New Curriculum

There always seems to be controversy surrounding the teaching profession.  Money, contracts, learning outcomes, report cards, curriculum, holiday time, etc.  I'm not interested in debating these issues but I am interested to see what happens over the next 10 years in education and in particular over the next 2-5 years in BC as we begin to incorporate the new curriculum being developed for our province.

Today in class we pulled apart the drafts of the new curriculum and spent time trying to understand how it's different from the current IRPs (Integrated Resource Packages).  I have heard mixed reviews about what it may look like and how teachers in the field feel about it right now.  Most are intrigued and feel pretty positive about the general idea, while others are uncertain about what it will actually look like.  As with any change in education there is an abundance of questions that remain unanswered...When will this new curriculum actually come into effect?  What will happen with current resources/texts and will there be funding for new resources considering some of the course work has actually been moved around in the different grades?  What about support for the transition?  Questions, questions, questions.  Of course, it's impossible to know the answers at this point but what I do appreciate is that dialogue is happening and the curriculum itself is focusing in on how the face of education is changing.  The goals include becoming more individualized, focused on critical and creative thinking and embracing skill-based competencies that are over-arched by big ideas.

As a parent, with children in the public education system, I appreciate even more that assessment is being addressed and the goals include using assessment that is relevant and aligned with the curriculum and actually reflects the knowledge a student has gleaned throughout the year.

As a teacher, getting ready to join the public system, I am encouraged to know that I am entering a system that will give me freedom to teach to my students at whatever level they're at and will hold me accountable to report what my students actually know and test that knowledge in a way that is meaningful to individual students.

Why Write

The discussion has been had numerous times throughout this year regarding the reason for blogging.  There are individuals who feel very passionate about their privacy and are navigating this part of our teacher journey very cautiously.  I value their position and understand that in this day and age it's important to manage your online presence very carefully.  I also understand that as a result of the shift in technology over the last 10 years we must, as teachers, be, at the very least knowledgeable about tools out there and beyond that actively participating and using them.

In my role as student, at the moment, I am choosing to use this particular tool of blogging as a means to an end.  Through the experience, I hope to witness the growth and emergence of practice merging with theory and evidenced by the reflections I share here.  I think it also creates an opportunity for the interaction of emerging educators to dialogue and exchange ideas to better one's practice.  Many a time I've crossed a blog entry that has allowed me to further expand my thinking in a particular area or to challenge some preconceived idea about the purpose or practice of education.  Blogging allows for worldwide interaction within the realm of educators to both streamline and diversify the act of educating.

As I transition from student to teacher, my goal would be to use this forum as a means to maintain my status as a life-long learner which I have witnessed to be the strength of some of the best teachers I have encountered.  Using these types of tools gives recognition to the fact that one cannot fully embrace the role of educator if they've disengaged from a primary source of today's education, the collaboration which comes from being online.

While privacy is of utmost importance to many individuals the ability to navigate the public/private world is an important skill that educators, in particular, need to learn to do well and then demonstrate to their students.  There is a balance of sharing and collaborating, being professional and maintaining personal lives that has reached a new level of expectation within the world of education.  If we embrace and understand it, we better our practice purely from the willingness to move ourselves forward rather than remain static.