# data[].attributes.body
merryinggarwati@gmail.com

# data[].attributes.body
Connect: At my previous school, we promote the idea that textbooks are not the whole world of education, the real world is actually the textbook. What we have learned and discussed today is very much about the same idea.

Extend: There must be a lot of work in place to make sure students' learning connecting to the real world and prepare them for the future world. The IB program is consistent with its philosophy, objectives, practices, and standards, to safeguard the learning journey for teachers, students, and parents, who will become the learning community as a whole.

Challenge: School administrators, teachers, and parents are not educated previously according to the IB philosophy and standards, which creates huge challenges in implementing the program and communicating the program with the community. So teachers' professional development is especially important, since we also need learn to be become the desirable learner as explained in the Profile. The school academic leadership will need very strong training to ensure the quality work and to dissolve any disputes and doubts.

# data[].attributes.body
Open-minded

- Reading Routine & Story-time (Books)
Introduce one learner profile attribute every week and have the regular story-time activity with students.

- Daily Language
What is an open-minded person like? Who has demonstrated this attribute in class today (examples)? Explain what it means to be 'open-minded'. Use IB language in class to get the students familiarised with jargon.

- Task Cards
With the focused attribute (open-minded) of the week, students have to exercise and practice being an open-minded person by completing the task cards (e.g. Join a new group. Explain why you think in certain ways. Try a new dish from a different country)

# data[].attributes.body
Encourage students to try new things, and make an independent choice and not do what everyone else is doing.

When students are feeling uneasy about something new, encourage the students to try.  "You will never know if you can until you try".

Although trying new things, students must aware of the difference between doing something dangerous and try new things.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.pypteachingtools.com/tuning-into-ib-pyp-concepts-with-picture-analysis/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Tuning into IB PYP Related Concepts with Picture Analysis

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A key part of tuning into the IB PYP unit of inquiry is unpacking those related concepts that our investigations will be based upon. I've spoken a lot about ways that we can provoke the children's curiosity and invite their questions into the inquiry. This article goes a little deeper into this...

# data[].attributes.body
* Mindful listening: Listen to respond rather than listening to react.
It can be done anywhere....you just have to stop and listen.

* Non verbal communication:  Demonstrate a student's understanding of a concept.  Through drama act out their diagram.  Ask students to put themselves in order without using their voices, ie. height, shoe size, number, of letters in their name.

* Accountable talk: In depth discussion.  Not simply Yes/No.  Supports justifying answers.  Promotes acceptance and perspective.  Bingo board, think-pair-share.  Talkin stick.

* Sharing and exchanging ideas especially with different cultures.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.inspiringinquiry.com/learning-community/professional-learning/blogswebsites

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
(Focus: All aspects of the PYP)
Link: Sharing PYP Blog
This blog is a global platform with the purpose of deepening understanding and furthering the implementation of the PYP. It hosts all the essential updates, news, links to resources and publications to keep you fully informed. The blog articles

# data[].attributes.body
Inquirer-

Create a sense on curiosity in class. as k leading questions. share ways through which you can find information on a given topic. Hand hold initially and slowly let them be independent in finding the information. books, internet are some mediums.
dictionaries. , visuals , videos are some more mediums. brainstorm a lot questions to create that curiosity and eagerness to find answers  to related topic.

# data[].attributes.body
https://makinggoodhumans.wordpress.com/2021/01/05/reimagining-the-poi/

# data[].attributes.body
I think it is very meaningful to relate one attribute to other ones as well. For instance, when we talk about how to be balanced in their daily life, say, what food they eat, we can also mention other attributes. In order to be balanced, they also need to be knowledgeable about what nutrition they need. When talking about dealing with social issues with their friends, in order to be balanced, they also need to be caring and principled, so that the balance is  not harmful to other people and taking other people's needs into consideration.

# data[].attributes.body
https://blogs.ibo.org/sharingpyp/2020/10/12/a-transformational-journey-by-single-subject-teachers/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This blog article captures the journey of transformation during online learning as experienced by single subject teachers. They travelled from the stage of disruption to adaptation, and to growth.
By Vandana Parasher

"While everyone figured their way out, we realized that open sharing of ideas, reflections and experiences helped everyone through."

With Covid-19 spreading around, forcing educators to leap out of their comfort zones without much prior warning and expecting them to transform their educational practices overnight, we were left with no option but to 'comply' to this sudden change- ironically, in the times when we were all talking about 'Agency'!

These times reinforced the value of Approaches to learning (ATLs) and IB Learner Profile, such as risk-taker, balanced, inquirer, thinker, being resilient, open-minded and principled. Teachers around the world stretched their boundaries and like true brave-hearts plunged into the unknown, in the search of possible ways to make authentic and relevant learning happen through technology. While everyone figured their way out, we realized that open sharing of ideas, reflections and experiences helped everyone through. We also reflected on our journey with single subject teachers (specialists) who worked their way through different phases.

Here's an account of how our specialist teachers rediscovered themselves through a process of inquiry, action and reflection.

"We could see ourselves gaining confidence by the end of this phase."

Phase of Disruption:

This phase brought a lot of anxiety, fear, resentment and uncertainty amongst the teachers, especially the Specialists. We were flooded with so many questions, doubts, wonderings related to the medium, curriculum, learning etc. that it became a bit unsettling.
Wonderings:

What should be the structure of a virtual lesson for my subject?

How can I teach 'skills' virtually?

What will happen to the planned curriculum- standalone and Transdisciplinary integrations?

How will we teach without the requisite tools/equipment?

How will we engage the children effectively?

What about exploration, inquiry and collaborative learning?

What if technology turns out to be a roadblock?

Phase of Adaptation:

The adaptation phase was a learning zone for us which started with 'acceptance' of the situation and gradually led to the desired 'change'. It saw us engaging with all our wonderings, thinking of possible ways to address them one by one and taking 'action'. We could see ourselves gaining confidence by the end of this phase.
Action:

In collaborative planning sessions with specialists the first week, we identified the learning outcomes which were simpler to execute virtually.

We mainly looked at some standalone engagements in all subjects

We had to tweak part of our written curriculum to suit the virtual learning demands. E.g., in PE, in place of swimming and soccer we had to look at yoga and aerobics for Grades 2 to 5, and recreational exercises aiming at motor coordination for EY

To begin with, we explored the asynchronous way where all the Specialists (dance, drama, music, visual art and PE) created simple tutorials which could be followed at home, and student work could be uploaded on the e-portfolio platform Seesaw

These tasks were posted every day with a clear learning objective, steps and success criteria so that they were self-explanatory and would require least parental involvement

Teachers reviewed the work on Seesaw and shared feedback to feedforward in the form of voice notes and text

Students engaged with the feedback effectively and produced a second draft wherever necessary

"Students were also seeking one-on-one connection with the single subject teachers where they could learn something in real time."

Reflection:
It was a comfortable and assuring beginning for all the specialists because student responses indicated some level of engagement at home; however, there were concerns with 'check for learning/understanding' which could happen in a synchronous way but not so effectively in asynchronous mode. Students were also seeking one-on-one connection with the single subject teachers where they could learn something in real time. So, with this reflection, we moved towards planning Synchronous lessons after 2 weeks of asynchronous work.

"This phase saw us stretching beyond the obvious."

Phase of Growth:

This phase saw us stretching beyond the obvious. The single subject teachers tasted some success with their asynchronous structure and felt ready to move towards the Synchronous lessons.

Successfully implementing the curriculum:

PE: For transdisciplinary integration we went ahead as per the curriculum map and integrated well with Grade 4's unit on the Interconnectedness of human body systems (Who we are). PE teachers co-planned and executed an inquiry along with the form tutor and guided the children to collaboratively prepare a project on "Strengthening different body systems by adopting a fitness routine" for a certain sport of their choice. Students got together for live discussions using Zoom- breakout room feature and worked on shared slides to create their presentations.

