As we not so much as embrace the New Curriculum for Excellence and National Qualifications as are catapulted into planning and assessment, recording of learning intentions and Inter Disciplinary Learning, teachers throughout Scotland prepare for the implementation and delivery of the New Curriculum.
‘The school curriculum in Scotland is at a point of transition, with full implementation of a new 3-18 years curriculum, the Curriculum for Excellence, from August 2010 and the introduction of new National Qualifications from 2012/13’. Hulme, M. Et als.(eds.) (p439)
What does this mean for Art and Design? The new arrangements for National 3, 4 and 5 within the Design and Expressive units show a shift in how the units should be taught. Outcome 1 requires students to critically reflect on and analyse the work of designers/artists, discuss what they have been influenced and inspired by, the materials and techniques they use to create their work, including technology and provide personal opinions throughout. This is not seen as a concurrent unit but an introduction. Key concepts such as criticality and reflection are embedded in the new arrangements to encourage successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and independent learners.
‘As learners develop their understanding of the creative process and the things that influence the work of other artists and designers, they should be encouraged to apply this understanding to their own work’. . (SQA, (2012) Course Support Notes for National 3 Art and Design Course, p9)
SQA go on to say:
‘learners should be encouraged to reflect on their learning and to discuss and/or record their thoughts as their work and ideas develop. Annotated sketchbook notes are one way to document this process but other approaches could also be used’.
At this stage the main criticism of using a sketchbook is that pupils are still required to present their work in an A2 format, hindering the sketchbook’s pages from being used on both sides if work contained within is to be used for presentation to SQA. Another major focus within Scottish Education and CfE is the recording of Learning Intentions
‘It has also resulted in the teacher making explicit the learning intentions and success criteria at the start of a lesson, and this is now a commonplace feature of art and design teaching in Scotland’ .MacAuliffe, D(2012)
The positive side of setting aside time at the start of every lesson to record Learning Intentions is that teaching and learning is more focused. However for pupils challenged by additional learning needs this poses a problem, as they struggle to remember to bring their daily planner let alone record Learning Intentions.
Inter Disciplinary Learning, another factor emerging from CfE, where Departments are being ‘encouraged’ to forward plan IDL into both faculty and whole school. Many colleagues see this as a backwards move, more at home with our Primary colleagues. Ultimately it is our professional duty to move in the direction of change or loose our way all together.
CfE places the teacher at the heart of curriculum development – as an agent of change . Priestly, M., Minty, S. (p9)
