Integrative and Cooperative Learning (ICL) An Important Tool of Teachers for Students Progress in the Implementation of K-12 Curriculum (by Victor B. Hermosa  12/14/2012)

A Chinese proverb says “Tell Me and I’ll Forget, Show Me and I’ll Remember, and Involve Me and I’ll Learn” such a motivation of different teachers handling ICL classes in school coping and intervening students with their love , care and dedication during their make- up lessons. 

According to some teachers, the K-12 curriculum is one of the best curriculum's implemented in the field of education because it is standard based; spiral approach with a complete package of competencies supported with modules and other instructional materials and most of all a child/student centered policy. 

In the implementation of this curriculum, many teachers are amazed and happy because it lessens their burden and tedious work in making and writing lesson plans because they prepare only teaching notes and session plan provided with reflections as the main part. Other than that, we offer lots of effort and sacrifices to the learners but in the real situations 25 percent of the whole class are slow learners and they have difficulty with the new styles of teaching. Our school implemented the ICL Program once a week to cope up the 25 percent students with patience and motivation following orders on the curriculum of student centered policy with teachers as facilitator and manager of learning inside and outside the classroom. 

Integrative and Cooperative Learning (ICL) is the strategy of teachers in the classroom that is used to increase motivation, attention , retention and mean percentage score (MPS) of students in their different examination in school and it will serve as positive image of self and others which provide a vehicle for critical thinking and problem solving and encourage social skills on the part of the learners as main objective of the program. 

On the implementation of ICL Program in school many advantages have been observed which give benefits to the students and teachers enumerately: 

1. ICL Program meets students learning styles most students learn best by working in pairs or small groups, having discussions, and reporting and back to the whole group. 

2. ICL is effective in increasing academic achievements of the students as shown in their performance record of teachers and in their portfolio output assessment. 

3. ICL enables the teachers to work with small group of students rather than big groups. 

4. ICL increases students' self esteem. 

5. Through ICL approach/strategy, students can become real partners in the learning enterprise, and

6. ICL encourages friendship among students of different abilities and social levels. 

Since the ICL program is the best way and strategy of teachers in intervening students’ interests, in different lessons it is not meant to be used with everyday in every subject, the teachers should decide which lesson best match with students need to be most beneficial on the part of the learners.