MICHELLE Koszarycz is looking forward to implementing the new religion curriculum at Our Lady of the Rosary School, Kenmore, now she has been brought up to date on changes.
The assistant principal for religious education joined more than 200 of her colleagues from schools and colleges across Brisbane and the other Queensland dioceses at the Brisbane Powerhouse for a professional learning day titled Aggiornamento.
Aggiornamento means, “bringing up to date” through embodying a spirit of change, open-mindedness and renewal in Italian.
It was a word used often during the years of the Second Vatican Council.
Ms Koszarycz said she gained what she expected from the day.
“I loved the address Arch-bishop Mark (Coleridge) gave to introduce us to the day,” she said.
She said she was now looking forward to taking what she had learnt from the day back to her school and teachers of religious education and having a go at teaching from the new curriculum.
The re-organisation of the Religion Curriculum P-12 was designed to bring into closer alignment the two distinct but complementary dimensions of religious education as it is understood in the Brisbane archdiocese – teaching people religion, the classroom teaching and learning of religion, and teaching people to be religious, the religious life of the Catholic school.
It involved a review of the current syllabus to ensure the theological intent of its content was presented to teachers in clear, educational language illustrated through the use of examples from classroom practice.
The Religion Curriculum P-12 will clearly articulate what teachers are expected to teach and students are entitled to learn.
Teachers will be supported through the design and development of engaging, locally produced, online teaching and learning resources that incorporate the use of digital learning tools.
The day was organised and run by BCE’s Religious Education team led by principal education officer religious education Mark Elliott and senior education officer for religious education Leigh Stower.
Ms Koszarycz said the team did a fantastic job in helping APREs understand the new curriculum.
