ducationM A N I T O B A

Volume 6Number 1

October 2007

Published by School Programs Division (Kindergarten to Grade 12) of Manitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth

Arts Education Renewal: A Message from the Minister

The potential for arts education renewal inManitoba to energize and transformstudent learning is very real and very

exciting. Realizing this potential is a priority ofManitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth.The development of new arts curricula in dance,drama, music, and visual arts is an essential steptoward ensuring that all students haveopportunities to learn in, about, and through thearts. In the process of providing quality artsprogramming, our educational system becomesbetter able to educate the “whole person” bycomplementing, providing balance to, andenriching traditional academic subjects. Artseducation provides further dimensions to thenotion of the “healthy child,” supportingchildren’s intellectual, physical, emotional, social,aesthetic, and creative development in profoundand unique ways. Through the development ofartistic literacies, students become better equippedto think, feel, communicate, and adapt in a rapidlychanging world.I am pleased to highlight the following ManitobaEducation, Citizenship and Youth initiatives:• new Manitoba arts education curriculum

frameworks on our website at<www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/ cur/ arts/>:— Kindergarten to Grade 4 Dance— Kindergarten to Grade 4 Drama— Kindergarten to Grade 6 Music— Kindergarten to Grade 4 Visual Arts

• an orientation process in which the new artseducation frameworks are made available toeducators in all regions of Manitoba

• a planning/voluntary implementation phase,during which time Manitoba educators areinvited to study, plan, and/or implement thenew arts education frameworks

• a multi-stage research project exploring artseducation in Manitoba schools and potentialimplementation models including integrated/independent instructional models, and modelsthat facilitate generalist/ specialist collaboration,educator/ artist partnerships, and so on

• ongoing processes to finalize new arts educationframeworks in all four disciplines up to Grade 8and to extend them through to Grade 12 in afuture phase

• a user-friendly electronic format for new artscurricula that can facilitate the inclusion ofimages, sound, and video as well as text-basedinformation to provide various supports toimplementation, such as exemplars,demonstrations, and links to new resources

• a process to review and identify currentteaching and learning resources to support thenew arts education frameworks

The implementation of Manitoba’s new ArtsEducation curricula will provide newopportunities as well as new challenges. Whileexperience and access to arts resources can varygreatly among schools, divisions, and regions ofour province, the potential benefits for ourcitizens, communities, and for the social andeconomic development of our province are far-reaching.

Honourable Peter BjornsonMinister of Education, Citizenship and Youth

The Middle Years Initiative 2

New Guide to Graduation Requirements 3

Curriculum Update 3

Courses for Independent Learners 4

New Courses/Upcoming Courses 4

Award for Resource Sharing 6

Supporting Education for SustainableDevelopment

6

MERN Research Profile: Reading is a “Girl Thing”—NOT!

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Arts Education Transforming Learning inan Inner City School

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Inside

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Current research consistently points outthat early adolescence is a critical periodfull of possibilities for increasedengagement and achievement but alsofull of risks of disengagement andunderachievement. Emerging researchon brain development during the earlystages of adolescence, on studentengagement with school, and oneffective curricular, assessment, andinstructional strategies in the MiddleYears makes it possible to meet thedevelopmental needs of these learnersmore effectively. Manitoba Education, Citizenship andYouth is already supporting MiddleYears education in various ways: a newfocus on career awareness (in pilotprojects such as The Real Game—NextGeneration), Safe and Caring Schools,Literacy with ICT, Scientists in theClassroom, the Middle YearsAssessment Policy, and the Middle YearsExperiential Grant, to name only a few.

