are cycled into another pod. At the high school level, block scheduling with any less than 8 blocks leaves students (especially those on the college track) with too few slots to schedule all their required subjects including the arts. Meanwhile, students in "special needs" tracks may be scheduled into the same art class semester after semester to provide offset time for the honors foreign language and other classes offered higher achieving students.
You can probably add your own variation to these examples.
The important underlying phenomenon is that when important curricular decisions are made without representative arts educators involved arts programs are frequently squeezed out. Nine weeks every year is not appropriate for skill and knowledge based disciplines. If music is as important for human communication as language (Gardner), and has a body of knowledge and skills that must be taught, music must receive equal time. Substitute language for music. Would it be recommended that language be taught for 9 weeks each year? If the answer is no, then it is not acceptable for music education either.
On the more positive side of the coin are model schools that put the arts at the center of the curriculum. Every student must be in the chorus and play at least one instrument, take general music, art, dance/movement/physical education, plus the usual complement of subjects. By placing arts at the core of learning it is thought that all learning will improve. We will visit some of these schools later, but first, what questions should music educators be asking at this point? The potential list is nearly endless, but let me suggest a few.
· What research or theories are these programs based on?
It is the position of this author that integrated or interdisciplinary programs created without music/arts educators involved in decision-making at every step are almost always detrimental to whatever music programs were in existence. Some programs are cut, others attempt to create teaching/learning through music in place of teaching/learning in music. In some cases this may be relief from a poorly organized and taught music program, and in others the music/arts educators may just be politically unaware or unwilling to advocate for their program. It is the students that should be our first concern. Unfortunately, if students have not developed understanding and skills in music, it will not be an available route to any learning. Students cannot learn through skills and understandings they don’t have.
The bottom line for all discussion: There is clear evidence that music and the arts are essential for students, and teaching/learning in music/arts is an essential prerequisite to teaching/learning through music/arts. Strong music and arts programs feature sequential instruction of age-appropriate concepts and skills, are must be firmly in place before there is any consideration of arts-infusion across the curriculum. With all the misconceptions about what arts-infused, integrated, and interdisciplinary curriculum are, the next step is to construct a theory that will address current models, their strengths, and their shortcomings. What does a viable program look like, and how does it emerge?
... continued from Introduction
Connection, Correlation and Integration are three ways to link disciplines or intelligences which are increasingly more complex, and also increasingly meaningful ways to link music with other disciplines or intelligences.
Note: For graphics of Connection, Correlation, and Integration, see Integrate with Integrity.
A frequently cited example of integration is learning the alphabet through the "Alphabet Song." (also known as "The ABC Song") Even in "Teaching With the Brain in Mind," an otherwise wonderful synthesis of brain research that powerfully advocates for arts and music education, this ugly little model appears. Most teachers say they integrate music and the arts into the curriculum. Frequently there is a song or dance that relates to some knowledge, skill, or theme. For example, if the theme is Farm Animals, then they sing "Old MacDonald." If the theme is the Revolutionary War, out comes the painting of "Washington Crossing the Delaware," and "Yankee Doodle." Although these efforts probably make the lesson more motivating and interesting, it is questionable whether they deepen learning, or help students understand the chosen concepts or skills. They are rarely intended to develop musical concepts and/or skills. This kind of link is called a connection.
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A connection is the most popular, most used, and least meaningful way of linking disciplines. In a connection, materials or concepts (usually materials) from one discipline are used to help teach or reinforce a concept in another curricular area. Another way to say this is that the children are supposedly learning through music, but not learning in or about music. |
Classroom teachers are comfortable using connections because they require no music understanding, and very little skill. In a connection, music is in the service of another discipline. Connections can very powerful learning/teaching tools, and instill great enthusiasm in teachers and students. However, connections are not justifiable substitutions for sequential music education – teaching/learning in music. As we explore further, you will see that a connection is likewise not integrated or interdisciplinary learning, even though this type of activity is frequently cited as an example of integrating music into the curriculum.
Connections signal the first glimmer of arts infusion. Student response is usually very positive, adding momentum to tentative beginnings. Soon teachers are looking for more and more ways to bring music and the arts into their classrooms, and the ball has started rolling. With very little expertise, but high interest and excitement, this initial stage provides the impetus to forge ahead.
Music teachers might have several reactions to this stage. Purists often lash out at anyone’s attempt to usurp their control over music and the children’s involvement in music. Eclectic and young teachers often get caught up in the excitement and start replacing their teaching of musical concepts and skills with connections to language, math, science, social studies, and life skills instruction. Many can see the danger, but are politically wise enough to understand that any negative response might be punished by future lack of collaboration in sending children to class on time, at rehearsal time, or in planning performances.
