Exploring Alberta’s Curriculum
Redesign
Lakeland Catholic School Division
March 25, 2014
Presenter: Dan Nash
Why Change?
Session Goals
1. Review the foundational understandings driving
Alberta’s curriculum redesign process
2. Explore learner competencies defined in the
Ministerial Order (#001/2013)
3. Introduce Alberta’s curriculum design model
4. Review resources for creating awareness of
Curriculum redesign
5. Explore resources for moving from awareness to
readiness
6. Inform of upcoming events to assist Districts
prepare for curriculum redesign
Discussion Topics for today:
Part 1: Foundational Understanding;
• Inspiring Education and Alberta’s Ministerial Order on Student Learning
• SHIFTS: 3-2-1 Cross-Curricular Competencies
• Understanding Alberta’s Curriculum Design Model
BREAK
Part 2: Updated Alberta Education Awareness Phase Resources
• Alberta’s Curriculum Redesign – At a Glance
• Curriculum Redesign Overview and Timeline
• Curriculum Prototyping Overview and Timeline
Part 3: From Awareness to Readiness
• Shifting: “To what extent will the Provincial Shifts affect our school and school
district?”
• Research Base
• Resources
• In the works
Part 1:
Foundational Understandings
Video


We are Inspiring
Educationhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7ksQ

About Curriculum Redesign
SAUkEM

What's New
Honourable Jeff Johnson, Minister of
Education - Inspiring Education

Curriculum Redesign Update newsletters

Curriculum Development Prototyping

Student Learning Assessments

Research

Communication Toolkit
http://youtu.be/fe0KUSrMXeY

Andreas Schleicher - Strong performers and
successful reformers
http://www.youtube.com/watchv=OxFnmiDlXS4&list=PL_Z2s
eQOmf0ugHyJ7053MBhZZCInVfgpD&feature=share&index=1


