Curriculum RenewalCurriculum Renewal

Dr. Jane Thurgood SagalDr. Jane Thurgood SagalExecutive DirectorExecutive Director

Curriculum and E-Learning Curriculum and E-Learning Ministry of EducationMinistry of Education

January 2010January 2010

Context of Curriculum RenewalContext of Curriculum Renewal

Core Curriculum Components– Required Areas of Study– Common Essential Learnings– Adaptive Dimension– Locally-determined Options

(Some of the) Core Curriculum (Some of the) Core Curriculum PoliciesPolicies

• First Nations and Métis Education• Resource-based Learning• Gender Equity• Multicultural Education• Evaluation• Instructional Approaches• ELA, arts ed, health ed, science, etc.• Connections: Policy and Guidelines for

School Libraries in Saskatchewan (2008

Purpose for RenewalPurpose for Renewal

• Sustain and strengthen

• Concise and coherent curriculum– Clarify expectations for students– Ensure relevance and consistency for

students– Provide ease of access and use for teachers

Impetus for RenewalImpetus for Renewal

• Provincial curriculum evaluations

• Provincial and national student assessments

• Timely review

Foundation for RenewalFoundation for Renewal

• Curriculum Framework

• First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Content, Perspectives, and Ways of Knowing

• Learning Resources

• Professional Learning

• Partners and Stakeholders

Curriculum FrameworkCurriculum Framework

• Intent: Develop a curriculum framework that is concise, persuasive, and educative

• Practical Application: Outcomes-based curriculum– Higher level outcomes for each grade– What students will know and do at the end of

a grade– Coherence and rigour within and across areas

of study

OutcomesOutcomes

• Represent thinking or behaving like a subject discipline expert within the subject discipline

• Are considered a high priority learning outcome by most experts in the discipline

• Require creation using a combination of factual, conceptual, procedural and metacognitive knowledge (i.e., addresses competency and not just content coverage)

OutcomesOutcomes(expert, priority, creation)(expert, priority, creation)

Grade 6 Arts Education

Compare traditional and contemporary arts expressions from a diverse range of

cultures, and analyze how cultural identity is reflected in the work

Outcomes-based CurriculumOutcomes-based Curriculum

• Outcomes attempt to show “the world of mathematics [or arts education or science, etc.] as a living, breathing, contested, human discipline that has been handed to us [by vanished others] … and needs our intelligence and our work”(Adapted from W. Berry, 1986, in Jardine,

Friesen, & Clifford, 2006, Curriculum in Abundance, p. 22)

OutcomesOutcomes(Living, Breathing, Human Discipline)(Living, Breathing, Human Discipline)

Grade 8 Mathematics

Demonstrate understanding of the Pythagorean Theorem concretely or

pictorially and symbolically and by solving problems

– How does this outcome invite teachers and students into the “living, breathing, human” world of mathematics?

Inquiry SpaceInquiry Space

“In a genuine inquiry, the topic itself matters far less than the attitude kids and teachers take toward it. If they are moved to ask why, to wonder who thinks otherwise, to explore what other strange things just might be connected to this one little problem, then they are in an inquiry space.”(Refer to Clifford & Marinucci, 2008, Testing the Waters:

Three Elements of Classroom Inquiry, in Harvard Educational Review, 78(4), p. 679.)

Inquiry QuestionsInquiry Questions

• What is it that matters about this topic as it is lived in the world?

• How did we come to have such a topic in our world? • Why would we want to pass along such a topic to our

students? Where does it belong in human experience?

• How is it and can it be understood, shown, represented?

• Where does it appear and how, in what guises, to what ends?

Understanding by DesignUnderstanding by Design

• Desired Results: A clear, concise curriculum that defines what is to be learned

• Evidence of Results: Assessment and evaluation techniques aligned with the outcomes

• Planning for Results: Detailed knowledge of how best to enable students to achieve the outcomes

OutcomesOutcomes(Supporting Inquiry)(Supporting Inquiry)

Grade 7 ScienceInvestigate methods of separating the components

of mechanical mixtures and solutions, and analyze the impact of industrial and agricultural

applications of those methods

– Desired Results: What is it I want students to learn? (i.e., Factual? Conceptual? Procedural? Metacognitive? A combination?)

