Schools now have a great opportunity to add
their voice to the educational debate – a voice that had been side-lined by the
previous government.
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| 2007 and earlier 93 Curriculum |
.
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| Available NZCER |
The 2007 NZC replaced the 1993 New Zealand
Curriculum Framework which was the beginning of the end of creative teaching with its countless learning
objectives to be assessed and reported on. As on commentator said a ‘mile wide
and an inch deep’. National Standards
were a politically inspired attempt to
focus on what the Ministry technocrats thought most important. This emphasis on standardisation was enforced
by the toxic surveillance of the Education Review Office.
Which brings us back to the 2007 New Zealand
Curriculum.
A graphic metaphor, a nautilus shell,
illustrates the document. This spiral image represents intellectual and spiritual growth; ‘one’s
mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions’, Oliver
Wendell Holmes physician, writer and poet.
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| nautilus visual metaphor |
The curriculum takes as its starting point ‘a
vision of young people as lifelong learners who are confident and creative,
connected and actively involved’ (p 4). The curriculum expands on
this vision outlining the values, key competencies, learning area and
principles (p 7/8/9).
There are key phrases that provide the
direction schools
should take to develop young people as creative and enterprising lifelong
learners but one that stands out for
me is for students to be ‘active
seekers, users, and creators of knowledge’ – a phrase that is repeated in
various forms in all the learning areas.
Putting this phrase into action would change
the programmes of many classrooms where the current programme is determined by teachers by an overuse of
such formulaic ‘best practices’ as WALTS (we are learning to) success criteria
, teaching intentions and heavy handed use of feedback and feedforward. These
practices have resulted in conformist standardised learning even in such an
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| Quality work well displayed |
open ended subject as art.
The curriculum’s principles (p9) puts ‘students
at the centre of teaching and learning’ one of ‘high expectations’ and
‘personal excellence’
.
A curriculum that ‘ensures that the students’ identities, languages, abilities,
and talents are recognised and affirmed’ and requires a ‘curriculum that has
meaning for them’ one that ‘connects with their wider lives’ and ‘opens up
pathways for further learning.’
Although not mentioned explicitly the
curriculum (and
recent research) by being ‘non-discriminatory’ it questions ability grouping.
The National Standards encouraged the use of ability grouping, narrowed the
curriculum and, in particular the creative arts.
The Values (p10) - to be ‘encouraged, modelled
and explored’.
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| Republished by NZCER 2016 |
Every decision a school makes ‘reflects the
values’ held individually and collectively and are expressed in the ‘everyday
actions within the school’. Once again not mentioned
explicitly would be the use of ability grouping, streaming or fragmented
timetables. Important values the document encourages are ‘innovation, inquiry,
and curiosity, by thinking critically, creatively, and reflectively’.
Ecological sustainability, empathy and respect for themselves, each other and
the environment are included.
Key Competencies (p12) – ‘capabilities for
Living and Lifelong Learning’.
The competencies listed are the key to lifelong
learning and their development are seen as both an end and a means and are to
be developed in authentic contexts; ‘they develop over time, shaped by
interactions with people places, ideas, and things’.
The ‘Thinking Competency’ is about making sense of experiences,
constructing their own
knowledge. ‘Intellectual curiosity is at the heart
of this competency. Students as ‘problem
solvers actively (able) to seek, use, and create knowledge. They reflect on
their own learning, draw on personal knowledge and intuitions, ask questions,
and challenge the basis of assumptions and perceptions.’
The Language Competency is about representing and communicating
ideas in all forms. Managing Self is associated with
‘self-motivation, a “can- do” attitude, and with students seeing themselves as
capable learners’ – about having ‘strategies’ for learning. Relating to Others is ‘about
interacting effectively with others’. Participating and Contributing is about students
having ‘a sense of belonging and the confidence to participate within new
contexts’.
The Learning Areas (p 16/34) that are important for a broad
general education.
Guide
lines for each level of the Learning Area are expanded in the fold out appendix.
Eight
learning areas are identified, all laying ‘a foundation for later
specialisation’. Like the Key Competencies they are ‘both end and means’. Although presented as distinct ‘all learning
should make use of the natural connections that exist between learning areas,
values and key competencies.
Each Learning Areas has its own special
contribution and the essence of each if clearly defined on page 17.
