Curriculum Update, delivered direct to schools once each term, outlines
recent projects to support teaching and learning, together with information
from current research that could be valuable to schools in their pursuit
of excellence in teaching.
Index
Greetings from the Ministry
A note of thanks
The Arts in the New Zealand Curriculum
Online materials
Teaching and learning in the arts
The arts curriculum in relation to the National
Certificate in Educational Achievement
Answering your questions
Greetings
from the Ministry
Ngā mihi nui mō te wāhanga-a-tau hou o te kura
September 2000 saw the launch of The Arts in the New Zealand Curriculum.
A curriculum statement written in English has now been published for
each of the seven essential learning areas. In te reo Māori, the
parallel statement for the arts, Ngā Toi i roto i te Marautanga
o Aotearoa, will be delivered to schools teaching in the Māori
medium later this year. Consultation is proceeding on the draft statement
for health and physical education in te reo Māori, Hauora i roto
i te Marautanga o Aotearoa, with the final document expected in 2001.
Publication of these last three documents signals the end of eight years
of development and reform in all the essential learning areas of the
New Zealand Curriculum.
Schools can now see the whole landscape of the New Zealand curriculum.
Many schools are developing their own innovative approaches to delivering
the curriculum and to providing the best possible learning opportunities
for their students. Schools now need to think about how they will offer
the arts to their students as they move to incorporate the new curriculum
into their strategic planning and curriculum programmes. Schools have
two years to prepare for the mandatory implementation of this curriculum
statement in late 2002.
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The new government, in particular, Prime Minister Helen Clark, has
dramatically lifted the profile of the arts in New Zealand and signalled
that growth in the cultural sector will be good for the nation as a
whole. In this issue of Curriculum Update, we include comments from
teachers on positive teaching and learning opportunities in the arts.
In this publication, we also outline some of the Ministry of Education's
planning and strategies to support boards of trustees, principals, and
teachers in the arts and we relate the arts curriculum to secondary
assessment and the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA).
The Arts in the New Zealand Curriculum is the culmination of five years
of research, policy development, and consultation, both nationally and
internationally. A flyer with the 19 June 2000 Education Gazette identified
the different forms of consultation undertaken on the draft arts statement.
It also set out the levels of support indicated by the consultation
reports, outlined the debate about generic arts, summarised the suggestions
for changes to the draft and the actions taken, and looked ahead to
implementation. To request further copies of the flyer, email the Ministry
of Education at: curriculum@minedu.govt.nz
In-depth information on the policy background to the arts curriculum
and on the consultation and reporting is available on the Ministry's
website at: www.minedu.govt.nz/goto/thearts
.
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A
note of thanks
Earlier this year, a randomly selected sample group of schools were
invited to respond to questionnaires on the Ready to Read series and
on Learning Technologies Planning Guide for Schools. The data derived
from these surveys, together with specific comments, will be helpful
to future development of learning materials. The Ministry of Education
thanks participants warmly for their contribution.
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The
Arts in the New Zealand Curriculum
By the beginning of term 4, schools will have received the final curriculum
document for the arts, together with the following support materials:
- a short video intended to inform and enthuse parents, board members,
principals, and teachers;
- a poster setting out the content of the curriculum and some aspects
of implementation;
- ten copies of a pamphlet introducing The Arts in the New Zealand
Curriculum to teachers and boards of trustees. (See page 1 of the
October Resource Link for details of how to order more copies of the
curriculum document and the arts pamphlet.)
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Essential
viewing
Rollover title here to view
the
'The Arts in the New Zealand Curriculum' table. An outline of 'Implementation,
Professional Development and Materials and National exemplars.
Professional
development
Professional development in the arts begins in 2001 and will be nationally
co-ordinated, centrally funded, and regionally based. Opportunities
for professional development will be available in each arts discipline
and aimed particularly at primary schools and generalist teachers. Four
new national co-ordinators in dance, drama, music, and the visual arts
will guide and support all aspects of professional development from
2001. (These positions were advertised in the 4 September 2000 Education
Gazette.)
Planning
strategically
Principals, boards of trustees, and teachers will be looking at The
Arts in the New Zealand Curriculum and planning to implement the new
curriculum in their schools. One example of how principals and boards
of trustees might organise a three-year cycle of implementation and
self-review is set out below. (copyright: the New Zealand School Trustees
Association).
Other examples of self-review timetables and strategic plans are available
on the new website for the National Education Guidelines:
www.tki.org.nz/e/governance/negs
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| |
Term
1 |
Term
2 |
Term
3 |
Term
4 |
| 2000 |
Health and safety |
Finance |
Curriculum 1Gather information
about the arts and plan for next year. |
Personnel |
| 2001 |
Self-review |
Curriculum 2
Health and physical education |
Property |
Community consultation |
| 2002 |
Local property goals |
Curriculum 3
Review arts implementation |
Administration |
Strategic plan |
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Online
materials
Tracy McLennan (Hutt International Boys' School) was a writer for
the arts site on Te Kete Ipurangi. She says:
- This material will be a vital first port of call for New Zealand teachers.
