“THE WORLD IS CHANGING…
Parents want their kids equipped to succeed. So do teachers. So do we.
The world is changing – and we have to change too. Technology and innovation are reshaping society – and the future.
That’s why it’s critical we refine our education system, designed in the last century, so students can succeed in the 21st Century.” — BC Ministry of Education
The above excerpt is taken from BC’s curriculum website… we are on the cusp of change and what an exciting time to be a part of education!
There has been a new paradigm shift to educate for a “way of being” rather than just the delivery of “knowledge”. Which, as a Christian School, we have already known is best way to approach education. This now gives us the space and opportunity to refine and be even more intentional with this in our classrooms.
The Ministry of Education for BC has rolled out a new BC Ed Plan that will commence September 2016. In preparation for this, our teachers and staff are currently doing Professional Development for understanding new strategies in delivery and formation of education in BC. September 2016 will see the implementation of this new initiative in Grades K-9 with High School to follow in September 2017.
The New BC Ed Plan has developed Core Competencies that we want our graduates to attain during their education experience K-12. The Core Competencies focus on the student to develop confidence and aptitude in: Communication, Creative Thinking, Critical Thinking, Positive Personal and Cultural Identity, Personal Awareness and Responsibility, and Social Responsibility.
As Parents of school age children you should read them at the new ministry website;
https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/competencies
When you read the profiles for each competency, you quickly see the “I am” statements written from the students’ perspective. This is a refreshing look at the learner and a learner profile for each student. Getting to know students for how they learn and who they are as learners provides us with a foundation to build on that is unique and individual for each student.
This change in education delivery will bring a new way of assessment and reporting on students’ progress. We are waiting for the Ministry of BC to send out their latest publication in this area so we can formulate how we will assess and report.
How do you see this New BC Ed Plan helping your child as a learner in our educational system?
This is exciting! Vangel has been doing some consulting lately with Regent Christian regarding personality and different learning styles using the DISC personality profiling and I was just reflecting with her this morning in relation to the understanding of the different learning styles, motivations and communication styles and I feel it’s a core principle in the “dwelling together according to knowledge” action that the bible calls us to. If educaters get ahold of this reality it’s going to have a major good impact not only on the students but also the stress level of the teachers on how to deal with the different types of kids and help them succeed. I’m excited to see the shift in the education system because it’s the foundation of our society and too many kids that dont “fit in” to the old way of doing things have been “left behind” or have had to fight beyond the confines of the old “system” to feel and be successful.
thanks Wade, you share some good insights!