To Phase Two
Of Catholic Curriculum Online

NOTE: This page is under construction. Please check back soon for a final version.

Those of us at Catholic Curriculum Online are excited to embark on Phase Two of a more extensive project that began on May 12, 2000. At that time, a group of representatives from Catholic School Divisions from across Saskatchewan met informally over coffee to develop a proposal under the Learning Technology/Distance Learning Content Development Project (Web-based Resources 2000-2001) sponsored by Saskatchewan Education. The successful proposal resulted in funding from both Saskatchewan Education and the Catholic Section of the Saskatchewan School Trustees' Association. A Catholic Curriculum Developer was hired, and we have just completed a very successful first year which resulted in teachers from all over the province submitting units, lessons, articles, instructional ideas, etc. that touch on virtually every curricular area. Teachers everywhere are sharing integrated units that are grounded in provincial curriculum, but permeated with a Catholic worldview based on Catholic faith and traditions. We are proud of our website and appreciative of Saskatchewan Education and the Catholic Section who encouraged us and provided us with this opportunity. In May of 2001, (exactly one year after being initiated) our project was highlighted in a widely circulated and reputable Catholic educational journal called Momentum, an NCEA publication originating in Washington DC.

In June of 2001, we were successful in securing additional funding from Saskatchewan Education, which has allowed us to now embark on Phase Two of Catholic Curriculum Online. Phase Two is intended to compliment the work begun in Phase One while providing more of a professional development focus for teachers. This second phase is being highly endorsed from a variety of sources, including, Saskatchewan Education, Saskatchewan Catholic Bishops, Catholic Section of the Saskatchewan School Trustees' Association, and experts in the field including such notable names as Dr. Gini Shimabukuro (Institute for Catholic Educational Leadership at the University of San Francisco), Sr. Mary Mullaly (Director of the Catholic School Leadership Program at St. Mary's University, San Antonio, TX), Dr. Larry Trafford (Executive Assistant with the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association: Professional Development Department), and Dr. Thomas Groome(Professor of Theology and Education at Boston College). All of these experts have provided strong endorsements of the work being done in Catholic Curriculum Development in Saskatchewan.

Click here to see photos and letters.

Professional Development in Catholic Schools

In The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School, The Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education writes "The Gospel spirit should be evident in a Christian way of thought and life which permeates all facets of the educational climate … Prime responsibility for creating this unique Christian school climate rests with the teachers, as individuals and as a community."

For teachers to meet such a challenge, they must always focus on student learning and formation within a Catholic educational context that is loving, but uncompromising when it comes to upholding educational practices that are firmly grounded in research. The Vatican Document GravissimumEducationis (1965) emphasizes the important "professional" role of teachers who need to be carefully prepared "both in secular and religious knowledge" and that they are "equipped with suitable qualifications and also with a pedagogical skill that is in keeping with the findings of the contemporary world." The Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education (1982) expands on both the professional and prophetic role of teachers as change agents in contemporary Catholic education. In its document Lay Catholics in Schools:Witnesses To Faith The Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education makes the following assertions:

"...our age is characterized by change; change that is constant and accelerated.... Because of change, knowledge that has been acquired, and structures that have been established, is quickly outdated.... The Catholic educator has an obvious need for updating; in personal attitudes, in the content of the subjects being taught, [and] in the pedagogical methods that are used.... No lay Catholic who works in a school can ignore this present-day need. To do so would be to remain locked up in outdated knowledge, criteria, and attitudes."

Both Saskatchewan Education and The Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation have always emphasized the need for continuing professional development. Similarly, documents emanating from The Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education in Rome have re-emphasized the need for well-educated and dedicated staff.

Professional development is an essential responsibility of the Catholic educator. A Catholic teacher's commitment to professional development will assist them in realizing their vocation as Christian educators. As such, it is the responsibility of every teacher to sustain his or her vocation by maintaining and enhancing professional knowledge and practice.