Remember that a connection is not an example of music education, or arts-infused curriculum design. It is simply one or more art(s) in the service of another discipline, and should not become a substitute for sound educational designs. If this distinction is not clearly articulated, it is possible that decision makers will assume that discipline specific teachers (music or art specialists) are no longer needed, and that classroom teachers can take over the teaching of the arts through "integration." This is not the case, and students will lose any possibility of learning in or about music through sequential, developmentally appropriate instruction, which must be provided by trained specialists. The good news is that it only takes a little thought to address both disciplines equally, thereby creating a correlation.
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A correlation is made between two or more disciplines through shared materials or topics. Two or more teachers agree to correlate by using same materials or addressing same topics at the same time, however no plan is made to develop important ideas across disciplines to form generalizations. |
Correlations signal a second stage in the development of the arts-infused program or school. The increased communication between staff members affords the opportunity to understand one another’s curricula, and become more creative. Students quickly notice relationships between activities in different classrooms, and enjoy exploring materials/ideas from different perspectives.
Another aspect of correlation involves the single teacher correlating different aspects of one discipline. Arts specialists who are incorporating national, state, or district standards into their planning may find that they can choose one concept or material and explore it from the perspective of the many standards on their discipline. For example: A music specialist at the elementary level might start with a song, and develop lessons related to that song that address each of the 9 National standards.
At this point, many schools begin to apply for funding through grant applications. This money is often initially spent on arts materials for the classroom or school, and for visiting artists from the community. In other words, funding is first spent looking outward for arts infusion. Sometimes an outside consultant is hired to provide in-service, or to facilitate decision-making.
Teachers working on correlations usually use materials rather than themes. Many creative and interesting activities can be generated through correlation, and the skills and concepts of more than one can be addressed. Furthermore, collaboration between teachers brings breadth, understanding and support to both disciplines and teachers. Beginning in individual classrooms, building to collaborations between teachers, and often leading to single days where the whole school breaks tradition and focuses on a theme; creativity leads to success after success. However correlations, although more defensible than connections, still do not produce a truly integrated, arts-infused curriculum.
A characteristic of stage 2 schools is maintenance of traditional schedules and heavy emphasis on language and math, focused toward increasing mastery test scores. Arts-infusion comes to a halt until after these tests, usually late in the fall. As arts-related correlations yield successful results and the school becomes more of a community, two different dynamics occur. First, both arts specialists and classroom teachers feel increased pressure, because without fundamental scheduling changes, correlations require extra effort. Rather than feeling like an enriched way to teach all knowledge and skills, this transitional period is one of increased stress. Second, there is increasing tension between the needs of students/teachers, and the traditional schedules/curricular divisions. Arts educators need more time with students and other teachers. Classroom teachers need larger chunks of time. All teachers are increasingly curious about other curricula, particularly classroom teachers needing more skill and knowledge in the arts, leading to requests for more in-service. Extra time is required for teachers to plan together. Students are beginning to have more decision-making power. Parents and community members are increasingly welcome in the school. A learning community is emerging, but it feels like a pressure cooker. Change will be required, or there will be a return to the traditional status quo. Integration is the route to change.
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Finally, we come to Integration. In an integrated unit, a broad theme or concept is chosen which cuts across disciplines, so each content area or intelligence can explore the theme in a meaningful way. The integrity of each intelligence or discipline is maintained. Application and synthesis of ideas from one discipline to another is encouraged, leading students to develop deeper understanding and critical thinking through comparing and contrasting of ideas. |
Integrated, arts-infused curriculum can be begun in a traditional school, but this third stage usually signals a change in school goals and scheduling. As the intellectual walls begin to crumble and power is shared in the learning community, the arts become the lab for learning in all disciplines. Learning occurs in, about, and through the arts. Students become involved in real life problems within the community, and the community becomes drawn into the excitement of the school. Teachers are sometimes experts, sometimes facilitators, and sometimes learners along with students. Students work alone, in pairs, and in groups within and across grade levels.
Themes in the lower grades are conceptual. In the intermediate and upper grades, the focuses become learning/creative processes, problem solving, intelligences and ways of knowing, and life skills. The arts are at the center of teaching and learning, providing a rich context for knowledge and skills.
