Core Curriculum: An Information Bulletin for Administrators (Saskatchewan Education, 1997) defines the Core Curriculum as including the seven Required Areas of Study, the six Common Essential Learnings, the Adaptive Dimension, and Locally-Determined Options. Computer Science is a science elective.
An Overview of Computer Science 20 and 30
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Unit |
Title |
Suggested Time (hours) | |
|
1 |
5-10 |
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2 |
5-10 |
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3 |
5-10 |
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4 |
50-65 |
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5 |
Networks (Optional) |
5 |
|
|
6 |
5 |
||
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7 |
7-10 |
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Minimum 100 hours |
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| Unit | Title | Suggested Time (hours) | |
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1 |
2-3 |
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2 |
3-4 |
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3 |
3-4 |
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|
4 |
50-65 |
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5 |
Number Systems and Codes (Optional) |
5-8 |
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6 |
3-5 |
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7 |
3-4 |
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8 |
Internet and Multimedia (Optional) |
4-6 |
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|
9 |
7-10 |
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Minimum 100 hours |
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Understanding the Common Essential Learnings: A Handbook for Teachers (1988) defines and expands on an understanding of these essential learnings.
Computer Science offers many opportunities for incorporating the Common Essential Learnings (CELs) into instruction. The purpose of this incorporation is to help students better understand the subject matter under study and to prepare students for future learning both inside and outside of the K-12 educational system. The decision to focus on particular CELs within a lesson is guided by the needs and abilities of individual students and by the particular demands of computer science. Throughout a topic, it is intended that each Common Essential Learning will be developed to the fullest extent possible.
It is important to incorporate CELs in an authentic manner. For example, some areas of Computer Science may offer many opportunities to develop the understandings, values, skills, and processes related to a number of Common Essential Learnings. The development of a particular CEL, however, may be limited by the nature of the topic.
It is intended that Common Essential Learnings be developed and evaluated within subject areas. Therefore, Foundational Objectives map to the CELs. Because Common Essential Learnings are not necessarily separate and discrete categories, it is anticipated that working toward the achievement of one Foundational Objective may contribute to the development of other CELs. For example, many of the processes, skills, understandings, and abilities required for the CELs of Communication, Numeracy, and Critical and Creative Thinking are also needed for the development of Technological Literacy.
Incorporating Common Essential Learnings into instruction has implications for the assessment of student learning. A topic that has focused on developing the CELs of Communication and Critical and Creative Thinking should also reflect this focus when assessing student learning. Assessment should allow students to demonstrate their understanding of the important concepts in the topic and how these concepts are related to each other or to previous learning. Questions can be structured so that evidence or reasons must accompany student explanations. If students are encouraged to think critically and creatively throughout a topic, then the assessment for the topic should also require students to think critically and creatively.
It is anticipated that teachers will build from the suggestions in these curriculum guidelines and from their personal reflections in order to incorporate Common Essential Learnings more fully into computer science. For example, involving students in groups to solve realistic problems helps to develop Personal and Social Values and Skills. Similarly, realistic problems provide a medium to promote the important aspects of human communication: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Additionally, Critical and Creative Thinking can be developed in the computer science program by providing students with an opportunity to ask "what if" questions. Numeracy is naturally developed throughout, especially in the use of programming languages. Having students actively use the computer as a problem-solving tool and apply computer science principles to organize data and technical information develops their awareness of the importance of information technology in an ever-changing world. Independent Learning is fostered by encouraging students to investigate the applications, history, and further study of computer science. In creating such opportunities and experiences, students will become capable, self-reliant, self-motivated, and life-long learners.
Adaptive Dimension
The adaptation of instruction to meet learner needs is an expectation inherent in the Goals of Education and is an essential ingredient of any consideration of Instructional Approaches. Like the Common Essential Learnings, the Adaptive Dimension is a component of Core Curriculum and permeates all curriculum and instruction. The Adaptive Dimension is defined as:
. . . the concept of making adjustments in approved educational programs to accommodate diversity in student learning needs. It includes those practices the teacher undertakes to make curriculum, instruction, and the learning environment meaningful and appropriate for each student. (The Adaptive Dimension in Core Curriculum, Saskatchewan Education 1992, p. 1)
The essence of the Adaptive Dimension rests in the phrase "seeking other ways". Offering students alternative access to and expression of knowledge facilitates their participation in learning. Just as physical environments can be made more accessible through modifications such as ramps or wider doorways, learning environments can be made more accessible through a modification of setting, method, or material. The Adaptive Dimension is used to:
These purposes address a primary function of the school -- that of helping students to maximize their potentials as independent learners.
