Core Curriculum includes four components: seven Required Areas of Study, six Common Essential Learnings, the Adaptive Dimension, and Locally-determined Options.
Initiatives related to Core Curriculum include First Nation and M é tis Content and Perspectives, Multicultural Education, Gender Equity, Resource-based Learning, Career Development, Technology, for Teaching and Learning, Instruction, and Assessment and Evaluation.
The Common Essential Learnings (C.E.L.s) are six interrelated areas containing knowledge, skills, attitudes, and abilities that are important for learning in school and beyond. This curriculum includes instructional objectives, materials, methods, and suggestions for incorporating the Common Essential Learnings into arts education.
Arts education offers many opportunities for incorporating the Common Essential Learnings into instruction. The decision to focus on a particular Common Essential Learning within a lesson is guided by the needs and abilities of individual students and by the particular demands of the unit under study. Throughout a unit, it is intended that each Common Essential Learning be developed to the extent possible.
Within this curriculum guide, the following symbols are used to refer to the Common Essential Learnings (C.E.L.s):
C Communication
CCT Critical and Creative Thinking
IL Independent Learning
N Numeracy
PSD Personal and Social Development
TL Technological Literacy.
The following are some examples of how the C.E.L.s can be incorporated into arts education.
For more information refer to:
The Adaptive Dimension is an essential part of the arts education program. Similar to the Common Essential Learnings, the Adaptive Dimension permeates all curriculum and instruction. The Adaptive Dimension provides flexibility within the school's program to enable educators to adapt curriculum materials, instructional practices, and instructional environments to help students achieve the curriculum objectives.
The Adaptive Dimension addresses the importance of providing alternatives for students' learning to promote optimum success for each student. Learning environments for students can be made more accessible through adapting settings, methods, or materials. It is important for teachers to consider the following guidelines:
In arts education, as in other subjects, there are adaptive techniques that can assist teachers in meeting the needs of students who have diverse needs. Some students may require adaptive visual art tools or materials to derive maximum benefit from arts education.
The student who has a physical disability can create expressive movement to the best of his or her ability, or have other students adapt their movements to complement the student's work. The teacher might discover new ways to encourage a student with a severe hearing impairment to create music with computers and to use different vibration sources such as the voice, homemade and traditional instruments, or found objects to create unique sound compositions.
An adaptation for a student with a visual impairment in the creative/productive component of visual art, for example, may be the use of three-dimensional materials such as clay or wood rather than two-dimensional materials. When learning to respond to visual art that has been created by others, this student might require electronic assistance or braille resource books. The student may rely on interviews, research, and tactile observations when discussing art works.
The adaptations are determined by the impact of the disability. Consultative services regarding programming for students with special needs may be obtained through school division personnel, community resources, Saskatchewan Learning's regional offices, and the Special Education Unit.
Diversity in the classroom provides an opportunity for the Common Essential Learnings to become actualized and recognized on a daily basis by teachers and students. Communication, both verbal and non-verbal, is strengthened; personal and social values and skills are learned through understanding and providing for diverse needs; and creative and critical thinking is a required learning within a diverse and inclusive classroom.
It is critical that the arts education teacher use materials that portray persons with disabilities realistically and fairly. Wherever possible, ability rather than disability should be stressed.
Arts education is an exciting and unique way of discovering and knowing about the world and human experience. With innovative adaptations and strong support, every Saskatchewan student can realize the tremendous benefits of an arts education.
For more information refer to:
Saskatchewan Education recognizes that the First Nation and Métis peoples of the province are historically unique peoples, occupying a unique and rightful place in society today. Saskatchewan Education recognizes that education programs must meet the needs of First Nation and Métis students, and that changes to existing programs are also necessary for the benefit of all students (Indian and Métis Education Policy from Kindergarten to Grade Twelve , Saskatchewan Education, 1995).
The inclusion of First Nation and Métis content promotes the development of positive attitudes in all students toward First Nation and Métis peoples. Increasing an awareness of one's own culture and the cultures of others develops all students' self-concepts and promotes an appreciation of Canada's cultural diversity. In addition, the inclusion of First Nation and Métis content in each curricular area fosters meaningful and culturally relevant experiences for students.
The arts have always played and continue to play a vital role in First Nation and Métis communities. First Nation and Métis artists create a wide range of arts expressions that often explore topics and issues that can be used to learn about First Nation and Métis content and perspectives in a number of curricular areas. Arts education is an excellent vehicle for students to develop an understanding of traditional/historical and contemporary First Nation and M é tis perspectives.
