Integ-GREAT-ed Seeds:
Montessori De Sagrada Familia, Inc. (MDSF) has cultivated a legacy of constantly redefining the boundaries of education, sprouting beyond traditional textbooks and settings. With a curriculum that integrates multiple subjects, Science Supervisor and Concurrent Curriculum Coordinator Dan Angelo Bagadiong reveals the approach’s voyage of change, akin to a tall tree that has been years in the making.
Laying the Groundwork
The shift towards integrated learning didn’t happen overnight. The first seed was planted way back in 2017, as the school experimented with merging subjects through what Bagadiong recalls as “collaborations.”
The first one was an ambitious project that combined a science lesson on earthquakes with geometry in mathematics and 3D art in MAPEH. These early efforts set the groundwork, where each attempt is gradually knitting together something bigger. Bagadiong described the vision as a move towards a more “organic” curriculum, one that aligns the lessons of the students with real-world experiences that they will soon face beyond the classroom.
“Historically, our understanding of the curriculum has been that what is set in the standards is absolute. But in 2017, we shifted our vision. We went beyond the design,” he explained, referring to the Department of Education’s (DepEd) curriculum guide.
Disruption as a Catalyst
But when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, the school was forced to adapt, as time became a critical factor. Reduced school days and compressed schedules led to an intentional integration of the subjects.
“Iniisip namin talaga ay kung paano mapagagaan sa mga bata [‘yung mga activities],” Bagadiong explained.
(“What we’re really focusing on is how to make them [the activities] more manageable for the students,” Bagadiong explained.)
Hence, with the administration’s support, the concept of subject integration was unexpectedly but necessarily formalized.
Expanding the Field
Now that the pandemic has lifted for quite some time, MDSF has taken significant steps to enhance its curriculum even more with initiatives like educational trips and meetings with expert days. These experiences are designed to connect students not solely to their learning but also to the community around them.
He further added that the school is drawing on a wide range of outside resources to ensure that learning is contextualized and relevant to students’ lives.
“The students need to experience their community,” Bagadiong emphasized.
The Harvest Beyond Metrics
While traditional metrics may not fully capture the impact of these innovations, the results, Bagadiong noted, are evident in the enthusiasm in each student’s eyes.
“We are sowing seeds, and the primary impact that we could see as of the moment is the joy of learning among our learners,” Bagadiong said.
Bagadiong also mentioned the runway fashion show in the previous year wherein fifth graders challenged conventional ideas of classroom activities.
‘’Who would have thought that this [fashion show] is possible inside a school?’’
“These are all seeds of values—social awareness, designed to inspire them, tap potential career interests within them, passions that might not have been uncovered in a traditional classroom setting,” Bagadiong added.
All Hands on Deck
According to him, this continuous development is the result of a collective pillar of intention.
“The administration, subject area supervisors, and Vice Principals are all in [for this effort],” Bagadiong stated.
He also said that it would not be possible if there was no commitment on the part of the ‘’foot soldiers’’ as stepping outside the usual boundaries and comfort zones of a normal teacher is quite a handful.
Before the school and the people involved dive into these endeavors, it is clear to all of them, he noted, what the goal is—to make the curriculum more meaningful. Last summer, the members of the academic council underwent a seminar training in Manila about the curriculum. But that is not at all the spark. The spark, perhaps, is because all hands have always been on deck. No one is ever hesitant. Since summer, each supervisor has been excited since they are pitching proposals and mapping ideas for an enriched curriculum. Sir Dan emphasized that the seminar is merely their green light—a smiling confirmation that they are on the destinity path.
Dynamic to Dynamic
Before we parted ways, I saw Sir Dan’s eyes shimmer as he expressed hopes of lush green fields in the future of our students.
“We are confident that we are creating students who are ready to face the dynamic world because our curriculum is also dynamic.”