EDUC3105: Final Course Synthesis
Jaiden Hourie, Kristiana Tosku, Iulia Majar
April 4, 2023
Comparison
01
Before we decide, let’s look at both!
OLD CURRICULUM: General Outcomes
Activity
Benefits Health
Cooperation
Do it Daily for Life
Basic Skills; Locomotor; Non-locomotor; Manipulative
Skills acquired through movement activities. Examples: dance, games, gymnastics, individual activities and alternative environment activities.
Understanding health benefits from physical activity.
Teamwork! Interact positively with others.
Continue daily active living outside of the classroom.
WHY WOULD THE PHYSICAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM BE REINVENTED?
NEW PEW CURRICULUM
Movement Skill Development
Safety
Active Living
Character Development
Healthy Eating
Healthy Relationships
Growth and Development
Financial Literacy
STRENGTHS
Reframed physical education curriculum to create a broader learning experience around physical, mental and social well-being. “Body, space, effort, and relationships.” (Laban’s movement framework, 2007)
Along with teaching the value of incorporating exercise into everyday life, whether it be at home or at school, there is more emphasis placed on mental health and social well-being; taking care health comprehensively, as part of a daily lifestyle.
New Emphasis
Wholesome Development
(International Physical Literacy Association, 2014)
STRENGTHS CONT.
Alignment
Creativity and Innovation
Alignment within progression of knowledge and skill in scope and sequence/ vertical alignment within and between grades. Offers effective transfer of knowledge.
Emphasis on alternative activity and environments allows for students to explore “a wide variety of physically challenging situations; and, [to be] perceptive in ‘reading’ all aspects of the physical environment, anticipating movement needs or possibilities and responding appropriately to these, with intelligence and imagination.”
(PHE Canada, 2011)
(Whitehead, 2001)
WEAKNESSES
Overwhelming
Balance
Few Alternative Perspectives
In Alberta Education’s effort to create a more well-rounded curriculum, educators are left feeling like they do not have sufficient time to reach all outcomes. Adding 4 more outcomes puts stress on the system and educators.
Emphasis on alternative, non-sport, activities could come at the detriment of sports skills and therefore love of sport.
FNMI perspectives are entirely ignored and little emphasis is placed on the importance of integration of alternative perspectives. In Canada, this is unacceptable.
Prescription of Pedagogy
WEAKNESSES CONT.
The new curriculum works in theory but can fall short in practice.
The overemphasis on content leads to a prescription of pedagogy, namely the TPSR model. While this is a great model, it may not align with all educators for all outcomes.
Choice in education is not limited to the students but the educators, as well. We can feel pressured to achieve outcomes and disregard our students in our lesson planning and execution.
EXAMPLE: GYMNASTICS AND DANCE
OLD
NEW
Gymnastics skills developed in nearly every grade.
Gymnastics not included at all.
Dance mentioned briefly in grade 5 only.
Dance steps and skills included in every grade.
VS.
HOW?
EVER ACTIVE
HPEC
DPA
There exist some incredible resources for us to achieve the lofty goals of PEW in Alberta. These are a few that we feel stand out as promising ways and proactive practices for implementing the curriculum.
CURRICULUM RATINGS
OLD
NEW
CURRICULUM RATINGS
2.5/5
3.5/5
— Seneca First Nations
“It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is because we do not
dare that things are difficult.”
THANK YOU