English (p20) is about
‘making meaning’ and ‘creating meaning’. The
Arts (p20/21) are a means to ‘transform people’s creative ideas into
expressive works’. Arts are seen as an important means to encourage students to
‘take risks’; to ‘creators, presenters, viewers, and listener, able to participate
in ,interpret, value, and enjoy the arts’. Dance,
Drama, Music and
the Visual Arts are included. They are all about
appreciating, making and creating. The
Visual Arts begin with children’s curiosity and delight in their senses’ –
about ’aesthetic awareness’ – experimenting, exploring and creating, bringing
their own experiences, sharing their re4sonses, and generation multiple
interpretations.
The above couldn’t be further away from the
current standardisation seen in many schools.
The other
Learning areas are Health and Physical
Education (p22.23) which
includes Home Economics. Learning
Languages (p24/25) Mathematics and Statistics.
Mathematics emphasizes the ‘exploration and use of patterns and
relationships – about thinking and solving problems through investigating,
interpreting, explaining and making sense.’ Implicit is the need to develop a
positive
attitude towards maths. Science
once again emphasizes the need to ‘investigate, understand and explain. It
involves ‘generating and testing ideas, gathering evidence’ and communicating
ideas. Several strands are identifies
including the important How Scientists work;
the Living World, Planet Earth and Beyond; and the Physical and Material World.
The Social Sciences is about developing a feeling for
other societies from the past, present within and beyond New Zealand. Once
again the inquiry /creative approach is emphasized - asking questions,
exploring, considering and reflecting. The final learning Area is Technology – is a practical form of
design science. Information Technology
needs a new inclusion and this might be part of any proposed review but ideally
information technology is ideally integrated to assist inquiry across the
curriculum E-learning (p36) (ICT) ‘assists the making of connections of connections by
enabling students to enter and explore new learning environments, overcoming
barriers of distance and time.’
In a post National Standards classroom the
class inquiry studies take central place with the foundation skills of literacy
and numeracy integrated where possible. Over a two year programme Learning Area
Strands ought to be covered – with the proviso that many studies will integrate
several strands.
Effective Pedagogy (p34) – teacher actions
promoting student learning.
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| Goethe |
Effective pedagogy occurs in a ‘supportive
learning
environment’ ; ‘one that encourages reflective thought and action’; ‘makes
connection to prior learning’ ; and provides ‘opportunities to learn’.
‘Students learn best when they feel accepted, when they enjoy positive
relationship with their fellow students and teachers, and when they are active,
visible members of the learning
community’. Such environments are ‘non –discriminatory’ – once again
questioning the use of ability grouping.
Reflective thought and action is to be
encouraged when students are able to ‘relate learning to what they already
know’ (their prior
ideas) and where they are able ‘to think
about their own thinking’. Learning has to be relevant. ‘Students learn
most effectively when they understand what they are learning, why they are
learning it, and how they will be able to use their new learning.’ Students need opportunity to transfer new
learning’ - in reality it is only when students can transfer learning that
knowledge has been gained. This is about
‘ownership’ or, in a more recent term, ‘student agency’.
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| Students - true scientists |
One phrase that stands out for me is the ‘need
to cover less but cover it in greater depth.
Teachers are to be encouraged to inquire into
their own teaching (Teaching as Inquiry p35) best visualised as a cyclical process that goes on
moment by moment (as teaching takes place) day by day and over a longer term.
My own phrase for this is teacher artistry – teachers continually observing
students to provide assistance as and when necessary.
The School Curriculum: Design and Review
(p37/43)
The Curriculum requires schools to develop
curriculum to suit the needs of their community. The curriculum provides the framework and
gives schools the scope, flexibility and authority to design
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| A rich curriculum |
and shape their
curriculum’ to suit their community with
the proviso that’ all students should experience a rich and balanced education’ something that has been lost
with the emphasis on the now abandoned National Standards.
Various ways are suggested about how to
organise the curriculum around values, learning areas or competencies or around central themes
integrating all aspects. The latter is my preference and the curriculum does
say that ‘schools should design their curriculum so that learning crosses
apparent boundaries’; a challenge for traditional secondary schools but ideal
for Modern Learning Environments.
Achievement objectives are found in the appendix and the various levels represent progress to
deeper learning. Schools are expected to show what it is they want their
students to learn and how their curriculum is designed to achieve it but it NZC
says (p39) that ‘each student’s ultimate
learning success is more important than the covering of particular achievement
objectives’.