There is not one design or plan for an art-infused school. The vision and resulting plan must come from within, and all players should have input into the decision making. Systemic change has created a new way of life. Funding is increasingly spent to buy time for collaboration, visiting artists and experts, and student experiences outside the school walls. At the conceptual school center, student needs are the first priority, followed closely by community needs.
... continued from Integrated Curriculum in the Making
Thematic units are widely used in many ways, some more meaningful than others. To be effective, a series of decisions need to be made, some by the whole planning team, and others by each individual teacher. Research indicates that thematic units are more effective with children who are past the primary elementary years, even though primary teachers use this approach more than those working with older students.
A thematic unit is time consuming in construction, and will require research into community resources and support. Choosing a theme must involve all teachers who will be engaged in delivering instruction. For music educators, the danger in having others determine themes is ending up with themes that are particularly unsuitable to teaching music. Creative teachers can always find a link, but some are far fetched. The theme is more powerful for students when they are also involved in decision making. Additionally, community members, parents, and administrators might be involved in the initial brainstorming and decision making.
The big questions to keep asking are "Is this important for students to know Why?" The more this question is asked, and the more agreement is reached, the more powerful the entire unit will be.
In the primary grades, topical themes are thought to be appropriate, such as farm animals or the rain forest. From third grade on, conceptual themes are easier and more meaningful for developing deep understanding. Conceptual themes might include imagination, humor, change, and so on. Themes in upper grades should be more process oriented. The steps of the three artistic process: creating, performing, and responding might be one way to organize units of study that could be applicable to all disciplines, with the process steps providing the lab for learning. Steps of the writing process might be applied across disciplines as well, linking to the language arts curriculum, and exploring many forms of literacy. The creative process: imitate>improvise>create could also be explored in many ways. There are processes for instigating and effecting change, mediating conflict, gathering data through primary sources, and so on. It is these processes that will provide students with the tools for independent future learning.
Once a theme has been chosen, the next step is for all participants to determine the 3 or 4 unit Big Questions. Big questions are those questions students should be able to answer at the end of the unit. Again, this sounds like an easy task, but the discussion process helps hone the focus of study over and over again. It is not uncommon for a new theme to emerge, or the original theme to be modified in some way. Without big questions, teachers will not have common objectives across disciplines. Students can be involved in the creation of big questions from the beginning through KWL (know-wonder-learn) charts, or they can add their own big questions to those that have been developed by adults beforehand. The upside of student involvement is more student interest. The downside is the time required for discussion and decision making. If there is a plan for building student skills over time, eventually the students get better and better at contributing to planning their own learning experiences.
After Big questions are determined, teachers of each discipline should adapt the big questions to their own discipline’s concepts and skills. For example, in a thematic unit entitled Natural and Man-Made Structures, the big questions might be:
1. What is a structure?
Additional brainstorming by participants led to the following possible common concepts and skills to be addressed across disciplines:
Man-made conceptual structures: discipline, government, social interactions (business structures, peer groups) mathematics;
Man-made physical structures: architecture (ex: dams, building, bridges), dance, music, art forms, transportation devices;
Natural structures: landforms, animals, plants, spatial concepts.
The music teacher then adapted these big questions to her own curriculum needs by asking:
What is there about this theme that can be explained or explored through this discipline?
What is there about this discipline that can be explained or explored or elaborated through this theme?
The music-specific adaptations of the big questions are:
1. What is musical form (structure)?
Notice that this is very different than finding a song about structures, or composing a song about structures. While those may be excellent connections, they do not offer the teacher the opportunity to teach music with depth and breadth using the artistic processes of creating, performing and responding. Nor do they offer the student opportunities to make links between disciplines based on concepts and skills gained through authentic experiences with musical structures.
Authentic assessments should be created that allow students to demonstrate the new understandings and skills they have gained throughout the unit of study. A range of options should be provided for each big question, and may be determined by the teacher team, possibly including input from students. Rubrics may be created to help students understand the criteria for success as they work through the unit. If the products allow, a final "informance" might consist of some performances and some displays, all with oral or written explanations of how the products demonstrate learning related to the theme. In addition, individual teachers should have informal and formal assessments for discipline-specific learning.
