The New Curriculum

Working through our course on curriculum and instruction, we are immensely fortunate to have Pat Horstead as our instructor. Pat was instrumental in designing the new BC curriculum, and it has been invaluable to hear the “inside scoop” on its development (if you haven’t yet explored it online, head here to check it out). So many times it seems there is a disconnect between what is happening at the Ministry level and the information that trickles down to teachers; the result is an “us vs them” mentality that is inefficient and often, I believe, unnecessary. From Pat’s perspective as a former teacher and administrator, the curriculum development process was collaborative and collegial. All parties were on the same page, and the focus on designing a curriculum to ensure student success in the 21st Century was apparent in all discussions.

This may be one of the few times that all parties in the education system worked cohesively together, and hardly anyone knows it! Surely, this is something to celebrate.

Throughout the course, we have been delving into the curriculum documents to explore all it contains. Again, Pat’s insight is incredibly helpful. Did you know that there are tabs beneath each curriculum page giving suggestions for how to create flexible learning environments, incorporating Aboriginal views into content areas, and addressing the needs of diverse learners? There is also a tab for instructional ideas based on subject area and grade. These tabs were certainly new to me, and I’m grateful for having had the opportunity (you could read that as having been forced as it was an assignment!) to closely examine all the curriculum has to offer.

What does that mean for me as a future educational leader? Along my leadership journey I have been able to explore the document outlining the Leadership Standards for Principals and Vice-Principals in British Columbia (see the pdf here). One of its key tenets is that an educational leader demonstrate Instructional Leadership. In order for that to happen, obviously, the leader must in fact have an excellent grasp of the curriculum - and how to instruct and assess in meaningful ways!

So now I go to roll up my sleeves and prepare to create an inquiry based unit with a clear focus on Big Ideas, Core Competencies, Curricular Competencies, integrating Aboriginal content, and all pulled together by student interest and thematic content. EEK! Good thing I’m a lifelong learner...

Embracing the 21st Century

Throughout the courses in this Master’s of Educational Leadership has been the theme of inquiry based learning. As I mentioned in a previous post on Investigating Inquiry (February 18, 2017), the fairly recent focus on inquiry based learning and a constructivist approach to teaching is both welcome and intimidating. Our current course is on assessment, curriculum, and instruction - none of which should exist without the other - and I have found myself reading with enthusiasm the “textbook”. Now, I realize that saying those words highlights my nerdy side, but I have to say that for a book on such a potentially dry topic, Interweaving Curriculum and Classroom Assessment by Drake, Reid, and Kolohon (2014) is actually an extremely motivational read. I find myself filled with the tingly, proud feeling that I am a teacher! (albeit one a wee bit overwhelmed by the inspirational teachers outlined in the book…) For any teacher seeking ways to embrace the 21st century in the classroom, this book is a beautiful read. Even though it was written just before the new BC curriculum was unveiled, the concepts and suggestions outlined in the book fit perfectly with the core competencies and curricular competencies we’re wrapping our brains around.

It’s almost as if the new curriculum was based on research!  

Continuing with this topic of inquiry based learning, this class we watched a TED talk from Sugata Mitra (https://www.ted.com/speakers/sugata_mitra) which is well worth the watch! Mitra has been exploring the (frankly) unbelievable innovation that children will show when they are motivated to learn. Mitra traveled the most remote parts of India, placing a “Hole in the Wall” computer for children to access...and then leaving. When he returned months later, he was inevitably amazed to discover that without a teacher the children had taught themselves English (which they needed to navigate the internet) and were exploring concepts one would have thought to be far out of their reach. There are of course questions that arise to our teacher minds as we watch the video (our class outlined many of them!) but the undeniable truth remains: when children are engaged, there are no boundaries. This seems to me to be the foundation of inquiry based learning. How can we engage students, while helping them to develop the tools to be lifelong learners and agents of change in the world? It’s a huge, multifaceted question - which is why it is a focus for us as budding educational leaders!