Core Curriculum: Plans for Implementation (Saskatchewan Education, 1987) defines the Core Curriculum as including seven Required Areas of Study and the Common Essential Learnings. Four Saskatchewan Education documents elaborate on the concept of Core Curriculum.
Understanding the Common Essential Learnings: A Handbook for Teachers (1988) defines, explains, and expands upon the Common Essential Learnings.
Instructional Approaches: A Framework for Professional Practice (1991) describes and expands upon an understanding of a variety of instructional approaches, strategies, and methods for use in the classroom.
Student Evaluation: A Teacher Handbook (1991) provides information and examples of assessment tools that may be used in the assessment and evaluation of student achievement.
The Adaptive Dimension in Core Curriculum (1992) describes the adaptations a teacher can make to accommodate the diverse needs of students.
To support Core Curriculum, Saskatchewan Education, Training and Employment has other initiatives. These include Gender Equity, Indian and Métis perspectives, and Resource-Based Learning. These initiatives can be viewed as principles that guide the development of curricula, instructional practice, and evaluation in the classroom. The initiatives outlined in the following statements have been integrated throughout the Curriculum.
| Core Curriculum Foundation Documents | The Adaptive Dimension of the Information Processing Curriculum | Adaptive Practices | Adaptions for Students with Severe Disabilities | Common Essential Learnings | Gender Equity | Indian and Metis Curriculum Perspectives | Resource-Based Learning |
The Adaptive Dimension is an essential part of all educational programs. Like the Common Essential Learnings, the Adaptive Dimension 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, page 1.)
The Adaptive Dimension addresses the importance of providing students with alternative ways of accessing and expressing knowledge in order to promote optimum success for each student.
Learning environments can be made more accessible through a modification of setting, methods, or materials.
The Adaptive Dimension is used to:
These purposes address a primary function of the school, that of helping students to maximize their potential as independent learners.
Some students may find learning to be difficult or not challenging enough. With varying adaptations of teaching methods, curriculum organization, timetabling, or with the assistance of appropriate technologies, students can be active participants in the core content of the curriculum. Some general guidelines for adaptation in Information Processing 10, 20, 30 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, sound professional judgment becomes the critical factor in decision making. This curriculum guide provides the Information Processing teacher with such flexibility and encourages decision making when delivering all the objectives of the program.
Adapting instruction is not a new practice for teachers in Saskatchewan. The Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation Study of Teaching (Gallén & Bold, 1989) indicates that teachers have been responding to student learning needs through adaptation. Staff meeting discussions and staff room conversations attest that professionals are attempting to meet the challenges of dealing with individual differences.
The cues that some students' needs may not be adequately met come from a variety of sources. They may come to the perceptive teacher as a result of monitoring for comprehension during a lesson. The cue may come from a unit 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, to establishing an individual or small group enrichment activity. The duration of the adaptation may range from five minutes of individual assistance, to placement of the student in an alternative or enrichment program. The diagnosis of the need may be adequately handled by the classroom teacher, or may require the expertise of other support specialists such as the school's resource teacher.
The recognition of the need for adaptive instruction is dependent upon the professional judgment of the teacher, as the decision to initiate adaptive practices must be an informed one. While the practice of adapting instruction may occur through the placement of students in programs other than those defined as regular, the most frequent application of the Adaptive Dimension will occur as teachers in regular classroom settings adjust their use of both content and method of instruction.
Students with severe disabilities will require adaptations beyond those described in the Adaptive Dimension. These students may require modification of both goals and content of materials presented. Obtaining access to the curriculum for these students may mean the use of technological supports or other assistance. Students with severe disabilities will have personal program plans. Teachers of Information Processing 10, 20, 30 should work in conjunction with special education personnel to develop appropriate inclusionary plans for each student with disabilities.
Business Education offers many opportunities for incorporating the Common Essential Learnings (C.E.L.s) into instruction. The purpose is to help students understand the subject matter content under study and to prepare students for their future learning both within and outside the K-12 educational system. The decision to focus on one or more C.E.L.s within a lesson is guided by the needs and abilities of individual students and by the particular demands of the subject area. Throughout a unit, it is intended that each Common Essential Learning will have been developed to some extent.
It is important to incorporate the Foundational Objectives for the Common Essential Learnings in an effective manner. For example, some topics may offer many opportunities to develop the understandings, values, skills, and processes related to a number of the Common Essential Learnings. The development of a particular C.E.L., however, may be limited by the nature of the subject matter under study.
It is intended that the Common Essential Learnings be developed and evaluated within subject areas. Therefore, Foundational Objectives for the Common Essential Learnings are included. These are shown on pages O-2 to O-14 and at the beginning of each module of the program. It should be noted that many of the suggestions for developing a particular C.E.L. may also help develop other C.E.L.s. This is to be expected as the Common Essential Learnings are six interrelated sets of knowledge, values, skills, and abilities. For example, many of the processes, skills, understandings, and abilities required for the Common Essential Learnings of Communication, Numeracy, and Critical and Creative Thinking are also needed for the development of Technological Literacy.