Visual Arts: An inquiry into Graffiti as a form of 'communication' (How we express ourselves) in Grade 4 enabled students to express and share a positive message for the community at the time of Pandemic. Certain online tools used by them were Weave silk and Tate paint which allowed students to create digital art work. Students were introduced to different art forms and artists through virtual tours.

Finally, all the work that was done during the 11 weeks of lockdown was showcased through a Virtual art exhibition- Seher: A dawn of creativity. This is an annual art event for the school but this time we explored an app called Exhibbit which provided us with a virtual gallery space to showcase and celebrate student work at a very nominal cost. The entire school community took pride in this showcase.

Ceramics: Having no access to natural clay and sophisticated tools at home, our ceramic specialist explored an alternative called "Salt dough" which provided a similar experience and outcome.

Drama: An inquiry into Monologue for the unit on 'Sense of Self' (Who we are) in Grade 5 enabled students to give a voice to their feelings and emotions through this troubled phase. They learnt to write a monologue after responding to and understanding its characteristics. Drama teachers took on the role of language teachers and helped children develop their monologues as a part of the creating Students performed their monologues as well as engaged in a peer-review exercise as an audience.

Dance: The Indian classical dance teacher focused on expressions, postures and mudras used on Bharatnatyam (Indian classical dance form) through her lessons, enabling children to appreciate the nuances of this dance form. The western dance teachers helped children explore Jazz Pirouettes, Tutting and encouraged them to create their own choreography.

Music: The teachers gained confidence as they worked on the online music creation tool called ChromeApp Lab. Students explored various rhythm patterns and musical notes through this tool. Parent collaboration was a high point for music department and you can read more about it here.

"Having come this far, our specialist teachers are feeling proud of their journey and accomplishments."

Having come this far, our specialist teachers are feeling proud of their journey and accomplishments. Being certain of their capability to adapt, unlearn and relearn, they are now looking forward to the next phase of blended learning after the summer break!
In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson- "A mind, once stretched by a new idea can never regain its original dimensions". This holds true for all the teachers who stretched themselves and grew in this process!

Acknowledgement: The idea of categorizing the entire virtual learning journey into 3 phases- disruption, adaptation and growth was used by Amit Pawar - Microsoft Asia Pacific, in a webinar on "Opportunities and challenges of remote learning - How will this shape the future?" organized by EduTECH Asia Virtual.
Vandana Parasher is the PYP Coordinator at Pathways School, Noida. She has been a primary educator for over 17 years in international schools from New Delhi to Tokyo. She believes in constantly engaging with the latest research and innovation in education that leads to rethinking and questioning the existing norms. Passionate about self-directed learning and collaboration, she works towards empowering children with the right tools and mindset that keeps them excited about learning and life. You can follow her on Twitter @Vandysays and her school @PathwaysSchools.
Subscribe

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A transformational journey by single subject teachers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This blog article captures the journey of transformation during online learning as experienced by single subject teachers. They travelled from the stage of disruption to adaptation, and to growth. By Vandana Parasher "While everyone figured their way out, we realized that open sharing of ideas, reflections and experiences helped everyone through."

# data[].attributes.body
Communicating is an important attribute that allows for expression, understanding, and problem solving. The following are some ways to incorporate the profile communicator into your routine :
In my class, I hang the profiles and then attach a string or ribbon. When students are displaying the attribute, I will take a picture and staple it onto the ribbon. I will then discuss and ask the students in which ways has this student shown this attribute. We go over what that attribute means and then celebrate the student for displaying that attribute.
Using books as a tool is a great way to reinforce and teach what the attribute means. I will ask the students before reading to please listen for traits that express a specific profile such as communicator. Then after the book we will discuss and reflect on which ways this character showed (or maybe did not show) this profile.
I will use the profiles in everyday situations, such as, "so and so is sitting nicely, lining up nicely, wow, he/she is principled". Or I may ask in a situation, "Was that caring? How can you be more caring next time?" Every day there are multiple opportunities to use the profiles during normal routines and activities.

# data[].attributes.body
https://blogs.ibo.org/sharingpyp/2016/10/25/how-to-make-units-transdisciplinary/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Single-subject teachers at Belvedere have been working diligently to make every unit of inquiry truly transdisciplinary. Our single-subject teachers, which include music, art, PE, Spanish, librarian, technology specialist and counselors, are successfully integrating their specialty into every grade's unit of inquiry. How? Collaboration.

Once every quarter, the specialists and I study the programme of inquiry. The discussion revolves around each grade's upcoming unit and how they can integrate their specialty to ensure transdisciplinary learning. Our programme of inquiry is located on Google docs. Here, the five essential elements of each unit of inquiry are being updated by teams and by single-subject teachers.

These meetings assist specialists in making conceptual or topical connections. Here is a glance at a section of our programme of inquiry.

This is the kindergarten unit "Together we can" where single-subject teachers have noted how they plan to integrate their subject into the unit during a quarterly collaboration meeting.

Our music teachers focused on the building of a community. Students worked on building a safe environment where everyone takes responsibility for their actions. In art, teachers focused on the key concept of responsibility. They stressed that students had a responsibility to take care of art tools. Our PE teachers had students work together in teams on how to support one another in a game. Our librarian read Snatchabook by Helen Docherty and focused on how our behaviour impacts communities. For the month of September, our counselors stressed cooperation and teamwork to further connect to the kindergarten unit.

Being that it is difficult to have specialists attend grade level meetings, I take it upon myself to input any connections that the specialists have to the units of inquiry. I send out "unit maps" to inform specialists when grade levels are switching units. Within these maps, the essential elements of the units are laid out for the specialists. Specialists inform me of any connections they made during these units. I then input those learning experiences into the unit planner. Should specialists have any questions regarding a unit, I am available to walk them through the unit.

At Belvedere, it is our goal that each single-subject has one unit of inquiry written. We want our specialists well versed in the PYP and to be held equally responsible for the transdisciplinary nature of the programme. By having a unit written, our specialists will internalize and empathize the process of creating a unit. Specialists and I discuss where they could develop a unit that is genuinely integrated with a grade level specific unit of inquiry. For instance, our music teachers will be completing a unit planner aligned with third grade's "how we express ourselves" unit, which focuses on simple machines. In order to develop a deep understanding of the unit, music teachers will attend third grade's meetings for "how we express ourselves".

Being a specialist in a PYP school is a very difficult job. It is extremely important to us that our specialists are fully supported. In order to further develop our specialists, I hosted a specialist networking session for the IB Mid-Atlantic region. Here, specialists shared ideas and strategies. Discussions revolved around the hardships presented by being a single-subject teacher and how to overcome any challenges they faced. Being able to collaborate with teachers from other schools helps assist specialists in furthering their PYP journey.

Through collaboration with the coordinator, the classroom teachers, administration and specialists from surrounding PYP schools, the specialists at Belvedere are successfully integrating their specialty into our PYP units. This transdisciplinary process helps all of our students grow and learn at a deeper level.

-
Bridget Louder is the PYP Coordinator at Belvedere Elementary School in Falls Church, Virginia. Belvedere is the first authorized PYP school in Fairfax County. Bridget holds a bachelor's degree from Virginia Tech and a master's degree from George Mason University. Follow Bridget on Twitter @bridget_louder.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Single-subject teachers at Belvedere have been working diligently to make every unit of inquiry truly transdisciplinary. Our single-subject teachers, which include music, art, PE, Spanish, librarian, technology specialist and counselors, are successfully integrating their specialty into every grade's unit of inquiry. How? Collaboration. Once every quarter, the specialists and I study the programme of inquiry.

# data[].attributes.body
CARING

- with social media exposure, even the young ones are exposed to very sensitive topics. at times its unavoidable. should we refrain from discussing openly? or should we encourage them to speak up openly abt it?

-Personally I feel when sharing sensitive topics, understanding and respecting other's emotions and experiences is very important. as a educator giving the space for an individual to express themselves  with their choice of words, giving a listening ear,  encouraging the peers to comfort each other, giving the freedom to voice out opinions are very important.