As a result of consultation with the fieldand a review of the current research,Manitoba Education, Citizenship andYouth is expanding our activities inMiddle Years in partnership witheducational stakeholders/professionalorganizations to address the needs of allMiddle Years students. The Department has recently released aresearch summary for Middle Yearseducators outlining what the currentresearch tells us about

• the characteristicsand needs oflearners at this stageof theirdevelopment

• the aspects ofcurriculum,assessment, andinstruction thatneed to beconsidered in qualityMiddle Yearsprogramming

• the factors thatfoster a supportivelearningenvironment forMiddle Yearsstudents

• how sustaining orregaining studentengagement withschool is crucial tothe present andfuture success ofMiddle Years students

The Department will begin to workwith schools with Middle Years learnersto examine how they presently supporttheir Middle Years students andteachers. The research summary will bea resource for schools as they begin thisreview process. After reflecting on theircurrent practices, schools will setspecific Middle Years goals, as part oftheir regular school planning process.The Department does not intend totake “a one-size-fits-all” approach butrather to allow schools to identify whatstrategies and focuses make sense intheir situations to best serve theirlearners.Professional learning opportunities willbe offered by the Department to

provide leadership and to support thevision of quality Middle Yearsprogramming. In the fall of 2008, theDepartment, in conjunction withManitoba Association of SchoolSuperintendents, will hold a symposiumon Engagement in the Middle Years.

Resources will also be developed inresponse to the needs identified byeducators. Flexible delivery systems suchas learning modules and webcasts arealso planned to make professionallearning more accessible and responsive.The Middle Years must be a priority ifwe wish to expand and consolidatelearners’ academic success, engage themfully in school, have them developpositive and safe attitudes andbehaviours, and ensure that they makesuccessful transitions to high school.

For more information, contact

Cheryl ProkopankoManagerTelephone: 204-945-6435or 1-800-282-8069, extension 6435Email: cheryl.prokopanko@gov.mb.ca

The Middle Years Initiative

The Middle Years must be apriority if we wish to expand

and consolidate learners’academic success.

The Middle Years Initiative is a result of increasedunderstanding of issues in Middle Years education.Because we know more about the learners and the

strategies that support learning than ever before, it has beennecessary to review our beliefs and practices in MiddleYears education.

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3New Guide to Graduation Requirements

Development

Several projects are underway in the 2007–2008 school year to revise ordevelop new curricula for the Kindergarten to Grade 12 English Program:• Grades 9 and 10 English as an Additional Language (EAL) courses• Grades 10 and 11 Mathematics

Implementation

Implementation is underway in the curricular areas identified in the chartto the right.

Important Notes:• 40G science curricula were discontinued as of June 2007.• As part of the transition to ICT: Senior Years, 2007–2008 will be

the last school year that schools may offer the following courses:Introductory Keyboarding (15G), Advanced Keyboarding (25G),Computer Applications and Technology (20S), SoftwareApplications (30S), Word Processing (30G), and Advanced WordProcessing (45S).

Curriculum Update

* Orientation drafts for Grades 5–8 Arts will be available in 2007–2008.

† For tentative timelines for implementation of Grades 10–12 Mathematicscurricula, visit <www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/cur/math/>.

Instruction, Curriculum and Assessment Branch will provide workshopsfor curriculum implementation and related professional learning during2007–2008. Information about regional workshops will be posted onthe workshop registration system at <www2.edu.gov.mb.ca/yag/>.

For a list of compulsory curricula and stock numbers for ordering fromthe Manitoba Text Book Bureau, refer to<www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/cur/csai.html>.

Implementation TimelinesCurriculum Voluntary System–Wide

C o m p u l s o r y

Social Studies: 5–10 2007–2008

Social Studies: 11 2008–2009 2009–2010

Arts Education: K–4 2007–2009 2009–2010

* Arts Education: 5-8 2008–2010 2010–2011

Mathematics: K–8 2007–2008 2008–2009

† Mathematics: 9 2007–2009 2009–2010

Physical Education/Health Education: 11–12 2007–2008 2008–2009

O p t i o n a l

Social Studies: 12 TBA TBA

Interdisciplinary Topics in Science: 12 2007–2008 2008–2009

Biology: 11 2006–2007 2007–2008

Biology: 12 2007–2008 2008–2009

Chemistry: 12 2007–2008 2008–2009

Aboriginal Languages: K–12 2006–2008 2008–2009

Aboriginal Studies: 12 2006–2008 2008–2009

Family Studies: Senior Years 2007–2008

Industrial Arts: Senior Years 2006–2008 2009–2010

English as an Additional Language: K–12 2006–2008 2008–2009

English Language Arts:

