Key Elements of Curricula
In all curricula you will find:
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Evidence of the common curricula framework
Subject specific goals
Grade specific outcomes and indicators
Throughlines
First Nations, Metis and Inuit
Inquiry
Questions for deeper understanding
Opportunity for active construction of
meaning
Time Allocations
Core Curriculum: Principles, Time Allocations, and Credit Policy (2007)
Subject Specific Goals
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Broad statements identifying what
students are expected to know and be
able to do upon completion of a
particular area of study
Same goals from K-12 in an area of
study
Outcomes
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Describe what students will know or be
able to do in a particular discipline by
the end of the grade or course.
Are unique from grade to grade, but
may build on or expand on outcomes
from previous grades
Indicators
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Are a representative sample of evidence
that students would be able to
demonstrate or produce if they have
achieved the outcome
Define the breadth and depth of the
outcome
Throughlines
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There will be identifiable connections
from the Broad Areas of Learning, to
the Cross-curricular Competencies, to
the subject specific goals, and to the
outcomes and indicators
First Nations, Métis, and Inuit
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Outcomes and indicators have been
written to make First Nations, Métis,
and Inuit ways of knowing, knowledge,
and perspectives foundational in the
curriculum
Resources are evaluated and
recommended with a conscious effort to
be inclusive and reflect this foundation
Perhaps the greatest of all
pedagogical fallacies is the notion
that a person learns only the
particular thing he is studying at the
time.
John Dewey
Inquiry
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A philosophical approach to teaching
and learning
Builds on students’ inherent sense of
curiosity and wonder
Draws on students’ diverse background
and experiences
Provides opportunities for students to
become active participants in a search
for meaning
Effective Questions for
Understanding
“. . . Questions stimulate thought, provoke
inquiry, and spark more questions—not
just pat answers . . . The best questions
point to and highlight the big ideas.”
(Wiggins & McTighe, 2005)
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The curriculum has placed an emphasis
on and provides examples of questions
that engage students in a higher level
of thinking
Active Construction of Meaning
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Achieved through
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Engaging in inquiry
Grappling with challenging questions
Being required to demonstrate
understanding
Having access and exposure to a wide
variety of resources in a various formats
Other areas of focus
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Teachers using the new curriculum
should be conscious and attentive to:
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the appropriate and effective use of technology
education for sustainable development
appropriate strategies for assessment and
evaluation
the utilization of community resources
diversity of personal identities, worldviews, and
backgrounds
“When a learner makes
connections and learning
takes place, it is because of
focused teaching…” (Fullan,
Hill & Crevola, 2006).
Focused teaching requires:
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A clear, concise curriculum that defines
what is to be learned
Assessment and evaluation tools aligned
with the outcomes
Detailed knowledge of how best to enable
students to achieve the outcomes
Inquire
Collaborate
Advocate
Discover
Explore
Facilitate
Plan
The Role of the
Teacher is to:
Inspire
Generate
Knowledge
Reflect
Lead
Ensure
Accountability
Monitor
Assess
Evaluate
Support
Construct
Knowledge
Inquire
Collaborate
Advocate
Discover
Facilitate
Explore
Plan
The Role of the
Student is to:
Inspire
Generate
Knowledge
Reflect
Assess
Lead
Ensure
Accountability
Monitor
Evaluate
Support
Construct
Knowledge
Inquire
Collaborate
Advocate
Discover
Explore
Facilitate
Plan
Inspire
Generate
Knowledge
Reflect
The Role of the
Administrator is to:
Lead
Evaluate
Ensure
Accountability
Assess
Monitor
Support
Construct
Knowledge
If a child is to keep alive his inborn
sense of wonder. . . he needs the
companionship of at least one adult
who can share it, rediscovering with
him the joy, excitement and mystery
of the world we live in.
Rachel Carson
Chaos in the world brings
uneasiness, but it also allows
the opportunity for creativity
and growth.
Tom Barrett
In times of rapid change, the
learners inherit the earth, while
the learned find themselves
beautifully equipped to deal with
a world that no longer exists.
Eric Hoffer
Vision without action is
merely a dream. Action
without vision just passes the
time. Vision PLUS action can
change the world.
Joel Barker
The illiterate of the 21st
century will not be those who
cannot read and write, but
those who cannot learn,
unlearn and relearn.
Alvin Toffler
Who dares to teach must
never cease to learn.
John Cotton Dana