Innovative in Design

There’s a problem when the curriculum design is based on a different era with different challenges and different needs than those we are currently facing or destined to face in the future. As technology progresses, education must keep pace. Old thinking is not going to work to solve today’s problems. Invariably, the curriculum design itself needs to adapt to meet changing learning needs and teach new skills needed to improve society. We need to ask ourselves if the knowledge we are sharing is still relevant in today’s world? Writing code, for example, is a more efficient learning outcome for this generation and the next, than spending hours of classroom time learning to write cursive, as I did in my childhood. It made sense for my lived experience. Not so much today. STEM is transdisciplinary. The skills of tomorrow are needed in all intersections of society. We live in an increasingly interdependent world and we need to start thinking about possibilities and start preparing our children for problems and opportunities that may not even exist yet.

Meta-learning is revolutionary thinking and is what is needed for modern curriculum design. Why would we separate knowledge, skills, and character? They go hand in hand. How we behave and engage in the world (character) is directly related to how we use what we know (skills). A child who is struggling emotionally is going to struggle developing communication skills as well. Social and emotional learning and development of a strong moral character is essential to developing the 4 C skills - creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration. By building character, through mindfulness, restorative practices, wellness activities… We can build resilience and make access to knowledge more accessible for all learners. By harnessing knowledge, skills, and character, we can delve into a deeper learning experience that encourages the growth mindset and is more attuned to the needs of 21st century education. Self-reflection and being open to self-criticism and accepting change is a necessary component of teaching and learning. Education must adapt to the needs of a new world with new priorities.

Our STEM program at MUN Education was a refreshing take on modern curriculum design. It’s what attracted me to the program in the first place. I hated the MUN Math Placement Test and how it categorized myself as mediocre in my mathematics ability, while I excelled in the course I took (a course based on timed tests incidentally). When I learned that the STEM program was open to my involvement, despite my social sciences background, I was quick to jump on board because I knew that they understood 21st century learning and how character, skills, and knowledge can contribute in different ways to meeting the needs of a constantly changing and increasingly interdependent world.

I believe grounding our program in a restorative framework from the onset helped instill a sense of character, mutual respect and trust in our group. This helped enhance our curiosity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration skills. We were challenged to think critically and engage with the material in multiple ways, in a cross-disciplinary approach, tying theory to practice, involving ourselves in community learning and action, immersing ourselves in new learning environments, with new learning tools and technologies. All the while we were encouraged to reflect on our experience, question our predispositions and grow as professionals.

I know my growth mindset is developing everyday and I have greater self-efficacy and understanding of myself as a teacher and as a person, as a result of a curriculum design that is designed with me in mind.

A curriculum design that takes a responsive approach to teaching and learning, designed with my individual learners in mind, is what I will strive for in my pedagogy and professional practice.