Ministerial Order and Competencies

Prepared by SAPDC Learning Facilitator Team

NEW MINISTERIAL ORDER ON STUDENT LEARNING

http://education.alberta.ca/media/6951645/skmbt_c36413050707450.pdf

COMPETENCIES

A focus on competencies is less about knowing something and more about how and where to access the information and then engaging ethically and entrepreneurially with what is known to create and innovate. This shifts education away from a process of disseminating information to a process of inquiry and discovery.

WHAT IS A CROSS-CURRICULAR COMPETENCY?

• An interrelated set of attitudes, skills and knowledge

• Applied in developmentally appropriate contexts for successful living and learning

• Applied from K-12 across all subject/discipline areas

Literacy

Numeracy

Arts

Language Arts

Mathematics

Science

Social Studies

Wellness

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WHY CROSS-CURRICULAR COMPETENCIES?

• Growth of the whole child

• Enable personalized learning

• Support teacher decision making

• Provide consistency across subject/discipline areas and in assessing and reporting

THE 10 CROSS-CURRICULAR COMPETENCIES

a)Know how to learn

b)Think critically

c) Identify and solve complex problems

d)Manage information

e)Innovate

f) Create opportunities

g)Apply multiple literacies

h)Demonstrate good communication skills

i) Demonstrate global and cultural understanding

j) Identify and apply career and life skills

CROSS-CURRICULAR COMPETENCIES

WHAT IS A COMPETENCY INDICATOR?

Competency indicators are expectations (attitudes, skills, knowledge) that describe behaviours (emotions, thoughts and actions) that students demonstrate (ideas, processes, products and values) in their continued growth within a competency.

CROSS-CURRICULAR COMPETENCY INDICATORS MODEL

SAMPLE LEARNING EXPERIENCE

Learning Experience:Your community is planning to build a new recreation centre and is looking for residents of the area to share ideas. You have the opportunity to offer your suggestions to the planning committee. Think about the activities you would like to do at the centre. Research what other communities offer at their recreation centres. Considering the needs and interests of your community, select a format that will best communicate your ideas to the planning committee. Use your research to support your ideas.

SHARING LEARNING

EXPERIENCES

In your context, what would competency-focused learning experiences look like?

QUOTE FROM THE FIELD

We chose to switch our planning approach from project-based learning with competencies as a supporting role to looking first at the competencies that fit best with our program of studies then designing an appropriate project. The results were richer skills, attitude and knowledge development in our students. We are transformed as a learning community.

(Cheryl Devin, Teacher, Alberta School)

What does this mean?

For School Based Leaders?

For Teachers? For Schools? For Jurisdictions?

For Students?

Please share thoughts with your

colleagues