Key features of BC’s Curriculum

At the heart of British Columbia’s redesigned curriculum are the Core Competencies, essential learning and literacy and numeracy foundations. All three features contribute to deeper learning.

Core competencies

The Core Competencies underpin the curricular competencies in all areas of learning. They are directly related to the educated citizen and as such are what we value for all students in the system.

The Core Competencies are sets of intellectual, personal, and social and emotional proficiencies that all students need in order to engage in deep, lifelong learning.  Along with literacy and numeracy foundations, they are central to British Columbia’s K-12 curriculum and assessment system and directly support students in their growth as educated citizens.

Communication – The communication competency encompasses the set of abilities that students use to impart and exchange information, experiences and ideas, to explore the world around them, and to understand and effectively engage in the use of digital media.

Critical Thinking – The creative thinking competency involves making judgements based on reasoning:  considering options; analyzing these using specific criteria; and drawing conclusions and making judgements. Critical thinking competency encompasses as set of abilities that students use to examine their own thinking, and that of others, about information that they receive through observation, experience, and various forms of communication.

Creative Thinking – The creative thinking competency involves the generation of new ideas and concepts that have value to the individual or others, and the development of these ideas and concepts from thought to reality.

Personal and Social Responsibility – The Personal and Social competency is the set of abilities that relate to students’ identity in the world, both as individuals and as members of their community and society.  Personal and social competency encompasses what students need to thrive as individuals, to understand and care about themselves and others, and to find and achieve their purposes in the world.

(Source: https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/overview)

Competency

What does it Mean?

Learning Standard

My Evidence
Communication Connect and engage with others (to share and ask questions)
  • I can ask and respond to direct questions.
Acquire, interpret, present information
  • I can understand and share information that I’ve learned from touring Kogawa House.
Collaborate to plan, carry out, and review
  • I can summarize key ideas.
Explain/recount and reflect on experiences / accomplishments
  • I can recount simple experiences and activities and tell something I learned.
  • I can represent my learning, and tell how it connects to my experiences.
Critical Thinking Analyze and critique
  • I can analyze my experiences at Kogawa House from different perspectives.
  • I can reflect on and evaluate my thinking, and actions.
  • I can analyze my own assumptions and beliefs and consider views that do not fit with them.
Question and investigate
  • I can ask open-ended questions and gather information.
  • I can evaluate the credibility of sources of information.
  • I can tell the difference between facts and interpretations, opinions, or judgments.
Personal & Cultural Identity Relationships and cultural context
  • I am able to identify the different groups that I belong to
  • I understand that my identity is made up of many interconnected aspects (e.g.  life experiences, family history, heritage, peer groups)
Personal values and choices
  • I can tell what is important to me
  • I can explain what my values are and how they affect choices I make
  • I understand how my values shape my choices
Personal strengths and abilities
  • I can reflect on my strengths and identify my potential as a leader in my community
  • I understand I will continue to develop new abilities and strengths to help me meet new challenges
Social Responsibility Contributing to community and caring for the environment
  • I contribute to group activities that make my classroom, school, community, or natural world a better place.
  • I can identify how my actions and the actions of others affect my community and can work to make positive change.
  • I can analyze complex social or environmental issues from multiple perspectives. I can take thoughtful actions to influence positive, sustainable change.
Solve problems in peaceful ways
  • I can identify problems and compare potential problem-solving strategies.
  • I can clarify problems, consider alternatives, and evaluate strategies.
  • I can clarify problems or issues, generate multiple strategies, weigh consequences, compromise to meet the needs of others, and evaluate actions.
Valuing diversity
  • I can explain when something is unfair.
  • I can advocate for others.
  • I take action to support diversity and defend human rights, and can identify how diversity is beneficial for my community, including online.