The cues that some students' needs are not being adequately met come from a variety of sources. They may come to the perceptive teacher as a result of monitoring for comprehension during a test or from a student need or background deficiency that has been recognized for several years. A student's demonstrated knowledge of, or interest in, a particular topic may indicate that enrichment is appropriate. The adaptation required may vary from presenting the same content through a slightly different instructional method, to modifying the content because of a known information background deficit, or to establishing an individual or small group enrichment activity. The duration of the adaptation may range from five minutes of individual assistance, to providing opportunities for some students to expand their knowledge and extend their understandings by working independently or with a group of similar students. The assessment of the need may be handled adequately by the classroom teacher, or may require the expertise of other support specialists such as the school's resource teacher, other system-based personnel, or community resources.
Adaptations of teaching methodologies, curriculum organization, timetabling, or the appropriate use of technology assist students, who may find learning difficult, and others who are not sufficiently challenged, to become active participants in their learning. Often students will come to a Computer Science class with a strong background in some aspects of the course. Keeping these students interested while helping others who operate at a lower level is an important task for teachers. It is important that these students are challenged by their work in Computer Science and see that their advanced knowledge and expertise is acknowledged and appreciated in the class. Teachers should also be alert to deficiencies in these students’ knowledge; often self-taught computer whizzes lack in some areas necessary in a well rounded computer scientist.
Some general guidelines for adaptation follow:
The Adaptive Dimension includes all practices the teacher employs to make learning meaningful and appropriate for each student. Because the Adaptive Dimension permeates all teaching practice, professional decisions become the critical factor. This curriculum guideline encourages such flexibility and decision-making. Further information can be found in The Adaptive Dimension in Core Curriculum (1992).
Resource-based Learning
Personnel, collections, facilities, and budgets in Saskatchewan school libraries vary a great deal, and the quality of school library programs and services is therefore not consistent. Possibilities for resource-based instruction are related to the level of administrative and staff commitment to developing well-staffed and well-equipped school libraries.
Resource-based teaching and learning is a means by which teachers can greatly assist the development of attitudes and abilities for independent life-long learning. Resource-based Learning is student-centred. It offers students opportunities to choose, to explore, and to discover. Students who are encouraged to think critically in an environment rich in resources are well on their way to becoming autonomous learners.
It is important for the computer science teacher to cooperate with library staff to integrate non-print, human, and print resources with classroom assignments. The classroom teacher plans in advance with library staff and uses the library resource centre as an extension of the classroom and a place for active learning. The teacher-librarian, if available, could assist with planning assignments, integrating appropriate resources, and teaching students the processes needed to find, use, and present information.
The library resource centre staff may support the computer science curriculum by:
Gender Equity
Saskatchewan Education is committed to providing quality education for all students in the K to 12 system. It is recognized that expectations, if based primarily on gender, limit students' ability to develop to their fullest potential. While some stereotypical views and practices have disappeared, others remain. Where schools have endeavoured to provide equal opportunity, continued efforts are required so that equality of benefit or outcome may be achieved. It is the responsibility of schools to decrease sex-role expectations and attitudes in an effort to create an educational environment free of gender bias. This can be facilitated by increased understanding and use of gender-balanced material and strategies, and further efforts to analyze current practice. Both girls and boys need encouragement to explore non-traditional as well as traditional options.
In order to meet the goal of gender equity in the K to 12 system, Saskatchewan Education is committed to bringing about the reduction of gender bias that restricts the participation and choices of students. It is important that the Saskatchewan curriculum reflects the variety of roles and the wide range of behaviours and attitudes available to all members of our society. This curriculum guideline strives to provide gender-balanced content and activities and to promote teaching strategies described in inclusionary language. These actions will assist teachers to create an environment free of bias and enable all students to share in experiences and opportunities that develop their abilities and talents to the fullest.
