SCHOOL-BASED CURRICULUM INNOVATION (SCI) PAPER School: Canberra Primary School, Singapore

Title of SCI: Empowering the future today – Creators in the 21st Century and beyond

Network / Curriculum Focus: Initiating Courageous Innovation

Principal: Miss Selvarani Ratnasingam Research Activist: Loh Siew Yi Co-Author(s): Loh Siew Yi Date: 15 September 2008

Abstract of SCI (not more than 150 words) : This paper introduces how the school’s vision of building vibrant citizens connected to the world and people in the changing contexts of the 21st century is encapsulated in its myriad of pedagogical approaches ranging from experiential learning, philosophy for children to human dynamics. In order to equip its students with the dispositions and skills critical to handle new knowledge and face complexities of the future dynamic landscapes, the school’s programmes are centred on building global and attuned learners who observe, explore and discover their surrounding environments through good questioning and investigative skills. As they analyze the real-life issues around them, they also learn to use language in varied contexts, and develop the self-confidence and social skills to better understand the contexts and rationale surrounding the issues.

Paper (not more than 5000 words) : 1.0 Introduction There is a greater awareness and drive within many education systems calling for a shift in the approach towards teaching and learning to one that engages pupils. As such, teachers are having their roles radically changed from one of dispenser of knowledge and information to one that facilitates children’s ownership and participation in their development of that same knowledge, information and skills. This shift is in tandem with the world’s changing contexts of the 21st century which requires people familiar with and skilled in competencies necessary for the knowledge driven and technologically influenced era. Canberra Primary has taken on the challenge and embarked on a journey of curriculum change and innovation so that we can better prepare our pupils to take on the emerging complexities whilst staying connected and attuned to our society and the wider world. The curriculum will equip our pupils with the disposition and skills to uncover and construct knowledge. Pupils will learn life long and technological, skills build upon a strong subject content foundation. Therein, a significant element of teaching and learning will be the integration of ICT/IDM in the curriculum to provide a rich learning experience. Towards these ends, we are redesigning the school’s teaching and learning framework involving curriculum integration implemented through appropriate pedagogical approaches. This paper aims to provide an insight into the shifts in the education landscape in Canberra Primary, Singapore through a literature review. Thereafter we provide an overview of the

programme that we have designed, which we term Canberra Experience (CE). As evaluation of our curriculum innovation efforts are necessary, we discuss the research questions that guide in our evaluation of our programme, processes and structures put in place to implement the programme and a conclusion. 2.0 Literature Review 2.1 Canberra Experience The rapidly changing global economic landscape has accelerated the pace of competition. This has consequently changed qualitatively how economies like Singapore need to respond for their continued economic survival and geo-political relevance. Competent human resource equipped with a different set of skills and attitudes rather than cheap human resource is necessary (NCREL, 2003). Thus Canberra Experience was crafted aligned to the school’s vision, mission and values for two reasons. One as mentioned above, requires us to develop people with strong analytical, communication and interpersonal skills and a spirit of venture, entrepreneurial and openness to greater uncertainties (Tan, 2006). As put forth by Jukes, the current generation of pupils is hardwired differently and as such their learning needs, preferences and styles are markedly different (Jukes, 2006). The digital natives have a significant digital orientation towards IDM in life which extends to and impacts the learning style necessary to engage them (Prensky, 2001). Education thus has to adapt to this situation as well as reinvent itself to engage pupils in school and ensure pupils learn from curriculum within school (ibid; Twist & Withers, 2007). Whilst there are schools that have adopted IDM, these have yet to be undertaken pervasively on a school wide basis within these schools. The affordances provided have not been effectively exploited such as in gaming (Egenfeldt-Nielsen, 2007). Further, neither have the adoption of emerging technologies with educational application against the backdrop of digital natives been pervasively tested and investigated in schools. The use of imagery in communication, ability to express ideas and communicate in a range of media and choosing media appropriate to task, thinking in multimodal terms and participating actively in collective and social intelligence communities thus will be factored into our curriculum (Bryant, 2007). 2.2 Curriculum The changing landscape of the learning environment demands a review of the curricular framework of the school. Veen et al. (1995) stress that curricula innovations should go hand-in hand with ICT implementation. Technology will result in new approaches to the curriculum (Tweddle, 1993). To accommodate the technological functions, the curriculum content will likely change pragmatically when the implications of the technology for education are addressed (Knight and Knight, 1995). As pointed out by Richard Hall (2002), the project manager of a higher education initiative in UK, using online learning and teaching, ICTs should be used to help align learning, teaching and assessment. Crucially, this means that reassessing curriculum design, rather than focusing upon curriculum delivery, is fundamental. (R. Hall, 2002). Therefore, it is critical that there is alignment in terms of curriculum amongst the departments in the school with the 3 programmes of Canberra Experience and the pervasive use of ICT.There is thus a need to relook at the school’s curriculum rather than just reviewing the strategies being used by the teachers. As put by Jacobs, a pioneer advocator of curriculum maps, curriculum maps are used to create a workable, vibrant, overall picture of the curriculum through information gain about ongoing work throughout the building of the map, identify curricular gaps, find repetitions, target potential areas for integration, match assessment with standards and review timelines. (Jacobs, 1997) Thus at Canberra, curriculum maps provides a bird’s eye view to the school’s

