What constitutes good practice in teaching from a Catholic perspective?

Professor Peta GoldburgProfessor Jim Gleeson

synthesis of ◦ culture and faith ◦ faith and life ◦ all subjects contribute to development of a

mature Christian

Church Documents

Educating to intercultural dialogue in Catholic Schools: Living in harmony for a civilisation of love

◦ The curriculum is how the school community makes explicit its goals and objectives, the content of its teaching and the means for communicating it effectively.

◦ In the curriculum, the school’s cultural and pedagogical identity are made manifest

2013

Catholic schools are encouraged to promote a wisdom-based society, to go beyond knowledge and educate people to think, evaluating facts in the light of values.

…it must also consider the cultural and pedagogical fundamentals that make up Catholic schools’ identity.

Catholic schools …should express themselves with authenticity, without obfuscating or watering down their own vision so as to acquire greater consensus.

They should bear witness by means of their own presence, as well as by the coherence between what they say and what they do.

What do we mean when we say…◦ Catholic◦ Religious dimensions of learning◦ Catholic Identity◦ Curriculum◦ Catholicity◦ Gospel Values◦ Catholic Worldview◦ Catholic Curriculum

Clarification of terms

SeparationPermeation Integration

Ontario

Where study of religion or religious experience functions as a separate area of learning

Goal – religious literacy, formation, explicit religious materials

Religious Education (classroom) Curriculum writing easy – experts in RE

Separation

School-wide task Role of Catholic School’s culture Curriculum = educational experiences planned

and guided by school Learning takes place in classroom and beyond

classroom Particular focus on social environment of school Curriculum writing - explicit religious

framework – task is school wide rather than subject-specific

Permeation

Cross-Curricular Task Difficult because:

◦ Integration shifts away from subject matter to the connections, relationships and life problems in complex world. Curriculum is described as interdisciplinary or trans-disciplinary

◦ Integration broadens the definition of curriculum to include knowledge, values and skills that bring about a critical perspective on social and global issues

◦ carries the capacity to develop curriculum that visibly demonstrates a Catholic character of learning

Integration

Sequenced

SharedWebbedThreaded

Integrated

Immersed

Connected Nested

Fragmented

Different approaches to integration (Beane, 1997)

Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

9:00 History Maths English Geography Religion

9:40 Irish CSPE SPHE Maths Science

10:20 B R E K

10:40 Music Irish History Art Geography

11.20 Business Science Maths French German

12:00 PE Religion German English Business

12:40 L U N C H

1:30 Maths Business Computers Science Maths

2:10 Art Music French Irish English

2:50 Geography English Art Music PE

What have all of these got in common??

Intra-disciplinary e.g. social justice aspects highlighted within my own subject discipline

Multidisciplinary where a common theme is addressed from varying subject perspectives while subject knowledge and skills remain the primary concern

Interdisciplinary where skills, concepts, themes are embedded in disciplines and/or standards

Trans-disciplinary where students’ questions and issues are the starting point with interdisciplinary and subject skills being applied in a real-life context

Curriculum integration (Drake and Burns, 2004)

Interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary integration are organic whereas multidisciplinary can be ‘forced’

‘Problems arise when religious concepts and ideas are forced into subject areas with little regard for the integrity of the academic discipline itself.

To develop a unit on “journeys” from the different program areas of language, self and society, and religion allows for an authentic curriculum fit.

To state, explain and use the Pythagorean theorem and then instruct teachers to tell students that Pythagoras was interested in religion does not’ (Larry Trafford, York University)

Organic versus forced integration

Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations

Course Profiles for various subjects built around the Ontario Curriculum Expectations with overlay of Graduate Expectations

Curriculum maps, grounded in RE and Family Life programme to help make the Catholic context visible in various subjects (Co-ops)

Other, including Catholic Critical Literacy principles e.g. the preferential option for the poor; Critical Thinking Tasks

A discerning believer formed in the Catholic faith community who celebrates the signs and sacred ministry of God’s presence….

An effective communicator who speaks, writes, listens honestly and sensitively, responding critically in light of gospel values

A reflective, creative and holistic thinker who… makes responsible decisions with an informed moral conscience for the common good.

