The trend of education of these days is integrative teaching, which is justified by recent research findings in the learning process. Developmental brain research, theories of informative processing, and the needs dictated by today’s information are just few to mention.

There is a high degree of contention that facts, information, and skills in each separate subject initially compartmentalized the knowledge being passed to the learners. Teachers seem to adopt the traditional teaching methodology. The reliance on textbooks, quizzes, reports, projects, and resource students are ill-prepared for the gradually changing world.

On the other hand, integrative teaching offers a clear cut across demarcating lines of subject areas because it is interdisciplinary. Teachers facilitate learning process. They serve as a bridge that connects one lesson after lesson. It is more flexible i.e., able to reach out on the students to gather and process information, formulate hypothesis and draw a valid conclusion from a given problem. These scientific skills in turn enable the learner to determine the interrelationships in the world. What is supposed to be taught are those with relevance, meaningful, and useful so that it will always be remembered and applied. There is the retention of knowledge because it can be associated with daily experiences. Teaching aids can be obtained using computers that offer ICT and not limited to books and experiences. Many sources should be taken into consideration to attain the greatest possible learning. Not only the benefit from ICT exploration but also more on the teacher’s productivity.

Integrative teaching models and ICT

There are two models that reflect interdependence of people in the world.

1. Social Interaction Model- composed of (a) personal process
    self-directed learning process, (b) interactive process
2. Problem-based learning model which is composed of decision
making/problem solving process; critical thinking process; creative thinking process; and researching process.

Modes of Integrative Teaching and ICT

1. Content-based Instruction

In the community, people learn language and content simultaneously. Teachers should be able to address both within the classrooms.

2. Focusing Inquiry

Questions are used to organize learning. Retention of contents are seemed to be forgotten easily. This might be a cause of purely memorizing lessons without understanding the content. Most students can’t realize the relevance in its application to life. Structuring solutions to real life, relevant, contextualize problems.

3. Generic Competency Level

This can be a linkage of three to four linked subjects that transfer one discipline to another (“generic competencies”). This also entails partnership among subject areas. In the Philippines, we have MAKABAYAN competencies which is a mergence of four subjects, i.e., PEHM, THE, Social Studies and Values Education) with one common goal of personal development, social competence, and work/special skills.

4. Thematic Teaching

The theme focuses on the activities that accompany the unit. The theme also helps the learners see the meaningful connections across disciplines or skill areas. This gives a direction and actions from learning to life.

Whatever modes are employed in a classroom teaching, it’s a best practice to integrate ICT to raise one-step level of learning process. In any aspect of human development, computer technology is a practical application that can trigger learning the more convenient and interesting way.

In the long run, all of these models are best taught when imparting of knowledge is supported by ICT.

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▶Florencio C.Aquino, Jr.
   E-mail : junseth2002@yahoo.com