curriculum and allows the school to have a big picture of what is going on throughout the six levels. This will then reduce the possibility of over lapping in terms of teaching, identify gaps in our pupils’ learning and sieve out possible areas of integration intra-level and inter-level. Data on the curriculum map can be examined both horizontally through the course of any one academic year and vertically over the student’s K-12 experience (Jacobs 1997). Whilst it is important to move parallel to the change in our pupils’ interest and abilities, we must ensure that having infused ICT into our lessons, changes must also occur in the national curriculum and in the national examinations to accommodate these abilities. Vital to note is that the adoption of IDM technologies afore is not an end in itself. The IDM enabled pedagogical models upon which the adoption and integration of IDM is based, will be aligned to, and reinforce the pedagogies and strategies upon which CE is founded such as inquiry based learning. According to Forgarty, there are four winds of change that drives the need to integrate curricular. The ideas of the theorists, challenges of the teachers, concerns of the parents and perspectives of the pupils require a curriculum that can incorporate it all (Forgarty, 2002). Thus, curriculum integration is being widely practiced by many educators globally. However, to optimise curriculum integration, it requires teachers to understand integration as a long term process that not only allows pupils to learn and see the surface link across a wide spectrum of subjects and content but also to allow pupils to master an in depth knowledge of that link in each individual topic within the subject(s). Educational leaders and consultants concur that deep-level learning transforms an individual’s world-view and allows learners to apply their knowledge in new contexts, whilst surface-level learning focuses upon reproducing information (Entwistle, 1992; Prosser and Trigwell, 1999). The pupils need to fully grasp the deep–level of understanding of the subjects before they are able to apply their knowledge in new contexts. However, that is not to say that we completely ignore showing pupils the link across subjects. Allowing pupils to understand and see what they are learning is being connected. Giving students the big picture will enable them to see “what’s in it for me”, a crucial concept in motivating learning (R. Halls, 2002). Many educators also misunderstand that curriculum integration is about integrating as many subjects as possible so that pupils can see a link across a wide spectrum. What they fail to see is that, the link is only obvious when there is a level of understanding. Jacobs came up with a continuum of integration (Figure 1) for selecting the degree and nature of integration and to help to choose the most fruitful type of content delivery system. (Jacobs, 1989)

Figure 1. Continuum of Options for Content Design 3.0 Canberra Experience Drawing for the afore observations, we derived Canberra’s experience as part of the our FutureSchool project. Canberra’s FutureSchool project builds on its existing vision, mission and values. Termed collectively as Canberra Experience (CE), the project is guided by 3 key programmes, Discoverer, Global Learner, Attuned Learner. Essentially this will involve

Discipline Based

Parallel Disciplines

Multi-Disciplinary

Interdisciplinary Units/ Courses

Integrated Day

Complete Program

equipping the pupils with the appropriate knowledge, skills and values, which will be achieved through the integration of subjects involving approaches and strategies that enable pupils to explore and uncover knowledge on their own through inquiry and innovation. The Canberra Experience will anchor on providing intellectual, vibrant and rich learning experiences where our pupils will be immersed and equipped with digital media literacies and people skills.

3.1 Curriculum Canberra Experience (CE) will engage learner and empower them with knowledge, skills and values for the dynamic future through three programmes:

1. “Discoverer” where learners will explore and investigate the world around them, enabled by mobile learning and data collection tools in physical environments and simulations in virtual learning spaces. They will connect with learning communities to access digital resources and share their thoughts to arrive at higher levels of understanding in different areas of knowledge.