# data[].attributes.body
https://blogs.ibo.org/sharingpyp/2021/02/01/an-inquiry-through-clay-exploring-a-new-language/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
"As natural inquirers, the children used their senses to investigate..."

Clay has been a precious resource for humans throughout history. Pottery has been used since ancient times and it provides a record of past civilizations. Its malleable qualities invite children to become inquirers and explorers; they instinctively pin ch it, poke it and squeeze it.

Our early years group were inquiring into the transdisciplinary theme "Who we are" with the central idea of "Being aware of our uniqueness, interests and abilities allows us to develop an identity". This was an inquiry into:

Our physical, social and emotional characteristics

Our personal abilities and interests

Culture and traditions that shape our identity

Our key concepts were form, connection and perspective . We decided to kick off our school year by talking about how unique and special we are to provoke our children to think about their physical characteristics, interests and cultures when they are starting to build their identity.

Through our initial provocation, the children began a student-led inquiry on what makes them special. During our discussions and learning engagements, we talked about what special means and what is special to them. Their parents were also involved , and the children found out why their parents chose their names and the special meaning of each name. This was followed by talking about our physical and emotional characteristics.

Using different languages, the children were able to inquire about their own and their friends' physical characteristics. They were invited to take photos of their friends, draw their friends as well as draw their self-portraits. We read different books, such as ' Jabari Jumps ' , by Gaia Cornwall and ' Why A m I M e? ' , by Paige Brit, to talk about what makes us who we are. After this investigation, it was time to explore a new language to continue their inquiry: clay.

Initially, the children explored dry clay. As natural inquirers, the children used their senses to investigate dry pieces of clay and clay sculptures. Then they used mortars and pestles to grind and crush the dry pieces of clay as well as sieves to separate the big pieces. Through research, the children made interesting discoveries, including finding out where clay comes from.

"It's good to use clay as it's harder and it doesn't break your model.  If you leave it outside and it starts raining it won't go soft!" R., 5 years old

But how can we make the clay soft?

"First it might be all dried up then it mixes with water for soft clay.  When the rain comes down.  You can take some and put it in a bucket." S., 4 years old

On the following day, they experimented with water and found out that the dry clay becomes soft and malleable, therefore it is easier to manipulate and make models. Using their hands and their feet, the children explored soft clay and made new discoveries.

Now it was time to work with our hands using clay. The children were encouraged to use soft clay to make small bowls, cups and plates. We explored the concepts of "flat" and "3D". After experimenting with different tools and techniques, it was time to go back to our initial inquiry and think about how we can now apply our knowledge on who we are and physical characteristics through the language of clay.

The children were then invited to make a sculpture of a friend. Using the photos they took of their friends and their drawings, we talked about what makes their friends unique. After our discussions, the children were happy working on their models. Through this activity, it was clear how knowledgeable the children had become after this inquiry and we could see this knowledge imprinted in their clay models.

Clay offers infinite possibilities - it can be transformed and reused and explored again. That is exactly what inquiry is all about: a cycle of provocations and discoveries that can be revisited, allowing children to continue to be curious, explorers and lifelong learners.

The  Hundred Languages of Children : the Reggio Emilia Approach to Early   Education. Norwood, N.J. : Ablex Pub. Corp., 1993.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
An inquiry through clay: exploring a new language

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"As natural inquirers, the children used their senses to investigate..." Clay has been a precious resource for humans throughout history. Pottery has been used since ancient times and it provides a record of past civilizations. Its malleable qualities invite children to become inquirers and explorers; they instinctively pin ch it, poke it and squeeze it.

# data[].attributes.body
https://blogs.ibo.org/sharingpyp/2019/04/16/ways-to-facilitate-language-development-through-concept-based-inquiry/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ways to facilitate language development through concept-based inquiry | SharingPYP Blog

# data[].attributes.body
1. Under my control

decision making to a certain extent in discussion with management
Recruitement
classroom environment

2. who and what are under my influence
collegues

3. beyong my control.
availability of resources
parent's mindset

# data[].attributes.body
I am now working at an IB candidate school as a primary school homeroom teacher. If I imagine myself being a leader, I will be a principled and respectful one. As a leader, I believe empowering and respecting others by giving them a say when it comes to decision-making is very essential.  I believe in teamwork and collaboration. By giving the team a voice and giving others in the team responsibilities with trust, the team can go a long way.

# data[].attributes.body
Rock: Units of Inquiry and how to connect everything.

Paper: Inquiry process, assessment. For a beginner, it is quite a lot of information to absorb, when you combine it with all the other information of the Program of Inquiry.

Scissors: Our current curriculum. It is completely based on disciplinary learning and does not really leave room for transdisciplinary learning.

# data[].attributes.body
https://blogs.ibo.org/sharingpyp/2018/03/27/fostering-learner-profile-attributes-through-collaborative-planning/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
"I was caring because I took a two-year old to his classroom when he was in our play area. He could have had an accident," said one of my kindergarteners during circle time. It was the beginning of an interesting and spontaneous conversation about applying the IB learner profile attributes. The students were motivated to share more examples and eager to learn from each other. While listening to them, I reflected on how easy it is for children to understand and develop some attributes and how many concrete and explicit examples they need to understand others. That is the case of the attribute balanced.

The IB offers the following definition for the attribute balanced: "We understand the importance of intellectual, physical and emotional balance to achieve personal well-being for themselves and others." ( IB learner profile, 2013)

What opportunities can we create for learners to see an attribute, to feel it and live it? How can they contribute in the learning and teaching of attribute balance? How can we intrinsically motivate students to develop an attribute so that they can make it their own?

These are questions that opened a reflection on the importance of developing a more student-centred learning environment. Through teacher collaborative planning, we reflected on how to set up meaningful learning opportunities where inquiry can also include learner profile attributes. However, it was our observations and engaging in student's interactions that gave us important insights on the matter: What if they joined our collaborative planning every week? It would be an opportunity to see how balanced their suggested activities would be.

During our circle time on Thursday, we told the students we needed their help with activities for the next day. They were surprised and wondered if they could do any activity they could think of; we told them that they just needed to take into account our unit of inquiry ( How people interact and care for the natural environment). The students talked to their partners, brainstormed ideas together and then shared them with the whole class. It was an active and interesting discussion where the students explained to each other how fun their ideas would be. After listening to their exchange of ideas, it was time to make one list with the whole class:

paint on a big poster board

make paper flowers

make jungle leaf garlands

play "musical chairs"

dance

write on walls

make posters and write "do not throw rubbish on the floor."

make a cake

We noticed how intertwined their ideas and the central idea were. We acknowledged their collaboration and started sorting out their suggestions by using a graphic organizer. The web map helped them to see a variety of activities such as writing, art and recreation that can contribute to their understanding of being balanced. Through the activities, they were not only nourishing their minds but also their hearts. They noticed writing activities did not necessarily involve pencil and paper for them to learn to write; that art is not only about painting but also about making crafts and dancing. They were aware of how collective and individual activities could also be enjoyable.

The next thing we did was to brainstorm the resources we were going to need for each activity. While completing the list of resources, some learners proposed having the Friday class outdoors. They called it Fun Friday and when it arrived, students freely visited the areas and engaged in their suggested activities. That first Fun Friday gave the students the opportunity to have their voices heard through direct and active participation. In addition, it helped them to be aware of how keeping a balance of activities could strengthen their well-being, learning and growth. Furthermore, it gave us, the teachers, the opportunity to trust learners' choices and help them to nurture their understanding of the learner profile attributes needed for building intrinsic motivation.

Many Fun Fridays have followed that day and every Thursday learners remind us to plan for it. Since then, they have developed positive attitudes towards learning activities, shared their points of view confidently, and supported balanced activities when choosing from a myriad of options. Now, students can confidently share examples of being balanced because they have experienced and enjoyed it.

