integrative learning
M.Ed. in Integrative Learning
Education Rooted in Cosmos, Earth, and the Unfolding Story of Life
What if education could reconnect us to the vast story we have inherited—the 14-billion-year journey from the first flaring forth of the universe to the emergence of life on Earth? What if we understood ourselves not as separate from nature but as an integral part of Earth becoming conscious?
These questions live at the heart of the TIES M.Ed. in Integrative Learning.
Drawing on the visionary work of cultural historian and geologian Thomas Berry, alongside Indigenous wisdom traditions, deep ecology, systems thinking, and contemplative practices, this program invites educators into a profound reimagining of what education can be.
Integrative learning is contextualized by the unfolding story of the Universe—that life on Earth is derivative of an evolutionary cosmos, that everything exists in relationship, that nothing can be understood in isolation. Personal and intellectual growth interweave. Cognitive understanding and spiritual awareness inform each other. Local action and global context connect.
Create Your Individual Focus
Integrative learning students come to the program with unique passions which invariably evolve as they move through the process at The Institute for Educational Studies (TIES). Students can choose their own “independent choice” emphasis area. or select from three options that have been primary to TIES work.
The Curriculum as Living Tapestry
Students engage with systems thinking—learning to see humanity’s relationship with the natural world and how this knowledge engages deep insight. They develop a heartfelt understanding that we are integral to Earth’s ecological balance and how education can nurture that connection and responsibility toward all life.
TIES students explore education as liberation and embodied ways of knowing—remembering that experience is lived through being in relationship with the land and the more-than-human world.
TIES explores how natural curiosity and creativity can be honored throughout development. We are proponents of integrated pedagogies that engage mind, heart, and body – where students become active participants in their own development.
We honor Indigenous wisdom alongside scientific knowledge—traditions based on respect and reciprocity offering timeless lessons for sustainability. Students cultivate mindfulness, compassion, and presence—recognizing that learning is cognitive, emotional, and spiritual.
Through carefully chosen texts—from Berry’s and Swimme’s Universe Story to Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass, from systems theory to the hero’s journey, from deep ecology to embodied ways of knowing—you will discover education that empowers students and communities. This is learning rooted in connection, respect, and the potential for an expansion of human awareness.
How might understanding yourself within the universe story shift what one believes about education? In what ways does the development of conscious awareness enable one to make a meaningful contribution?
If you’re an educator ready to explore these questions—this is the journey calling you.
This is integrative learning. It is an education based on an interconnected web of interdependence.
