Using the curricula from other countries for inspiration for online teaching

Image source

Today I received a query about whether it is possible to "get access to another country's curriculum, in this case Germany". The person posting the question is looking at some possible models to teach online. So, I set about doing a wee bit of online sleuthing.

The International review of curriculum and assessment frameworks (Sharon O'Donnell, June 2001)has a good overview of many countries' curricula including New Zealand, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, France, Japan, Hungary etc. For Germany, it is indicated that "There are over 3,400 individual subject curricula in Germany" (p. 12) and :

"There is no national curriculum in Germany. The Ministries of Education of the individual regional authorities (Länder) develop their own region-wide curricula, with which schools must comply" (p. 12)

 Image source

So - no central area to access curricula for Germany. INCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency) do provide and overview of curricula and curriculum development in Germany, as well as information about many other countries. (And good old Wikipedia has a general description of education in Germany if you were keen just to know more from a general point of view!).

The National Report on Curriculum Innovation in Germany covers all sectors, and has a specific focus on language and language teaching. Also, the Appendix on Page 50 has some interesting links and information, and the document also has a really useful reference list with hyperlinks to further resources (pages 51 to 54).

 Image source

However, the following do have access to their curricula online:

• Australia (site also has some useful links to general sites that focus on curricula) 
• New Zealand
• UK
• US
• Saskatchewan
• British Colombia

Image source

 

Related articles

• National Curriculum and Use of Technology (larrycuban.wordpress.com)
• Measuring the success of Ed Tech: Not all about test scores (zdnet.com)

Opportunity: Video conferencing with Social Studies Students in Calgary, Canada

 

Image source

If you feel your learners would like the opportunity of making connections and working with social studies students in Canada (14–17 years of age), this could be what you have been looking for!! Art Koop has sent out a request to link up via video conferencing to start a dialogue. Please have a look through the email below (which also has Art's email address), and contact him directly if you and your students are interested.

Would love to hear how it goes!!

---

Subject: Canada link Classroom video conferencing

Hi.......,

I am a high school Social Studies teacher in Canada, teaching grade 10 and grade 11 students (14 – 17 years of age). Our grade 10 curriculum is focused on the broad topic of globalization, and our grade 11 curriculum is focused on the broad topic of nationalism. I don’t know what your curricular areas of focus are in New Zealand, but it seems to me that it could benefit students in both our countries to have a video conferencing link, and set up a sort of international dialogue during a class or two.

Nothing says ‘globalization’ like video conferencing across national borders, and I’m sure that various nationalist forces are at work within New Zealand as they are here. I believe that it would be possible to link classes in New Zealand, taking place in the morning, with late afternoon classes here in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, to mutual benefit.

Would you be willing and able to send me contact information, or a videoconferencing address, for particular classroom teachers who may have an interest in carrying out such an endeavour? Or, would it be possible for you to forward this email to such teachers so that they could get in contact with me?

Thanks for your time!

Art Koop (I go by my middle name)
Koop, John A <JAKoop@cbe.ab.ca>

---