Reference:

IB learner profile: http://www.ibo.org/globalassets/publications/recognition/learnerprofile-en.pdf
Rossana Quiroz is currently teaching kindergarten at Fleming College in Trujillo Peru. She is passionate about providing opportunities for children to develop their innate curiosity and enjoy learning. She previously taught ESL in language centers and charter schools in the USA. She holds a TESOL certificate and a MA in Linguistics. She believes teachers should be lifelong learners, too, that show their students the way to make their goals come true.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Fostering learner profile attributes through collaborative planning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"I was caring because I took a two-year old to his classroom when he was in our play area. He could have had an accident," said one of my kindergarteners during circle time. It was the beginning of an interesting and spontaneous conversation about applying the IB learner profile attributes.

# data[].attributes.body
https://blogs.ibo.org/sharingpyp/2014/02/11/language-learning-calp-and-making-the-move-from-disciplinary-to-transdisciplinary/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Join two PYP educators as they join a language and learning working group to create teacher support materials, and have their 'aha' moment...
As PYP educators, Elizabeth and Sabrina were invited to join a CALP Language and Learning Continuum working group, developing teacher support materials, alongside MYP and DP colleagues. They were asked to look at the task at hand looking through the lenses of mathematics and social studies.

If you are not familiar with the terminology CALP, the cognitive academic learning proficiency (CALP) framework is based on the work of Jim Cummins and is intended to scaffold the planning and teaching of academic language, ie language skills needed by students for language learning in the classroom .

The process includes developing literacy and communication skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing), collaboration and social skills (interacting) and thinking skills (evaluating evidence, critically reviewing evidence, and analyzing and interpreting data).

Rolling our sleeves up, we discovered that creating teacher support materials, which would demonstrate integration of language in other areas of the curriculum, is a four-step process:

1) activating background knowledge

2) scaffolding for new learning input

3) acquisition of new learning through practice

4) demonstrating proficiency.

We questioned whether two separate documents─one focusing on math and the other on social studies─would align with the PYP transdisciplinary pedagogy?

Hmmm...

We began by identifying the academic language required to teach the social studies and mathematics content of a 2 nd grade unit of inquiry focusing on the related concepts of location and orientation.

As we created our list of target vocabulary─and it got longer and longer─we realized that although there were transdisciplinary links, the two disciplines each have their own academic language and, as our starting point, we needed to address them separately.

Back to the drawing board.

We developed four learning engagements for social studies before moving on to develop the ones for mathematics.

As we started to write the third learning engagement for mathematics, we had our "aha!" moment.

Authentic links between the two disciplines became obvious and we could see clearly how our learning engagement for mathematics and social studies could indeed be the same for activities 3 and 4.

We had made the move from disciplinary to transdisciplinary.

Did we also make connections with the DP and MYP? Yes, but that is another blog story.

-

Sabrina is a PYP coordinator and a MYP/DP Individuals and Societies teacher, a workshop leader and an online course facilitator.

Elizabeth currently teaches elementary music and has worked across a number of curricula and student support roles in the UK, Japan and Thailand.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Language learning, CALP and making the move from disciplinary to transdisciplinary

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Join two PYP educators as they join a language and learning working group to create teacher support materials, and have their 'aha' moment... As PYP educators, Elizabeth and Sabrina were invited to join a CALP Language and Learning Continuum working group, developing teacher support materials, alongside MYP and DP colleagues.

# data[].attributes.body
IB is to create a sustainable solution in terms of education to create a better and more peaceful world. Therefore, it is vigorous in academic standards and has a strong connection to the real world, particularly responsive to the current international agenda with intercultural understanding. It is beyond the classrooms and the physical environment of the school.

# data[].attributes.body
(N) After attending the morning sessions, I thought I might have registered for the wrong workshop as this workshop might best fit teachers or leaders who are already in leadership positions, such as school principals and IB coordinators. However, after the afternoon session, I realized the term 'leader' in the IB language does not solely refer to the one at the top position; it also represents the 'leader of learning'. It can also be the teacher who teaches in class, designs the class experience, prompts thinking in divergent ways and facilitates learning of learners with different learning styles.

(E) I am excited about tomorrow's sessions as we will look more into the curriculum and learn how to implement IB strategies in our community and classroom.

(W) I am not IB enough..
We may need more time to finish or digest all the reading material and resources provided.

# data[].attributes.body
time of life
My principal, mentor. Her leadership qualities . making time for everybody despite her busy schedule. good listener and problem solver.

# data[].attributes.body
I am very empathetic. I listen and try to work with my team within their constrains.

The ability to identify individual strength and weakness allows me to form a good working relationship with my team.

I believe in individual perspectives. While setting up individual goals, I strive to work as a team towards achieving it. I strongly believe that empowering the individual would yield a wider result.

# data[].attributes.body
Rock: How to incorporate the units of inquiry

Paper: Vertical and horizontal planning

Scissors: Current school curriculum

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.inspiringinquiry.com/the-learner/pyp-overview/learner-profile

# data[].attributes.body
https://blogs.ibo.org/sharingpyp/2020/08/04/skills-and-dispositions-in-online-learning/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In this article, we will reflect on our role as teachers making inroads into the virtual learning environment. We have applied our IB learner profile attributes in each learning experience proposed and we have adapted the lesson plans according to the new requirements for the benefit of our students and the community. Let's enjoy our journey!
During the Covid19 pandemic, from one week to another, we have suddenly passed from meeting our third-grade students in the different spaces of the school, to listening and meeting them through virtual applications. In our first week of change, we decided to take it slowly to understand the implications of the challenge of teaching through technology and in a virtual classroom. It was of great importance to us to get an idea of how we could continue our inquiry units, promoting students' curiosity, engagement, and agency. But we must confess, we were afraid we would lose the inquiry process, as we also had the idea 'they won't be able to explore and develop all the conceptual understandings this school year'.

We did not know if all of our students would be able to meet with us through a computer or cell-phone device and we didn't want them to spend hours in front of a screen, so at the beginning, we only planned a few learning experiences in guides that we shared with all the students to be done at home. We encouraged them and their parents to develop organization and self-management skills, which even for us, was a great deal. For staff, handling home and work tasks, as well as organizing time to spend with our family members, now 100% at home, was a great challenge.

This made us imagine how our students would be dealing with similar things in their homes, adding to the emotional states they might experience while getting to understand this new situation themselves, their parents and their whole community. As a consequence, our staff were actively involved in the process of creating a synchronous and asynchronous schedule, in which students had learning experiences divided between online sessions and individual home work. This has been very positive in that we have been able to improve our collaborative planning as we are all concerned together about making our students, and their families feel comfortable with this new experience.

For that reason, we continue with a variety of learning experiences in which students are able to develop a balance among their spiritual, mental, physical and emotional well-being. In our virtual encounters, we had the chance to propose different activities in which students could interact with each other. As well, we guided them in their process of learning through the IB learner profile attributes and they have recognized the importance of demonstrating these in their learning. We have given frequent feedback on the skills and attributes developed, seeking to create strong cooperative bonds. For example, we played Kahoot games and at the end of the activity, we reflected on the time management, empathy and perseverance to be able to recognize their aims and those of others. In addition, we had different spaces in a summative assessment in which the students had the chance to give feedback to each other focusing of the positive aspects of their peers' work, and giving suggestions in a respectful way to improve their performance.

Helping students and parents to develop organization and self-management skills is a continuous challenge, but it has been a very pleasant process, as in time we have seen students' agency growing stronger while they assume more autonomy in this new situation, their schedule and the development of their work. We also involve self-management skills, especially time management and completing tasks effectively, in our lesson plans through different strategies. We started using one E-learning weekly planner, which we included in the lesson plan shared with each student.

