Reconceptualising 21C curriculum: From segregated subjects, ad hoc themes, and ‘covering content’ to holistic, integrated learning Dr Julia Atkin Education & Learning Consultant “Bumgum” Harden-Murrumburrah NSW Integrating new technologies to empower learning and transform leadership

The New Zealand Curriculum provides a coherent macro framework for a 21C curriculum. Working with this curriculum framework requires considerable curriculum design work in your school. Key questions are: For our students, what is it essential that they learn? What is desirable? How do we ensure powerful learning? How do we map our curriculum in a way that ensures depth and breadth? This interactive workshop will engage you in developing understandings, processes and strategies for developing your school’s curriculum. Breakout Description

Philosophical Frameworks What & Why? Beliefs Understandings Values Strategies & Structures The ‘how’. Community & Culture The ‘human spirit’ and learning culture © Julia Atkin, 2009 EFFECTIVE, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Effective, sustainable development depends on an iterative interplay between each of these domains. Like a ‘three legged stool’ balance requires equal emphasis and growth in each ‘leg’.

Effective & Sustainable Development Philosophical Frameworks What & Why? Beliefs Understandings Values Strategies & Structures The ‘how’. Community & Culture The ‘human spirit’ ICT Powerful learning? Openmindedness Collaboraative © Julia Atkin, 2009

© CORE Education and Julia Atkin, 2009 The EPS survey is a lens for leading learning - a school self review tool. It holds a ‘mirror up’ to a school community to help it see where it is on the ‘map’ It represents the community’s perception of the extent to which each key element of sustainable development is being lived out and thus helps pinpoint areas for focus and development.

... education is at the cross roads. Choosing one direction will lead efforts to lift performance within traditional educational models. Choosing the other will see radical changes in education that will shift the way we think about learning… Steve Maharey Educators’ choice The NZ Curriculum describes WHAT it is essential for all young NZers to learn and challenges you to interpret this for your learners in their context but HOW you design the learning experiences is your choice, your responsibility.

The origin of the term ‘curriculum Curricle noun historical a light, open, two-wheeled carriage pulled by two horses side by side. ORIGIN mid 18th cent.: from Latin curriculum ‘course, racing chariot,’ from currere ‘to run.’ Reconceptualising ‘curriculum’ Are we still advocating curriculum as a ‘narrow track to be run as a competition’ pulled along by teachers?

What is it powerful to learn? Education Design & Development Key elements & Shapers WHY school? What is your educative purpose? WHY school? What is your educative purpose? WHAT should students learn? What is essential? What is desirable? WHAT should students learn? What is essential? What is desirable? CONTEXTCONTEXT CONTEXTCONTEXT values & beliefs shapes & informs © Julia Atkin, 2010

21st century education is increasingly driven by a desire to develop young people who are adaptable, creative, collaborative, responsive, self directed and capable of being self managing in networks and less hierarchical settings and communities than experienced by their parents at the same age. Educative Purpose for 21C © Julia Atkin, 2010 How do the nature & challenges of 21C inform the design of learning experiences?

© Julia Atkin, 2010 What perspective do you bring to the NZ Curriculum? What lens are you looking through? Perspective and Pedagogy the powerful agents Before considering pedagogy, let’s first view curriculum for 21C in light of our past.

Core Latin Greek Mathematics 1870 KLAs English Maths Science Social Sciences PE/Health/PD Design & Tech Visual & Perf Arts LOTE 1990’s Core English Maths Latin Science History 1962 Arts Geography Commercial Studies French PE Craft Key Competencies Essential Skills/Learnings New Basics Essential Learning Development of self & self for society Learning Areas SECONDARY SCHOOL CURRICULUM EVOLUTION Values Key Competencies The NZ Curriculum represents an ‘inversion’ of curriculum in which the ‘core’ task of education is the development of self and self for society. The key challenge is to design curriculum so that the ways of knowing of the Key Learning Areas, the Key Competencies and Values contribute to the development of the whole self. © Julia Atkin, 2008

© Julia Atkin, 2009 The ‘Essence’ of the NZ Curriculum ‘confident, connected, actively involved and lifelong learners’ VALUES KEY COMPETENCIES LEARNING AREAS The Vision of the NZ unequivocally states your educative purpose.

What is powerful learning?What is it powerful to learn? Education Design & Development Key elements & Shapers WHY school? What is your educative purpose? WHY school? What is your educative purpose? WHAT should students learn? What is essential? What is desirable? WHAT should students learn? What is essential? What is desirable? HOW do students learn? Principles of Effective Learning HOW do students learn? Principles of Effective Learning CONTEXTCONTEXT CONTEXTCONTEXT values & beliefs shapes & informs LEARNINGTHEORYLEARNINGTHEORY LEARNINGTHEORYLEARNINGTHEORY © Julia Atkin, 2009 When we have determined what we believe it is essential and desirable to learn, how do we ensure that it is learned powerfully??