2. “Global Learner” who learns and appreciates language, art and music in varied contexts through role-play. They will engage in student journalism, digital storytelling and art review, supported by media creation tools in varied environments. They will be able to connect with different audiences through online channels to exchange views related to cultural and global issues.

3. “Attuned Learner” where the learners chart their own development in terms of mental and physical health using their own online journals. They will have the opportunities to develop their own character through varied situations and access learning activities customised to their learning styles through online facilities.

Within each programme, subjects are integrated by themes and common areas of skills development while maintaining the integrity and aims of the constituting subjects (Table 1).

Table 1. Integration of subjects Programme Subject Focus of Integration

Discoverer English Language, Science, Mathematics

- Development of questioning skills, inquiry techniques and an understanding of the nature of Science and Mathematics through guided research and journaling

English Language, Social Studies, Art

Global Learner

Mother Tongue Languages, Art, Civics and Moral Education (CME)

- Development of information and media literacy, global and cultural awareness, active citizenry and communication skills through online collaborations and role-play

Attuned Learner

Physical Education (PE), Health Education (HE)

- Development of self-responsibility for holistic health (in varied environments) through individualized self-management plans

Using Robin Forgarty’s webbed model, which weaves themes into the various disciplines, we have derived a integrated curriculum, based on a big idea, which is to be explicitly taught to the pupils, for the term (Figure 2). Each integrated curriculum for the term is supported by a second layer of integration of skills and values, which is modeled after Forgarty’s threaded model, where cognitive tools and cooperative strategies that cross disciplines is integrated with content (Figure 3).

Figure 2. Integration of subjects (An example of subject integration using the web model)

Figure 3. Integration of skills and values (An example of skills and values integration using the threaded model)

3.2 Approaches Teaching and learning is guided by a student-centered approach that emphasizes rich experiential learning opportunities, e.g. through learning trails and technology-stimulated environments from which learners are exposed to varied situations and tasks. The use of authentic tasks and contexts that encourage meaningful learning. Specific subject content, skills and values are taught and learned through subject-based approaches and strategies, for example, problem-solving approach for Mathematics, inquiry-based learning approach for Science, STELLAR (Strategies for English Language Learning And Reading) approaches for English Language and skills development through sports and games for Physical Education (PE). In addition, relevant approaches and strategies are adopted to enhance the learning experiences so that learners can develop the desired abilities and skills under the respective programmes (Table 2).

Table 2. Approaches and strategies Programmes Approaches / Strategies Discoverer English Language, Science, Mathematics

- Questioning (e.g. Socratic Questioning); guided research (experiential learning) • Enables learners to observe and explore the world around

them through good questioning and investigative skills which help them organize information and draw conclusions.

• Enables learners to develop the confidence to form their own understanding of situations and events around them through using a good knowledge base of how ideas are formed and checking against real world information

• Complements the inquiry-based approach and strategies in the learning of Science

• Complements the emphasis on meta-cognition in the learning of Mathematics.

Global Learner

English Language, Social Studies, Art Mother Tongue Languages, Art - Role-play (experiential learning); questioning (e.g. Socratic

Questioning) • Enables learners to learn and use language in authentic and

varied contexts and develop confidence in communication, global and cultural awareness through journalism, digital storytelling and art review

• Enables learners to analyze real-life issues around them and better understand the contexts and rationale surrounding the issues.

• Complements STELLAR approaches and art discussion strategies

Attuned Learner

Physical Education (PE), Health Education (HE) - Human Dynamics based strategies

• Enables learners to develop self-confidence, social skills and the knowledge, skills and values in PE and HE according to their learning styles

• Complements PE and HE focuses on physical, mental and social health

3.3 Technology The use of IDM will augment Canberra Experience to provide our pupils the edge in learning and working in the foreseeable IDM pervasive environment. Canberra’s FutureSchool IDM programme will consist of three niche technologies. Namely, they are

1. Use of Gaming in Education – to include both the use of mixed-reality, serious games as well as game creation as learning activities.

2. Application of Virtual, (Mixed or Augmented) Reality in creating simulated learning environments.

3. Mobile Learning activities aided by emergent mobile learning technologies. Over and above such emerging technologies, Canberra’s IDM programme will also include a fourth technological area, that of new media skills.