Suggestions for incorporating the Common Essential Learnings into instruction are presented in this guide. These suggestions are not intended to be prescriptive but rather to serve as ideas for initiating further reflection and refinement.
Incorporating the Common Essential Learnings into instruction has implications for the assessment of student learning. For example, a module that has focused on developing the C.E.L. of Critical and Creative Thinking should also reflect this focus when assessing student learning. If students are encouraged to think critically and creatively throughout a module, then teachers need to develop assessment strategies for the module that would require students to demonstrate their critical and creative thinking abilities. The Common Essential Learnings are to be integrated, accommodated, and incorporated within the evaluation of each content area.
The incorporation of the Common Essential Learnings into instruction can best be accomplished through teachers reflecting upon the subject matter under study, their teaching practices and their students. By listening carefully to students and attempting to understand their perspectives and viewpoints, teachers can better reflect students' interests and concerns in the classroom experiences they provide. Giving students opportunities to learn from each others' interpretations and understandings also validates each student's personal experience. Teachers are encouraged to use the ideas suggested for the students' development in one Common Essential Learning to strengthen students' development in other C.E.L.s. It is anticipated that teachers will build from the suggestions in this guide and from their personal reflections in order to incorporate the Common Essential Learnings more fully into the teaching of Business Education.
Throughout this Curriculum Guide, the following symbols will be used to refer to the Common Essential Learnings:
|
COM CCT IL NUM PSVS TL |
Communication Critical and Creative Thinking Independent Learning Numeracy Personal and Social Values and Skills Technological Literacy |
Saskatchewan Education, Training and Employment is committed to providing quality education for all students in the K-12 system. It is recognized that expectations based primarily on gender limit students' ability to develop to their fullest potential. The world of business has been perceived by some as being dominated by males; however, that perception is rapidly changing. Trend analysts suggest that the number of females in business is increasing and that it is younger women who are entering the business world. The numbers have grown substantially since the 1980s. As these numbers continue to grow, females as well as males must be aware of and encouraged to look for career opportunities and employment prospects in all aspects of business including non-traditional and professional areas. 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. Increased understanding can be facilitated through the use of gender-balanced materials and strategies, as well as efforts to analyze current business practice.
In order to meet the goal of Gender Equity in the K-12 system, Saskatchewan Education, Training and Employment is committed to help bring about the reduction of gender bias that restricts the participation and choices of all our students. Teachers should create an environment free of bias and enable both girls and boys to share in all experiences and opportunities.
The integration of Indian and Métis content into the Kindergarten to Grade 12 curriculum fulfils a central recommendation of Directions (1984).
The commitment is further articulated in The Five Year Action Plan for Native Curriculum Development (1984). In addition, the 1989 Indian and Métis Education Policy from Kindergarten to Grade 12 makes the statement:
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. (p. 6)
It is recognized that, in a pluralistic society, affirmation of culture benefits everyone. Its representation in all aspects of the school environment enables children to acquire a positive group identity. Instructional resources that reflect Indian and Métis cultures similarly provide meaningful and relevant experiences for children of Indian and Métis ancestry and promote the growth of positive attitudes in all students towards Indian and Métis peoples. Awareness of one's own culture, and the cultures of others, forms the basis for a positive self-concept. Understanding other cultures enhances learning and enriches society. It also promotes an appreciation of the pluralistic nature of Canadian society.
Indian and Métis students in Saskatchewan have varied cultural backgrounds and come from 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 tap. 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. Theoretical concepts in anti-bias curricula, cross-cultural education, applied socio-linguistics, 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 that teachers utilize a variety of teaching methods that build upon the knowledge, cultures, and learning styles students possess. All curricula need specific kinds of adaptations to classroom strategies for effective use.
The final responsibility for accurate and appropriate inclusion of Indian and Métis content in instruction rests on teachers. They have the added responsibility of evaluating resources for bias, and teaching students to recognize bias. Within the Information Processing curriculum document, references have been added to reflect Indian and Métis content. This will provide teachers with opportunities to begin the integration and evaluation processes.
The following points summarize expectations for Indian and Métis content and perspectives in curricula, materials and instruction:
Resource-based teaching and learning is a means by which teachers can assist the development of attitudes and abilities for independent, life long learning. In resource-based learning, classroom teachers and teacher-librarians, if available, cooperate to integrate resources with classroom assignments. They plan together to teach students the processes needed to find, analyze, and present information. In schools without access to a teacher-librarian, the acquisition of resources and the integration of skills and abilities for processing information is the responsibility of the teacher. If available, school library consultants or other subject specific consultants at the division office level may be useful.
Resource-based learning is student-centred. It offers students opportunities to direct their own learning and to explore information in both depth and breadth. When students are encouraged to make choices in an environment rich in resources, they are well on their way to becoming autonomous learners.
The library resource centre staff may assist the teacher of Information Processing by: