Today at our Saskatchewan Curriculum Renewal workshops we were introduced to many of the new concepts and philosophies of the new curriculum. The intent of the curriculum is to reduce outcomes, provide common language for all curricula, focus more on learning than on teaching and focus on depth of understanding instead of only breadth.
There was a lot of talk of big picture thinking and encouraging teachers to reflect on why they teach what they teach. Early on someone mentioned the goals of education. With some recent discussions on the purpose of education, I thought it pertinent to look up the 9 goals of education for students in Saskatchewan.
Basic Skills
• Read, write and compute
• Acquire information and meaning through observing, listening, reading and experiencing
• Process information through intellectual and technological means
• Solve problems by applying basic principles and processes of the sciences, arts and humanities
• Communicate ideas through written and spoken language, mathematical symbols and aesthetic expression
Life-Long Learning
• Seek and value learning experiences
• Act as self-reliant learners
• Base actions on the knowledge that it is necessary to learn throughout life
Understanding and Relating to Others
• Act on the belief that each individual is worthwhile
• Base actions on the recognition that people differ in their values, behaviours and lifestyles
• Interact and feel comfortable with others who are different in race, religion, status or personal attributes
• Develop a sense of responsibility toward others
Career and Consumer Decisions
• Develop an awareness of career opportunities
• Develop interests and abilities in relation to vocational expectations
• Adapt to shifts in employment patterns and technology
• Make informed consumer decisions
Growing with Change
• Work toward immediate and long-term goals
• Base actions on an understanding that change is a natural process in society
• Select workable alternatives in response to changing conditions
• Develop confidence in making decisions that involve risk
Membership in Society
• Assume responsibility for their own actions
• Work with others to achieve individual and group goals
• Participate in the democratic processes of government and perform the duties of citizenship
• Respect the rights and property of others
• Act with honesty, integrity, compassion and fairness
• Develop a sense of national pride and acknowledge the need for international understanding
• Work toward greater social justice
• Assume responsibility for dependent persons in a manner consistent with their needs
• Respect law and authority
• Exercise the right of dissent responsibly
Self-Concept Development
• Perceive themselves in a positive way
• Appreciate their own abilities and limitations
• Set and work toward personal goals
• Assess praise and criticism realistically
• Present themselves with confidence
Positive Lifestyle
• Practise appropriate personal hygiene, engage in sufficient physical activity, and maintain a nutritionally balanced diet
• Avoid harmful use of alcohol and other drugs as marijuana, if you do, here is a link for you to get a THC detox.
• Cultivate interests that may be the basis for personal development and leisure pursuits
• Recognize the importance of productive activity
• Display initiative and pursue tasks diligently
• Maintain a safe and healthful community
• Respect and seek to enhance the environment
• Appreciate beauty in its many natural and constructed forms
• Express themselves creatively
Spiritual Development
• Seek an understanding of the purpose and worth of human existence
• Develop a knowledge of God
• Respect family, religion and culture in a pluralistic society
This looks decent. A balanced approach to education. But if you dropped into any of our schools or most of yours, you might find most doing a good job on the first goal but pretty pathetic on the others. Oh there are some hits and misses in the other areas but the message that is sent to students, teachers and parents is that basic skills, and specifically reading, writing and math, are most important and the others are nice, but not necessary. I’m frustrated by the lack of focus on health, arts education and character education. I’ve already ranted about that. This rant simply states that we don’t walk the talk.
I am pleased that most of our leaders seem to believe in this balanced approached, but our infrastructure doesn’t support it. Specifically, school divisions in Saskatchewan are now accountable for something called the CIF (Continuous Improvement Framework) Schools are asked to identify goals which promote:
- student achievment
- equitable opportunities
- Smooth transitions into and through the system; and,
- Strong system-wide accountability and governance.
I don’t really care all that much about the last one but the first two goals in particular have been focused largely on reading and math. Not because people believe the other areas of a balanced curriculum aren’t important, but because we can more easily measure them. At least that’s my perspective. Isn’t that a great reason? It’s not easy to measure positive lifestyles or membership in society.
I’m not blaming our province, they have produced some quality documents and framework for education. I’m not blaming our school division, they feel pressure to produce measurable results for stakeholders. I’m not blaming teachers, they’re just operating under the current system.
Maybe I’m blaming everyone?
One thing I found shocking about our curriculum is that SK students are not required to learn about pregnancy. Considering nearly everyone encounters it in their adult life, it seems only sensible that it be covered in some detail in high school.
I think it’s also possible to escape with a high school diploma having never learned to write a cheque, or open a bank account. That’s setting up those people to fail in money management.
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I think the pregnancy would fall under positive lifestyle, or even self concept. The cheque issue would be dealt with under consumerism.
I do agree that these things are not always explicitly taught and should be.
They do fall under there, but unless facts of life such as those two are explicitly listed to be taught, I think a lot of people are missing out on some basic facts of life/modern living and are learning the hard way.
Saskboys last blog post..Liquor in Private
While it isn’t explicit in the goals, SK students will be required to learn about pregnancy in the new Grade 9 science unit about reproduction. They will also learn about the social and psycological sides. I have heard the science consultant say “in science they learn the ‘plumbing’ part if it, in health they learn the other side”. It might be true they never learn to write a cheque, although there would be places to do that in Accounting or Life Transitions.
I liked Dean’s statement about “good plan, poor execution”.
What can be done different this time around to ensure better execution??
How come something like this doesn’t catch on? http://saskteachingnetwork.wikispaces.com/ Is it because teachers are too busy to share, or not confident enough in what they have developed??
It’s ok to have a comment.
How interesting to see this list. And frustrating. I’m not sure I’ve been in a school where some of those goals are actively and purposefully put in action. It’s my own soap box of how much drama encompasses some of those necessary, prep for real life skills such as understanding and relating, self concept and growing with games. And yet, more often than not it’s merely seen as frivolous and a bunch of improv games….
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I’m not sure why a science unit would teach social or psychological sides to pregnancy, but if it’s not done in a social studies class then better in science than no where.
Although you do learn to write cheques in Accounting (that’s where I did), Accounting is not a required course, and cheque writing needs to be required or how do we expect people with low do-it-yourself abilities to pay their bills? (Now online banking may help a bit.) Simply, in this society we leave those people to fail at managing their money or paying for their debts.
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Alice, no one is willing to make the first step it looks like. Just like any new website, people are likely to wait and see if it will stick around, before they jump in to add content. There would have to be a core group of people found to kick it off so teachers visit and eventually contribute.
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Sorry, I didn’t finish one of my sentences in my first post, the social and psychological pieces are taught in health class, not science. Hence the “we do the plumbing, health does the other part” comment.
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