Professional+Learning

Helen Timperley - Teacher Professional Learning and Development - Professor of Education at the Uni of Auckland
 =Mark Treadwell =

ACEL Workshop 05/08/08
=Curriculum v2.0 = [|www.i-learnt.com] [|www.schoolv2.net]

**Main Points**

 * Need for a radical new curriculum
 * Conceptual based curriculum (informed by neuroscience)

 Curriculum notes from the day workshop Mark Treadwell's summary of day workshop

A copy of Mark's CDROM "Whatever!": the conceptural era and the r//e//volution of School v2.0 is available from the education library. Contact Judy Smith, Manager Education and training Library. p 8935 0903 e. judy.smith@nt.gov.au

Marisa's response ..... The notion of a concept-based curriculum is one that the Middle Years Curriculum and Assessment Materials Project has explored to make the Integrated Studies and Extended Studies areas of the materials have a sense of connectedness and purpose. We have referred to Wiggins and McTighe's work around Big Ideas; Jamie McKenzie's work around Essential Questions and Heidi Hayes Jacob's work on the elements of curriculum mapping, to pull the whole thing together and develop a cohesive approach to curriculum ogranisation (and then all of this of course sits within the the principles of learning design such as the 8LMQ). This was the only way we could find forward.

WhatIreakon! - WOW, what a head bend in threading all of the above together. I am not aware of Spady's spheres of living, please illuminate! I have been playing with "Big Ideas" (sprang from the Maths examples yout team sent out) as a way into designing relational learning environments. These relational learning environments incorporate: Concepts as the way to organise info, ideas, apply skills etc..Are concepts, big ideas?
 * the unistructural and multistructural learning required to understand, enjoy the Big Idea/s
 * empirical research from Hattie, MAP data etc... //and// emerging theoretical thinking and research So it is both “now” and “futures” orientated (both and at the same time).

We would like to further pursue the notion of concept based curriculum for the foundation studies and creative/practical studies too (sometime in the future).....

Our point of reference for which Big Ideas will inform the design and management of curriculum has been Bill Spady's spheres of living - we have linked these both within across disciplines or learning areas. Thanks for the label Wendy - concept based curriculum - I believe that all curriculum design needs to have a theoretical as well as empiral framework so that learning that is meaningful for students can emerge. It is the only approach that I know of (at a systemic level where you don't have the option to negotiate curriculum with individual or groups of students) that allows the curriculum designers to bring to the centre, the stage of development students at a particular stage of schooling are at.

them's my thinking - whadyareckon??