3. Choose an activity
Choose one or two activities to do in pairs or small groups. Follow the links for each activity’s instructions, worksheets and resources. Activity sheets are in Google Docs format. You can download them in Word, print them or save them to your own Google Drive for working online.
1. Talking about the key competencies
In this activity, you will talk about the key competencies. Key competencies are the capabilities people have or need to develop in order to live and learn today and in the future. They are as important for adults as they are for students. You will relate the key competencies to your own work and experience.
Each participant needs a copy of The New Zealand Curriculum and access to a laptop or tablet with Internet access and speakers.
2. Recognising learning
In this activity, you will use Ben’s mindmap to see how the key competencies provide a framework for recognising learning. You will relate this to a student you work with.
This activity works best when it is done by teachers and teacher aides who regularly work together. It is useful to complete Activity 1 before doing Activity 2.
3. The New Zealand Curriculum – overview
In this activity, you will look at the overview of the New Zealand Curriculum and talk about each component. Why is each component important and how does it relate to the others? Each participant needs a copy of The New Zealand Curriculum.
4. The New Zealand Curriculum – vision in practice
In this activity, you will talk about the vision of the New Zealand Curriculum and how it works in practice for a student you work with. This activity is best done by teachers and teacher aides who regularly work together.
5. The New Zealand Curriculum – inclusion in practice
In this activity, you will read about an example of inclusive practice from the online resource, Inclusive Practice and the School Curriculum. In Example 14, a teacher designs a unit of learning that enables a diverse group of students to achieve success. You will identify the features of the task that demonstrate the principles of UDL, ensuring inclusion from the outset, and other examples where the teacher has made differentiations and adaptations to ensure all students can participate and learn.
It would be best to include a teacher in the group for this activity. You will need to download and print copies of the example.