EAL for Academic Success: 122007–2008

Career Development: 9–10 2007–2008

Career Development: 11–12 2007–2008 2008–2009

Information and Communication Technology:

Senior Years2006–2008 2008–2009

Literacy, Academics, and Language: 9 2007–2008 2008–2009

Hebrew: K–6 2007–2009 2010–2011

This guide provides parents andstudents with a planning tool that can beused throughout the Senior Years. Itreplaces A Time to Know Which Directionto Go: The Senior Years—A Record ofGraduation Requirements for Parents and

Students and willbereleased

to publicschools in the

fall of 2007.Here is an excerpt

from the document.

Parents and students should be aware thatthe graduation requirements for provincialSenior Years diplomas are increasing from28 credits in the 2007–2008 school year to30 credits in the 2009–2010 school year.

Students seeking to graduate in

• 2007–08 school year require a minimumof 28 credits

• 2008–09 school year require a minimumof 29 credits

• 2009–10 and beyond require a minimumof 30 credits

This increase is a result of the recentaddition of one compulsory physicaleducation/health education (PE/HE) creditat each of the Grade 11 and Grade 12levels.

Parents, school counsellors, teachers, andadministrators play an important role inhelping students choose the direction oftheir Senior Years programming. Inaddition to using this guide, studentsand parents are encouraged to contacttheir school counsellors for moreinformation on course descriptions andthe choices available in their schools andschool divisions. The Manitoba Education, Citizenshipand Youth graduation requirements canbe found at <www.edu.gov.mb.ca/ k12/policy/ grad_require.html>.Working together, we can help studentschoose a direction and chart a course.

For further information, contact

Ina LynnClerkTelephone: 204-945-0254or 1-800-282-8069, extension 0254Email: ina.lynn@gov.mb.ca

Watch for Focus on the Future: A Parent and StudentGuide to Senior Years Graduation Requirements, anew guide that Manitoba Education, Citizenship

and Youth has developed to inform students and parentsabout the graduation requirements for Manitoba SeniorYears students.

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Courses for Independent Learners

ISO Learners

ISO learners are a diverse group,ranging from children being home-schooled to teenagers in high school toadults in the workforce. Whatever theirsituation, these students take ISOcourses so that they can learn withsome kind of flexibility, that is,flexibility in terms of what, when,where, and/or with whom they study.This can benefit them in a number ofways, including allowing them to• take courses not offered at their

high school or Adult LearningCentre

• take courses that they cannot takein school because of timetableconflicts

• earn Manitoba credits while out ofthe province or being home-schooled

• register for a course at any timeduring the school year

• earn the few remaining credits thatthey need to graduate withoutattending school

• complete the requirements foreither a Senior Year diploma orpost-secondary admission whiletaking care of other commitments,such as family and work

Support for Independent Learners

Learners are most likely to successfullycomplete their courses if they are highlymotivated and organized, work wellindependently, and communicate withtheir tutor/marker. Independent study isby its very nature challenging: to a largeextent, instruction is given in writing,requiring more reading than the averageclassroom-based course, and the dailydiscussion and group interaction of atypical classroom are difficult to achieve.

To help learners to overcome thesechallenges, tutor/markers (certified,experienced educators) provide one-to-one support to learners and assess theirlearning. All tutor/markers have toll-free phone numbers, and most can becontacted through email. Besides theirtutor/markers, learners can also beassisted by family members, communitymembers, and/or peers. If they areattending school, they may also beassisted by their teachers.Parents, teachers, and/or other adultscan help learners to stay on scheduleand to complete assignments and examsin good time. Some courses containtimetables, giving suggested completiondates for the different parts of thecourse.

In order to make their experience asflexible and accessible as possible,learners are given one year to completecourses. Registration fees vary but aregenerally considered affordable. Tocomplete most courses, learners need tostudy the lesson materials, complete andsend assignments to theirtutor/markers, and when applicable,complete their exams under supervision.

