Wednesday, September 23, 2009

International Benchmarks: British Columbia

British Columbia (they're pretty verbose):

Society expects graduates to think critically, solve problems, communicate clearly, and learn and work both independently and with others. The English Language Arts 8 to 12 curriculum contributes to this outcome by providing a framework to help students

  • present and respond to ideas, feelings and knowledge sensitively and creatively
  • explore Canadian and world literature as a way of knowing, of developing personal values, and of understanding
  • learn about Canada's cultural heritage as expressed in language
  • use language confidently to understand and respond thoughtfully and critically to factual and imaginative communications in speech, print and other media
  • develop the reading and writing skill required of informed citizens prepared to face the challenges of further education and a changing workplace
  • express themselves critically, creatively, and articulately for a variety of personal, social, and work-related purposes
  • use language appropriate to the situation, audience, and purpose to become comfortable with a range of language styles, from public to personal, and from literary to standard business English
  • realize their individual potential as communicators

In the Common Core, you may analyze, but not critique in the sense it is meant in British Columbia or on a college campus. Solving problems? Feelings? Not here. We will, in the US, be able to "to take in and respond to the concepts and information," while in a group but I don't know if that is sufficient to "work with others."

Not only do we not care about Canadian literature, we won't care about American literature either, nor will we see literature as a "way of knowing," or "developing personal values." However, we might "Analyze the traits, motivations, and thoughts of individuals in fiction and nonfiction based on how they are described, what they say and do, and how they interact."

Express yourself creatively? For personal or social reasons? Meet your "individual potential?" No, we'll be going fewer and higher than that.

OK, that's enough for now...

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