How Are You Going With Introducing new New Zealand Curriculum?

·       Schools, and teachers within them, are in different spaces in terms of addressing the new curriculum.

·       Most of us know about the overall framework of the document.

·       We know that there are two parts to the document – the front-end and the back-end and we do know that it is essential to address both ends.

·       We know there is a vision statement ‘Young people who will be confident, connected, actively involved, lifelong learners.’ 

·       We know that there are Learning Areas; Key Competencies; Values; and Principles and we know that these will feed into our school curriculum, and our teaching and learning programmes.

·       We know to understand what is required we should have an idea of what each of the Learning Areas says about itself and how they differ from each other – what is the essence of the learning area (by reading the statements on p17 your perception may be different from reality!)

·       We know that under each learning area there are a number of achievement objectives each of which must be addressed.

·       We know the document is student-focussed 

·       We know there has been a lot of talk about ‘teaching as inquiry’ (most of us know about this approach but perhaps we need to give it more emphasis)

BUT have YOU got started?

Some things to think about:

·       Firstly, let’s not get confused about curriculum and assessment and the standards alignment that is taking place at the moment and NCEA – let’s keep our thinking on The New Zealand Curriculum acknowledging that assessment in terms of curriculum is to improve students’ learning and teachers’ teaching.

·       Let’s clarify our thinking about the difference between curriculum levels and assessment levels (Yes, we know our language is a pain when one word can mean different things in these two contexts!)

·       Where do the subjects in the ‘CETA family’ fit? The CETA subjects are established subjects within schools; have a place in NCEA and are having teaching and learning guides developed. (note: Business is ‘newly nationally recognised’ with standards being developed; while the development Digital Technologies Guidelines a planning environment which enables teachers to design and deliver programmes of work for Years 11-13 that give context, coherence and relevance to its related areas of knowledge. These areas, aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum, currently include: software development and programming; digital media; electronics; business technology; and the examination of today's digital environment and society)

·      Economics being removed from the junior school? Have you read on p38, Learning areas statement ‘None of the strands in the required learning areas is optional but in some learning areas, particular strands may be emphasised at different times or in different years. Schools should have a clear rationale for doing this and should ensure that each strand receives due emphasis over the longer term’. Consider: a statement no room for Economics in the junior school? Refer to p30 under Economic World (which encompasses Business) at Level 1-5? Conclusion: the allocation should be one quarter of the Social Sciences time for all students.

·       The key competencies are the ‘how’ and are not being addressed with merely a checklist. They are all likely to be in every lesson in some form, but it is the consciousness of how they will be developed in particular lessons which needs to be considered. What strategies are you going to use to develop them? How will you ensure you incorporate them all in your programme of work?                                     

·       In your department/faculty meetings have there been conversations about where to tart?

·       Have you had conversations about how you might address Financial Literacy and Enterprise, both of which are in the Curriculum?

·       What about ICT? Refer to p36 ‘Schools should explore not only how ICT can supplement traditional ways of teaching but also how it can open up new and different ways of learning.’ Have you had conversations about meaningful use within your programmes?