– Evidence of Results: How will I know when they have learned it? (i.e., Evidence of student achievement?)

– Planning for Results: How will I support student questioning, learning, and deep understanding?

(Refer to Never Work Harder than your Students and Other Principles of Great Teaching, 2009,Jackson)

First Nations, MFirst Nations, Métis, and Inuit étis, and Inuit Content, Perspectives, and Ways Content, Perspectives, and Ways

of Knowingof Knowing• Intent: Ensure First Nations, Métis, and Inuit

(FNMI) Content, Perspectives, and Ways of Knowing

• Practical Application: Explicit reflection in foundational aspects of learning program– Broad educational aims and curriculum framework

(e.g., cross-curricular competencies) – Subject area outcomes and foundational processes

(e.g., inquiry)– Instructional methods (place-based learning) and

resources (e.g., Elders)

OutcomesOutcomes

• Are expansive enough to embrace First Nations and Métis content.

• Embrace diverse global perspectives and value the perspectives of local communities including First Nations and Métis communities

• Are expansive enough to encourage and require First Nations and Métis ways of knowing as well as other ways of knowing

OutcomesOutcomes(explicit)(explicit)

• Grade 2 Arts Education: Describe key features of traditional arts expressions of Saskatchewan First Nations and Métis artists

• Grade 7 Science: Relate key aspects of Indigenous knowledge to their understanding of ecosystems

• Grade 8 Social Studies: Describe the influence of the treaty relationships on Canadian identity

OutcomesOutcomes(directive)(directive)

• Grade 7 Arts Education: Create dance expressions that express ideas about the importance of place (e.g., relationships to the land)

• Grade 8 Social Studies: Investigate the meaning of culture and the origins of Canadian cultural diversity– Analyze shared characteristics among First Nations,

Inuit, and Métis cultures in Canada (indicator)– Investigate why First Nations, Inuit, and Métis

communities strive to preserve and revitalize their languages and determine the consequences of the disappearance of cultures and languages (indicator)

OutcomesOutcomes(implicit)(implicit)

• Grade 6 Health Education: Analyze the influences (e.g., cultural, social) on perceptions of and personal standards related to body image, and the resulting impact on the identities and the well-being of self, family, and community.

• Grade 7 Career Education: Investigate non-traditional work scenarios involving issues such as stereotyping and discrimination to assess the impact on life and work.

K-12 Discipline GoalsK-12 Discipline Goals(explicit)(explicit)

English Language Arts

(1 of 3 goals)• Comprehend and Respond: Students will extend

their abilities to view, listen to, read, comprehend, and respond to a range of contemporary and traditional grade-level texts from First Nations, Métis, and other cultures in a variety of forms (oral, print, and other texts) for a variety of purposes including for learning, interest, and enjoyment.

K-12 Discipline GoalsK-12 Discipline Goals(directive)(directive)

Physical Education(2 of 3 goals)

• Active living: Enjoy and engage in healthy levels of participation in movement activities to support lifelong active living in the context of self, family, and community

• Relationships: Balance self through safe and respectful personal, social, cultural, and environmental interactions in a wide variety of movement activities

K-12 Discipline GoalsK-12 Discipline Goals(implicit)(implicit)

Mathematics

• Number Sense: Develop an understanding of the meaning of, relationships between, properties of, roles of, and representations (including symbolic) of numbers and apply this understanding to new situations and problems.

