EDEM638-17CY (D) Cross Year 2017 (Distance)

Curriculum Leadership

30 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 17 July 2017
End Date: Sunday, 24 June 2018
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Friday, 18 August 2017
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Friday, 23 March 2018

Description

This course is designed to encourage new and aspiring curriculum leaders to explore and develop strategies for leading curriculum change. The course will involve critical reflection on current curriculum developments in Aotearoa New Zealand and leadership models that create and sustain effective curriculum practices. The course will be presented in three sections which focus on context and issues related to: Current curriculum changes, Leadership for curriculum change, and Action research on leading curriculum change. The action research will be supervised individually or in small groups according to curriculum area.

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Testimonials From Past Students

"I appreciated the valuable feedback given on the assignments and the assignment rubrics" (2015 student)

"Timely feedback and personal one on one conversations about the research plan were helpful." (2014 student)

"The lecturer always appears to be motivated by the course content and willing to engage in dialogue around it. I appreciated being about to read her work in relation to the course content. The flexibility of the assessment topics also meant that I was able to pursue and explore areas of interest to me." (2013 student)

"Superb LEARN site, clear with excellent information." (2013 student)

"The lecturer was approachable, supportive and encouraging about my learning, my area of education and ideas. I felt my learning was valued." (2012 student)

Comments from Jacqui Duncan (Principal, Cashmere Primary, Christchurch) who marked EDEM638 assignments in 2010 and 2011.
"I am very pleased with the standard of the research, the obvious learning, self- awareness and reflective practice that has occurred with the assignments I have marked to date. I am a fan of this course and wish it was compulsory for my staff winning a leadership unit. Congratulations on the relevance and rigour of this course." (13 October 2011)

MEd contact at the College of Education Postgraduate Office 3642987 ext 4877 postgraduate@education.canterbury.ac.nz

Learning Outcomes

  • Participants who have successfully completed this course will be able to:
  • Define the roles and responsibilities of new and aspiring curriculum leaders;
  • Debate theories of curriculum development and apply them to current curriculum changes;
  • Critically evaluate current curriculum developments in the light of personal, institutional and contextual influences;
  • Apply document analysis strategies to critique a selected curriculum document;
  • Identify strategies for working with colleagues of differing ages and stages of confidence and experience;
  • Formulate mentoring strategies for working with staff members to improve their curriculum knowledge and practices;
  • Critically evaluate progress using a mentoring approach to help staff members improve their practices;
  • Apply action research methodology to a small investigation which focuses on leading curriculum change.

Prerequisites

Subject to approval of the Head of School

Restrictions

EDTL841

Course Coordinator

Susan Lovett

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage  Description
Presentation on the rationale for a new initiative in curriculum learning 04 Sep 2017 25%
Essay on leadership of change initiatives 27 Nov 2017 25%
Action research on leading curriculum change 28 May 2017 40%
Online Forum Participation 10% forum #1 5% 28 August 2017, and Forum #2 5% 16 October 2017


Assignment #1: Powerpoint with accompanying notes. A slide or poster presentation to an audience of own choice to share the rationale for a new initiative in an aspect of curriculum learning. The presentation needs to be anchored in the New Zealand Curriculum to explain what the initiative is, why it is necessary and the steps involved in its implementation or evaluation. The accompanying notes must show evidence of depth and breadth of engagement with curriculum literature related to the topic to show the historical underpinnings and current issues of debate.

Assignment #2: Essay on leadership of change initiatives.
This essay requires an overview of leadership theories which pertain to a curriculum leadership role. A critique of one’s own curriculum leadership experience when introducing new initiatives is required drawing upon the leadership of change literature to explain why various strategies have worked or been less successful.

Assignment #3: Action research on leading curriculum change. This is a project to investigate one’s own language of mentoring in learning conversations with a colleague when focusing on a mutual curriculum interest.
This assignment requires three focussed literature reviews (ie the curriculum focus for the learning conversations, action research as a professional learning approach and effective mentoring). Ethical approval is required to undertake 2-3 learning conversations to explore the curriculum focus. Two to three learning conversations are taped and analysed against the literature on effective mentoring to identify the frequency and extent to which a range of mentoring skills are part of the course member’s curriculum leadership repertoire.

Textbooks / Resources

Recommended Reading

Davies, Brent; The essentials of school leadership ; 2nd ed; SAGE, 2009.

Robertson, Jan; Coaching leadership : building educational leadership capacity through coaching partnership ; Second edition;

Robertson, Jan , Timperley, Helen; Leadership and learning ; Sage, 2011.

Text books may be purchased from the University Bookshop
Business Hours 8.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday
10am to 3pm Saturday
Phone: 0800 827 266 or (03) 364 2987 ext 3774 or 3775
Email: ubs@ubscan.co.nz

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $1,775.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see School of Educational Studies and Leadership .

All EDEM638 Occurrences

  • EDEM638-17CY (D) Cross Year 2017 (Distance)