Course Development and Revision

ISO courses are developed with thediversity of learners and the challengesof independent study in mind. Coursesare written and revised by classroomteachers under the supervision ofdepartmental personnel. As courses aredeveloped, the Department works withteachers in the field and other experts toensure that best practices and theManitoba curriculum are implemented,often in very innovative ways. Tosupport learners of differentbackgrounds, supplemental material andresources are built into the coursepackages. Learning experiences usingtechnology, such as video and audio

Manitoba students of various ages and in a variety ofcircumstances have the opportunity to take controlof their learning. The Independent Study Option

(ISO) of Manitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth offersa wide range of courses including those required for highschool graduation, as well as optional courses such aspower mechanics, agriculture, and law, to name only a few.

New CoursesISO has recently released thefollowing five new or significantlyrevised courses:

• Grade 9 Art (10G) is a majorrevision of the course.

• Grade 9 Home Economics (10G) is acompletely new course.

• Grade 9 Physical Education/HealthEducation (10F) is anothercompletely new course and thefirst in this subject area.

• Grade 12 Accounting Systems (40S)is another completely new course.Unlike the previous version,learners will not have to purchase atextbook or workbooks.

• Grade 12 Pre-Calculus Mathematics(40S) is a major revision of thecourse, with more examples andinstruction than the previousversion.

Upcoming CoursesSeveral courses are currently underdevelopment and may be releasedduring the 2007–2008 school year.The following courses will becompletely new:

• Grade 8 English Language Arts

• Grade 10 Art (20G)

• Grade 10 Drafting (20G)

• Grade 10 Retailing (20G)

The following existing courses areundergoing significant revision:

• Grade 9 Science (10F)

• Grade 10 Science (20F)

• Grade 11 English Language Arts:Literary Focus (30S)

• Grade 11 Pre-Calculus Mathematics(30S)

• Grade 12 English Language Arts:Language and TechnicalCommunication (40S)

A number of other courses are under development and will be released at a later date.

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recording, electroniccommunications, andcomputerized recordkeeping, are includedwhenever possible tobalance variouslearning styles and toactively engagestudents.After release, eachcourse undergoes afield validation processlasting at least oneyear. During this time,feedback is collectedfrom learners andeducators, andimprovements aremade. Even after thefield validation iscomplete and “final”versions are released,major and minorrevisions continue tobe made to fine tuneand update courses.

ISO Courses as Resources for Classroom Teachers

ISO courses are very useful resources for classroom teachers.Course materials provide background information and ideasfor learning activities, assignments, and assessments. Individuallessons can be given to learners who have missed classes orneed remediation. Many courses include self-correctingexercises or learning activities complete with answer keys,which teachers can use to help learners review or practise whatthey have learned.ISO courses are made available to teachers in several differentways. Some newly released courses are distributed in a bulkmailing to schools. Coursesare also available at alluniversity education facultylibraries, as well as theInstructional Resources Unitlibrary at 1181 PortageAvenue in Winnipeg.Teachers can also purchasecopies directly from the ISOoffice in Winkler.

For More Information

To obtain more information,students attending schoolscan contact their school’s

ISO facilitator. (ISO facilitators are educators designated bytheir schools to assist independent learners.)For more information on purchasing a course or registering inone, contact the Independent Study Option at 1-800-465-9915or visit their website at <www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/dl/iso>.For up-to-date information on the release of new ISOcourses, subscribe to the biweekly K–12 Website Updates at<www3.edu.gov.mb.ca/ss/user>.

For information on course development, contact

Gilles LandryConsultantTelephone: 204-945-8770or 1-800-282-8069, extension 8770Email: gilles.landry@gov.mb.ca

The Bureau de l’éducation française Division

p r e s e n t s

French ImmersionConference 2007–2008

December 3, 2007*Canad Inn Regent

1415 Regent Avenue West

Come and discover thenew handbook forFrench Immersionadministrators andexplore topics such as

• providing schoolleadership

• working withparents

• recruitment andretention

• staffing

• inclusion

The conference will beheld in English

For more information,please contact SandraDrzystek from theBureau de l’éducationfrançaise Division at204-945-6939.