Completing this planner has been beneficial for each student, as they were able to plan their weekly tasks, not only with their homework but being able to recognize the importance of developing other activities to maintain their well-being. Such as taking breaks during the day, being grateful, exercising and spending time with their families. In addition, we have researched some applications to incorporate into our virtual meetings so that our students can focus on their units of inquiry and develop multiple skills. Using different applications for encouraging students to learn, explore and share their knowledge and conceptual understanding have been very helpful for us. For example, the students were challenged to design a graphic organizer by themselves using different tools or apps such as PowerPoint, Popplet, Word, Padlet or Excel, in which they shared their prior knowledge of their understanding of the central idea "Earth changes because of natural events and human influence". They also reflected on the key concept of change and responsibility. (Photo 2 and 3 )

At the same time, students have shown great enthusiasm with these tools, as they can interactively apply their knowledge and share their ideas with the whole class. For example, we created a Padlet shared with the students, to work cooperatively answering different questions about the unit, asking their own questions, and suggesting ways to explore or find out more information about their inquiries.

This is our fourth week of online learning and we feel we have improved a lot and we have learned to feel more comfortable with this new teaching approach. As well, our students have shown enthusiasm and commitment to our virtual encounters. They like to participate in the learning experiences we propose and we continue to help some of our students with personalized attention to clarify doubts.

Most importantly to us is to see how our students have demonstrated their agency when organizing their work successfully, for example by creating their own schedule and sending tasks on time. Also, they find solutions to problems such as a good internet connection, learning to receive, send and attach documents, solving issues with web cameras and microphones, managing their emotions and persevering in working through adversity.

Finally, we realized the importance of following our inquiry process, especially in our lesson plans because we have designed interesting learning experiences to boost the learning of our students. To make it happen, we included our inquiry cycle as part of the titles for each experience. For example, at the beginning of the unit we start with "engagement and connection" where we explore the student's previous knowledge and expectations about the unit. Further in the inquiry process, we included sections such "building and sharing knowledge" where students had opportunities to share their thoughts, ideas and research findings. In the last part of our cycle "action and reflection" the teacher and the students talked about their strengths and weaknesses in the inquiry process, and we reflect on possible ideas to keep exploring. It is important to emphasize that in each step of our process, the students have multiple ways for self, peer and teacher's assessment.

It is our challenge to take make the most of our role in guiding each student in their learning, encouraging them in the desire to continue learning through virtual classes, and help them to think deeply about their process of learning and the ways in which they can adapt to our current world.
Deysi Johana Barón has worked as a PYP teacher for three years. She currently works at Gimnasio Los Portales School in Bogotá, Colombia. She holds a master's degree in education from Pedagogica University. She believes in the importance of hearing students´voices for establishing an environment of trust and safety. She tweets @ BarJohana1 Patricia Pardo Pachón has worked as a PYP teacher for almost 6 years at the Gimnasio Los Portales School in Bogotá, Colombia. She is a professional in Languages and Sociocultural Studies from the University of Los Andes. She believes that encouraging students' self-esteem and creativity will help them explore all the treasures of their being. She tweets @PatriciaPP12

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Skills and dispositions in online learning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In this article, we will reflect on our role as teachers making inroads into the virtual learning environment. We have applied our IB learner profile attributes in each learning experience proposed and we have adapted the lesson plans according to the new requirements for the benefit of our students and the community.

# data[].attributes.body
40 years  -accross boundaries
4 high quality programs
3-19 years
develops inter cultural understanding
10 learner profile
better peaceful world
traditionally academic disciplines and push across boundaries
world wide recognition.
effective assessment

# data[].attributes.body
Need to know: in-depth understanding of organization and leadership, and then practices standards and rules. FYI, I have started my second Master program which is strongly connected to IB in terms of philosophy and practices.

Excited about: IB authorization is an exploring learning journey for the school and teachers, not an exam making people so anxious. However, I do know there will be some inspections.

Suggestions for moving forward: Share some experience regarding the biggest differences between pre-authorization status and after in the perspective of the coordinator. What has been improved?

Things may worry me: To avoid confusion and chaos, the school leadership team need a very good plan to transition the school to the comfortable level when it is beyond authorization.

# data[].attributes.body
To a very large extent, the Head of School of my previous school, really shaped my understand and approach to leadership. He is from Hong Kong and he was invited to found a new school in a city in South Eastern China 6 years ago when I joined team. By then I quit from a public school  and only believed leading means having an authority to give directives. But my Hong Kong principal changed my understanding. I learned to be a school leader by supporting other staff and leading them to think for solutions from their perspectives.

# data[].attributes.body
Who
I am Shanthi from India , working as a CEO and PYP coordinator for a start up school going through the candidacy process.
As a person , I am very passionate about creative and performing arts and love teaching children. i believe, the world is a beautiful place to be in.
As a leader...
I guide my team to equip themselves and become independent.
Understand the vision , mission of IB and the school.
I make sure there is a lot student /teacher engagement
I make sure I am approachable as a leader.

As a leader I believe I can make a difference by giving the right opportunities to right people at a right time.

As a leader I have the ability the maintain and run a harmonious environment for my team.

As a leader , i identify differen strategies and PD programs for my team and ensure hey have the requisite caliber to handle their job.

# data[].attributes.body
I know that building the curriculum structure takes a lot of time, energy, and expertise, I was reminded that we better start from learning from other IB schools. I know that IB is a journey of gradual improvement and enhancement to the school operation and programs.

So these are things we must do now:
1. Social networking and idea exchange with different IB schools
2. Encourage staff to learn for different purposes including professional development specified by IB
3. Promote an atmosphere of collaborative culture at school

I believe this is not IB practice:
Take some fixed way of doing things for the Golden Standard, without thinking how we can do better, either presumed pattern of IB or samples of IB that people want to learn from.

# data[].attributes.body
https://meredith.dmschools.org/ib-myp/ib-learner-profile-activities-for-parents/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Each day our teachers and students strive to develop 10 traits of life-long learners. Parents and guardians, you can help too as you interact with your students at home.
Caring students think about the world and work to take care of their community and the environment. They remember to treat others as they would like to be treated.

Knowledgeable students explore relevant and significant concepts and can remember them. They apply what they have learned in the real world and in new situations.

Students who are Communicators express their ideas by speaking, writing, using mathematical notation, and through art. They effectively listen and respond in meaningful ways. They can also speak and write in more than one language.

Students who are Inquirers are curious about the world. They love learning and discovering new things. They are able to independently research answers to their questions and will use those skills as adults.

Model being an inquirer. Admit when you don't know and seek information and answers with your student by using the Internet, asking a friend, or experimenting.

Encourage your student's interests by visiting the library or places to learn more

Open-Minded students know that all people are different. They listen to different points of view and consider many possibilities. They celebrate differences that make people unique.

Encourage your student to really listen when others speak

Help your student try new things: foods, games, traditions, and activities

Principled students understand that there are rules and laws that they follow. They are honest, have a sense of fairness, and are willing to stand up for what is right.

Students who are Risk-takers have the courage to try new things. They will try to solve their problems in a variety of ways. They can make independent decisions instead of just following the crowd.

When your student is uneasy about trying something new, encourage them to attempt it. Afterwards, discuss how risk-taking felt.

Explain to your student the difference between being a risk-taker by trying new things and doing dangerous things

Students who are Thinkers can imagine a variety of ways to solve a problem independently. They make good decisions and can predict the outcome of their actions. They think creatively and critically.

Balanced students are healthy and recognize that the food and exercise choices they make affect their bodies and minds. They spend time participating in a variety of activities.

Reflective students know their strengths and weaknesses. They thoughtfully consider how they want to improve, set goals, and take action.

Review your student's work and scores on Infinite Campus with them. Ask them to describe their strengths and ask how they can work on their weaknesses.

Set goals together and create a sensible plan to achieve them.