K-12 Disciplinary Foundational K-12 Disciplinary Foundational ProcessProcess(directive)(directive)

Health Education

Shifting

• “Linear” decision-making model

to

• “Circular”, iterative inquiry approach to making decisions

Learning ResourcesLearning Resources

• Intent: Introduce a renewed vision and policy for the role of learning resources in education

• Practical Application: – New School Library Policy– Listings of Core and Additional Resources– Resource Customization

Resource CustomizationResource Customization

• K-12 Mathematics– K, 1, 4, 7 (2007-08)– Grades 2, 5, 8 (2008-09)– Grades 3, 6, 9 (2009-2010)– Grade 10 (2010-2011)

• Grades 6-9 Science – Saskatchewan context including “Ask an Elder” or “Ask a

Traditional Knowledge Keeper”

• Grades 6-9 Career Education– Saskatchewan examples including Aboriginal role models

Professional LearningProfessional Learning

• Intent: Develop a comprehensive plan to strengthen teaching and improve student learning

• Practical Application: – Developing framework for Ministry – Exploring various professional learning

models (i.e., moving from strategies to principles)

– Supporting reflective practice

Reflective PracticeReflective Practice

• Transition/Introduction Year: Analyze instructional lessons/units/practice in relation to renewed curriculum outcomes

• Personal-Professional Growth Plan: Focus on personal, classroom, or collegial (ad)ventures in relation to curriculum outcomes

• Curriculum Reflection, Curriculum Inquiry, or Curriculum Networking: Engage in practices that deepen understanding related to supporting student achievement of curriculum outcomes

ConditionsConditions

• Teachers’ personal/social contexts• Teachers’ theories• Availability of resources• Reflective practice

Thurgood Sagal, 2007, Shifting Horizons: How Teachers Interpret Curriculum in Their Practice (2009 monograph available from VDM Verlag)

Personal/Social ContextsPersonal/Social Contexts

“ … the confluence of personal backgrounds and surrounding social environments creates strong contextual currents that move teachers toward particular interpretations of curriculum.” (p. 167)

Thurgood Sagal, 2007, Shifting Horizons: How Teachers Interpret Curriculum in Their Practice (2009 monograph available from VDM Verlag)

Informal TheoriesInformal Theories

“ … the informal theory of each participating teacher was a powerful influence on … interpretation of the curriculum. It is critical that these informal theories are unearthed so they can be interrogated in dialogue with other people or texts (such as the curriculum-as-plan).” (p. 175)

Thurgood Sagal, 2007, Shifting Horizons: How Teachers Interpret Curriculum in Their Practice (2009 monograph available from VDM Verlag)

Availability of ResourcesAvailability of Resources

“Addressing barriers related to the availability of resources whether … instructional materials for teachers and students; … time for studying the curriculum, reviewing instructional materials, … or sharing ideas with others; and space for … activities is critical if the curriculum-as-plan is to find expression in our schools”. (p. 179)

Thurgood Sagal, 2007, Shifting Horizons: How Teachers Interpret Curriculum in Their Practice (2009 monograph available from VDM Verlag)

Reflective PracticeReflective Practice

“ … reflective practice is supported through the complementary and interrelated activities of reading the curriculum, bringing one’s own situation to bear in making sense of the curriculum, discussing tentative ideas with others, and writing about new ideas that arise. Such practice raises prejudices for examination, thereby risking one’s understanding. If understanding is finite and unstable, reflective practice is a way to shift one’s horizon of understanding”. (p. 183)

Thurgood Sagal, 2007, Shifting Horizons: How Teachers Interpret Curriculum in Their Practice (2009 monograph available from VDM Verlag)

Partners and StakeholdersPartners and Stakeholders

• Intent: Work with partners and stakeholders to achieve our vision

• Practical application:– Regular provincial meetings– Provincial reference committees and other

processes/events– Research and “critical friends”

Vision in ActionVision in Action

All curricula will:• identify opportunities to integrate with other

areas of study• have materials developed and available online• focus on teaching for deeper understanding• have a greater emphasis on centralizing FNMI

content, perspectives, and ways of knowing

Vision in Action (continued)Vision in Action (continued)A stronger connection will be made between the broader philosophy of Core Curriculum and the provincial Goals of Education to the specificity of the areas of study and students’ daily experiences through:

• defining some Broad Areas of Learning that reflect the provincial Goals of Education