Teachers must recognize that First Nation and Métis students come from various cultural backgrounds and social settings including northern, rural, and urban areas. It is important that teachers understand the diversity of the social, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds of Saskatchewan First Nation and Métis students. Knowledge of cross-cultural education, language acquisition theory, and second language teaching strategies assists teachers in meeting the needs of individual students. It is crucial to use a variety of instructional, motivational, and assessment approaches that are sensitive to the range of First Nation and Métis cultural values and ways of communicating.
Suggested First Nation and Métis resources are included in the sample units of this curriculum, as well as in bibliographies developed by Saskatchewan Learning. Teachers have a responsibility to choose resources carefully and to teach all students to recognize and discuss bias and stereotyping. Guidelines in Diverse Voices: Selecting Equitable Resources for Indian and Métis Education (Saskatchewan Education, 1992) can assist teachers and students in selecting resources and understanding forms of bias in resources that inaccurately portray First Nation and Métis peoples.
It is important that the Arts Education curriculum and classroom resources:
It is important to draw upon the wealth of cultural knowledge within our communities and to actively involve First Nation and Métis peoples and others from the community in the co-construction of arts education programs.
For more information refer to the Sample Checklist for Supporting the Incorporation of First Nation and Métis Content and Perspectives.
A multicultural perspective that reflects all peoples' experiences should permeate the arts education program. Some guidelines follow.
For more information refer to:
Expectations based primarily on gender can limit students' ability to develop to their fullest potential; therefore, it is the responsibility of schools to create an educational environment free of gender bias. While some stereotypical views have disappeared, others remain and attempts to provide opportunities for all students must continue.
The arts education curriculum attempts to integrate the experiences and accomplishments of both female and male artists and students in an effort to overcome the discrepancies between male and female participation, achievement, and reward. The work of female artists has not traditionally been recognized or valued to the same extent as that of male artists. This curriculum strives to make it clear that the work of both men and women is of equal value and importance in today's world.
In order to ensure gender equity in arts education, the teacher should:
To ensure gender equity within the dance strand, teachers:
To ensure gender equity within the drama strand, teachers:
To ensure gender equity within the music strand, teachers:
To ensure gender equity within the visual art strand, teachers:
For more information refer to:
A resource-based curriculum encourages students and teachers to use a variety of resources in their learning and teaching. In the arts education program, it is important for teachers to:
A contemporary view of the school depicts it as a hub with connections to the community and to various services for students and their families. This view acknowledges that the teacher cannot be all things to all people, and recognizes the legitimate role of the community in school programs. The teacher becomes the link between curricular objectives and appropriate resources, many of which exist in the community. This vision of the school makes sense for arts education, as it brings together teachers, students, artists, and communities.
Saskatchewan Learning, the Saskatchewan Arts Board, and SaskCulture have been working in partnership to address common mandates related to the arts and education. The Saskatchewan Arts Alliance is another provincial organization that is supportive of arts education programs that encourage partnerships between the arts and education communities. Contact the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation Special Subject Councils and other organizations listed in the arts education bibliographies for information about arts and cultural opportunities in your community.
This provincial arts education curriculum requires that teachers include Saskatchewan artists, resources, and cultural content at every grade. Local, provincial, and national projects that are designed to bring artists and/or community arts groups together with schools are an important means of enriching arts education programs. Resident artists in schools are also an excellent example of how teachers, students, and artists in all art forms can engage in meaningful collaboration to help students achieve arts education objectives.
Through programs such as Resident Artists in Schools, schools and communities move towards achieving the School Plus vision of working in collaboration to enhance the learning program for all students.
The artists involved in long- and short-term residencies are not to be seen as arts teachers, but rather as resources for teachers and students in fulfilling the goals and objectives of the arts education and/or English language arts curricula. It is essential that visiting or resident artists be fairly compensated for their work, and that teachers and artists plan and work together to clarify their respective roles. For example, the teacher has different expertise than the artist, but each can contribute greatly to the overall program.
Resident Artists in Schools partnerships provide opportunities for artists to inspire and motivate teachers to increase their knowledge and comfort level in the teaching of arts education. Students learn that artists are not only the Van Gogh or Beethoven of the past, but are men and women working in their own communities to express important ideas and create challenging works of art.
Implementing the School Plus vision in each community will see artists and cultural organizations involved in school programs bringing authenticity and relevance to curriculum objectives. It will see all communities ? rural, urban, Northern ? having access to the arts in various capacities, with a belief that the arts and culture are integral to communities.