Conference program willbe available in earlySeptember atwww.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/ proflearn/fr_imm_conf.html

* Those who wish to receive 10 hours of credit toward theSchool Administrator’s Certificate are required toparticipate in additional workshops on December 4, 2007.

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The Manitoba Education Research

Network (MERN) supports

teaching and learning in

Manitoba's schools by creating

opportunities for partnership

research projects and

dissemination activities.

If you would like to receive

information on upcoming research

forums and activities, email

<valerie.sawchuk@gov.mb.ca>.

6

Special Materials Services (SMS) hasbeen serving schools in Manitoba for30 years, delivering and producingalternate format books for students whoare print disabled. The work of SMSand other provincial organizations hasbeen recognized nationally by theCanadian Library Association (CLA)and the Online Computer LibraryCentre (OCLC). CLA presented theCanadian Association of EducationalResource Centres for Alternate FormatMaterials, of which SMS is a member,with the award at the CLA nationalconference on May 25, 2007, inNewfoundland.

Special Materials Services provides booksin audio (MP3-CD and cassette), largeprint, Braille, and electronic text tostudents in all funded schools inManitoba. This service includes apartnership with Manitoba First NationsEducation Resource Centre. ThroughCAER, Special Materials Services islinked to production and circulationcentres in Alberta, Saskatchewan, BritishColumbia, Ontario, Quebec, and theAtlantic provinces. This service isprovided for students in Kindergarten toGrade 12 and in post-secondaryinstitutions. A database in Ottawa links allof the alternate format resources to

create a virtual library of approximately70 000 titles in formats that can becustomized for specific student use. Recently these services have become partof a new unit called Media ProductionServices where all nonprint productionwill be coordinated. If you have a student in your class who isprint disabled (physically, cognitively, orvisually impaired) and requires alternateformat textbooks, please phone 945-7842or visit our website at<http://smscat.merlin.mb.ca>.

For more information, contact:

Donna Pletz PasseyCoordinatorTelephone: 204-945-7840or 1-800-282-8069, extension 7840Email: donna.passey@gov.mb.ca

Award for Resource Sharing

The Special Materials Services of the Blind/VisuallyImpaired Services Unit, as a member of the CanadianAssociation of Educational Resource Centres for

Alternate Format Materials (CAER), is a recipient of the CLA/OCLC Canada Award for Resource Sharing Achievement.

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Education for sustainable development (ESD) is a priority forManitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth, as demonstratedby the initiatives outlined below, which would not be possiblewithout key partners such as Manitoba Hydro, Learning for aSustainable Future, and the International Institute forSustainable Development.

Ongoing Grants

• School divisions receive an annual ESD grant of $700 perschool to be used to support individual school- or division-based projects that promote sustainability education.

• Upon application, up to $2000 is available via a partnershipbetween the Department and Manitoba Hydro for projectsthat promote sustainable development.

New Resources

• A colourful ESD poster containing a Student Declarationfor Sustainable Living has been produced for Grades 5 to12 students. A Kindergarten to Grade 4 version of theposter will soon be released.

• Parent brochures are being developed, highlighting thesustainable development outcomes and underlying themesin various curricula at each grade. This will show parentshow sustainability education is being addressed through

the school curriculum and allow parents to make real-world connections to classroom learning.

• Learning resources to support teachers in the integrationof ESD into Kindergarten to Grade 12 classrooms havebeen identified.

Professional Learning

• During the 2006–2007 school year, many schools andschool divisions took the opportunity to motivate andengage staff in the area of ESD through one-hourpresentations offered by the Department. In addition,ESD sessions targeted at Kindergarten to Grade 4teachers and Grades 5 to 8 teachers were offered as partof the Department’s annual Summer Institute. ESDsessions continue to be available, on request, throughoutthis school year.

• The Department is looking for teachers who are doinginnovative projects with their students to participate in anESD professional learning community to share their workand mentor others.

For more information and to keep updated on events for thecoming year, visit the ESD website at<www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/esd/>.