Professional development is an ongoing process of learning, enrichment and support that enables all staff to grow in greater awareness of self and to acquire further skills, knowledge and understanding. Through professional development, teachers and support staff may deepen their knowledge and understanding of God and God's place in their lives, enhance existing competencies and increase their repertoire of skills so that opportunities for student learning and development are maximized.

Principles For Professional Development

Catholic Curriculum Online invites all teachers in Saskatchewan's Catholic schools to participate in and take charge of their continuing education and development. To do so requires knowledge of contemporary trends in educational secular research, but also an understanding of the Catholic view of life which underpins that knowledge and which is passed on to students in word and example.

Professional development in Catholic schools must stress growth in faith as well as knowledge and skills. Effective professional development should ensure good curriculum actualization, improve student learning, and extend the skills of staff. Catholic Curriculum Online is committed to providing professional development opportunities that:

• recognize and respect the expertise and experience of Catholic teachers who by their very nature are "reflective practitioners";
• create opportunities for "professional conversations";
• promote both secular and religious truths;
• focus primarily on student learning and faith development;
• foster the personal and professional growth of teachers;
• support the ongoing religious and faith formation of teachers;
• are based on the principles of adult learning;
• take into account current research and provide a balance of theory and practice;
• complement the school development plan of Catholic schools and the professional growth plan of individual teachers;
• are responsive to the local and provincial agendas for education;
• enhance the attitudes, knowledge, beliefs, skills and practices of teachers to empower them to bring about change in the classroom and/or school;
• provide opportunities for teachers to develop integrated professional growth plans which reflect a Catholic understanding of teaching and learning in all curricular areas

What is Online Professional Development?

In the October, 2001 edition of Today's Catholic Teacher, several catch phrases are mentioned for Online Professional Development. Some of these are:

ANYTIME, ANYWHERE LEARNING 24/7 ONLINE PD JUST-IN-TIME INSTRUCTION FOR BUSY EDUCATORS

While Catholic Curriculum Online hasn't adopted any particular catch phrase, all the above phrases express some of the positive aspects of Online Professional Development. Catholic Curriculum Online hopes to provide Catholic educators across Saskatchewan with opportunities to participate in both group and self-study using the Internet as a tool. It also hopes to allow busy teachers, time to work at their own pace or according to a predetermined schedule that may be developed by schools or school divisions. Online PD also allows a certain amount of teacher control and autonomy for professional development. As recently stated by one advocate of Online Professional Development for Catholic teachers: "By adopting a professional development plan that incorporates appropriate online learning activities, [teachers] can increase their knowledge and skills base and gain a better understanding of how technology use fits in their teaching day" (Brooks-Young, 2001).

The Role of the Catholic Teacher

An effective teacher recognizes that knowledge, skills and attitudes develop over time through personal effort and reflection. Teaching is a complex activity, which requires a sophisticated array of skills and attributes. Constant and rapid change requires continual enhancement of knowledge and teaching practice. Teachers need to broaden their range of expertise, and become multi-skilled in order to be prepared for an ever-changing environment.

What follows are Professional Development Modules for teachers that focus on Curriculum actualization from a Catholic perspective.

• The purpose is to provide Saskatchewan Catholic teachers with professional and faith development opportunities which will allow them to become more skilled, efficient, and knowledgeable when it comes to incorporating Catholic teachings in existing provincial curricula.
• The emphasis is on the Catholic teacher as a "reflective practitioner."

What Are Professional Development Modules?

The best way to define PD Modules is to say they are an opportunity for teachers, as reflective practitioners, to participate in a "professional conversation." Larry Trafford of the Ontario Catholic English Teachers' Association who has done extensive work in Catholic Curriculum Development emphasizes the important need of Catholic teachers to engage in an "ongoing professional conversation" which in itself promotes reflectivity.

Interspersed throughout each module, you will find sections that allow for opportunities for reflection. Whenever you see a thinking character like these, it's time to STOP, THINK, and REFLECT, and have a PROFESSIONAL CONVERSATION.

