THE ARK - SECTION 3
CURRICULUM QUESTIONS... hmmm, is this really my business?
How well do I need to know the curriculum? Knowing the curriculum is the responsibility of teachers in schools but knowing that the skills and knowledge you bring into the school will compliment, enrich and support the curriculum is a real advantage.
What significance does the curriculum have in the project brief provided by the teacher?
The South Australian Curriculum Standards and Accountability (SACSA) Framework describes the curriculum Key Ideas and Outcomes all learners can expect their education to be built on. Teachers are expected to use this framework to guide curriculum planning and monitor learning outcomes.
What impact does this have on planning / programming my work?
On the one hand, offering a workshop / project which is integrated with other curriculum areas and is already aligned to the SACSA Framework makes it very attractive to schools / teachers. On the other hand, you might prefer to plan collaboratively with the school / teacher to combine the skills you offer with a particular curriculum focus.
How detailed do I need to get?
This is entirely up to you! But remember, knowing the curriculum is primarily the business of teachers. Your job is to provide valuable arts learning experiences through skills and knowledge in your chosen arts form.
What is the R-10 Arts Teaching Resource: SACSA Companion Document Series? The R- 10 Arts teaching resource is one in a series of companion documents to the South Australian Curriculum, Standards and Accountability (SACSA) Framework.
The purpose of this document is to provide a sample range of learning descriptors relating to the Key Ideas and Outcomes in arts R- 10 .
The SACSA website introduces viewers to the Framework and provides a comprehensive overview of the various elements that make up the Framework.
SACSA - South Australian Curriculum Standards and Accountability Framework
http://sacsa.sa.edu.au
The Essential Learnings Within the SACSA Framework, five Essential Learnings have been identified. They are: Futures, Identity, Interdependence, Thinking and Communication .
Specifically these Essential Learnings foster the capabilities to:
- develop the flexibility to respond to change, recognise connections with the past and conceive solutions for preferred futures . (Futures)
- develop a positive sense of self and group, accept individual and group responsibilities and respect individual and group differences. (Identity)
- work in harmony with others and for common purposes, within and across cultures. (Interdependence)
- be independent and critical thinkers, with the ability to appraise information, make decisions, be innovative and devise creative solutions. (Thinking)
- communicate powerfully (Communication).
These are the life skills that students learn by engaging in arts experiences.
Children are powerfully affected by storytelling, music, dance and the visual arts. They often construct their understanding of the world around musical games, imaginative dramas and drawing (as most parents would have observed).
Eloquent Evidence: Arts at the Core of Learning, national Assembly of State Arts Agencies, 1995 www.nasaa-arts.orinasaanewslee.pdf
Participation in the arts is an effective route to personal growth, leading to enhanced confidence, skill building and educational development which can improve young people's social contact and employability.
Francois Matarasso, Use or Ornament - social impact of participation in the arts, Comedia, UK, 1997
More details about each of the Essential Learnings is available at...
http://www.sacsa.sa.edu.au/index_fsrc.asp?t=EL