Teachers, schools, or school divisions interested in participating inESD professional learning, please contact

Anne MacDiarmidSustainable Development ConsultantTelephone: 204-945-6943or 1-800-282-8069, extension 6943Email: anne.macdiarmid@gov.mb.ca

Supporting Education for Sustainable Development

More and more teachers, schools,and school divisions are realizingthe importance of promoting

sustainable living with their students.

These are the strategies that wereinvestigated by Laura Sokal, her researchpartner Herb Katz, and her 18 studentresearch assistants at the University ofWinnipeg. They worked with 180struggling male readers in Grades 3 and4 for 20 weeks each year over a two-yearperiod. The project, funded by theSocial Sciences and Humanities ResearchCouncil of Canada, examined whetherchanging boys’ experiences with readingcould change their reading performance,their self-perceptions as readers, or theirview that reading is feminine. What theyfound may surprise you.Despite claims that boys are behind girlsin reading, we all know some boys whoread very well and some girls whostruggle with reading. Furthermore,boys who struggle with reading do sofor a variety of reasons—they may havelearning disabilities, may find thesedentary nature of reading boring, ormay simply prefer other activities. Oneof the main reasons that people thinksome boys do not excel at reading isthat the boys view reading as feminine.Hence, they have proposed “boy-friendly” strategies such as thosementioned at the beginning of thisarticle in order to “masculinize” reading.Do they work? In short, the answer isyes and no. The project showed thataddressing boys’ reading needs is acomplex process. Sokal’s researchproduced several findings:• The gender of the reading teacher

makes no difference to boys’reading performance or to theirview that reading is feminine.

• The use of computer-based booksmakes no difference to boys’reading performance or to theirself-perceptions as readers.

• Choice of reading material is notassociated with greater gains inboys’ reading performance, theirself-perceptions,or their view thatreading is feminineas long as the textsare interesting tothe boys.

• Boys who read from computerswith male reading teachers but notwith female reading teachersdecrease their view that reading isfeminine.

• Boys who read with female readingteachers are more likely to developpositive self-perceptions as readersthan boys who read with maleteachers.

• Only 24% of Grade 2 typical malereaders and 9% of Grades 3 and 4struggling male readers viewreading as feminine, suggesting that

gender-based interventions willonly work with a minority ofstruggling readers.

Sokal is now conducting a three-yearresearch project in northern Manitobaschools in partnership with otherUniversity of Winnipeg researchers, theAboriginal Education Directorate,Manitoba Education, Citizenship andYouth, University College of the North,and Mystery Lake School District. Thisproject, funded by the CanadianLanguage and Literacy ResearchNetwork, is looking at the effects ofworking with families to disseminate“best reading practices” in homes andschools of Grades 1 and 2 boys andgirls. Sokal views her research as having threeimportant benefits. First, she has theprivilege of working with pre-serviceteachers and in-service teachers as part

of a skilled teamwho investigateways to helpchildren achieve inschool. Second, herstudent research

assistants provide real assistance tostudents and teachers by working withthe boys each week in the schools.Third, all books used in the research areleft in the classrooms. Sokal and herteam have donated over $16,000 inbooks to Manitoba schools over thecourse of several research projects.

For further information, contact

Dr. Laura SokalAssociate Professor, Faculty of EducationUniversity of WinnipegTelephone: 204-786-9915Email: lj.sokal@uwinnipeg.ca

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ProfileDr. Sokal is an associate professor at theUniversity of Winnipeg.She completed herB.Ed., M.Ed., and Ph.D.and Certificate in HigherEducation Teaching atthe University ofManitoba.

Dr. Sokal’s researchinterests include riskand resilience inchildren, and gender

development in boys and its implicationsfor school outcomes. In 2004, she waspresented with the Clifford J. RobsonMemorial Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Laura has been invited to take a one-yearsabbatical as a visiting scholar to JamesCook University in Australia in 2008. Whilethere, she will be studying their nationalcurriculum, which is aimed at addressingboys’ learning needs. When she returns toCanada, Laura will take up the duties ofher new role as Associate Dean ofEducation at the University of Winnipeg.

Reading is a “Girl Thing”—NOT!

Does having a male reading teacher increase boys’reading performance? How about bringing moretechnology to the classroom? What about giving boys

a choice in their reading materials?