The purpose is to provide opportunities for a reflective conversation that can take place either with yourself (through journaling) or with another colleague or colleagues (through dialogue). The modules are intended to be used either for individual teacher study or for group study as might occur during a professional development day for teachers. If these modules can encourage and stimulate this "professional conversation" between and among Saskatchewan Catholic teachers, we at Catholic Curriculum Online will have achieved our goal (Brooks-Young, 2001).

Module A
The Catholic Teacher: A Reflective Practitioner

"Since the paradigmatic shift brought about by Vatican II, our call to the formation of the whole person is one with far reaching implications for curriculum and instruction in the Catholic school…Today's teacher, including the Catholic teacher, is called to become a reflective practitioner, an instructional designer who is dedicated to students' achievement of progressive understanding through teaching. The essence and beauty of Catholic education ... is to promote the growth of the individual, the development of the whole person. This call to the formation of the whole person has far reaching implications for curriculum and instruction in the Catholic school. It places special emphasis on learner outcomes, but in a balanced context of faith community that insists on the continuous formation of the teacher and subject matter that is organized relevantly to the holistic development of the student" (Shimabukuro, 2000).

Paradigmatic Shift in the Catholic Church
Pre-Vatican II to Post-Vatican II

Work of Karl Rahner (1972) sited in: Shimabukuro, Gini. (1998). A Call to Reflection: A Teacher' Guide to Catholic Identity for the 21st Century. National Catholic Education Association. Washington D.C.

A "reflective practitioner" did you say? Why me? With all the things that I'm already responsible for, how can I be expected to be a reflective practitioner? By the way, what is reflective teaching? What was the major "paradigmatic shift" brought about by Vatican II and what does it mean to us as Catholic teachers?

The Reflective Teaching Document published in 1993 by the SIDRU (The Saskatchewan Instructional Development and Research Unit has the following to say about the reflective practioner:

"As a reflective teacher you are a classroom researcher and the classroom setting is your own classroom or school. Who better than you, understands your teaching situation including the students, resources, daily schedule, and personal strengths with which you work? Therefore no one is in a better position to make educational decisions within your classroom…. As a teacher researcher you are assuming a self-critical approach to your teaching. Your self-critique is one of questioning in which all aspects of your practice are open for reflective consideration.

The truth of the matter is that we can't avoid being a reflective practitioner. Whether we teach in a public school or a Catholic school, we are constantly reflecting on our professional practices. Saskatchewan Education has given us wonderful opportunities for professional reflection by providing curriculum documents that truly put the teacher in the driver's seat, allowing them to make key decisions in instructional planning and design. This is further encouraged in the various Core Curriculum Policy and Support Documents dealing with such topics as:

Common Essential Learnings, Student Evaluation Instructional Approaches

Catholic educators have other foundational documents that we need to pay attention to such as the various Vatican documents of the The Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education:

• GravissimumEducationis: Declaration On Christian Education
• The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School
• Lay Catholics in Schools:Witnesses To Faith
• The Catholic School
• The Catholic School on the Threshold of the Third Millennium

As Catholic Educators, we must not forget the greatest foundational document of all, which is scripture itself. We are constantly being challenged and called to incorporate our understanding of scripture in our daily interactions with children, particularly as it relates to the teaching/learning process.

What do you think is meant by the phrase "reflective practitioner"? What are some specific tasks and or responsibilities that require serious reflection in your work as a Catholic teacher? What are some of the key documents that can help us become better reflective practitioners? Click on any of the above Vatican documents. Skim material to find references that speak to any of the following matters: -Identity of the Catholic teacher -Teacher as professional -Teaching as a vocation -The need for professional growth -Using core subjects for promoting students' faith development

Module B
Reflecting on The Catholic Foundational Documents

The Sacred GravissimumEducationis: Declaration On Christian Education directs Catholic schools to integrate Christian Faith into the whole pattern of human life in all its aspects. This document challenges Catholic educators to strive

"to relate all human culture eventually to the news of salvation, so that the life of faith will illumine the knowledge which students gradually gain of the world, of life and of human kind."

