The 3C’s of Curriculum: Character, Content, and Competencies (Skills)

What we’re learning and why it matters…

Any given Tuesday…

Whenever I do “learning walks” to observe the teaching and learning happening across our campus, I am struck by the creative ways our teachers are making content and skills come to life by designing assignments which speak deeply to our school’s values and context. 

For example, on my learning walk this week I saw:

 1) An exercise in empathy while introducing persuasive writing. Students were writing a negotiation response as part of labour relations between the class and a union of pencils and erasers who had gone on strike;

2) Active listening and learning to be ‘upstanders’: A circle time of well spoken students sharing strategies about how they can counteract relational aggression or bullying;

3) An art class of students sharing how they made a 3D design for handicapped accessible solutions, and an entire gallery of student artwork on display;

4)  Students deep in thought and silently researching the question of peak oil;

5) MYP teachers preparing for our end-of-year Interdisciplinary Units set to take place in the month of June;

6) DP teachers connecting about the Group 4 Science Project - where all Grade 11 students will be creating a new display for installation at the Visitor’s Centre at the NWR Headquarters of Waterberg Plateau Park.

Each of the IB's programmes is committed to the development of students according to the IB learner profile. The profile aims to develop learners who are:

• Inquirers

• Knowledgeable

• Thinkers

• Communicators

• Principled

• Open-minded

• Caring

• Risk-takers

• Balanced

• Reflective 
  

Another way of conceptualising this approach is through our membership with the Common Ground Collaborative. The CGC defines learning as the consolidation and extension of these 3C’s of Learning: 

Week by week and month by month, we can see that our students are developing improved competencies in key skills and a deeper conceptual understanding of ideas that matter. They are increasingly becoming people with strong positive moral character. 

This is what makes WIS different. It’s in our DNA. 

Sincerely,

Ethan