BC is redesigning its curriculum to better prepare students for an uncertain future. The new curriculum focuses on developing competent and well-rounded citizens through an emphasis on core competencies like critical thinking, problem solving, and social-emotional skills. It uses a 3D model of knowing content, understanding key concepts, and being able to demonstrate skills. The goal is to ensure students master important ideas and can apply higher-order thinking rather than just achieving good test scores. Feedback on student work should focus on constructive comments rather than scores alone, as scores don't provide meaningful information to support learning.

1. BC’S NEW CURRICULUM
Why now?

2. SCHOOLS HAVE TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR JOBS THAT
HAVE NOT YET BEEN CREATED, TECHNOLOGIES THAT
HAVE NOT YET BEEN INVENTED AND PROBLEMS THAT WE
DON’T KNOW WILL ARISE.

3. WHAT IF THE BET IS
MISPLACED AND THE
PROMISE BROKEN?
Asking a child to devote 12 years
of his life to the study of something
is akin to placing a bet for his
future.
~Zhao, 2012

4. The Educated Citizen
• 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.

5. EMPLOYMENT AS SHORT HAND FOR
THE EDUCATED CITIZEN

6. QUALIFICATIONS AND
COSTS OF
EMPLOYMENT
In a world where jobs can be and
have been moved around
globally, anyone could potentially
go after any job he or she desires.
~Zhao, 2012

7. IF ALL CHILDREN ARE ASKED TO MASTER THE SAME KNOWLEDGE AND
SKILLS, THOSE WHO COST LESS WILL BE MUCH MORE COMPETITIVE
THAN THOSE WHO COST MORE.

8. A CHALLENGE WITH THE GLOBAL
HOMOGENIZATION OF LEARNING
For people to be globally competitive,
they must offer something qualitatively
different, that is, something that cannot
be obtained at a lower cost elsewhere.
And that something is not great test
scores in a few subjects or the basic skills
because those can be achieved
anywhere.

9. WAIT! WHAT?
The redesign of curriculum maintains
a focus on sound foundations of
literacy and numeracy while
supporting the development of
citizens who are competent thinkers
and communicators, and who are
personally and socially competent in
all areas of their lives.
~BC Ministry of Education

10. B.C.’S KDU CURRICULUM MODEL
o the 3-D curriculum model: Know, Understand, Be
able to Do
o B.C.’s KDU model
o content learning standards = what students will know
o curricular competency learning standards = what
student will be able to do
o big ideas = what students will understand

11. • Core Competencies are explicit in redesign
• Focus on the important concepts and big ideas
inherent in the discipline
• Emphasize higher order learning and deeper learning
• Integrate and embed First Peoples Principles of
Learning and Aboriginal knowledge and world views
~BC Ministry of Education
Guiding principles
CONCEPT-BASED, COMPETENCY-DRIVEN
CURRICULUM…

12. Thinking Competency
• Critical thinking
• Creative thinking
Communication Competency
• oral, written, visual, digital; includes collaboration
and reflection
Personal and Social Competency
• Positive personal and cultural identity
• Personal awareness and responsibility (includes
self-regulation)
• Social awareness and responsibility
~BC Ministry of Education
Core Competencies

13. THE IMPACT OF GETTING COMMENTS ON
ONE’S WORK – AND A SCORE
 Three ways of giving students feedback on math homework:
 1. Giving students a score;
 2. Giving students constructive feedback – specific comments on
errors, suggestions on how to improve, and at least one positive
remark;
 3. Giving students constructive feedback and a score.
 Students in the second group learned twice as fast as students in the
first. But students in the third group (comments and a score) made
no progress. Those with the highest scores felt no need to read the
comments and those with the lowest scores didn't want to read the
comments. The score was all they remembered.

14. WHAT KINDS OF REPORTS DO PARENTS
REALLY WANT ON THEIR CHILDREN?
 Parents want teachers who observe their children carefully,
develop strong learning relationships, and communicate
meaningfully
 Parents are telling us what they want: fewer grades, more
description, and more shared artifacts of teaching and learning.
“Do Grades Tell Parents What They Want and Need to Know?” by Jim Webber and Maja Wilson in Phi Delta
Kappan, September 2012