The curriculum is based on ‘the premise that
all students can learn and succeed and should recognise that, as all students
are individuals,
their learning may call for different approaches.’ This could well be a good
description of personalised learning?
Assessment.
‘The primary purpose of assessment is to
improve learning and teacher’s teaching’. It is
‘best seen as an ongoing process that arises out of the interaction between
teaching and learning’. ‘Much of this evidence is “of the moment”. Analyses of
and interpretation often takes place in the mind of the teacher, who then uses
the insights gained to shape their actions’. In my terms the artistry of the
teacher.
Effective assessment should benefit students; should involve students and
support further learning/teaching. The idea that outcomes ought to be known in
advance of any learning (WALTs
etc.) can, if overdone, lead to limiting student
creativity. What is missing is evaluating students work, their personal growth
through portfolios etc. might be the best way.
Learning in Years 1-6 (p41)
Teaching and learning programmes are developed
through a wide range of experiences across all learning areas, with a focus on literacy
and numeracy along
with the development of values and key competencies. I would prefer seeing
literacy and numeracy and ‘foundation skills’ integral to inquiry learning. Too
often, today, literacy and numeracy take up a disproportionate amount of time
in contrast to inquiry learning across the curriculum (authentic learning
experiences – rich, real and relevant)
Learning in Years 7-10 (p41)
‘During
these years, students have opportunities to achieve to the best of their
abilities across the breadth and depth of the New Zealand Curriculum’ through
authentic learning experiences’ associated with ‘ongoing development of
literacy and numeracy skills’. ‘These continue to need focussed teaching’ (but
not ability grouping or streaming!)
Learning in Years 11-13.
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| Enuf of formulaic teaching WALTs etc |
‘The
curriculum allows for greater choice and specialisation as students end their
school years’.
Board of Trustees (p44)
The BOT,
through the principal and staff are required to develop a curriculum consistent
with the vision, values, principals competencies, learning areas as outlined in
the NZC. Each BOT is required to gather information that is sufficiently
comprehensive to enable evaluation of student progress and achievement, and to
identify students at risk or have special needs.
The new
Minister of Education Chris Hipkins has stated that he wants school to avoid
over assessment (resulting from narrow targets set by National Standards of
NZCEA).
I am aware
of a number interesting current developments that are heading in a
creative/holistic
direction. Such things as ‘play based education ‘, ‘project
based learning’, ‘passion based learning’ and ‘personalised learning’ that link
back to earlier ‘developmental teaching’ and ‘holistic learning’. Approaches
such as ‘related arts’ and ‘language experience teaching’, ‘centres of
interests’, and ‘whole language’. I would be happy to rename ‘literacy time’
with ‘language arts’ blocks.
Final thoughts.
One quote
comes to mind for me is from Jerome Bruner who said that, ‘teaching is the
canny art of intellectual temptation’. Students’ have a genetic need to learn
and make sense of their
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| Jerome Bruner |
experiences. Nothing a school does should dent this
need to learn – 'all students can learn', the NZC states, so it up to teachers to create learning environments that ‘tempt’ all learners.
Students’ altitudes to the learning experiences
provided are all
important rather than achieving doubtful standards. The emphasis ought to be on
personal growth – personal best.
I envisage classrooms as true learning
communities of scientists and artists exploring their concerns, the local
environment and the wider world past and present. Such classrooms I see as mini Te Papas ( or perpetual
science, art, maths technology fair type
exhibits) with every available space covered with displays/exhibitions of
quality research, art and language based on the themes, studies, topics and
investigations.
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| Art work based on research into the lives of people in Medieval times Year5/6 |
I’m a school principal – here’s why I support
the Tomorrow’s Schools changes 
The Art of Looking: Eleven Ways of Viewing
the Multiple Realities of Our Everyday Wonderland
‘We often think of drawing as something that
takes innate talent, but this kind of thinking stems from our misclassification
of drawing as, primarily, an art form rather than a tool for
learning.Researchers, teachers, and artists are starting to see how drawing can
positively impact a wide variety of skills and disciplines.Drawing is not an
innate gift; rather, it can be taught and developed. Doing so helps people to
perceive the world more accurately, remember facts better, and understand their
world from a new perspective.’
'Every student brings with them memories and ideas gained from the experiences they have had. All too often this personal form of motivation is overlooked by teachers who seem to think they have better ideas to use - their own. It is as
if students come to school as blank slates ( tabula rosa) when instead they
come with a wealth of ideas to share but to do their ideas need to be valued.’