The wide range of examples for levels 1 to 5 are detailed and will give
busy teachers a real kick-start with the new document. Perhaps of most
value will be the starting points and resource ideas - check out the
sound clips and video extracts for real examples that work. The ability
to print off the material creates a ready-to-go unit of work for teachers
in need.
Tracy urges teachers to go to www.tki.org.nz/e/arts,
select Unwrapping the Arts and explore the options available.
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Teaching
and learning in the arts
Visual arts teacher Judy Matthew (Newlands College) welcomes the new
arts curriculum as an opportunity to improve understanding of the
arts and to apply creative teaching approaches:
- The arts are not less important than sports or traditional academic
subjects, nor are they a therapeutic "extra". Understanding the
arts' value in society, their relationship to culture and technology,
and their contribution to gaining and using knowledge, skills, language,
values, and beliefs may help overcome negative stereotypes within
the school community.
- The Arts in the New Zealand Curriculum has the potential to lift
learning across the curriculum by fostering creative, analytical,
and problem-solving skills and encouraging critical thinking. These
skills have been identified by employers as essential to future
success. The cultural inclusiveness of the arts statement has the
potential to contribute to raising the achievement of Māori
and Pacific students and closing the gap. The four arts disciplines
also offer ready opportunities for cross-curricular units or integrated
approaches to the whole curriculum.
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The
arts curriculum in relation to the National Certificate in Educational
Achievement
For secondary schools and teachers in the arts disciplines, it is
fortunate that developments in the arts curriculum and the NCEA are
happening concurrently.
Visual arts teacher Judy Matthew (Newlands College) says:
- The achievement objectives in The Arts in the New Zealand Curriculum
offer opportunities to revisit and build on prior learning and enable
senior students to explore new connections and further develop their
knowledge and skills. The arts curriculum also provides direction
for the writing of programmes that will give students the learning
to successfully complete NCEA qualifications.
Drama teacher Stephen Aitken (Havelock North High School) adds:
- Historically, the arts have had to struggle for a voice in New
Zealand society, particularly among males. This document gives a
collective strength to the arts disciplines in New Zealand education
and brings the arts from the fringe to the mainstream. This shift
can be allied to the NCEA, which will offer each arts discipline
to students as a nationally recognised qualification.
The panels of experts in the arts disciplines (with the addition of
experts in art history) met again this year to review levels 2 and
3 of the NCEA and to draft the level 2 and 3 achievement standards.
These were sent out to all schools and other institutions for consultation.
The comments and feedback were considered by the arts panels in September.
Further development is continuing, with feedback from schools a key
part.
Information on the NCEA developments is available on the Qualifications
Development Group website at:
http://www.minedu.govt.nz/goto/ncea
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Answering
your questions
A network of regional spokespersons has been formed to answer any
media or school questions to do with the new arts curriculum. Any
queries should be directed to the contact people in your area:
Auckland
- Tina Hong: phone (09) 623 8899, extn 8759; fax (09) 623 8898;
email t.hong@ace.ac.nz
- Shona McIntyre Bull: phone 025 293 4559; fax (09) 828 1756;
email s.mcintyre@ace.ac.nz
Hamilton
- Graham Price: fax (07) 838 4555;
email grahamp@waikato.ac.nz
- Clare Henderson: phone (07) 838 4500, extn 7912; fax (07) 838 4555;
email clhend@waikato.ac.nz
- Rob McGregor: phone/fax (07) 575 7341;
email r.mcgregor@paradise.net.nz
Central North Island
- Jill Brandon: phone (06) 356 9099, extns 8860 or 8703; fax (06) 351
3474;
email j.b.brandon@massey.ac.nz
- Jan Bolwell: phone 025 226 5755
Wellington
- Helen Willberg: phone (04) 476 8699; fax (04) 476 7189;
email helen.willberg@wce.ac.nz
- Perry Rush (c/- Tawa City School): phone (04) 385 8939;
email perry.rush@tawa.school.nz
Christchurch
- Merryn Dunmill: phone (03) 348 2059 or 021 213 7401; fax (03) 348
4311;
email merryn.dunmill@cce.ac.nz
Dunedin
- Sara Whitaker (c/- Musselburgh School): phone/fax (03) 455 4586;
email whitakers@ezysurf.co.nz
Published 2000 for the Ministry of Education by Learning Media Limited,
Box 3293, Wellington. Website: www.learningmedia.co.nz Copyright ©
Crown 2000 All rights reserved. Enquiries should be made to the publisher.
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