Professor Peta Goldburg
Professor Jim Gleeson
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synthesis of
◦ culture and faith
◦ faith and life
◦ all subjects contribute to development of a mature
Christian
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Educating to intercultural dialogue in Catholic
Schools: Living in harmony for a civilisation of
love
◦ The curriculum is how the school community makes
explicit its goals and objectives, the content of its
teaching and the means for communicating it
effectively.
◦ In the curriculum, the school’s cultural and
pedagogical identity are made manifest
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Catholic schools are encouraged to promote a
wisdom-based society, to go beyond
knowledge and educate people to think,
evaluating facts in the light of values.
…it must also consider the cultural and
pedagogical fundamentals that make up
Catholic schools’ identity.
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Catholic schools …should express themselves
with authenticity, without obfuscating or
watering down their own vision so as to
acquire greater consensus.
They should bear witness by means of their
own presence, as well as by the coherence
between what they say and what they do.
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What do we mean when we say…
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Catholic
Religious dimensions of learning
Catholic Identity
Curriculum
Catholicity
Gospel Values
Catholic Worldview
Catholic Curriculum
 Separation
 Permeation
 Integration
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Where study of religion or religious
experience functions as a separate area of
learning
Goal – religious literacy, formation, explicit
religious materials
Religious Education (classroom)
Curriculum writing easy – experts in RE
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School-wide task
Role of Catholic School’s culture
Curriculum = educational experiences
planned and guided by school
Learning takes place in classroom and
beyond classroom
Particular focus on social environment of
school
Curriculum writing - explicit religious
framework – task is school wide rather than
subject-specific
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Cross-Curricular Task
Difficult because:
◦ Integration shifts away from subject matter to the
connections, relationships and life problems in
complex world. Curriculum is described as
interdisciplinary or trans-disciplinary
◦ Integration broadens the definition of curriculum to
include knowledge, values and skills that bring
about a critical perspective on social and global
issues
◦ carries the capacity to develop curriculum that
visibly demonstrates a Catholic character of
learning
Connected
Nested
Fragmented
Immersed
Different approaches
to integration
(Beane, 1997)
Sequenced
Integrated
Threaded
Webbed
Shared
What have all
of these got in
common??
Time
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
9:00
History
Maths
English
Geography
Religion
9:40
Irish
CSPE
SPHE
Maths
Science
10:20
B
10:40
Music
Irish
History
Art
Geography
11.20
Business
Science
Maths
French
German
12:00
PE
Religion
German
English
Business
12:40
L
R
E
U
K
N
C
H
1:30
Maths
Business
Computers
Science
Maths
2:10
Art
Music
French
Irish
English
2:50
Geography
English
Art
Music
PE
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Intra-disciplinary e.g. social justice aspects
highlighted within my own subject discipline
Multidisciplinary where a common theme is
addressed from varying subject perspectives
while subject knowledge and skills remain the
primary concern
Interdisciplinary where skills, concepts,
themes are embedded in disciplines and/or
standards
Trans-disciplinary where students’ questions
and issues are the starting point with
interdisciplinary and subject skills being
applied in a real-life context
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Interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary integration are
organic whereas multidisciplinary can be ‘forced’
‘Problems arise when religious concepts and ideas
are forced into subject areas with little regard for the
integrity of the academic discipline itself.
To develop a unit on “journeys” from the different
program areas of language, self and society, and
religion allows for an authentic curriculum fit.
To state, explain and use the Pythagorean theorem
and then instruct teachers to tell students that
Pythagoras was interested in religion does not’ (Larry
Trafford, York University)
Course Profiles for various
subjects built around the
Ontario Curriculum
Expectations with overlay of
Graduate Expectations
Ontario Catholic
School Graduate
Expectations
Curriculum maps, grounded
in RE and Family Life
programme to help make the
Catholic context visible in
various subjects (Co-ops)
Other, including Catholic
Critical Literacy principles e.g.
the preferential option for the
poor; Critical Thinking Tasks
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A discerning believer formed in the Catholic faith community
who celebrates the signs and sacred ministry of God’s
presence….
An effective communicator who speaks, writes, listens honestly
and sensitively, responding critically in light of gospel values
A reflective, creative and holistic thinker who… makes
responsible decisions with an informed moral conscience for
the common good.