4.0 Research Question Undertaking such broad based curriculum innovation necessitates, as in any programmes within schools, some means to evaluate the impact of our intervention had to be devised. To that effect, we are guided by a series of research based questions that will be undertaken. In the area of curriculum innovation, we are guided by the following research focus: “Does the provision of an integrated curriculum translate to the pupils’ ability to attain a deeper understanding of the disciplines?” As the school in the first year of the implementation of our revised curriculum framework, the staff is focused on curriculum design and curriculum integration planning. Staff has also been undertaking reflective practice and observation by peers to refine their plans. As the plans will be reviewed and refined at the end of the year, only baseline data will be collected at the end of the year 5.0 Research The planning of the curriculum change started around the last quarter of 2007. Early this year, the planning carried on and is still on going with implementation being carried out simultaneously. As such, a huge amount of time and effort has been spent in the thinking and the doing and we have not conducted the research. However, a brief idea of how the research will be conducted is explained in the following paragraphs. 5.1 Research Design The curriculum innovation in Canberra Primary is a school wide innovation which thus restricts us in terms of randomizing our subjects. As such, using the experimental research design would raise questions about the validity of the findings. Therefore, using the quasi-experimental research design, which is used when randomization is not possible, would be the most feasible design. However, care must be taken in this case as well as it is a school wide innovation, it would mean that there is no control group from the school. The school is exploring ideas of collaborating with another school to form the control group.

5.2 Measure As randomization is not possible in this case, we can adopt a pre and post-test equivalent groups design (Figure 4). There is a need to measure the groups’ equivalence to ensure that the control group and the pupils from our school, which forms the experimental group, is equivalent. Using the pre and post-test equivalent groups design can help to avoid the single group threats. To ensure that the pre and post tests are parallel, we are using two different tests to avoid the testing threat, both the tests should have the same mean and standard deviation.

Figure 4. Pre-and post-test equivalent groups design The dependent t-test can be used to compare the control and experimental group if we are able to show that the pre and post tests are parallel. If we are to examine individual classes, the independent t-test can be used. As t-test results indicate the probability of chance occurrence of an observed difference, but do not indicate the magnitude of the difference, we can use effect size to measure the observed difference in standard deviation units and the magnitude of the difference (K.C Soh). 6.0 Processes and Structures Much of the research cannot be shared yet and there are no substantial results to evaluate the innovation. Alternatively, for the purpose of this paper, much of the processes, structures and insights into the project can be shared in the following. This will enable others who wish to undertake a similar journey to note processes and structures that may have an impact on a successful beginning. 6.1 Process The entire journey of curriculum design based on curriculum integration and identified pedagogies undertaken for the project has been very dynamic, rigorous and involves substiantial investment of time. When the journey first started in September 2007, teachers formed groups according to the levels they teach and took a small step towards curriculum integration. Based on principles of Understandnig by Design, the teachers met and brainstorm for big ideas and enduring understanding that will underpin the integration and that could align with the national syllabus . It was tough in the beginning as the project was to be implemented for the lower primary first (7 to 9 years old). That meant that big ideas and enduring understanding had to be simplified enough for the younger ones to be able to grasp. Changes that arouse at this stage such as change of teachers and change of resources impacted the first drafts of the big ideas and resulted in some that could not be incorporated. There was a need to revist the plans. In Janurary 2008, which is the beginning of the academic calendar for Singapore schools, teachers were deployed to different levels and everything almost started from scratch. However, their first experience in curriculum design facilitated their re-design.The process then became more and more dynamic as the teachers went on professional development and learnt more about curriculum design and integration as well as pedagogice and came back and brought new perspectives and dimensions to the project. Next, the teachers brainstormed for enduring understanding and big ideas. In terms of curriculum integration models, there was, through practice, a tendency to adopt the webbed and threaded model to create the first draft

