SPECIAL TOPICS 1

(INTEGRATIVE TEACHING STRATEGIES)

Teaching strategies are the methods you use to allow learners to access the
information you are teaching. For example, you could read the information to them;
you could display it pictorially; you could allow them to research the information
themselves; you could present it as a PowerPoint presentation. People learn in 3 main
ways - visually, auditory and kinesthetically.

a. Visual learners learn by looking at/seeing something.

b. Auditory learners learn by hearing it/being told it.
c. Kinesthetic learners learn by actually doing/experiencing it.

Thus, teaching strategies should aim to include all types of learner.

Approaches and Methods in Communication Arts

Human beings need to communicate thoughts and feelings to others of their
kind. The messages may be expressed or transmitted, and received through any of
the perception channels. Visual (sight), Auditory (hearing), Olfactory (smell), Gustatory
(taste), and Tactile (touch). It is this need to share ideas which gave rise to language.
Thus, language is defined as the expression or communication of thoughts and
feelings by means of vocal sounds and written symbols, and the communication of
such sounds to which meaning is attributed.

Communication arts or language arts encompasses a wide range of school

activities designed to help students become knowledgeable about language so that
they can use it effectively. Communication arts suggest that language learning
involves artistic as well as functional skills. Thus, communication arts can be classified
according to:

1. The task involved- (listening, speaking, reading, or writing)

2. The role of the individual- (receiving-reception, or expression-production a
message)
3. The manner of communication- (oral or written)

It also shows that although different skills are involved, they are interrelated. The
implication is that mastery of one aspect enriches as well as reinforces mastery of the
other aspects.
1. Integrative Teaching Strategy

Integrative teaching strategy is one of the emerging trends in education for the past
years. It focuses on connections rather teaching isolated facts. For instance, a
certain different subject may be integrated in teaching another subject (Like the
content of Science be taught in teaching Language). With this, learners will be able to
realize that subjects being taught to them are not separate and isolated field of
knowledge, but are linked to each other in order to achieve understanding and concept
attainment.

Furthermore, integrative teaching aims to connect what is learned in school to

real life situations, thus it is more on developing problem solving and
discussions of issues in the real world. Learners will learn to relate what they learn
and apply it to their own daily lives.

In addition, integrative teaching involves consideration on the learners'

individual differences. These include multiple intelligences and learning styles. The
teacher therefore must present the lesson in various ways that can cater each
learner's uniqueness.

Finally, when we say integrative teaching, we must remember the ABC domain
of our objectives. The cognitive, behavioral and affective dimensions in teaching
must be given balanced consideration. Values must be integrated in instruction across
all subject areas. Through this, we are molding "integrated" learners, or well
rounded individuals

2. THE SILENT WAY

Goals:
a. To use language for self-expression.
b. To develop interdependence from the teacher.
c. To develop inner criteria for correctness.

CHARACTERISTICS

1. Teaching is subordinated to learning. The students are responsible for their own
learning.
2. The teacher is silent most of the time but is very active in setting up situations and
listening to students. The teacher speaks only to give clues. Student-student
interaction is encouraged.
3. The students begin with associating sounds in their native language to a sound-
color chart. The teacher then provides situations to focus attention on structure.
The students interact as each situation requires.
4. The teacher uses errors made by the students as an index on where instruction on
the target language is not effective. The teacher adjusts instruction accordingly.
 5. Translation is not used but the native language is considered a resource on the
students knowledge.
6. To encourage the development of inner criteria in the students, neither praise nor
criticism is given by the teacher.
7. The teacher observes the students ability to transfer what they have learned to a
new context. The students are expected to learn at different rates. They are also
expected to make progress and not necessarily to speak perfectly. Errors are
considered inevitable, a natural part of learning.

SAMPLE ACTIVITIES

1. The teacher points to five blocks of color without saying anything. The blocks
represent the five English vowels close to the simple vowels of Filipino.
2. The teacher points again to the colored blocks /a/ as he points to the first block. The
students are expected to say /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/ as the teacher points to each of the other
blocks.
3. The teacher uses gestures to show the students how to modify the English sounds ,
but does not articulate the new sounds.
4. The students learn the sound of new blocks of color by calling out the names of their
classmates.

3. STUDENT TEAMS ACHIEVEMENT STRATEGY (STAS)

This concept is according to SLAVIN. This is a type of group work activity in

which students interact together to master a specific academic material. It aims to
increase students achievement.

HOW/WHEN USED

Information is presented
Students are divided into learning teams to master lessons using worksheet.
Discussion, tutoring, quizzing one another
Scores from tests are recorded; and if
There is improvement from the previous achievement score of the team,
additional points are given.
Teams of four or five members are balanced by ability, gender, and ethnicity.
Students are ranked by previous test scores or grades and divided into thirds or
quarters.
Each team consists of one student from each of the thirds or quarters of the
class ranking, with extra middle ranked students becoming the fourth or fifth
members.
4. DIRECT METHOD

The goal of direct method is to communicate in the target language.

CHARACTERISTICS

1. A foreign language is taught without the use of the students native language.
2. There are extensive drills in listening, imitating, and speaking so that students use
of the different forms of the language becomes second nature to them.
3. There is no memorization of grammar rules. Grammar is taught inductively by
generalizing from examples.
4. Oral communication skills are developed in a carefully graded progression and
organized around question and answer exchanges between the teacher and the
student.
5. New teaching points are introduced orally. Only everyday vocabulary and
sentences are taught.
6. Concrete expressions are taught through demonstration, objects, or pictures.
Abstract words are taught by association of ideas.
7. The emphasis is on correct pronunciation and grammar.
8. The teacher directs the class activities, but the students and the teacher are
partners in the teaching and learning process.

SAMPLE ACTIVITIES

1. The students read aloud a passage on a historical event in the Philippines.

2. Using a map, the students point out places where the vent took place before
recounting it.
3. The teacher asks questions in the target language on the passages read, to which
the students reply in complete sentences; or the students ask questions to which
the teacher or the students give their answers.
4. The teacher drills the students on the pronunciation of certain terms. (eg: names of
persons, places or events)
5. The teacher corrects grammar errors made by the students and briefly explains
why such corrections are necessary.
6. The students work on exercises using the prepositions taught in the lesson.
7. The teacher corrects a paragraph each student wrote on a historical figure. Errors
to be corrected will include those made on the mechanics of writing such as
spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.