A self-directed, responsible, lifelong learner…
A collaborative contributor who finds meaning, dignity and
vocation in work which respects the rights of all and contributes
to the common good
A caring family member
A responsible citizen who gives witness by promoting peace,
justice and the sacredness of human life.
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Central Office has three staff including Director
Curriculum maps are developed by three regional
Curriculum Cooperatives made up of members of
Catholic school boards and curriculum
consultants who come together to share ideas.
Each Cooperative has four curriculum councils:
Elementary, Secondary, Technology, Faith
Course Profiles are developed in collaboration
with the Ontario Ministry
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Professional development materials that help
teachers implement state prescribed
secondary curricula while supporting the
Ontario Catholic School Graduate
Expectations
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They act as a “map” for teachers – disciplinespecific learning; rationale; organizational
structure; teaching, learning and assessment
strategies; instructional resources and
materials.
Whereas the Ministry Curriculum policy
documents describe the “what” of learning and
teachers are expected to provide the “how” of
learning, Course Profiles articulate the “why”
of learning.
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To limit curriculum to Ministry definitions … is
to reduce curriculum to little more than
society’s latest educational menu, solely
pragmatic and utilitarian in nature, and void of
any effective and convincing interpretation of
existence…
…Catholic curriculum is a distinctive worldview
committed to the enterprise of educating the
soul (Ontario Institute, 1998).
Catholic Curriculum Maps are a planning tool
that engage teachers in Catholic schools to
evaluate their current instructional practices.
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Clear connections between the key concepts of
the curriculum and the key concepts of the
Religious Education and Family Life Education
programs for the grade level
How the content and skills taught in the
curriculum are aligned to the Religious Education
and Family Life Education programs for the grade
level
How the overarching Catholic themes and
essential questions hold the curriculum together
and guide teacher instruction to help students
look at the world through a Catholic lens
Opportunities that allow students to demonstrate
their understanding of the content and skills
 All texts are constructions
- What attitudes, interpretations and conclusions has the author built into the text?
- How might the texts be changed to recognize or include missing voices, especially the
marginalized? alternative perspectives, including a faith perspective?
 All texts contain belief and value messages
- What lifestyles, values, and points-of-view are represented in, or have been omitted from, the
message of the text?
- Are these consistent with Catholic teaching?
 Each person interprets messages differently
- How might age, culture, life experiences, values, and beliefs play a role in how this text is
interpreted?
- How might our faith (prior knowledge and experiences) influence how the message is interpreted?
 Texts serve different interests
- What is the author’s motive/intent?
- Who benefits if the message is accepted? Who may be disadvantaged?
- Does the purpose have any ethical implications?
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Each medium develops its own “language” in order to position
readers/viewers in certain ways
- How have the distinctive techniques, conventions and aesthetics been used to create meaning?
- Do these techniques lead the viewer to a life affirming, realistic view of the world?
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The ‘Defining Characteristics of Catholic
Schools’ Center for Catholic School
Effectiveness, School of Education, Loyola
University
National Standards and Benchmarks for
Effective Catholic Elementary and Secondary
Schools, Loyola
Catholic Identity Defining Characteristics Staff
Survey (Loyola)
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Freire - there is no such thing as a neutral
educational process.
◦ “Education either functions as an instrument that is
used to facilitate the integration of the younger
generation in to the logic of the present system and
bring about conformity to it, or it becomes ‘the
practice of freedom’ the means by which men and
women deal critically and creatively with reality and
discover how to participate in the transformation of
their world.”
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Requires one to be moved to do something,
whether that something be seeking reasons
or seeking social justice
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Not enough that you can critically reflect and
interpret the world – you must also be willing
and able to act to change that world
Changing thought and practice must occur
together; they fuel one another
Freire – criticality requires praxis – reflection
and action; interpretation and change
Reading the world as well as reading the word
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Critical Pedagogy - how an issue relates to
"deeper" explanations ◦ relational and dialogical
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Critical Thinking emphasises immediate
reasons and assumptions of an argument
Critical Pedagogy wants to consider factors
that may appear at first of less immediate
relevance
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How has this session changed any of your
beliefs about infusing the explicit curriculum
with Catholic perspectives?
What action might you take in light of this?
What are implications for policy at various
levels?