The following chart summarizes the sequence of decisions that are made in planning a thematic unit:
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Decisions |
Questions to ask |
Results |
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Choose a theme |
Is this important for the students? Why? |
Theme |
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Determine big questions |
What is important for students to know at the end of this unit that will inform them for the rest of their lives? |
3-4 important big questions that every teacher and discipline will teach toward |
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3. Determining discipline-specific adaptations of the big questions |
What is there about this question that can be explained or explored through this discipline? What is there about this discipline that can be explained or explored or elaborated through this question? |
Discipline-specific adaptations of big questions |
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4. Create overarching and discipline-specific assessments for big questions |
In what ways can/should/ will the students demonstrate their answers to the big questions? What criteria will be used to measure success? |
Series of authentic tasks and criteria through which the students can demonstrate their understanding of the theme and answer the big questions. |
It should be apparent that this is rigorous work that requires collaboration between all participants. Just as any model, implementation means that there will be snags and hurdles. Everyone will be learning new interactions together, and problems are bound to arise. Mediation strategies and collaborative exercises may be a prerequisite to making the model a reality. Use the model as a guide, and adapt it as you are ready. Perhaps only two teachers want to work together, and the rest are not interested. Then do it with two! The model is not designed to place a rigid box of rules around decision-makers, but rather to provide a scaffold on which to climb to new heights. There are many paths possible, and satisfying ones should be sought.
The ideas in this article came out of my classroom first, and evolved over time, refined through a series of in-service workshops. As other teachers implemented the ideas, they provided valuable information on what worked, what did not, and which experiences were common across teachers and settings. Reading over the years has likewise informed the theory until now I’m not sure which parts are mine, and which belong to others. Each teacher and school necessarily adapts the ideas to individual needs. Each new endeavor provides a new model or variation.
The following are models, each of which has been considered successful by teachers and children. Some have strong assessment components, while others have been measured mostly by anecdotal evidence.
Celebrating Differences was a three-year oral history project implemented in a small, ethnically diverse elementary school. It was linked to school goals of parenting and writing, with a deadline of the school’s 75th anniversary. Year 1 was a planning year. Year 2 was filled with implementation at all grade levels in the school. During year 3 the teachers used collected materials to teach all disciplines. All teachers were involved, with the music teacher taking a pivotal organizing role. Teachers and students learned the formal process of interviewing and collecting oral histories, then formed bicultural pairs to collect stories, songs, recipes, and games from parents, grandparents, family and community members. The process had an overwhelming change effect on the school. I have taught this process to many, many teachers and have consequently heard that successful units were constructed and completed with great success at all grade levels through college.
As a result of the oral history experience, Margaret Campelle-duGard (now Holman) and I began exploring the similarities and differences in our own cultural backgrounds, and those of our students. We became interested in the variants of children’s games and experiences around the world, and through our text-writing projects have explored how even a single teacher can use integration theory to expand and enrich teaching and learning. The Materials Tree model provides a flexible structure for correlation that allows exploration of one musical material, activity, or tool by branching out to disciplines, intelligences, or standards. For some teachers, expanding their planning to encompass the goals of all 9 national standards in music would provide a great start toward broadening the role of music in students’ lives.
... continued from Creating Thematic Units: Asking the Right Questions
Several years ago, Saint Augustine School in Harlem, New York City instituted a music-oriented curriculum in which every student was required to take music appreciation, chorus, and an instrument every day, in addition to a full load of other academics. The discipline and structure resulted in increasingly higher achievement on mastery tests, as well as increased self-esteem. Unfortunately, a few years ago the St. Augustine School building burned completely, and was not rebuilt.
However, there are many variations of this model in existence today across the United States, and the results become documented over and over again. Arts-infused curriculum results in increased student self esteem, attendance, and liking of school, and often higher mastery test scores. Although the test scores are not the reason most music educators want to hear for increases in music and arts funding, they are one of the reasons arts-infused curriculum designs receive such interest. As long as decision-makers are guided to maintain music as a core academic subject, the result will be music for its own sake as well as to affect other learning. Some examples of on-going programs in individual schools are Ashley River School in South Carolina, and Pine Forest School in Jacksonville, Florida; and the Wolcott School in West Hartford, CT. There are examples of success stories in every state.
Some general characteristics of successful schools are:
· A strong and committed administrator;
The greatest obstacles to success include:
· Inadequate joint planning time for faculty;
Some entire districts institute a push toward arts-infused curriculum, often as an effort to change some non-arts agenda. Michigan City, Indiana is a small industrial city at the base of Lake Michigan. When several of the elementary schools’ test scores triggered state-funded reform, they embarked on a bold initiative to develop an arts infused curriculum that met the needs and interests of their student population. Under the direction of Jan Radford, the district was awarded a grant for a multi-layered school improvement plan encompassing four main goals:
1. To infuse the arts into language arts and math curricula,
Eight schools participated in the Kaleidoscope program, and Jan was soon working with Carlotta Parr, State Consultant for Fine Arts. Together they began to mold a plan. Sue Snyder was hired as facilitator for the program, and the three worked together for a year, shaping and sharing a research-based vision to facilitate change.
