Page 52 - Social Sciences Humanities - The Ontario Curriculum Grades 9 to 12 - 2013

THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 9–12 | Social Sciences and Humanities
Whenever appropriate, students should be encouraged to use ICT to support and com­ municate their learning. For example, students working individually or in groups can use computer technology and/or websites to gain access to museums, galleries, and archives in Canada and around the world. They can also use portable storage devices to store information, as well as CD-ROM and DVD technologies and digital cameras and projectors to organize and present the results of their research and creative endeavours to their classmates and others.
Although the Internet is a powerful learning tool, there are potential risks attached to its use. All students must be made aware of issues related to Internet privacy, safety, and responsible use, as well as of the potential for abuse of this technology, particularly when it is used to promote hatred.
ICT tools are also useful for teachers in their teaching practice, both for whole-class instruction and for the design of curriculum units that contain varied approaches to learning in order to meet diverse student needs. A number of educational software programs to support learning in social sciences and humanities are licensed through the ministry and are listed at www.osapac.org/db/software_search.php?lang=en.
THE ONTARIO SKILLS PASSPORT: MAKING LEARNING RELEVANT AND BUILDING SKILLS
The Ontario Skills Passport (OSP) is a free, bilingual, web-based resource that provides teachers and students with clear descriptions of the “Essential Skills” and work habits important in work, learning, and life. Teachers planning programs in social sciences and humanities can engage students by using OSP tools and resources to show how what they learn in class can be applied in the workplace and in everyday life.
The Essential Skills identified in the OSP are:
• Reading Text
• Writing
• Document Use
• Computer Use
• Oral Communication
• Numeracy: Money Math; Scheduling or Budgeting and Accounting; Measurement and Calculation; Data Analysis; and Numerical Estimation
• Thinking Skills: Job Task Planning and Organization; Decision Making; Problem
Solving; and Finding Information
Work habits specified in the OSP are: working safely, teamwork, reliability, organization, working independently, initiative, self-advocacy, customer service, and entrepreneurship.
Essential Skills, such as Reading Text, Document Use, and Problem Solving, are used in virtually all occupations and are the foundation for learning other skills, including tech­ nical skills. OSP work habits such as organization, reliability, and working independently are reflected in the learning skills and work habits addressed in the provincial report card. Essential Skills and work habits are transferable from school to work, independent living, and further education or training, as well as from job to job and sector to sector.
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