© Julia Atkin, 2009 WHAT is the ‘essence’ of powerful learning? What are the implications for pedagogy? What are the implications for curriculum design? Perspective and Pedagogy the powerful agents

journey growth construction- reconstruction creation - recreation transformation enlightenment enlightenment empowerment enrichment The dominant analogies that have emerged from asking >200,000 people: “What is human learning like?” The Nature of Human Learning © Julia Atkin, 2009

I think at last I understand why my English teacher was so pedantic about not mixing metaphors. Look at the tensions and confused agendas that arise when we mix our metaphors – when metaphors underpinning practice are not congruent with the nature of learning….. Un-mixing our metaphors © Julia Atkin, 2009

Underpinning metaphor of the Industrial Era © Julia Atkin, 2009 Quality Control: Efficiency Uniformity Meets standard specification No waste Industrial era quality control is fine for inanimate objects and machines but what actually constitutes quality control for a living system?

journey growth construction- reconstruction creation - recreation transformation enlightenment enlightenment empowerment enrichment Appropriate underpinning metaphors for the Knowledge Era and learning: - organic, dynamic, holistic What constitutes quality control: - for a journey? - in a garden? - in a creation? © Julia Atkin, 2009 Terms that spring to mind are: Vitality Beauty Diversity Meeting individual needs Personalised Success for all

Curricle noun historical a light, open, two-wheeled carriage pulled by two horses side by side. ORIGIN mid 18th cent.: from Latin curriculum ‘course, racing chariot,’ from currere ‘to run.’ How do we reconceptualise ‘curriculum’ Our challenge is to move from… a narrow path to be run as a race to…a rich field to explore with treasures to discover Educators of Primary age children have always leant towards a holistic, personalised pedagogy. Your challenge now is to uphold that approach and strengthen it – not to succumb to the potentially minimising effects of external pressures. © Julia Atkin, 2010 Educators of Secondary age children have always leant towards a subject driven pedagogy. Your challenge now is to become a teacher of the person using your subject expertise to enrich the learning of colleagues and young learners

Educare – means to form, mold or train while… Educere – means to nurture, grow, lead out Inherent tension in the term ‘education’ Which way do you lean? Or do you successfully integrate both? © Julia Atkin, 2010

The task of the educator is not to put knowledge where knowledge does not exist but rather to lead the mind’s eye that it might see for itself. Plato The ‘essence’ of constructivism and powerful pedagogy

What is powerful learning? How do we design for transformative learning? © Julia Atkin, 2009

World 1 is my inner world, the world inside my skin - my very inner psychological world. World 2 is the world of my direct experience, the world of things I’ve done, people I have met, places I have been - this, with my inner world are the worlds of my mental models - my “knowing” of the world. World 3 is the world I know about, have read about or heard about - I do not know it directly. World 4 is the world of infinite possibilities. I haven’t heard about it nor imagined it - it is the world of my ignorance; it is the world I don’t know that I don’t know! World 4 World 3 World 2 World 1 The Nature of Learning - John Holt’s model of the worlds we live in adapted from “What do I do Monday?” © Julia Atkin, 2009

World 4 World 3 World 2 World 1 World 4 World 3 World 2 World 1 World 4 World 3 World 2 World 1 personally meaningful integrated coherent transformative transferable Natural, Powerful Human Learning – driven by purpose, desire, interest, curiosity, need – holistic growth not linear accretion or addition. © Julia Atkin, 2009

World 4 World 3 World 2 World 1 Unnatural Human Learning - ‘knowing about’ and ‘knowing about what other people know’ but NOT KNOWING! - driven by outside pressure – little personal impact. World 3 non-meaningful disconnected incoherent non-transformative not transferable World 3 World 2 World 1 World 2 World 1 They work to pass and not to know. Alas they pass and do not know! Bertrand Russell © Julia Atkin, 2009

Knowledge in Education ‘I have been convinced for some time that the “learning outcome” of ….education should be more than what the western world typically means by “knowledge”; that it is to engage the whole “being” of people, their heads, hearts and life-styles, and is to inform, form and transform their identity and agency in the world.’ Thomas H. Groome, Sharing Faith, p.2 © Julia Atkin, 2009

World 4 World 3 World 2 World 1 World 3 World 2 World 1 transformative personally meaningful integrated coherent transferable NOT non-transformative non-meaningful disconnected incoherent non-transferable What is IMPORTANT learning? © Julia Atkin, 2009

World 4 World 3 World 2 World 1 World 3 World 2 World 1 What are the factors that contribute to learning being… transformative OR non-transformative © Julia Atkin, 1999

Intrinsic motivation  learner purpose not teacher purpose  relevance/interest  challenge  curiosity Direct experience  practical application  vicarious experience; simulation; role play Crisis/catastrophe Sharing, having to teach someone else, dialogue Teacher/mentor passion Strategies which connect at the point of personal experience/story Strategies which stimulate emotions Strategies which connect with, or challenge, inner belief system Metacognition - self knowledge as learner; repertoire of learning strategies; disposition to make meaning; reflection; next steps Factors which promote meaningful, transformative learning: © Julia Atkin, 2010

