Comments from an Educator …

by SOFA Fan on Dec.04, 2009, under Surveys, Updates

Our SOFA Committee recently received the followng comment from someone who claims she is an educator in Alberta:

As an educator in Alberta, I believe the comments on your site are misinformed and extremly biased. The curiculum has not yet been written, only a framework, so the succession of skills and “spiral learning” will be contained in that document. I am suprised that your organization would be satified with a curiculum that is 20 years old, difficult to teach at a lower level, and based on old educational principals. It’s time for an update.

The following is our response to the above from Lyle Bennett, SOFA Co-chair:

Firstly, thank you for your response to our website. We appreciate all comments and will post your email note on our website without your name attached.

Secondly, we have not said on any occasion that we are satisfied with the 20+ year old curriculum. In fact, in a letter that I recently wrote to the Minister of Education I said, “It is positive that Alberta Education is doing an update of the K-12 Fine Arts Curriculum after 20+ years. Change is not necessarily bad as long as it is respectful of the current programs that are working well and seeks to improve the quality of education of one of our most valuable resources, our children.”

We have talked with literally hundreds of students, parents and fine arts teachers who are concerned about how this change will take place, but who for most part welcome the update as long as it does not “water down” the excellent programs that they are currently a part of. For most of us, we are not averse to change. We simply want to make sure that we have a voice in managing this change so that we attain the best possible curriculum for all concerned. We understand that the “framework” is the foundation of the curriculum and simply want to ensure the foundation is solid so that the resulting curriculum will be the best that in can be.

Alberta Education has acknowleged that they need to re-write the framework based upon the input from us and others and we look forward to collaborating with them further as this process evolves.

Finally, if you wish to be more specific of where you think we are misinformed and biased we would be happy to discuss this further with you.

Again, thank you for your input.

Best Regards,

Lyle Bennett
Concerned Parent, SOFA Co-Chair

5 Comments for this entry

Niko Tsiras
December 4th, 2009 on 4:17 pm
I am a 15 year old intstrument player and I am very sorry to inform you, but to put it simply this program has been going on for over 20 years because it is a very good program and it works just fine. The only reason that my schools bands (DHS Didsbury High School AB) are as good as they are, is because we get together every day and practice for an hour and ten minutes. This new cirriculum is not going to help that in any way whatsoever. If you really are an educator then SURELY you must know that music can only be achieved through consistent PRACTICE. And this new cirriculum is NOT going to help that. I hope that you take the time to read this comment and I also hope that you listen. I play 5 instruments the Clairinet, the Alto Saxophone, the Piano, the Bass Guitar, and the Acoustic Guitar. The only reason I can play so many instruments is because I practice them every day and I work at them extremely hard. This new cirriculum of 25 hours and then no practice is NOT GOING TO WORK. you cannot simply expect every single one of the kids in every band across Canada to go home every day for a year and practice the music given to them in Band. Because being a teenager myself I know that the only reason my schools Senior Band is so good is becasue we meet EVERY day as a team and work together EVERY day as a TEAM and thats how we know what the music should sound like. I would expect an Educator to realize this without a 15 year-old having to tell them. This wont help the Music industry for youth in Canada, it will only destroy it.
SOFA Fan
December 4th, 2009 on 4:58 pm
Niko, thank you for taking the time to write to us expressing your concerns. You and other students your age are the reason why those of us involved with SOFA are passionately involved with helping the Alberta Government understand the importance of Arts Education.

Thanks again for your comments.

Bill Campbell
SOFA Co-chair
Andree Coulter
January 6th, 2010 on 10:03 pm
Thank you for the great post!
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SOFA Fan
January 11th, 2010 on 8:53 pm
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