Page 30 - 21st Century Competencies: Foundation Document for Discussion

28 21st Century Competencies
giving students the opportunity to refine their knowledge-building competencies through the exchange of ideas and opinions within a com- munity of learners, this project highlights new possibilities for thinking, learning, and sharing within school systems. Findings from this project have been presented at the Canadian Society for Studies in Education.
• A number of district school boards have partnered with Dr. Michael Fullan on the New Pedagogies for Deep Learning Global Partnership (see: www.newpedagogies.info).
• District school boards are offering “Character Education” programs, based on the 2008 ministry document Finding Common Ground: Character Development in Ontario Schools, K-12.
• District school boards are implementing strategies to enhance the safety and inclusiveness of schools, guided by documents such as Supporting Minds: An Educator’s Guide to Promoting Students’ Mental Health and Well-Being (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2013), and the Accepting Schools Act, which emphasizes educators’ responsibility to help students become productive, contributing, and constructive citizens in the diverse society of Ontario.
• The full-day Kindergarten program is designed to support children’s development in the cognitive and non-cognitive domains.