Actividades para los padres sobre los perfiles de un estudiante IB
Meredith es una escuela con un bachillerato internacional (IB). Cada día los estudiantes y los maestros se esfuerzan para desarrollar 10 rasgos de aprendizaje que serán utilizados de por vida. Los padres o encargados pueden ayudar a desarollar estos rasgos en la casa.
Solidarios
Estudiantes que son SOLIDARIOS piensan sobre el mundo que los rodea y protegen a su comunidad y su ambiente. Ellos tratan a los demás como les gusta que otros los traten.
¿Como puedes ayudar a desarrollar un estudiante SOLIDARIO en la casa? Informados e instruidos
Estudiantes que son INSTRUIDOS les gusta conocer y buscar información sobre conceptos que sean relevantes. Ellos son capaces de aplicar sus conocimientos en el mundo real.
¿Como los padres pueden ayudar a desarrollar estudiantes INSTRUIDOS en la casa?
Pregúntale sobre algo que están aprendiendo en la escuela y luego dile:

"porque tú crees que es importante aprender sobre ese tema?"

Motívalo a continuar explorando temas que lo apasionan.

Ayúdalo a que conozcan sobre sucesos que ocurren a nivel mundial.

Buenos comunicadores
Estudiantes COMUNICADORES expresan sus ideas platicando, escribiendo, usando destrezas matemáticas y hasta por medio del arte. Ellos escuchan y responden con buen sentido común. También pueden escribir y/o hablar en otros idiomas.
¿Como los padres pueden ayudar a desarrollar estudiantes COMUNICADORES en la casa? Indagadores
Estudiantes que son INDAGADORES son curiosos al mundo que los rodea. Aman aprender y descubrir cosas nuevas. Pueden hacer investigaciones independientemente para buscar las contestaciones a sus preguntas.
¿Como los padres pueden ayudar a desarrollar estudiantes INDAGADORES en la casa?

Modela como ser una persona indagadora. Admite cuando no sepas la contestación a una pregunta y busca las respuestas en el internet, preguntándole a otra persona o haciendo una búsqueda.

Motívalos a visitar la biblioteca u otros lugares donde se desarrolle su aprendizaje.

De mentalidad abierta
Estudiantes que son DE MENTE ABIERTA entienden que todas las personas son diferentes. Escuchan diferentes puntos de vista y consideran muchas posibilidades. Ellos celebran las diferencias en cada persona que las hacen únicas.
¿Como los padres pueden ayudar a desarrollar estudiantes DE MENTE ABIERTA en la casa?

Motívalos a que sean capaces de escuchar las opiniones de otras personas.

Ayúdalos a tratar cosas nuevas como: comida, juegos, otras tradiciones y actividades.

Íntegros
Estudiantes que son INTEGROS entienden que hay reglas y leyes que hay que seguir. Son honestos, tienen un buen sentido de lo que es justo y están dispuestos a defender lo que es correcto.
¿Como los padres pueden ayudar a desarrollar estudiantes INTEGROS en la casa? Audaces
Estudiantes que son AUDACES tiene la valentía de hacer y tratar nuevas cosas. Ellos tratan de resolver sus problemas de diferentes formas y son capaces de tomar sus propias decisiones no son de los que se dejan influenciar por los demás.
¿Como los padres pueden ayudar a desarrollar estudiantes AUDACES en la casa?

Cuando tu estudiante no intente cosas nuevas, motívalos y ayúdalos a hacerlo. Luego, analicen como se sintió ser una persona audaz y arriesgada.

Explica las diferencias entre ser audaz y ser arriesgado, en tratar cosas que no lo lastimen y no actividades arriesgadas.

Pensadores
Estudiantes PENSADORES pueden encontrar la solución a un problema de diferentes maneras. Toman buenas decisiones y pueden predecir el resultado. Ellos piensan de manera crítica y creativa.
¿Como los padres pueden ayudar a desarrollar estudiantes PENSADORES en la casa? Balanceados y equilibrados
Estudiantes BALANCEADOS son saludables y reconocen que la comida y el ejercicio son importantes para su cuerpo y su mente. Ellos pasan tiempo en diferentes actividades que son apropiadas y saludables.
¿Como los padres pueden ayudar a desarrollar estudiantes BALANCEADOS en la casa?

Trata de supervisar en que los estudiantes utilizan su tiempo libre cuando no están alrededor de un adulto.

Déjales una lista de actividades que puedan hacer cuando tu no estas con ellos.

Motívalos a que se envuelvan en actividades extracurriculares en la escuela o en la comunidad.

Limítales el tiempo que pasan en el celular para que dediquen tiempo a sus tareas, a interactuar con otras personas y hasta para descansar.

Reflexivos
Estudiantes que son REFLEXIVOS reconocen sus fortalezas y sus limitaciones. Ellos analizan y consideran como pueden mejorar y como llegar a la meta.
¿Como los padres pueden ayudar a desarrollar estudiantes REFLEXIVOS en la casa?

Revisa las calificaciones de tus estudiantes en Infinite Campus con ellos. Pregúntales cuales son sus fortalezas y como pueden mejorar.

Creen metas juntos y un plan a seguir para lograrlo.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
IB Learner Profile Activities for Parents ( English & Spanish) - Meredith Middle School

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Each day our teachers and students strive to develop 10 traits of life-long learners. Parents and guardians, you can help too as you interact with your students at home. Caring students think about the world and work to take care of their community and the environment.

# data[].attributes.body
https://makinggoodhumans.wordpress.com/2015/02/21/concept-based-unit-mapping/

# data[].attributes.body
- Sphere of Control
Classroom rules, behavioural expectations, lesson and unit plan/learning activities and in-class experience

- Sphere of Influence
Co-teachers, students, teaching assistants, school librarian (What books to order and display), IB coordinator (give suggestions or advice),

- Everything Else
Parents' comments and feedback, parents' conception and perspectives

# data[].attributes.body
At the heart of IB is that it promotes a student-centred culture of learning and teaching. Students are seen as capable and competent learners, who are in-charge of their own learning beyond the classroom environment. The IB programme aims to nurture students to constantly stay curious about the world that they live in through an inquiry-based approach, to appreciate various cultures and understand the challenges or problems that people face globally. It also fosters life-long learners and critical thinkers, who are open-minded, reflective and intentional in their learning and the way they communicate with the world. Students learn by doing, and not only is what they know important but also what they can do.

# data[].attributes.body
This session was eye-opening and I gained great insights into the IB programme and what it means to be an IB facilitator. Would like to learn more and am excited to understand about the practicalities and actually implementing the IB curriculum and how it looks like in the classroom. Worried about how to execute the IB curriculum in school and whether it meets the requirements to go through the candidacy.

# data[].attributes.body
Becoming a single mom at a young age, I had to change my way of thinking. With raising a child and learning to guide him in the right direction, I have implemented my own personal leadership style into my classroom and as a leader teacher. I have learnt to become more caring and understanding as each person or student is different. I have learnt to be fair and understanding but still setting an example.

# data[].attributes.body
I already know that IB schools are student-centred schools that aim to raise all-round students and life-long learners with international mindfulness and intercultural understanding with the help and guidance of ten learner profile attributes and a well-developed curriculum.

Through the morning sessions, I have realized that all schools, whether it is a well-established IB accredited school with a long history or a start-up school undergoing the candidacy process, face similar challenges and difficulties. As educators, we cannot please everyone and can only deal with things under our control. We cannot put too much pressure or stress on ourselves.

How to plan and design lessons/ learning experiences better implementing and using the IB way?

# data[].attributes.body
My name is Moses Qimei HU. I am the Chinese principal responsible for administrative affairs at Wenzhou Union International School, which in the South Eastern part of China. My next role is to be the PYP and MYP coordinator.

I like to be open-minded, balanced, and reflective when dealing with any issues and challenges.

I think as a leader of the school, I value the sustainability of the school, which is my top priority. To protect the sustainability, the school will need to make sure positive learning culture and justice in place, as well as financial viability.

I think am good at coordinating with different people, different organizations, communities with understanding of their strength and weaknesses.

# data[].attributes.body
https://alisonyang.com/grasps-assessment-design-and-student-metacognition/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The WHY of GRASPS assessment design

GRASPS is a model advocated for by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe to guide teachers in designing authentic performance-based assessment. It's a form of assessment that engages learners to employ their thinking skills and demonstrate application of essential knowledge, conceptual understanding, and skills acquired throughout a unit of learning.

