In the Land of Possibilities

The Educated Citizen: From a vision to a reality

An Opportunity To:O Transform curriculum and create flexibility and choice

O Build a common framework for all curriculum

O Design curriculum in a coherent and aligned way

O Base curriculum on recent evidence, research as well as global and national trends

O Create the opportunity for teachers to shape curriculum and learning experiences in response to their students and their context

Phases of SchoolingO Organize according to the developmental stages of development

O K-5, gr. 6-9, gr. 10 -12O Courses, but not necessarily courses

O Create a learning environment at the early years (K-2) that reflects what we know about early learners

O Push up the primary program

O Identify the specific needs of the middle years child and be more responsive

Profile of a learner based on Competencies

O CommunicationO Creative Thinking &

InnovationO Critical ThinkingO Social ResponsibilityO Personal Responsibility &

Well Being

Conceptual Curriculum (Based on Concepts)

O Abstract ideas – often formed by mentally combining characteristics e.g. cycles, diversity, interdependence

O requires a deeper level of understanding than facts

O allows us to categorize concrete or factual examples and create mental constructs

O contains the following attributes: timeless, abstract, apply broadly

Why Concept Based Curriculum?

O raise the intellectual bar, focusing on big ideas and essential understandings (theories, principles, generalizations).

O Topics and facts become the foundational support for the deeper understandings.

O Concept-based curriculum fosters deeper understandings, supports making new meanings and facilitates the transfer of learning.

O Human minds are natural meaning makers and pattern finders.

Presently we have an “outcome” based curriculum design. O How is a conceptual style

of curriculum different to what we have now?

O What possibilities does it provide?

O What kind of support will teachers need?

Big Ideas:

O are generalizations based on concepts implicit and explicit in the curriculum.

O identify the “enduring understandings” or “essential ideas” within an area of learning.

O go beyond discrete facts or skills to focus on larger concepts, principles, or processes.”

O will be based on the key concepts identified by groups of BC educators.

Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, Understanding by Design (1998), p. 10

Why Big Ideas?

O Topics and facts do not transfer – they are locked in time, place or situation.

O Generalizations and concepts can transfer across time, cultures, and situations.

Transfer of Learning is . . .

O taking the understandings learned in one subject and apply them in another

O using learned knowledge or skills to solve a never-before-seen problem

O applying knowledge learned in the classroom to solve a new, more realistic problem

Learning StandardsO Learning standards present the required

learning experiences and outcomes for students in each area of learning.

O Rather than prescribed narrow outcomes, learning standards invite exploration, integration inspiration, and innovation

O Shifting from using behavioural verbs (e.g., list, explain, describe, demonstrate) to including experiential verbs (e.g., engage, explore, create, experiment, appreciate) gives license to perceive the art of teaching in a different and freer way

In the land of possiblities:

O What do you think? Talk with a partner about how these changes might transform teaching and learning?

O In what ways are teachers already approaching teaching in this way?

Communicating Student Learning

O Competencies will be a focus for communicating how students are meeting the goals of schooling

O A continua will be developed to assist teachers in understanding how the competencies develop over time

O The reporting order in it’s present form will change and be revised

O Practices that provide parents with information that clearly helps them understand their child’s learning, in a timely fashion will be a focus (student-led conferences, parent, student conferences, negotiated goal setting conferences . . . . .)

O Letter grades for specific grades to be determined

O Percentages???O Specific formats???O Graduation requirements to be

determined

CreditO Created by Pat Horstead, Assistant

Superintendent, School District #36.

O Prepared for Surrey Schools Helping Teachers.