Developing Competencies Continua The Educated Citizen …schools in the province assist in the development of citizens who are: thoughtful, able to learn and to think critically, and

B U R N A B Y

A P R I L 2 6 , 2 0 1 6

Core Competencies

Key questions…

What are the core competencies?

How do they fit with everything else?

How do they connect to my context?

What are some ways to get started?

What are the core competencies?

Core competencies are the sets of intellectual, personal, and social and emotional proficiencies that all students need to develop in order to engage in deep learning and life-long learning.

BC Core Competencies

Communication

Creative Thinking

Critical Thinking

Positive personal and cultural identity

Personal awareness and responsibility

Social responsibility

Social Responsibility

• Contributing to community and caring for the environment

• Solving problems in peaceful ways

• Valuing diversity• Building relationships

Personal Awareness and Responsibility

• Self-determination• Self-regulation• Well-being

Positive Personal and Cultural Identity

• Relationships and cultural contexts

• Personal values and choices

• Personal strengths and abilities

Turn to your neighbour and share…

…an example you have seen in your own classroom or school of students demonstrating ONE of these:

Communication

Creative Thinking

Critical Thinking

Positive personal and cultural identity

Personal awareness and responsibility

Social responsibility

Where did they come from?

Our collective niggling feeling that we were often missing, setting aside, or failing to articulate some of the most essential aspects of education…

…and it resulted in the “unhiding” of the hidden curriculum, especially for social-emotional learning.

Made in British Columbia

1. We checked in with First Peoples scholars and knowledge keepers

2. 20 districts, 300 teachers, Strong Start to Gr 12…to capture diversity

3. Teachers worked across grade levels and subject areas

4. All development was based on things happening in classrooms already…to ensure authenticity

5. There was no recipe…to encourage creativity and risk-taking

Advice from First Peoples

Advice was sought from Aboriginal scholars and knowledge keepers before development started, and as a result:

inclusion of Identity as a separate competency

emphasis on integrated, holistic nature of competencies (within each, with other competencies and curricula, and between school/home/community)

How do they fit with everything else?

Intended as the “bridge” between curricula and the

“educated citizen”.

The Educated Citizen

…schools in the province assist in the development of citizens who are:

thoughtful, able to learn and to think critically, and who can communicate information from a broad knowledge base;

creative, flexible, self-motivated and who have a positive self image;

capable of making independent decisions;

skilled and who can contribute to society generally, including the world of work;

productive, who gain satisfaction through achievement and who strive for physical well being;

cooperative, principled and respectful of others regardless of differences;

aware of the rights and prepared to exercise the responsibilities of an individual within the family, the community, Canada, and the world.

Core competencies are overarching…

…and embedded…

Big Ideas

Content and concepts

Curricular competencies

Core competencies

Communication

Connect and engage with

others

Acquire, interpret, and

present information

Collaborate to plan, carry out,

and review

Explain/recount and reflect

Creative Thinking

Generating ideas

Developing ideas

Novelty and value

Critical Thinking

Analyze and

critique

Question and investigate

Develop and

design

Positive Personal and Cultural Identity

Relationships and cultural

contexts

Personal values and choices

Personal strengths and

abilities

Personal Awareness and Responsibility

Self-determination

Self-regulation

Well-being

Social Responsibility

Contributing to community & caring for the environment

Solving problems in

peaceful ways

Valuing diversity

Building relationships

Social Responsibility

Joe: “Mrs. S, I had to sit with Shawn today.”

Teacher: “Why is that?”

Joe: “He needs someone to keep him focused. The problem is I didn’t get anything done on my work.”

Teacher: “Oh?”

Joe: “He is a lot of work. He must keep you busy when I am not here.”

Inclusion

A new level of commitment to inclusion

Competencies are for everyone – therefore ALL students have “profiles”

Inclusive descriptions, relentlessly strength-based, value diversity

Illustrations do not identify special needs

You will never need to do an IEP that exempts a student from core competencies.

Profiles

Creative Thinking

Profile 1

I get ideas when I play.

I get ideas when I use my senses to explore. My play ideas are fun for me and make me happy. I make my ideas work or I change what I am doing.

How to get started with core competencies

You already started. What’s new is the attempt to be more intentional and connected.

Pick ONE

…individual teacher

…department or other group

…school

BC Core Competencies

Communication

Creative Thinking

Critical Thinking

Positive personal and cultural identity

Personal awareness and responsibility

Social responsibility

Social Responsibility

• Contributing to community and caring for the environment

• Solving problems in peaceful ways

• Valuing diversity• Building relationships

Personal Awareness and Responsibility

• Self-determination• Self-regulation• Well-being

Positive Personal and Cultural Identity

• Relationships and cultural contexts

• Personal values and choices

• Personal strengths and abilities

How to get started with core competencies

Pick one.

Think about what it looks like in your subject area(s). Code up the curricular competencies.

EMBEDDED in the curriculum?

Big Ideas

Content and concepts

Curricular competencies

Core competencies

How to get started with core competencies

Pick one.

Think about what it looks like in your subject area(s).

Notice, name, and nurture it.

How to get started with core competencies

Pick one.

Think about what it looks like in your subject area(s).

Notice, name, and nurture it.

Ask students what they think it means – looks like, sounds like, examples of when they have demonstrated or seen others do it, who in their lives exemplifies it.

How to get started with core competencies

Pick one.

Think about what it looks like in your subject area(s).

Notice, name, and nurture it.

Ask students what they think it means – looks like, sounds like.

Then you might be ready to explicitly teach it.

How to get started with core competencies

Pick one.

Think about what it looks like in your subject area(s).

Notice, name, and nurture it.

Ask students what they think it means – looks like, sounds like.

Then you might be ready to explicitly teach it.

Don’t try to figure out how to assess it, until you have figured out how to teach it.

What we heard about assessment…

We won’t develop these if there are going to be letter grades or the like.

Most current assessment and reporting practices are not appropriate for the competencies.

Real inclusion means assessment and reporting have to change.

Should not be performance standards or rubrics…so developed “continua”

How continua differ from performance standards, rubrics, etc.

Positive and strength-based

Descriptive not evaluative

Additive and progressive

Describes what students can do, not what they can’t do.

How continua differ from performance standards, rubrics, etc.

Additive and progressive

Profiles are joined by and not or

Student assessment does not go backwards

Formative assessment only

Formative assessment

Use the language of the profiles to provide descriptive feedback.

Students could identify which profile best describes their current work and accomplishments.

There is no evaluative piece.

Contact

[email protected]

(subject line can be “bby core”)