Darfield School Curriculum
2011
Contents
Section 1 Background 3
Section 2 Vision 4
Section 3 Key Competencies 5
Section 4 Values 17
Section 5 Principles 18
Section 6 Learning Areas & Curriculum design 24
Section 7 Conceptual Planning 72
Section 8 Assessment 88
Section 9 Curriculum in Action 93
Section 1: Background
The Key Purposes of The New Zealand Curriculum are:
After reading Steve Maharey’s letter to schools, the Foreword by Karen Sewell on page 4, the Purpose and Scope on page 6, and page 37 of The NZ Curriculum, summarise the key messages.
For example,
The New Zealand Curriculum:
-
Sets the national direction for student learning
-
Provides guidance for schools as they design and review their curriculum with their students and communities
Darfield Primary School has identified the following statements as being fundamental to the development of our school curriculum:
Darfield Primary School has designed and implemented its own curriculum to engage and motivate its particular students.
In the process of establishing this curriculum, the school staff, Board of Trustees and community have worked closely together. This curriculum reflects the values and beliefs of the community, the particular needs and interests of its students, and the strengths of the staff. It builds on existing good practice and utilises local opportunities, resources and community support.
Section 2: School Vision
“A school’s vision briefly describes the future the school community sees for itself, and what students will be like when they are confident, connected, actively involved, lifelong learners.”
Preparing to Lead Curriculum Change: Vision, Principles and Values
Ministry of Education (2007), p.1
When considering “what students will be like” when they are confident, connected, actively involved, lifelong learners we discussed and identified concepts and dispositions from the following three pieces of research.
Herrmann Brain Dominance Model
A key outcome of effective teaching and learning is that students develop all aspects of their brain. A model, based on brain research over many years, is the Herrmann Brain Dominance Model. This relates thinking processes to brain physiology and provides an excellent basis for planning effective teaching and learning to ensure that all aspects of brain thinking are covered.
21st Century Skills - NCREL
This piece of research completed at the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory identified a set of 21st Century skills. They were developed through a process that included literature reviews, research on emerging dispositions of the Net Generation, a review of current reports on workforce trends from business and industry, analysis of nationally recognised skill sets, input from educators, data from educator surveys, and reactions from constituent groups.
NZ Key Competencies
The NZ key competencies framework was informed by international work conducted by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The OECD sought to identify and describe what people should know and be able to do in order to lead a ‘successful life’ in a ‘well-functioning society’. The Key Competencies are intended to be a central and embedded part of the curriculum. The Key Competencies framework represents a revision and development from the Essential Skills.
Vision
“Darfield Learners Dare To Be Different!”
We want our students to be:
-
Diverse Thinkers and Communicators
-
Self-Directed learners
-
Dynamic Team players
-
Displaying a Strong Sense of Pride and Belonging
Section 3: Key Competencies and Pedagogy
The New Zealand Curriculum identifies five key competencies. People use these competencies
“to live, learn, work, and contribute as active members of their communities.”
The New Zealand Curriculum
Ministry of Education (2007), p.12
The Key Competencies are:
Development of the Key Competencies
Developing the learning dispositions across all learning activities and programmes, enables them to function in their fast-changing world and to develop the skills for lifelong learning.
“In practice, the key competencies are most often used in combination. When researching an issue of interest, for example, students are likely to need to:
-
Set and monitor personal goals, manage timeframes, and reflect on and respond to ideas they encounter (managing self);
-
Interact, share ideas and negotiate with a range of people (relating to others);
-
Call on a range of communities for information and use that information as a basis for action (participating and contributing);
-
Analyse and consider a variety of possible approaches to the issue at hand (thinking);
-
Create texts to record and communicate ideas, using language and symbols appropriate to the relevant learning area(s) (using language, symbols, and texts).”
The New Zealand Curriculum
Ministry of Education (2007), p.38
To assist in identifying the ideal conditions for children to develop the identified dispositions, and in doing so develop the key competencies, the school considered what pedagogy - teacher actions would be required. This process involved staff sharing their existing good practices, reading and discussing the pedagogy identified in the NZ Curriculum and also reading and discussing the Quality Teaching for Diverse Students in Schooling: Best Evidence Synthesis Iteration (BES).
“While there is no formula that will guarantee learning for every student in every context, there is extensive, well-documented evidence about the kinds of teaching approaches that constantly have a positive impact on student learning. The evidence shows us that students learn best when teachers…
-
create a supportive learning environment
-
encourage reflective thought and action
-
enhance the relevance of new learning
-
facilitate shared learning
-
make connections to prior learning and experience
-
provide sufficient opportunities to learn
-
inquire into the teaching-learning relationship.
The New Zealand Curriculum
Ministry of Education (2007), p.34-36
Through incorporating this effective pedagogy with existing good practices within our school, we have identified teacher actions that will ensure the successful development of our vision, learners’ qualities and values.
Our school curriculum integrates the Key Competencies with the School Vision through the following Darfield Dispositions
Darfield Dispositions
|
Key Competencies
|
Divergent Thinkers
| -
Thinking
-
Using language, symbols, and texts
-
Managing self
|
Diverse Communicators
| -
Thinking
-
Using language, symbols, and texts
-
Managing self
-
Relating to others
-
Participating and contributing
| |
Self-Directed learners
| -
Thinking
-
Using language, symbols, and texts
-
Managing self
|
Dynamic Team players
| -
Thinking
-
Using language, symbols, and texts
-
Managing self
-
Relating to others
-
Participating and contributing
|
Displaying a Strong Sense of Pride and Belonging
| -
Thinking
-
Using language, symbols, and texts
-
Managing self
-
Relating to others
-
Participating and contributing
|
Share with your friends: |