Teachers need to believe that both females and males can perform well in computer science. Teachers should also become aware of the attitudes displayed by their students and help them to view themselves as being able to achieve in computer science. It is important to show students the relevance of computers in their lives, choosing examples that come from the experiences of all students, both male and female. From an early age, students need to be made aware that daily living and many careers require an ability to master and work with modern technology. Teachers need to be sensitive to their interactions with students and ensure that everyone takes an active part in classroom activities. Being aware of interactions between students that may reinforce limiting behaviour or attitudes and taking opportunities to discuss them will help students to acquire a broader understanding of their own abilities and their potential. All of these actions will support and reinforce the principle of gender equity in a computer science context and move toward improved teaching practice.
Aboriginal Curriculum Content and Perspectives
The integration of Aboriginal content and perspectives into the K-12 curriculum fulfils a central recommendation of Directions, Indian and Métis Education Action Plan (1995) and The Indian and Métis Education Policy from Kindergarten to Grade 12 (1995). In general, the policy states:
Saskatchewan Education recognizes that the Indian and Métis peoples of the province are historically unique peoples and occupy a unique and rightful place in society today. Saskatchewan Education recognizes that education programs must meet the needs of Indian and Métis peoples, and that changes to existing programs are also necessary to benefit all students.
In a pluralistic society, the inclusion of Indian and Métis perspectives benefits all students. Cultural representation in all aspects of the school environment helps to provide students with a positive group identity. Appropriate resources foster meaningful experiences for Indian and Métis students and promote the development of positive attitudes in all students towards Indian and Métis peoples. Awareness of one's own culture and the cultures of others develops positive self-concept and enhances learning.
Saskatchewan Indian and Métis students come from varied cultural backgrounds and geographic areas encompassing northern, rural, and urban environments. Teachers must be given support that enables them to create instructional plans relevant to meeting diverse needs. Varied social, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds of Indian and Métis students imply a range of strengths and learning opportunities for teachers to develop. Explicit guidance, however, is needed to assist teachers in meeting the challenge by enabling them to make appropriate choices in broad areas of curriculum support. Anti-bias curricula, cross-cultural education, first and second language acquisition, and standard and non-standard usage of language are becoming increasingly important to classroom instruction. Care must be taken to ensure teachers utilize a variety of teaching methods that build upon the knowledge, cultures, and learning styles students possess. All curricula, including computer science, require adaptations to the content, instructional practices, and learning environment that reflect the needs of the students.
The following four points summarize the Department's expectations for the appropriate inclusion of Indian and Métis content in curriculum and instruction.
The Computer Science Curriculum Guidelines support the expectations of Indian and Métis content and perspectives by:
The final responsibility for accurate and appropriate inclusion of Indian and Métis content in instruction rests with teachers. They have the responsibility of evaluating resources for bias and teaching students to recognize bias. The Computer Science Curriculum Guidelines provide teachers with opportunities to begin these integration and evaluation processes. The document Diverse Voices: Selecting Equitable Resources for Indian and Métis Education (Saskatchewan Education, 1995) provides support for teachers in evaluating resources for bias.
Instructional Approaches
It is necessary for teachers to use a broad range of instructional approaches to give students a chance to develop their understandings and abilities to investigate, to make sense of, and to construct meanings from new situations; to make and provide arguments for conjectures; and to use a flexible set of strategies to solve problems. In addition, greater opportunities can be provided for small-group work, independent learning, electronic networking, peer instruction, and whole-class discussions in which the teacher serves as a moderator.
Such instructional methods will require the teacher's role to shift from dispensing information to facilitating learning. New topics, whenever possible, should be introduced through real-life problem situations that encourage students to explore, formulate and test conjectures, prove generalizations, and discuss and apply the results of their investigations. As a result of such instruction, students should be able to learn computer science both creatively and independently and thereby strengthen their confidence and skill in doing computer science.
In fact, problem solving should not only be a means of instruction but also a goal. The relationship of problem solving to other teaching strategies is very fundamental. One way students can obtain practice in using a problem-solving process is for the learning situation to be one where they can discover for themselves the computer science they are to learn. Instructional Approaches: A Framework for Professional Practice (1991) provides additional information to understand and implement a variety of approaches to teaching.
The use of technology in instruction facilitates the teaching and learning of computer science. Computer software can be used for class demonstrations and independently by students to explore additional examples, to perform independent investigations, to generate and summarize data as part of a project, or to complete assignments. More information on using a variety of instructional strategies can be found in the Instructional Strategies Series of booklets published by SIDRU and SPDU.