• identifying Cross-curricular Competencies required for 21st century citizens

Saskatchewan’s Goals of Saskatchewan’s Goals of Education (1985)Education (1985)

• Basic Skills• Lifelong Learning• Self Concept Development• Positive Lifestyle• Understanding and Relating to Others• Spiritual Development• Career and Consumer Decisions• Membership in Society• Growing with Change

Broad Areas of LearningBroad Areas of Learning

• Lifelong Learners

• Sense of Self, Community, and Place

• Engaged Citizens

How Broad Areas of Learning How Broad Areas of Learning relate to Goals of Educationrelate to Goals of Education

• Lifelong Learners relates to: Basic Skills, Lifelong Learning, Positive Lifestyle

• Sense of Self, Community, and Place relates to: Understanding & Relating to Others, Self Concept Development, Spiritual Development

• Engaged Citizens relates to: Membership in Society, Career and Consumer Decisions, Growing with Change

Common Essential LearningsCommon Essential Learnings

• Communication

• Numeracy

• Critical and Creative Thinking

• Technological Literacy

• Personal and Social Values and Skills

• Independent Learning

Cross-curricular CompetenciesCross-curricular Competencies

• Thinking

• Identity and Interdependence

• Literacies

• Social Responsibility

How the Cross-curricular How the Cross-curricular Competencies relate to the CELsCompetencies relate to the CELs

• Thinking– relates to CCT

• Identity and Interdependence– relates to PSD & TL

• Literacies– relates to C, N, TL, & IL

• Social Responsibility– relates to C, CCT, & PSD(Refer to Renewed Objectives for CCT and PSD)

Mathematics

Science

Social Studies

ThinkingIdentity and

Interdependence

SocialResponsibility

LanguageArts

Literacies

Lifelong Learners

Self,Community, and Place

Engaged Citizens

Learning Outcomes

Physical Education

Goal 2 for Physical Education

Goal 1 for Physical Education

Goal 3 for Physical Education

Arts Education

Health Education

Practical and Applied Arts

Vision in Action (continued)Vision in Action (continued)

Goals of Education (1985) (under review)

Broad Areas of Learning

Core Curriculum

K-12 goals • Required Areas of Study Grade level outcomes for each goal

Indicators for each outcome• Common Essential Learnings Cross-curricular Competencies

• Adaptive Dimension * K-12 goals • Locally-determined Options * descriptors for each goal

2008-092008-09

• Introduce curricula for Grades 2, 5, 8 mathematics (Transition Year)

• Introduce Grades 6-9 curricula for most of the Required Areas of Study (Transition Year)

• Support curriculum reflection, curriculum inquiry, and curriculum networking (Refer to Classroom Curriculum Connections: A Teacher’s Handbook for Personal-Professional Growth, 2001)

2009-102009-10

• Implement curricula for Grades 3, 6, 9 mathematics

• Introduce Grades 6-9 curricula for remaining Required Areas of Study (Transition Year)

• Introduce kindergarten resource

• Five-year plan (2007-08 to 2011-12)

SummarySummaryWhere we started Where we are moving

Goals of Ed/CELs Synthesis through Broad Areas of Learning/Cross-curricular Competencies

Hundreds of objectives

Higher level outcomes with indicators

Expansive lists of resources

Select number of core and additional resources recommended

Large curricula Manageable curriculum framework

Scope and sequence within each discipline

Coherent, complementary set of outcomes across grades and areas of study

Incorporation of FNMI content

FNMI content, perspectives, and ways of knowing are foundational

Current FocusCurrent Focus

• Continuing to engage in conversations about ambiguous ideas, difficult problems, and things that matter

• Continuing to think deeply about what is worth learning

• Continuing to ensure that outcomes point strongly enough to provide a “landing strip” that opens to a future we want to embrace

Prototype ApproachPrototype Approach

• Move into action without the entire plan figured out

• Pay attention and respond to opportunities as they arise

• Continually reflect and share everything that is being learned

• Engage in an ongoing process of jointly crystallizing and acting upon immediate steps