Without waffling on about the Four Capacities of ACfE, I think it's fair to say that it presents some challenges for teachers in terms of how we can assess the learning that's taking place. Indeed, it's also fair to say that it presents challenges - and opportunities - in terms of thinking about what we need to assess.
The idea of assessing what we value and valuing what we assess must surely be one of the guiding principles in designing so-called "experiences" for learners in school.
The new curriculum challenges many preconceived ideas about what is taught and how it is taught. Debates rage around "style over content" and questions will be heard in many a staffroom about whether or not any of this is actually teaching the children anything.
I would argue that this is surely the very point of the exercise - are we really trying to teach them "things" (facts, processess, procedures, etc) or are we trying to empower them to think for themselves and take control of their own learning?
This could easily be dismissed by saying "of course it's about empowerment...give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day but show him how to fish..." etc, etc. However, there will always be those who will - rightly - contend that the basics (whatever they may be deemed to be depending on the school/local authority/political climate) must be in place before you can do anything else.
Quite. But who says that once the foundations are in you have to build all the houses in the same way? To stretch a building analogy, I think that ACfE should have Grand Designs for all learners; I hope to look in this blog at some of the ways in which I try to challenge the children in my class, to empower them, to value each and every individual contribution on its own merits and to give my take on some of the ways I think we can gather evidence of what's useful or not.
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