Kaleidoscope is now in its third year of a five-year implementation plan, with the knowledge that it takes five years to see the effects of change. Each school is creating its own vision with on-going support. An assessment component is firmly in place, and a leadership cohort has begun to train trainers within the district. 1998-99 test results yielded accreditation for all eight schools for the next five years. Before attributing too much success to the new curriculum, it should be noted that the tests and testing conditions were changed from the previous year, and the same group of students was not tested over time. So, while promising, the results are not a reliable measure of success at this point.
Additional district-wide initiatives with varying degrees of similarity can be found.
There are some programs that span more than one district, which allows shared resources while encouraging many variations on a theme. In Connecticut, the HOT Schools model began with the vision in one school, and supported by grants awarded to the Connecticut Commission on the Arts, has now expanded to 28 schools.
The basic premise of HOT schools is a three-pillar approach:
· Strong arts programs;
Arts infusion across the curriculum; and
Democracy
After a lengthy application process, chosen schools are given grants each year for five years, beginning with a planning year during which there are retreats and a summer institute required. Each school creates its own vision within certain parameters, and chooses from a menu of services including visiting artists, support in creating interdisciplinary units, a multitude of in-service options in the arts, and administrative support. A strong evaluation and assessment component is in place, and preliminary evidence is very positive, especially correlation between this model and writing scores. However, the most powerful evidence of success is subjective – attitudes of teachers, students, parents, and community members.
There are two middle schools and one high school in the HOT Schools program, which provide an opportunity to understand the special needs of these levels. The majority of arts-infused programs are in elementary schools, and most middle and high school programs that claim to have integrated learning emphasize intense teaching/learning in the arts, with an emphasis on performance.
The HOT Schools have recently established a liaison with Central Connecticut State University for the purpose of developing an expanding program leading to a Master’s degree in arts-infused curriculum, and a special leadership/administrator’s track.
Total Literacy is a program for emergent readers that teaches in, about, and through the languages of music, movement, and words. Through multiple pathways, children are afforded multiple routes to literacy, and literacy in words through multiple routes. Beginning with a six-week pilot, the program has been implemented in three schools with 15 teachers. An assessment component is in place, and initial findings are similar to the many others cited in this article. There are significant gains in reading, however the teachers report that the most important gains from their perspective are their own growth in music and movement, and the children´s positive attitudes about themselves and school.
IUPUI: An Integrated Approach to Teacher Education
If teachers are going to be ready to participate in arts infused curriculum planning and teaching, teacher education programs should begin preparing them during pre-service years, and continue with in-service programs. This applies to both arts educator programs, and general education programs.
Because many teacher preparation programs are lacking adequate preparation, programs will need to be revised, and creative solutions found to the tug-of-war between credits and necessary instruction. Internships and student teaching experiences in arts-infused schools may provide some of the most powerful experiences for new teachers. Masters candidates with financial support may find themselves acting as substitutes in schools to provide teachers with joint planning time.
At Indiana University/Purdue University of Indianapolis (IUPUI), three courageous faculty members created an arts-infused training model for classroom teacher preparation. A cohort of undergraduate students met at an elementary partner Professional Development School for their methods classes and field placement hours. An inquiry framework was used, which required constant monitoring and adjustment of curriculum based on participants’ responses. A thematic approach to Slavery/ Enslavement provided the pre-service teachers pathways for understanding the multiple ways people learn through language, art, music, and movement; and understanding of how multiple ways of knowing support learning. The students were engaged in creating, performing, and responding to music, image, movement, and literature; and then reflecting on their experiences as teachers and learners.
The world of interdisciplinary and arts-infused curriculum models is rich, varied, and open to explorations large and small. It is not a set of materials, activities, or strategies, but rather an opportunity for teachers to forge new relationships with students, other teachers, and the stuff of learning. The minute it can be "canned," it has lost the essential ingredients for integrity. Integrated learning is something that develops over time, and cannot be done alone. It demands change.
There are many opportunities, and equally as many challenges for music educators. The creative teacher, who is clear about teaching in the discipline of music, can venture into this world to expand horizons and clarify important ideas both within and beyond the discipline. There are opportunities for leadership and advocacy. The author wishes you a challenging and exciting journey. Start small, and you will be surprised where your experiences will lead.