A self-directed, responsible, lifelong learner… A collaborative contributor who finds meaning, dignity and

vocation in work which respects the rights of all and contributes to the common good

A caring family member A responsible citizen who gives witness by promoting peace,

justice and the sacredness of human life.

Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations

Central Office has three staff including Director Curriculum maps are developed by three

regional Curriculum Cooperatives made up of members of Catholic school boards and curriculum consultants who come together to share ideas.

Each Cooperative has four curriculum councils: Elementary, Secondary, Technology, Faith

Course Profiles are developed in collaboration with the Ontario Ministry

Modus operandi, Ontario Catholic Education

Professional development materials that help teachers implement state prescribed secondary curricula while supporting the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations

Course Profiles

They act as a “map” for teachers – discipline-specific learning; rationale; organizational structure; teaching, learning and assessment strategies; instructional resources and materials.

Whereas the Ministry Curriculum policy documents describe the “what” of learning and teachers are expected to provide the “how” of learning, Course Profiles articulate the “why” of learning.

Course Profiles

To limit curriculum to Ministry definitions … is to reduce curriculum to little more than society’s latest educational menu, solely pragmatic and utilitarian in nature, and void of any effective and convincing interpretation of existence…

…Catholic curriculum is a distinctive worldview committed to the enterprise of educating the soul (Ontario Institute, 1998).

Catholic Curriculum Maps are a planning tool that engage teachers in Catholic schools to evaluate their current instructional practices.

Curriculum maps

Clear connections between the key concepts of the curriculum and the key concepts of the Religious Education and Family Life Education programs for the grade level

How the content and skills taught in the curriculum are aligned to the Religious Education and Family Life Education programs for the grade level

How the overarching Catholic themes and essential questions hold the curriculum together and guide teacher instruction to help students look at the world through a Catholic lens

Opportunities that allow students to demonstrate their understanding of the content and skills

Catholic Curriculum Maps allow teachers to look for:

Mapping contd.

All texts are constructions- What attitudes, interpretations and conclusions has the author built into the text?- How might the texts be changed to recognize or include missing voices, especially the marginalized? alternative perspectives, including a faith perspective? All texts contain belief and value messages

- What lifestyles, values, and points-of-view are represented in, or have been omitted from, the message of the text?- Are these consistent with Catholic teaching? Each person interprets messages differently

- How might age, culture, life experiences, values, and beliefs play a role in how this text is interpreted?- How might our faith (prior knowledge and experiences) influence how the message is interpreted? Texts serve different interests

- What is the author’s motive/intent?- Who benefits if the message is accepted? Who may be disadvantaged?- Does the purpose have any ethical implications? Each medium develops its own “language” in order

to position readers/viewers in certain ways- How have the distinctive techniques, conventions and aesthetics been used to create meaning?- Do these techniques lead the viewer to a life affirming, realistic view of the world?

Catholic Critical Literacy

The ‘Defining Characteristics of Catholic Schools’ Center for Catholic School Effectiveness, School of Education, Loyola University

National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools, Loyola

Catholic Identity Defining Characteristics Staff Survey (Loyola)

And in the USA…

Freire - there is no such thing as a neutral educational process. ◦ “Education either functions as an instrument that

is used to facilitate the integration of the younger generation in to the logic of the present system and bring about conformity to it, or it becomes ‘the practice of freedom’ the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world.” 

Critical Pedagogy

Requires one to be moved to do something, whether that something be seeking reasons or seeking social justice

Criticality

Not enough that you can critically reflect and interpret the world – you must also be willing and able to act to change that world

Changing thought and practice must occur together; they fuel one another

Freire – criticality requires praxis – reflection and action; interpretation and change

Reading the world as well as reading the word

Critical Pedagogy

Critical Pedagogy - how an issue relates to "deeper" explanations - ◦ relational and dialogical

Critical Thinking emphasises immediate reasons and assumptions of an argument

Critical Pedagogy wants to consider factors that may appear at first of less immediate relevance

Critical pedagogy/Critical thinking

How has this session changed any of your beliefs about infusing the explicit curriculum with Catholic perspectives?

What action might you take in light of this? What are implications for policy at various

levels?

Talk about…