Wiggins defined authentic assessment as "...Engaging and worthy problems or questions of importance, in which students must use knowledge to fashion performances effectively and creatively. The tasks are either replica of or analogous to the kinds of problems faced by adult citizens and consumers or professionals in the field." (1993, qtd. by Jon Mueller).

The main takeaway for me is that teachers can use the GRASPS assessment model to:

engage students through contextualized learning;

provide simulations of real-world situations or challenges that adults might encounter;

create opportunities for students to practice transfer of learning;

foster curiosity and building experiences of students;

develop project management skills of students.

The WHAT of GRASPS assessment model

To help educators construct authentic assessment, Wiggins and McTighe's came up with GRASPS model. GRASPS is an acronym for teachers to:

Goal: establish the challenge, issue or problem to solve;

Role: give students a role that they might be taking in a familiar real-life situation;

Audience: identify the target audience whom students are solving the problem for or creating the product for;

Situation: create the scenario or explain the context of the situation;

Product/Performance and Purpose: paint a clear picture of the WHAT and of the product creation or the performance;

Standards & Criteria for Success: inform students how their work will be assessed by the assumed audience.

Is the GRASPS assessment model misunderstood?​

A set of sentence stems has been provided to help teachers construct a performance task and often is introduced in IB workshops. It might be because limited time was allotted for teachers to explore thoroughly the designing principles of using the GRASPS assessment model; therefore, the summative task is sometimes described in the format of a GRASPS performance task but fails to illustrate an actual real-world problem or issue that can inspire students to take authentic or simulated action on.

An example might be:

Goal: Your goal is to write a short story.

Role: You are a middle school student.

Audience: Your target audience is your teacher, and students and parents in our school community.

Situation: You have been asked by your school community to write a short story. (This section is sometimes omitted by teachers as a clear situation is not identified.)

Product/Performance and Purpose: write a 800 word short story to entertain others.

Standards & Criteria for Success: You will be assessed against criteria B, C and D.​

It might look good at first by framing the assessment through GRASPS model, but it's like déjà vu all over again. It is definitely a step-up when teachers begin to use this model when creating a summative assessment task. However, this is still very much like a traditional assessment task. First of all, the range of the target audience is too big. The way an author writes to entertain young children, teens, or adults is very different. The situation described above is unlikely to happen as it is vague and more details are needed.

Another issue that needs to be addressed is that MYP teachers often inform students that they will be assessed against criteria B, C, and D. But what do criteria B, C and D mean? If we want students to organize, produce text, and use language (MYP Language and Literature criteria BCD), wouldn't it be more effective for teachers to clearly specify the criteria and engage students in understanding the assessment objectives and strands? We can't expect students to develop assessment capabilities without explicitly involving them in developing assessment literacy.

Develop student metacognition through GRASPS

In my humble opinion, through the use of the GRASPS assessment model, we can also create opportunities for students to develop their metacognition. In order to create a product or solve a problem effectively and efficiently, students first need to clarify the task, identify their strengths and weakness, set appropriate, challenging goals, analyze the context, chunk the big task into small subtasks within the timeline, seek feedback for improvement, and self-evaluate their work against the success criteria before the final submission. During the process of product creation, teachers provide both explicit and implicit feedback and guide students to monitor their progress. Frequent check-ins are essential. It should never be the case that teachers give students a big project and only find out that students have not addressed a requirement one or two days before the due date.

Refocus GRASPS implementation

Teachers and students can both benefit from the use of the GRASPS assessment model. In this poster design, I refocused the use of the GRASPS assessment model and created essential questions respectively to guide teachers in designing the GRASPS authentic assessment, and students in developing their metacognition through conducting the GRASPS assessment.

As mentioned previously, teachers do not always set up a clear situation for the assessment task. In the MYP framework, when illustrating the situation or creating the scenario for the task, teachers can refer back to the MYP global context exploration predetermined. It is also through the careful design of the scenario or situation, students can be challenged to think about intercultural communication and thus develop international-mindedness.

This poster can be downloaded as a PDF file by simply clicking on the image below.

Reference

Mueller, Jon. "What Is Authentic Assessment?" Authentic Assessment Toolbox, jfmueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/toolbox/whatisit.htm#definitions.
Spencer, John. "Five Structures for Helping Students Learn Project Management." John Spencer, 20 Aug. 2019, www.spencerauthor.com/project-management/.Quigley , Alex, et al. "Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning." Education Endowment Foundation, (Education Endowment Foundation), 27 Apr. 2018, educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/tools/guidance-reports/metacognition-and-self-regulated-learning/.
​基于整体表现的GRASPS评估设计与学生元认知

如果希望閱讀本篇文章的中文版，請拜訪 www.sohu.com/a/403764639_120362876
​謝謝IB教學研的翻譯。

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
GRASPS Assessment Design and Student Metacognition - alisonyang.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Help students develop assessment capabilities by explicitly developing students' assessment literacy through the GRASPS assessment model.

# data[].attributes.body
Rock
- Transdisciplinary learning and how to integrate the various subjects together

Paper
- Unit of inquiry and the different themes

Scissors
- Traditional textbook teaching/ rote learning

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.pypteachingtools.com/category/concept-map/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Concept Based Learning

I am a huge fan of inquiry based teaching and learning. After all, I am a die-hard IB PYP teacher. Anything that promotes thinking in an engaged manner and reinforces understanding excites me! Concept based learning looks at a given subject through the lens of concepts or "big ideas" and encourages the children to think about those big ideas rather than having a subject stuffed into a small box. It enables more connections to be made and, in my opinion, creates a more authentic learning experience where all subjects and skills can be utilised. Lets begin with The Concept Map!

The Concept Map-The idea of using background knowledge with inquiry and directing thinking strategies to create understanding in science.

Rather than "giving" students the answers, this form of making thinking visible develops the habit of inquiring in order to find the answers, using thinking strategies such as inferring, questioning, background knowledge and collaborative thinking, when they have to find the answers to their questions. Not to mention, making their learning rigorous and authentic. It is a good idea to model these maps prior. I have used a stand up game called " Associations" to practise the skill.

Association- an Interactive Game

This involves about 5 or 6 children standing in front of the classroom. One child from the audience has to give the group a starting word such as " Fish". The first person standing up in the line will say aloud, " Fish". The next person in the line has to immediately think of a word that they associate with fish and say it aloud. And so on along the line. For example: Fish, ocean, shark, danger, drowning, safety, swimming etc. The group continues as far as they can. If one person pauses too long then they are eliminated and must sit down. I usually leave it til there are 2 children left standing. Those 2 remain standing and another 3 or 4 kids are selected to participate. It can also be timed, with a time limit set.

An Example: The Pre-Knowledge Activity

Our key concept was CONNECTION.

I gave the children six commonly known words related to the circulatory system and asked them to work together to show how the words connect. Each line connecting two words had to have a written association or connection. This was done in small groups, which for this vocabulary activity was arranged in ability groups. You can of course implement this with mixed ability groups too. For example: the word CIRCULATION and HEART was connected with a line and 2 words were written on the line showing how the children connected the two words. One group wrote, " blood" and " moving in a circle"along their line linking the words. As I chatted with them, they explained to me their thinking.

You can see how they children used their knowledge of the heart having something to do with blood and their decomposition of the word circulation. They saw that part of the word looked like CIRCLE and thus they inferred that the word must mean moving in a circle and "perhaps it meant that the blood was moving around the body in a circle"!! Not to far from the facts, right? 🙂

The Post- Knowledge Reflection: Showing How Their Thinking Has Evolved.

