2012 CSCF Curriculum Statements.pdf - Lutheran Schools ...

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Learning through inquiryInquiry is a powerful pedagogical tool to deepen understanding in a personally engaging manner.Inquiry learning involves students forming their own questions about a topic and having time toexplore the answers. Students are both problem posers and problem solvers within inquirylearning. It is a collaborative process in which both students and teachers work togethernegotiating aspects of the curriculum. Inquiry learning encourages learners to examine thecomplexity of their world and form concepts and generalisations instead of being told simpleanswers to more complex problems. It is based on the belief that students are powerful learnerswho must be actively engaged in the process of investigating, processing, organising,synthesising, refining and extending their knowledge within a topic.(Wilson, J. & Wing Jan, L. (2003) Focus on Inquiry: A practical approach to integratedcurriculum. Melbourne, Australia: Curriculum Corporation)Essential Skills and DispositionsFor effective learning to result from a Christian Studies program various skills and dispositions are to bedeveloped. The aim is to create a community of learners who are free to express their views and travel theirown spiritual journeys. The classroom can be a meeting place where students can share their diverseunderstandings, uncertainties, perplexing questions, beliefs and faith in God. The classroom is to be a safeand supportive environment which provides opportunities for stillness and reflection, recognising that growthand transformation take time.CSCF skills and dispositions focus on the relational, cognitive, affective and spiritual dimensions of religiousliteracy:listening skills to hear, discuss and respond sensitively to the diversity of perspectives within theclassroomdiscussion skills in which clear reasoning processes are employedability to dialogue critically with diverse viewpointssocial skills which allow students to accept and honour each person’s uniqueness and respect eachperson’s need for privacy and personal spaceinterdependence and collaboration with other studentscelebration of difference and strengths within the groupknowledge and awareness of cultural similarities and differencesthe ability to own and ground one’s beliefs and ideasthe ability to reflect on one’s spiritual journeyCreating Units of WorkEngaging, stimulating units of work require clear expressions of purpose that state how studentunderstandings and skills in Christian Studies will be developed.A range of factors contributes to the selection oflearning statements and includes:student development, needs, prior learning, background, learning stylesstudent issues, questions, personal relevance and interestsconcepts being studied in other KLAssignificant events on school and community calendarsTeachers have great flexibility to create units of work that meet the needs of their students and are able todraw on a rich array of topics and contexts. Using the CSCF, units of work can incorporate learningstatements from one or more key ideas within a strand or in different strands. Units can vary in duration.The scope statements and content knowledge and elaborations in the CSCF outline the intent andconcepts to embed in a unit so that an understanding of the selected learning statement(s) can bedeveloped. The content knowledge and elaborations describe suggested ways that students candemonstrate their understanding of the concepts within the context of the unit.The learning experiences within a planned unit of work should:CSCF Curriculum Statements September 2012 – Page 10
e related to the learning statementsbe sequenced to maximise development of concepts and knowledgeencourage and address students’ questionsdevelop critical, lateral thinkinginvite investigation, participation and creativityuse a wide range of teaching strategies to cater for the diverse needs of students and the range oflearning stylesuse a multiplicity of resources to create a rich religiously literate environmentdevelop partnerships with the wider community, eg, local congregational and cultural groups,service organisationsgive room for explicit instruction, joint construction, independent learningencourage learners to take control of their learningoffer multiple challengesaddress the cognitive, affective and spiritual dimensions of learningprovide opportunities for reflection and actiongive students opportunities to apply and demonstrate their learning at various phases of the unitdevelop the appropriate components of Lifelong Qualities for LearnersNo single proforma is prescribed to plan units of work. Teachers will be directed by their school in type ofproforma and detail of unit plans. However, the chosen proforma needs to include:unit title and durationband level, year groupstrand(s), key idea(s) and learning statement(s)unit overview and purposeessential question and deep understandingspecific knowledge and elaborationsassessment as, of, forstudent needs, prior learning, interests, questionsspecial consideration for individuals or groups of studentslinks to Lifelong Qualities for Learnerslinks to achievement standards of other learning areas if appropriatesequenced learning opportunitiesrelevant resourcesunit reflection and evaluation Refer to Sample Unit Planner in Appendix 7 for creating units of work.Assessing and ReportingAssessingAssessment describes the ongoing process of purposeful gathering, analysing and reflecting on evidencegained from student work to make informed judgements about students’ demonstration of learning.Learning statements in the CSCF describe the learning that is to be assessed. Assessing student learningis interactive involving both students and teachers in the process of making judgements about current andfuture learning. Collection of evidence for assessment must therefore be planned, focussed and systematic,reflecting the scope and increasing complexity of outcomes across band levels.A balanced approach to assessment will incorporate: assessment of learning – summative assessment collected from various assessment opportunitiesin a unit of work, used to determine students’ level of performance and for reporting students’progress in Christian Studies assessment for learning – information gained by teachers about student learning during the courseof a unit to improve the learning work for students, used to shape curriculum planning, learning andteaching practices assessment as learning – opportunities students have to monitor their learning; opportunities duringa unit of work to identify, evaluate and reflect on how they are learning, what they are learning,make connections with other learning and understanding and set goals for future learning (Earl,2003)CSCF Curriculum Statements September 2012 – Page 11
Page 2 and 3: The Christian Studies Curriculum Fr
Page 4 and 5: CONTENTSForeword 1OverviewIntroduct
Page 6 and 7: RationaleThe Christian Studies Curr
Page 8 and 9: The Learning EnvironmentTeachers pl
Page 10 and 11: BandsBands (Beginning-E) provide th
Page 14 and 15: Achievement standards for each band
Page 16 and 17: students know... (knowledge and ela
Page 40 and 41: APPENDICESCSCF Curriculum Statement
Page 42 and 43: APPENDIX 2A. Role ResponsibilitiesR
Page 44 and 45: high status of the subject implicit
Page 46 and 47: APPENDIX 4THE PEDAGOGY DESIGN PROCE
Page 48 and 49: Open, responsive communicators and
Page 50 and 51: BEGINNING :: LEARNING STATEMENTSCHR
Page 52 and 53: BAND B :: LEARNING STATEMENTSCHRIST
Page 54 and 55: BAND D :: LEARNING STATEMENTSCHRIST
Page 56 and 57: APPENDIX 7 - Sample Unit PlannerCB
Page 58 and 59: Sample Unit Planner - BLANKCBCCUNIT
Page 60: ReferencesBLS. (1999). LIFE: School

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