Getting Through the Curriculum

Traditionally, the focus in education has been on content delivery and, for the most part, has taken a top down approach (i.e. teacher imparts knowledge to students and learning takes place). Still today I hear teachers say things like “I have a curriculum to get through" -- with an emphasis on I. Most teachers I talk to agree that we need to change what teaching and learning looks like in order to meet student needs; however, there is pressure to follow curriculum documents and assess students accordingly. As a result, there is a fear that if the teaching and learning model changes from something that has worked in the past, more or less, we may not “get through” the curriculum expectations and students may not acquire the ‘required’ knowledge and skills.

The discussion paper, "21st Century Competencies", refers to numerous educational jurisdictions, studies and experts to define 21st Century competencies and explore why and how these competencies should be taught and nurtured in students. The four most prominent competencies involve: critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity and innovation (12). I think everyone in education would agree that it makes sense to help students develop these abilities, but there needs to be a shift “in the role of teaching from ‘focusing on covering all required content to focusing on the learning process, developing students’ ability to lead their own learning and to do things with their learning. Teachers are partners with students in deep learning tasks characterised by exploration, connectedness and broader, real-world purposes” (Fullan & Langworthy, 2014, p. 7)’ (32).”

We need to find ways to meet the curriculum expectations but to do so in a manner that emphasizes 21st Century competencies and is presented in a way that engages and excites students about learning. We also need to meet students where they are in terms of their needs. What’s more important: to “get through” the curriculum or provide opportunities for students to learn based on their needs?