Eight years ago high school English Language Arts teachers and government officials commenced decisions regarding the implementation of the new ELA Program of Studies. Talk of the new program consumed and excited us. Almost five years ago the new ELA Program of Studies was implemented throughout most of the province of Alberta. In fact the vestiges of the old curriculum will soon be eradicated with the final passing of the old English 30 and 33 exams. We have had two years of students writing the new Diploma exams, and in many ways we sense the new Program of Studies has been with us a long time. Now may be an excellent opportunity to reflect back on what we have accomplished, what significant rebuilding has occurred in the classroom, and what changes there are still to be wrestled with.

At the outset, it should be noted that the “rebuilding” of the English Language Arts curriculum has not been one of starting over, but rather re-shaping, re-defining, and re-sculpting what we have known for decades to be best practices.

The first reshaping has been in the way we view text. Previously, “text” was defined anything that was in print. “Text” had been redefined to include the oral (e.g. speech, song) the visual (e.g. fine art and photography, film) and the representing (e.g. the chart or graph) in addition to the forms of written text. The “units” of study have re-emphasized a thematic, rather than a genre approach, and all forms of the language arts are included. While there should be no suggestion that the genre approach is dead – indeed, it is sometimes a more effective learning tool – the Language Arts teacher is certainly finding that “groupings” of works, including the oral and the visual along with the printed text, makes for interesting learning. (No longer do students interpret the watching of a film as a time of sitting back to enjoy without having to think. Our modern students know that they are expected to connect the film with ideas presented in any other form.)

No longer is it feasible as it once may have been for individual English Language Arts teachers to plan. In many English Departments, the teachers work far more interdependently than ever before, with the result that collegiality among English Language Arts teachers has been strengthened. While this may be entirely observational, since teachers often worked closely together anyway, I believe the sharing that teachers do in the course of designing lessons is far greater than previously considered. Collecting the materials, such as films, songs, and pictures, in addition to the literature, is easier to do as a group than as an individual.

One of the strengths of the new Program has been a greater emphasis on student oral work and on what teachers refer as “process.” Students who are enrolled in an English Language Arts class find it difficult to be absent and still be able to hand in work without the benefit of feedback and discussion with peers and teachers. Oral presentations -- mostly informal -- and peer review of written work have become more meaningful than ever before in many classrooms, which leaves the student with little choice but to attend class. The “product” at the end of the lesson or activity is only one part of the learning. Students learn to set goals, assess their progress, and know that how they arrive at the end product is just as important as the product itself. Students are learning greater dependence on peer appraisal and effort, rather than solitary pen and paper competencies. As students work more in groups, they come to value the abilities of others to help. If knowledge is constructed, them variety of opinion and solutions is vital in that construction.

Parents, too, are beginning to be aware of the new Program of studies and its implications. The idea that knowledge can be represented in a variety of ways sounds good in theory. But parents can still have moments when they are disconcerted if, for example, the familiar five-paragraph essay is replaced by the visual collage. In parents’ heart of hearts, this can be difficult, and some parents still question the validity of such representations. (Some teachers may also have similar doubts.) Parents can also question why, when children are absent for an important oral and/or group presentation, these cannot be made up or excused. The best way to handle such circumstances is yet to be determined.

We still have some ways to go as we search new ways to rebuild a rich and student-engaging curriculum. We will need to continue discussions about how to involve students in more than print materials, especially as multi media approaches are becoming increasingly common. Many of our students are visual learners, and offering them only print texts has been limiting. Moreover, students who find it easier to display knowledge in ways other than written work, find oral skills and visual skills developing.

As we begin another semester using the English Language Arts Program of Studies, we may not even be aware of the extent to which our classes have altered. We have moved into the process and, working through, we find that we use ideas almost effortlessly. It is only when we look back that we recognize how rebuilding curriculum has made us more relevant than ever before.