Before I
summarize the key points from the presentation, please note that this
is, and it isn't, the process you are accustomed to for curricular
renewal. Yes, the development time was short and there is no
committed funds to implement, but there is also no timelines for
implementation and there are multiple venues for providing feedback.
So with that in mind let's take a closer look at what was released.
Friday
Release
For those
unable to attend the conference and the Ministry session you can find
the presentation posted at www.bcscta.ca.
There were three parts to the presentation:
- Why the Changes?
- What's been done to date?
- What's next?
As discussed in
previous posts, there is a new system wide curricular revision
initiative currently underway. Science is in the first wave of
development. While there seems to some attempt to brand the thinking
and focus as new and innovative, in reality much of what is being
discussed can be found in the front end documentation of the Pan
Canadian document. Some of the words and labels are different or
missing, but essentially we are striving to develop scientifically
literate students within an Inquiry-Based learning environment. This
goal has been in BC Science curriculum for a couple of decades and I
am glad to see that focus continues to be important.
Much of the
presentation focused on process and it was good to hear the voices
from the BCTF members of the committee as well. Curriculum
development is difficult work. I believe a key for teachers to
understand the changes is to participate in the discussion and to
make sense of the words on the paper that define what we are mandated
to teach. I think a key belief from the committee, and the Ministry,
is that there will be less of everything so that teachers have more
time to explore various interests of their students. While I totally
support this direction, I think it's also important to have some
guidelines and markers for teachers to use as they develop their
program.
At this point,
the documents on-line may not have enough support to clarify what it
will all look like at the end of the day. While this may make many
feel uncomfortable right now, I think it is clear from the committee
that the intent is to be somewhat vague at this point in the
development. Many times it was mentioned in the presentation that
your feedback and your opinions matter. It was stressed your feedback
would guide the next steps .
This view was
confirmed when I met with Ministry Curriculum Manager, Brent Munro
after the conference. He wanted me to pass on to folks the
reassurance that all feedback submitted to the Ministry will be
reviewed. Once analyzed the draft document could undergo revisions
with the existing committee, a new committee or tweaked in-house if
folks are generally happy with the current draft. So, over the next
couple of months, I encourage you to review the draft online or
download a copy. Share your thoughts with colleagues and provide the
Ministry and BCTF with your thoughts. Information on how to submit
your review will be posted at:
https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/node/2314.
Or, you can share your thoughts at www.bcscienceinteractions.com
As a starting
point to this discussion, I share the following scope and sequence chart I crafted showing the flow of topics from K to 9. Below each
topic is the Big Idea from the curriculum. Having produced textbooks
since 1998 with the Big Idea as the organizing structure, it's nice
to see this feature now in the curriculum.This interpretation is mine
and I hope it helps to move the conversation forward over the next
months.
Next time we'll
focus on how Inquiry-Based learning is being reflected in the draft
document.