Achievable challenge Problem to solve Issue to explore Desire to perform, create Question Wondering Choice Negotiation Collaboration ‘RICH TASKS’ Transformative learning Key design elements Learner purpose & intrinsic motivation Problem based learning Inquiry Model Authentic performance Authentic or simulated real world context Openness Assessment of process and product Learner self reflection & self direction Appropriate support Form of expression Different pathways Able to be extended Personalised level of achievement Scaffolding of process Accessible resources Expertise Formative feedback Stimulate metacognition Goal setting Identifying level of support needed Reflection Self (Peer) Expert Holistic Multi- sensory is enhanced by which have ensuring involve provision of including involve includes © Julia Atkin, 2010

INSTRUCTIVIST vs CONSTRUCTIVIST PEDAGOGY Direct, explicit Instruction Learner initiates, chooses, directs Teacher facilitates OR © Julia Atkin, 2007 In recent years, approaches to teaching have become caught in an ‘either - or’ conceptualistion of pedagogical approach rather than a ‘both-and’ approach. A true ‘constructivist’ approach focuses on ensuring meaning and understanding are constructed in the learner’s mind. At times, for certain students in certain contexts this might demand direct, explicit instruction or it might mean open exploration or it might require some approaches in between.

Reframing... going beyond ‘EITHER-OR’ to ‘BOTH-AND’ CONSTRUCTIVIST PEDAGOGY Direct, explicit instruction Modelling Providing ‘scaffolds’ Nudging, prompting Giving formative feedback Complex, holistic, authentic tasks Learner initiates, negotiates, chooses, directs Teacher facilitates It is not a matter of either direct, explicit instruction vs learner driven learning but rather a valuing of learner initiated, learner directed learning and the flexibility & skilfulness on the part of the teacher to be able to use a repertoire of strategies in response to the learner’s needs. © Julia Atkin, 2007 WHAT directs my teaching approach? Knowledge of learners Intentionality -desired learning -strategies to achieve - make explicit to learners Responsiveness Learner self direction - learner self reflection - identification of need FORMATIVE ASSESSSMENT

If we are to prepare all students for ‘lifelong learning’ what learning is essential in the compulsory years of education? With regard to the Learning Areas, we must be able to answer ‘WHY’ learn in these Learning Areas? Given the rapid growth of knowledge we must also be able to identify: 1. the BIG IDEAS/UNDERSTANDINGS, and 2. the POWERFUL KNOWLEDGE MAKING AND KNOWLEDGE SHARING PROCESSES inherent in each Learning Area...if we are to define a foundational curriculum for the DEVELOPMENT OF SELF AND SELF FOR SOCIETY and to enable lifelong learning. Julia Atkin © 2009 Moving from topics and themes to concepts, processes and enduring ideas

PROCESS to explore WHY the Learning Areas? Group staff according to areas they ‘love’ (Primary) or teach (Secondary). TASK: What is the essence of your Learning Area? WHY learn Science? English? Social Sciences? The Arts? Health PE? Technology? Languages? Maths? PROCESS: Re-imagine a great learning experience in the Learning Area you are considering. Relive the experience…relive the feelings. Using your non-dominant hand, jot down some words and/or phrases that capture the feelings. What does learning in this area mean to you personally? What does it add to your life? Share your learning experience with others in your group. How can you convince others of its worth? Capture and express WHY learn …. Draw on your stories and feelings to communicate its worth. Design a way of sharing this with the whole group. Julia Atkin © 2009

PROCESS to share and refine When each group reports back ask the others if their school learning in that learning area led them to value the Learning Area in the same way? What would it have taken for them to have experienced the ‘essence’ of the learning area? REFINE Each group the refines their own ‘essence’ statement for the Learning Area. Julia Atkin © 2009

Reference against the NZ Curriculum essence statements for the Learning Areas. REFINE your own statement as needed. Julia Atkin © 2008

The next step is to identify the BIG IDEAS/UNDERSTANDINGS/CONCEPTS and the POWERFUL PROCESSES in each Learning Area. It is important that individuals do their own thinking on this before referring to the Curriculum document. Use the document to refine and extend your thoughts. Having established the BIG IDEAS in each Learning Area… What BIG IDEAS are common to all Learning Areas?  BIG ENDURING IDEAS as the organiser for a spiral curriculum Eg from one school’s work – Interdependence, Change as two of their five What CONCEPTS/UNDERSTANDINGS have strong overlap in two or more Learning Areas? Julia Atkin © 2010

Local CONCEPTS -WAYS OF WORKING –WAYS OF EXPRESSING Designing our way forward KEY COMPETENCIES BIG ENDURING IDEAS VALUES Languages The Arts Technology Social Science Science Health/PE Maths English Principles: High Expectations, Treaty of Waitangi, Cultural Diversity, Inclusion, Learning to Learn, Community Engagement, Coherence, Future Focus © Julia Atkin, GLOBAL

What Learning Experiences are necessary for each learner to grasp the big UNDERSTANDINGS and the POWERFUL PROCESSES? What are the issues, questions, curiosities, desires of the learners that could drive learning experiences through which these BIG IDEAS can be developed? How can the learner’s local context serve as the basis for authentic learning? How will you ensure that what is important is learned powerfully? Julia Atkin © 2008