The project showed thataddressing boys’ reading

needs is a complex process.

In this collaborative setting, wedevelop projects within the community.The Grade 1 students in Ms. Sigurdson’sclass, for example, explored theirneighbourhood on a community walk,where they would stop, point, explainwhy they thought an item wasimportant, and snap a picture. Thephotographs, of items such as sparrows,play structures, and fire hydrants, gaveus a child’s-eye view of the community. Our staff is learning to trust ourstudents’ abilities as problem solvers.Last year, Mr. Daeninck’s Grade 6 classlearned how to make a video oncitizenship. They began with students’observations and questions about howadvertisements are made and endedwith a snappy video put together byteams of student writers, actors, andcamera operators each contributing asegment.Student autonomy is evident in ourprojects. Students in Mrs. Bukta’sGrade 4 class are working on animationprojects to show how igneous rock isformed. A group of students isresponsible for setting up the tripod,operating the digital camera, and

teaching otherstudents how tomanipulate thePlasticine “lava”flows. Studentswill edit their ownwork and record avoice-over using PhotoStory 3 software.Art allows studentswith exceptionalneeds to comprehendmaterial and express theirideas. Mr. Nault’s Grade 4students are studying a book byworking with a dancer to developmovements and by building masks andprops in our art studio. The ownershipof the process, the repetition of theideas involved in practising their play,and the variety of modalities beingexercised will enable all of the studentsto grasp the concepts and rememberwhat they have learned.The arts engage students in learning.We were about halfway through the taskof building a life-sized whale in ourschool library, and I wondered if any ofthe students in Ms. Derewianchuk’s

Grade 3 class remembered why we weredoing it. When I asked one student shereplied, “Because it’s amazing!” Oh.Right.Students are learning to use assessmentas a tool for learning. The Grade 6

students are making plastermasks to represent how they

have grown aslearners. We

developed and revisedthe criteria

together asthe project

evolved,helping

students makejudgmentsabout how to

improve theirmasks. They will use these

same criteria to self-assesstheir projects.

The integration of the arts withother curricula at Wellington Schoolfacilitates a constructivist approach tolearning. Piaget’s belief that “childrendon’t get ideas, they make them” isrealized as children wonder about,discuss, and build their ownunderstandings of the world. Byrespecting our students as learners, andthrough planning, integration, andcollaboration within our educationalcommunity, we transform studentlearning with unforgettable arts-basedexperiences.

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Arts Education Transforming Learning in an Inner City School By Rhian Brynjolson, Wellington SchoolWinnipeg School Division

ISSN 0704-2671

Every effort has been made to acknowledge original

sources and to comply with copyright law. If cases are

identified where this has not been done, please notify

Manitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth. Errors or

omissions will be corrected in a future edition. Sincere

thanks to the authors and publishers who allowed their

original material to be adapted or reproduced and

translated into French.

Some images © 2007 JupiterImages Corporation.

The newsletter includes articles from the education

community and from Manitoba Education, Citizenship

and Youth. Signed articles appearing in this magazine

express the views of their authors and not necessarily

those of the Department.

Distribution:

Education Manitoba is distributed free to schools in

Manitoba. This newsletter can be viewed online at

<www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/newsletter/>.

A similar document has been developed by the Bureau

de l’éducation française Division for the Français and

the French Immersion Programs.

Contact Information:

We invite contributions to Education Manitoba. When

forwarding submissions, please include your name and

telephone number, and send materials in print and

electronic formats to:

Lee-Ila Bothe

E260–1970 Ness Avenue

Winnipeg MB R3J 0Y9

Ph: 204-945-7878

Fax: 204-945-3042

Email: lee-ila.bothe@gov.mb.ca

We also want to hear what you think about our

newsletter. Please send your comments, ideas, and

suggestions to the address specified above.

ducationM A N I T O B A

As an “art and integrated curriculum” teacher in aninner city elementary school, I have the privilege ofregularly collaborating with some very talented

classroom teachers, specialists, artists, and students. Together,we have developed many exciting projectsthat enable students to explore curricula inways that make sense to them.

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