G1: O1 X O3 G2: O2 -- O4

of the curriculum integration for the second quarter of this academic year. Teachers sat down and discussed briefly and created the first round of lesson plans for the different disciplines. After which, they came back together to review the lesson plans and read through them together, getting the planner to explain the lesson plan so that all the teachers in the level had a common understanding. Peer critique was an approach used herein. The teachers did not work in isolation. Specialist domain experts such officers from the curriculum planning and pedagogical unit and the educational technology division of the Ministry of Education were attached to the teachers. These officers joined in the efforts to review the lesson plans. Arising from their expertise, they surfaced wide and in depth perspectives that were hidden to the teachers and sharpen our unit and lesson plans for us to further refine them.. The teachers added in the new dimensions to the lesson plans ensuring they align their lesson plans with CE. This process helped the teachers when they were planning the subsequent terms’ lesson plans as they were able to incorporate all the different angles that were previously mentioned. The sessions with the curriculum officers also helped the teachers to un-peg the big ideas and strengthened their understanding of the 3 programmes that constitute CE.. Initially during the first planning session, although the teachers did discuss the big ideas but they did not arrive at the same common understanding for the big idea. Subsequently, for the remaining two terms, one of the teachers from each level attended a workshop on curriculum design and read up on a curriculum design that they adopted for the level. The levels adopted Grant Wiggin’s and Jay Mc Tighe’s Understanding by Design (UbD) model and Ralph W. Tyler’s Naturalistic model. Then the teachers went on to un-peg the big ideas, going through the process of determining the enduring understanding that they want the pupils to know and what kind of essential questions to ask. This helped to achieve a common understanding that can be seen across all the lesson plans. The sessions with the curriculum officers were also very enriching time because a lot of reflection and thinking took place then. Then it was back to the same rigor of creating, reviewing, evaluating and revising the lesson plans after that. The evaluation of the lesson plans was done together with the curriculum officers and very often they helped to identify pedagogical strategies and approaches that can help the teachers refine their lessons. At the end of each term, teachers capture their reflection and all these reflection are collated to help develop a big picture of the entire process. Beyond the planning stage, the implementing of the unit plans and lesson plans involved evaluation and involvement of the curriculum planning and educational technology officers. A key part of the process in the school’s effort at curriculum innovation involved lessons being peer reviewed. This involved both the adoption of lesson study process in a simplified form as well lesson observation by the team from the ministry. Such a process enabled the identification of factors that can affect the quality outcomes of the unit and lesson plans. Besides providing such information, the discussion that took place between the teachers and the officers from the ministry further deepened teachers pedagogical understanding. Facilitating this was the approach adopted by the officers from the ministry where they focusesd their observation and feedback on pedagogies rather than time and classroom management of teachers.

The entire process has helped the school refine and align its curriculum with the innovation. In addition it has helped to develop the teachers professionally. The teachers in the level has definitely become more critical in their assessment of lessons and are able to create more pedagogically sound lesson plans than before. 6.2 Structure Embarking on such a massive project requires some structure to be put in place. The school has set aside every Monday to be the training day for the teachers. Any training for new strategies, approaches or theories will be conducted on this day in school if it is for about 30% or more of the teachers. Beyond the core learning programmes, these Mondays were left untouch. Staff was able to use the time for their curriculum design and planning.. Furthermore, in built into the school’s time tabled time, there is one and a half hour set aside as reflection time for the entire level to discuss curriculum and pedagogical matters, It is not sufficient for the levels to work independently as the CE is a six year process where content, values and skills need to be built upon and layered on as they pupils progress from Primary One to Six. As such, monthly professional development sharing time is also allocated into the school’s time tabled time. Once a month using the staff contact time, a time where all teachers meet, the teachers from the first three levels will get together and share the things done in each level so that the teachers in the other level can take into consideration what has been done. Although teaching and learning continues in school, the planning and implementation process is still on going. As such, there is also a need to plan the professional development of the teachers. Similar to co-operative learning strategy of expert groups, one or two teachers from each level are sent for training on key pedagogies, curriculum design and integration so that they become the “experts” in the area and come back to school to facilitate the designing process by the rest of the teachers in their respective level.

7.0 Conclusion The curriculum innovation journey whilst challenging and intensive has been rewarding in many areas as indicated thus far. In conclusion, there are various factors that have to be taken into consideration especially as leaders in the school. There is a need to balance the needs of the school with those of the pupils, teachers and parents. There is also a need to strike a balance between innovation and what the pupils have to learn. At the end of the day, as school leaders, teachers and parents, we are mindful that our pupils do have thorough understanding of key concepts and content. The project constitutes massive amount of ideas, planning and implementation and hence requires strong and relentless leadership support and institutional support. The first year of curriculum innovation has indeed brought out substantial learning points that the school will bear in mind as we progress to the remaining level in 2009. 8.0 Bibliography Bryant, L. (2007) “Emerging trends in social software for education.” Becta, Emerging Technologies for Learning, Becta: UK.

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