To make this vision a reality, school divisions and communities are encouraged to take steps to form local partnerships. Partners might include the school board, the school division office, the schools; local artists, and dance, drama, music, and visual art organizations from the community. Partners can work together to establish priorities and develop plans and strategies to support the classroom and total school arts education program. School-community partnerships can provide the essential communication link between arts-related programming in the community and school division. Such partnerships can provide a forum for discussion of arts education-related topics and concerns; establish processes to map the cultural resources in the community; and create initiatives that bring the arts community and the schools together for a common purpose. Partnerships can develop planning processes to ensure that teachers, artists, and arts organizations are supported in their efforts to work together to help students achieve arts education curriculum objectives.
Through collaborative processes among schools and arts organizations, the arts will become meaningful to students by making connections to students' communities, cultures, and daily lives. In the long term, this will result in young people becoming more knowledgeable supporters and consumers of the arts, and young artists choosing to stay in the province because of the vibrant cultural climate.
For more information refer to:
Saskatchewan Learning is committed to the infusion of career development competencies across curricula as part of a broad career development strategy for Saskatchewan . The purpose is to equip students to achieve fulfillment in personal, social, and work roles through participation in a career building process.
In 2001, Saskatchewan Learning adopted the Blueprint for Life/Work Designs as the scope and sequence for the integration of career development competencies into Core Curriculum. The Blueprint outlines the skills, knowledge, and attitudes that are essential tools for effectively managing life/work development. This framework, which describes career development competencies from early childhood to adulthood, was developed through the collaboration of representatives of Canadian provinces and territories and is published by the National Life/Work Centre, a not-for-profit organization that supports career development.
The cornerstone of the Blueprint is the matrix of eleven competencies grouped into three sections: personal management, learning and work exploration, and life/work building. Each of the eleven competencies has been further categorized into four developmental levels roughly corresponding to Elementary Level (Level One), Middle Level (Level Two), Secondary Level (Level Three), and adult level (Level Four). Many of the competencies also contribute to the development of the Common Essential Learnings and may be achieved in conjunction with arts education objectives.
For more information refer to:
Artists in dance, drama, music, and visual art have used tools and technologies to create their arts expressions since earliest times. In fact, artists have always been involved in designing and building not only works of art, but inventions such as musical instruments, printmaking and photographic equipment, computer software, and robotics. Artists today continue to experiment with new technologies and electronic media, and use information and communication technologies to research and present their ideas to the public.
Using technology assists students in the achievement of many of the objectives in the curriculum. Students can use computers, audio and video equipment, software, multimedia resources, the Internet, and other technologies to manipulate images and sounds, and to find, access, retrieve, compose, and process information and ideas from electronic sources.
Effective software provides for different levels of instruction. It also provides a variety of ways of accessing information, learning concepts, developing skills, and engaging in creative processes in interesting ways. Ineffective software, by contrast, is often very narrow and superficial (e.g., focusing on skills and drills in isolation, and offering the learner few choices and little control). Such software often decontextualizes learning. Effective software encourages students to learn in genuine and relevant contexts.
Students have a responsibility to understand the school's acceptable use policy and to assess the accuracy and value of information from different sources. Students at the Elementary Level may use word processing, presentation, and audio-visual technologies to enhance work in arts education.
There are many excellent websites with information about Saskatchewan and Canadian arts and artists. Encourage students to become familiar with sites that may be useful in arts education projects and research.
Consult the Saskatchewan Learning Evergreen Curriculum website for electronic copies of this curriculum, bibliographies of resources, and links to other websites, discussion areas, and support materials at http://www.learning.gov.sk.ca.
For more information refer to:
Effective arts educators are reflective practitioners. They use their knowledge of their students and the curriculum to guide decisions about classroom instruction and activities. Teachers learn about the effectiveness of their teaching when they reflect on the results of learning opportunities and consider possible adaptations to help students achieve curriculum objectives. The document entitled Classroom Curriculum Connections: A Teacher's Handbook for Personal-Professional Growth, Saskatchewan Learning, 2001, is intended to support teachers in using the implementation and renewal of Core Curriculum as a means of professional growth.
Classroom Curriculum Connections describes a model for teacher-directed professional development. Three processes described in the handbook, that are designed to support teachers' self-directed professional development include:
Each process is unique – offering teachers opportunities for different forms of learning. These include opportunities to:
Stages of curriculum implementation described in the Classroom Curriculum Connections handbook include:
For more information refer to:
This section contains sample checklists for reflecting on practice and incorporating Core Curriculum Initiatives when planning arts education units.
Checklists that I intend to download, print, and adapt for use in my classroom include:
