Research gathered and thoughts provoked by “Closing the Achievement Gap: Using the Environment as an Integrating Context for Learning,” published by the State Education and Environmental Roundtable in conjunction with The Pew Charitable Trusts.
This study surveyed schools that use Environment as an Integrating Context for learning, or EIC– essentially, nature and community-based curricula. So what does EIC entail?
As schools are located in different socio-cultural and natural settings, each EIC program is different in form and focus. They share the common traits:
- break down of traditional disciplinary boundaries
- hands-on, project-based, problem-solving
- team teaching
- adaptation to individual student skills and abilities
- development of knowledge and appreciation for community and environment
The typical school curriculum in the United States is compartmentalized; that is, subjects are taught seperately and discretely. EIC, on the other hand, is a comprehensive educational framework. Subjects are “taught within the context of the whole”– not as word or number problems in a classroom, but as tools in a greater pursuit for knowledge in the environment.
The results are impressive– nearly all EIC programs surveyed reported higher student performance in math, science, language arts, and social studies than comparative traditional programs. These schools also reported better student behavior, attitudes, attendance, communication, and interpersonal skills. Even more, teachers were more interested, engaged, and excited about working with students.
I like the ways you are researching schools and analysing the information you are finding. The concept of combining the disciplines into one thesis project, emulating this E I C is really strong.
I find your writing clear and logical. I would be interested in seeing images th that represent the values you listed.