Print
Honourable John Manley, P.C., O.C., - Jobs,
skills and
opportunities http://youtu.be/R_ksxbaxNcg
Dr. Glenn Feltham - The Task Force for
Teaching Excellence
http://www.youtube.com/watch=H7LujQkkcF0&feature
=share&list=PL_Z2seQOmf0ugHyJ7053MBhZZCInVfgp
D&index=3
Alberta’s Curriculum Redesign – At a Glance
VISION – Engaged, Ethical, and Entrepreneurial citizens
VALUES – Opportunity, Fairness, Citizenship, Choice, Diversity, Excellence
POLICY SHIFTS- Focused on Education, Centered on the Learner,
Building Competencies, Technology to support the Creation and Sharing
of Knowledge
Minister Johnson: Backgrounder to
Inspiring Education
CASS Inspiring Education Symposium, Calgary March 2014
GOVERNMENT OF ALBERTA
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
EXCERPT FROM MINISTERIAL ORDER (#001/2013)
The goal of this Student Learning Ministerial Order for an
inclusive Kindergarten to Grade 12 education is to enable all
students to achieve the following outcomes:
(1) be Engaged Thinkers and Ethical Citizens with an
Entrepreneurial Spirit;
(2) strive for engagement and personal excellence in their
learning journey;
(3) employ literacy and numeracy to construct and communicate
meaning; and
(4) discover, develop and apply competencies across subject and
discipline areas for learning, work and life to enable students to:
EXCERPT FROM MINISTERIAL ORDER (#001/2013 Cont…contined
(Competencies)
(a) know how to learn: to gain knowledge, understanding or skills through
experience, study, and interaction with others;
(b) think critically: conceptualize, apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate to
construct knowledge;
(c) identify and solve complex problems;
(d) manage information: access, interpret, evaluate and use information effectively,
efficiently, and ethically;
(e) innovate: create, generate and apply new ideas or concepts;
(f) create opportunities through play, imagination, reflection, negotiation, and
competition, with an entrepreneurial spirit;
(g) apply multiple literacies: reading, writing, mathematics, technology, languages,
media, and personal finance;
(h) demonstrate good communication skills and the ability to work cooperatively
with others;
(i) demonstrate global and cultural understanding, considering the economy and
sustainable development; and
(j) identify and apply career and life skills through personal growth and well-being
Overview and Timeline
Why change?
What will change?
What are the competencies?
How will it change?
Timeline
Cross-Curricular Competencies Overview
Competencies 3-2-1
3. Create a 3 word description of the
competency
2. Give 2 examples of this competency in a
classroom
1. Share 1 new way you will try to incorporate
this competency even more into student learning.
Moving Competencies from Theory to Practice
From our friends at Rockyview School District
Reflections
“Albertans see the role of teacher changing from that of knowledge authority to
an architect of learning – one who plans, designs, and oversees learning
activities”
[teachers] collaborative knowledge-building processes actively co-constructing
understanding and ideas… reconceptualizing schooling.
A more personalized education system…skilled professionals as opposed to
implementing pre-established programs, and engaging in technical tasks. –
Distributed forms of leadership…collaborative problem-solving and collective
reflection
Inspiring Education Steering Committee Report (2010)
Thanks to Golden Hills School Division
Part 2:
Introducing Alberta’s
Curriculum Design Model
Curriculum Development Over Time
Progressing… from Product to Process
Eisner and Vallance
(1974) Generally, as a
process, curriculum
development is concerned
with reviewing, planning,
developing, implementing,
and maintaining
curriculum”
Trends?
.
Considering Alberta’s Curriculum Development Model
Modern Curriculum
Development has taken on a
wider scope because our
society has become
increasingly complex;
causing an increased need
for curriculum to cease being
a static product, and become
a living process capable of
adjusting to constantly
changing times by being in
continual contact with a
broad segments of our
society and a globalized
world
Alberta’s Curriculum Development Model
The nature of modern Curriculum Development
is… that it comes together in bits and pieces.
It’s the nature of the beast!
Curriculum Development
Prototyping and Timeline
Curriculum Development
Prototyping Deliverables
• K-12 Scope and Sequence for
Subject/Discipline Areas
• Learning Outcomes
• Assessment
• Learning and Teaching Resources
• Graphic Organizer
• Processes (formative summary of
prototyping process)
Prototyping Partners
• School Authorities
• Educational
Organizations
• Business and Industry
• Post-Secondary
Education
• FNMI
Prototyping
If selected programs of study are approved in
How can teachers be involved in Curriculum
March 2016, does that mean that provincial
Development Prototyping and Curriculum
implementation will take place in September
Redesign?
2016?
Why is Alberta Education using the prototyping approach?
Who is involved in Curriculum Development Prototyping?
My child is attending a school a school involved in Curriculum Development Prototyping. How
will this affect my child’s learning? What should I be aware of as a parent?
How will the work that is developed collaboratively with the prototyping partners be used?
How does prototyping affect my school authorities
participation in provincial assessments?
I am a student at a high school where prototyping is
occurring. How does this affect me? Will I still earn
my diploma? Will prototyping affect my entrance
into a post-secondary institution in Alberta or
Canada?
What is Curriculum Development Prototyping?
What will Alberta Education do regarding subject/discipline areas not addressed
in Curriculum Development Prototyping?
When will Curriculum Development Prototyping occur?
Prototyping Support Materials
Curriculum Development Prototyping Overview
Curriculum Development Prototyping Timeline
Questions and Answers
Curriculum Development Prototyping Guide
Prototyping Partners
Part 3:
From Awareness to Readiness
Thinking Ahead:
As an instructional leader, Consider how the “shifts” might
impact your school community, and School Division?
Placemat Activity
1. Create groups and record your shift
Topic in the center of your placemat.
2. Silently read, consider and record your
own thoughts on your segment of the
placemat
3. Share your thoughts with your group
partners
4. Identify and record the two most critical
emerging “Shift” opportunities and
challenges emerging from your group’s
discussion in the center of the placemat
5. Choose a reporter who will speak for
your group.
Alberta’s Curriculum Development
Research Base
Chapter 1: Curriculum Development Processes
Chapter 2: Competencies
Chapter 3: Ways of Knowing
Chapter 4: Breadth and Depth
Chapter 5: Interdisciplinary Learning and
Interdisciplinary Curriculum
Chapter 6: Flexible Timing and Pacing in a Variety of
Learning Environments
Chapter 7: Responsive Curriculum for a Digital Age
Chapter 8: Student-Centered/Personalized Learning
Chapter 9: Assessment
http://education.alberta.ca/department/ipr/curriculum.aspx
Great Resources
Ning: Inspired Learning.ca
Wiki: LearningNetworkCommunity.wikispaces.com
http://learningnetworkcommunity.wikispaces.com/Alberta+Curriculum+Redesign
Alberta Education Focus Groups:
INVITATION
May 22, 2014
St Paul Regional High School
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Standards and Guidelines
Competency Indicators
Numeracy and Literacy Benchmarks
Building Assessment Capacity Project
Exploring Implications of Curriculum Redesign
The entire group would be together for #1 and #5 and
that there would be ‘break-out’ sessions for the others.
Student Learning Assessments (SLA)
Learning Network is currently planning sessions to introduce the new
Student learning Assessments (SLA) initiative.
There will be two sessions, one in the north and one in the south of Zone
2.
Dates and Location TBD.
Thank you for your time and energy today
leaving with the end in mind…
Thank you for your attention
and participation.
Dan Nash,
Program Coordinator
The Learning Network
1-780-842-8806
Dan's email: dannash07@gmail.com
Dan's Virtual
Office: http://tiny.cc/s10wjw
www.learning-network.org