Dominic Aquila (1997) develops this kind of thinking when he writes: "Rather than seeing Catholic education as merely the addition of a religion course to the usual academic subjects, we want our students to make Christian sense out of what they learn in their natural science, math, and history courses, in their study of art, music, and literature." (Aquila, 1997).

To further reflect on instruction and learning from a Saskatchewan Catholic perspective, we need to know and see (if you're a visual learner) what exactly Catholic Curriculum Development really means. Catholic Curriculum Online wants to make it very clear that it is not our intent to rewrite the provincial curriculum guides, but rather to augment and embellish them in such a way that more accurately reflects a Catholic worldview. For a birdseye sketch of Catholic Curriculum Development for Saskatchewan Catholic Schools, click here.

What do you think is the difference between the formal and the informal curriculum? What do you think is central to all Catholic curriculum development? How can we augment and embellish the provincial curriculum to reflect a Catholic worldview? Reflect on what it means when we speak of integrating faith and life. How is this done in a Catholic school?

While speaking on the need for Catholic Curriculum Development in Ontario, the words of Larry Trafford could easily be applied to Saskatchewan. He writes:

"Catholic schools can never operate solely from Ministry curriculum documents. To do so would be to forfeit the Catholic character of our educational mandate - a mandate that clearly states that the essence of education is that it be religious. Moreover, to accept generic Ministry guidelines as viable instruments for meeting this distinctive purpose of Catholic education is to abandon the very curricular foundations necessary to support the governing metaphor of Catholic schools, namely, educating the soul.

Curriculum is much more than policy documents and support materials. At its core, it reveals fundamental beliefs and values about the nature, task, and specific character of the educational enterprise. It incarnates the vision of education from which it originates and the end towards which education is directed. It presupposes and involves a definite understanding of what it means to be human, of how to live together, and the wisdom necessary to sustain life on this planet. The key component that gives direction to curriculum matters is the educational vision that shapes it. And that component is a worldview.

Hence, for Catholic schools, curriculum is best described, in its broadest sense, as a worldview shaped by the Catholic conversation about life's meaning and purpose. It is a distinctive worldview committed to the enterprise of educating the soul." (Click on Educating the Soul to see entire document)

What are the main points that Larry Trafford is trying to make (ie. Ministry documents) and tell how we might rise to the challenge that he sets for us? How do his words apply to Catholic Curriculum Development in Saskatchewan? How can we support a Catholic worldview in our teaching?

References:

Aquila, Dominic. (1997). "The Value of a Catholic Liberal Arts Education" (click here)

Ash, Tom. (1993). Reflective Teaching. The Saskatchewan Instructional and Professional Development Unit (SIDRU).

Brooks-Young, Susan. (Oct. 2001). "Is Online Professional Development in Your Staff Development Plan?". Today's Catholic Teacher. Dayton, Ohio

Shimabukuro, Gini. (2000). "Teaching and Learning in the Catholic School". Catholic School Leadership : An Invitation to Lead. Falmer Press. London and New York.

The Seven-Step Process of Catholic Curriculum Development

Dr. Gini Shimabukuro (2000) provides the following model for Curriculum Development in the Catholic School by outlining a Seven-Step process, which is intended to challenge teachers to become reflective practitioners as they ponder the task of integrating faith and values within the curriculum. We have the permission of both Dr. Shimabukuro and Falmer Press to display this model and to apply it to Catholic Curriculum Development in Saskatchewan. Just click on each topic within the diagram and you will be lead to a variety of Professional Development Modules that will allow you to reflect and apply the concepts presented by Dr. Shimabukuro.

References:

Source: Shimabukuro, Gini. (2000). "Teaching and Learning in the Catholic School". Catholic School Leadership: An Invitation to Lead. Falmer Press. London and New York.