Yvonne Smith, Keryn Davis and Sue Molloy
Early Childhood Folio Vol. 15 No. 2 (2011)
15
In this article, Yvonne, a junior school teacher, describes how she decided to explore how key competencies could be integrated into the daily programme, and assessed, without creating extra workload for teachers. The article outlines how, with support from research co-ordinators Keryn and Sue, Yvonne developed a way in which she could document the learning of key competencies and the learning of the subject-related learning areas at the same time.
Nikki O'Connor and Susie Greenslade
Early Childhood Folio Vol. 15 No. 2 (2011)
30
Two teachers research the documentation, continuity and complexity of key competencies in their combined new entrant, Year 1 and Year 2 classroom. They wanted to find ways to make the continuity visible without losing the complex interconnection of three aspects: key competencies, subjects and topics of interest. They saw the value of analysing case studies, and began to describe them as co-constructed pathways of learning. This article sets out the case study for one of the children, Kaleb, analysing the learning using four dimensions of strength.
Margaret Carr and Sally Peters
Early Childhood Folio Vol. 15 No. 2 (2011)
1
It is with great pleasure that we write an introduction to this special issue of the Early Childhood Folio on key learning competencies across place and time. Publication of these working papers (adapted and edited for the Early Childhood Folio) from a Teaching and Learning Research Initiative (TLRI) project means they will now be widely available for teachers. These are articles by teachers for teachers.
Michael Harcourt, Gregor Fountain and Mark Sheehan
set 2011: no. 2
26
This article critiques a recent professional development course for history teachers that explored how students could use memorials and heritage sites to engage with the concept of significance and how this could contribute to them developing expertise in historical thinking. The course challenged teachers to consider historical significance in terms of disciplinary characteristics (as opposed to memory-history), to move away from the teacher transmission/storytelling model and to incorporate the key competencies in their teaching.
Andrea Wilson-Tukaki and Keryn Davis
Early Childhood Folio Vol. 15 No. 2 (2011)
20
A research project in this early childhood centre investigated the (school) key competency relating to others. The teachers were particularly interested in this key competency because relationships, and the empowerment of children and families, had always been key concepts for the centre. In order to research their understanding of relationships they asked “What does relating look like for children here?” Staff collected Learning Stories about relating-in-action from the children’s portfolios.
Nadine Bashford and Claire Bartlett
Early Childhood Folio Vol. 15 No. 2 (2011)
25
The authors work with infants and toddlers and had become interested in rethinking the language associated with learning dispositions in documented Learning Stories. They decided to develop a different language, one that better reflected their knowledge and understanding of under-2-year-olds and their learning. The teachers returned to the curriculum document, Te Whāriki, for the language, finding a “myriad” of words that described the actions and behaviour of infants and toddlers.
Mary Simpson and Tina Williams
Early Childhood Folio Vol. 15 No. 2 (2011)
4
This article explores the shift from “essential skills” to “key competencies” in the school curriculum. Drawing on information gathered from teacher interviews and observations at a New Zealand primary school, this article suggests that culture and context strongly shape and influence the interpretation of key competencies. The authors develop a metaphor—te tuangi—to theorise the relationship between a learner (akonga) and a teacher (kaiako) in a cultural and social context.
Rosemary Hipkins
set 2011: no. 3
3
This article draws on several reviews that have documented known challenges for students when learning to use graphs in science contexts. It then illustrates these challenges with examples drawn from the New Zealand Council for Educational Research’s recently developed test series, Science: Thinking with Evidence.
Rosemary Hipkins and Sally Boyd
Curriculum Matters 7: 2011
70
This paper views key competencies through a sociocultural lens to discuss the role they have played as agents of change in The New Zealand Curriculum and their as yet unrealised potential to stimulate further change. It draws on several exploratory studies to describe broad types of action and change which the key competencies have afforded, tracing several recursive cycles of professional learning during which understanding of the role key competencies might play in curriculum change became elaborated in deeper and more nuanced ways.
Chris Joyce
set 2011: no. 2
55
The literature about 21st century learning argues that we need to think differently about education. Rather than simply “knowing about” things, we want students to be able to do new things with what they know. If this is the case, we need to make sure students are provided with opportunities to develop competencies to do so, and that assessment activities reflect that this is what is valued.
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