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 Aboriginal Content and Perspectives, Multiculturalism, Gender Equity, Career Development, and Resource-based Learning.
The incorporation of the Common Essential Learnings (CELs) into the instruction and assessment of Calculus 30 assists students with understanding and gaining the concepts, skills, and attitudes necessary for success both in school and beyond. It is important that the CELs be incorporated in an authentic manner. The following are examples of how the CELs can be used in a Calculus 30 classroom:
· teacher and students use language as a tool for learning and communicating
· students are encouraged to discuss ideas using own language and then later incorporating the related mathematical terminology
· students represent problems and understandings through a variety of communication modes
· students learn to read and understand in mathematical contexts.
· students further develop their number sense within new contexts related to the subject of Calculus
· students further develop their recognition of patterns and how to represent the patterns mathematically
· students further develop their ability to read graphs and functions for information in order to understand and analyze.
· students engage in activities that require exploration and manipulation in order to develop own understandings of a concept
· students listen, read, and view ideas and concepts analytically and critically
· students are encouraged to find alternate solutions and interpretations
· students are asked to make and justify decisions based upon understanding of calculus concepts
· students pose questions and seek clarification from peers, the teacher, and other sources
· students consider various points of view or alternative perspectives.
· students use technology to develop concepts and to thereby facilitate learning and communication
· students develop an understanding of how technology shapes and is shaped by their lives, society, and environment
· students develop an understanding of both the value and limitations of technology within society
· students develop an appreciation of the power of using technology in the solving of complex problems, or in the generation of an approximate solution in which other forms of calculations are inaccessible.
· students learn to interact, co-operate, and collaborate through classroom activities and initiatives
· students develop and demonstrate the abilities to communicate in ways that support social harmony
· students respect cultural differences that may differ from their own
· students develop self, interpersonal, and cross-cultural understandings
· students continue to demonstrate trust in own feelings, judgement, and abilities to be self-reliant
· students demonstrate a consistent commitment to understanding their own emotions/feelings and their sources, and the abilities to use this understanding to support decision making, constructive social interactions, and strengthen learning.
· students further develop as independent learners within a classroom environment that promotes self-esteem, curiosity, competence, and trust
· students further develop knowledge, skills, and attitudes as lifelong learners
· students learn to use a variety of resources to assist their learning
· students develop the ability to plan, monitor, and evaluate their own learning.
Throughout the learning objectives, instructional notes, examples/activities, and suggestions/extensions in of the Calculus 30 curriculum, some suggestions as to how the CELs could be incorporated are given using the codes sited below. It is important for teachers to remember that these are only possible suggestions of how the CELs might be incorporated. Throughout the teaching of Calculus 30, teachers should reflect upon the incorporation of the CELs in their teaching and in student learning to ensure adequate inclusion of all CELs, where appropriate.
COM = Communication
NUM = Numeracy
CCT = Critical and Creative Thinking
TL = Technological Literacy
PSVS = Personal and Social Values and Skills
IL = Independent Learning
For more information regarding the Common Essential Learnings, refer to the following documents:
· Understanding the Common Essential Learnings: A Handbook for Teachers (Saskatchewan Education, 1988)
· Objectives for the Common Essential Learnings (Saskatchewan Learning, 1989).