A.Y.'s English Program focuses on the development of 21st century skills.
Our Program is informed by:
The Ontario Secondary School English Curriculum Grades 9 & 10 Grades 11 & 12
The OCDSB Exit Outcomes and Strategic Plan
Core Skills and Competencies
Communication
Students are encouraged to communicate their thinking and learning in a variety of ways including writing for a variety of audiences, presenting, leading seminar discussions, developing active listening skills, and producing media products.
Critical Thinking and Analysis
Through studying literature, media, and contemporary topics, students develop skills to formulate informed opinion and beliefs. In addition, students are provided opportunities to explore and evaluate a wide variety of sources and opinions in order to analyze how these can work to develop beliefs and values.
Collaboration
Throughout AY's 4 year English program, students have regular opportunities to collaborate with their peers to co-construct learning and understanding. Students regularly reflect on their development of collaboration skills when working with peers on projects and authentic problems.
Digital Fluency
'Digital Fluency' is the ability to use technology to support learning, solve problems, and to create. In our English program students are taught and encouraged how to use a variety of media tools to critically think about class topics and problems. In addition, each year students are introduced to available technologies to support communication and media production.
Creativity and Innovation
Each year students are given opportunities to express their learning and understanding of class topics, texts, and ideas through 'outside of the box' creative projects both tactile and media based. More frequently, students are tasked to solve real world, authentic problems from a inquiry and innovators mindset using relevant skills to innovate solutions.
Globally Aware and Ethical Decision Makers
Social justice, equity, and global issues are reoccuring topics which ebb and flow through the 4 year English curricula. At A.Y., students explore topics related to climate change, the slave trade, gender based discrimination, mental health, residential schools, truth and reconciliation and global inequality. Students explore and co-construct their understanding and beliefs on these topics with the support of their teachers.