After several lessons and experiment activities around the circulatory system, the children had to add six additional, more complex words to their original concept maps. These had to be shown in a different coloured marker so that the " before" and " after" knowledge could be seen clearly. As they reflected on their prior knowledge, there were several corrections made, facts added and giggles stifled, as the kids noticed how much their knowledge of the subject had increased. Effective learning that can be used with any concept!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I am a huge fan of inquiry based teaching and learning. After all, I am a die-hard IB PYP teacher. Anything that promotes thinking in an engaged manner and reinforces understanding excites me!

# data[].attributes.body
1.  Lite
2.  Comfortable
3.  Multi-functional
4. Purpose is to dress up/down
5.  Flexible
6.  Save money on buying additional shoes for different functions.
7. Age Group above 25
8. Both male and female

# data[].attributes.body
Who and What are under my control:
The teachers in my nursery and kindergarten team.  Planning and organizing lesson plans and classrooms.

Who and What are under my influence:
The teachers in my nursery and kindergarten team.  Assisting with planning and teacher training.  Guiding the teachers when required.

What is beyond my control:  Student and parents rules and regulations.

What are my worries/anxiety:   No discipline and commitment  from the students and parents.

# data[].attributes.body
-intercultural learning and respect
-a mission that's reflected through 10 core values
-better and more peaceful world
-how and why you learn
-connecting with the world behind
-better understanding of the different languages
-make a better world through education

# data[].attributes.body
need to know
is it fine to collaborate the traditional learning way along with the IB style

excited about
to make the changes in school & with the team from our learning

suggestions for moving forward
is it mandatory for all staff to attend the course

worried about
more of acceptance from the parent's side

# data[].attributes.body
My late Dad. He had a strong personality, but a very kind heart. He had strong leadership skills/qualities that I adopted. He was always there for me and guided me throughout my life. I have also adopted his kindness and fareness. He has taught me respect and to be respectful to others.

# data[].attributes.body
Excitement: Learning is always fun. To make school a learning community and learning is part of work is a lot more fun.

Questions: But learning could be costly. What are the cost-effective ProD solutions for staff, particularly ways recognized by IBO.

Concerns: What are the measures to ensure the quality and accountability since the IB program seems very flexible in some aspects.

# data[].attributes.body
Connect:  I was able to connect with other teachers/leaders travelling on the same journey.

Extend:  Schools are facing the same problems and issues and are trying to find ways to resolve these issues.

Challenge:  Teachers and parents to understand a different way of learning.

# data[].attributes.body
who: I am an athlete, artist, and educator. I am a life long learner. I am curious and passionate about my endeavors and seek to help to foster growth in others as well as myself.
Characteristics: I am open-minded, principled, and a risk taker. I am able to work as a team player and find common ground with others.
Ability: I am able to creatively problem solve, effectively organize, and listen to others in a caring manner.
Belief: Others (including animals and environment) help us to grow, learn, and discover our full potential and how we can truly make a difference in the world.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.seisen.com/connect-link/news/setagaya/~board/ib-pyp-at-seisen/post/solo-and-vocabulary-lists-updated-for-grade-1-to-6

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Link to the Elementary Programme of Inquiry.

Below you will find links to the updated SOLO Taxonomy and Vocabulary Lists for Grades 1 - 6. It is important to note that in alignment with the Enhanced PYP, students may develop the SOLO taxonomy by co-constructing this with their teachers. This is to provide students with agency - choice, voice and ownership throughout the process of their learning. Therefore the SOLO co-constructed by students may look slightly different this one. This learning progression and vocabulary list is developed so you can support your daughter's learning at home. These can also be found on each individual Grade Level Blog and hard copies are located near the Cafeteria Display. Please feel free to come and take one.
How can I use the SOLO at home?
You will now see a row underneath the possible assessment criteria titled 'Possible questions to discuss'. These are teacher guided questions that help to direct the unit of inquiry. You may wish to use these questions to begin a conversation with your chid about their unit of inquiry at home.
How can I use the Vocabulary Lists at home?
The Vocabulary Lists are a guide for the possible vocabulary that may be explored throughout the unit of inquiry. It is encouraged that you explain and explore the words within this list with your child in their mother tongue. Perhaps you may talk about the concept of some of the words in English and also in your home language in order to deepen their understanding of them.

GRADE 1

Grade 1's year long unit of inquiry is How we express ourselves - Celebrations. They are exploring the central idea Celebrations and traditions can express shared beliefs and values. This involves investigating and exploringreasons why people celebrate and key features of celebrations.
HWEO - Celebrations: SOLO Taxonomy HWEO - Celebrations: Vocabulary List
Grade 1 have recently begun their unit of inquiry Sharing the planet - Living Things. They are exploring the central idea Living things adapt to their habitats to survive. This involves investigating and exploringways living things are suited to their habitats, ways living things interact in their habitats and how people can interact with habitats in a safe and responsible way.
STP - Living Things: SOLO Taxonomy STP - Living Things: Vocabulary List
GRADE 2

Grade 2's year long unit of inquiry is How we express ourselves - Artists' Journey. They are exploring the central idea Artists interpret and respond to the world around them. This involves investigating and exploringhow art conveys a message, the choices artists make to convey messages and the stages of the creative process.
HWEO - Artists' Journey: SOLO Taxonomy HWEO - Artists' Journey: Vocabulary List
Grade 2 have recently begun their unit of inquiry How the world works - Forces & Motion. They are exploring the central idea People apply their understanding of forces and energy to simple, compound and complex machines. This involves investigating and exploringdifferent types of forces, how machines function and the impact of machines on our world.
HTWW - Forces & Motion: SOLO Taxonomy HTWW - Forces & Motion: Vocabulary List
GRADE 3

Grade 3's year long unit of inquiry is Sharing the planet - Plants. They are exploring the central idea Plant diversity can affect the wellbeing of people and other living things. This involves investigating and exploringthe conditions plants need to grow, the interrelationship between plants and other living things and the importance of plant diversity.
STP - Plants: SOLO Taxonomy STP - Plants: Vocabulary List
Grade 3 have recently begun their unit of inquiry How we organise ourselves - The Marketplace They are exploring the central idea Marketplaces depend on the ability to produce goods and supply services that can be exchanged. This involves investigating and exploringthe role of supply and demand, the distribution of goods and services and responsible production and consumption.
HWOO - The Marketplace: SOLO Taxonomy HWOO - The Marketplace: Vocabulary List
GRADE 4

Grade 4 have recently begun their unit of inquiry How the world works - Weather Systems. They are exploring the central idea Understanding climate and weather patterns informs decision making. This involves investigating and exploringthe relationship between weather and climate, measuring and predicting weather and the impact of and response to extreme weather events.
HTWW - Weather Systems: SOLO Taxonomy HTWW - Weather Systems: Vocabulary List
GRADE 5

Grade 5's year long unit of inquiry is How we express ourselves - . They are exploring the central idea People can create or manipulate messages to target specific audiences. This involves investigating and exploringhow the elements of messages can be used to influence target audiences, the power and impact of media and critical evaluation of messages presented through media.
HWEO - Media: SOLO Taxonomy HWEO - Media: Vocabulary List
Grade 5 will soon begin their unit of inquiry Sharing the planet - Peace & Conflict. They are exploring the central idea Reaching a resolution to conflict can be influenced by the actions and reactions of all involved. This involves investigating and exploringcauses of conflict and strategies used to resolve conflict and their consequences.
STP - Peace & Conflict: SOLO Taxonomy STP - Peace & Conflict: Vocabulary List
GRADE 6

Grade 6's year long unit of inquiry is Who we are - International Mindedness. They are exploring the central idea Understanding the beliefs and values of different cultures can promote international mindedness. This involves investigating and exploringwhat constitutes culture, the varying beliefs of different people and how they develop and promoting international mindedness.
WWA - International Mindedness: SOLO Taxonomy WWA - International Mindedness: Vocabulary List
Grade 6 have recently begun their unit of inquiry How we express ourselves - People we admire. They are exploring the central idea People we admire can influence our actions, values and relationships. This involves investigating and exploringthe characteristics/traits of people we admire, how individuals develop character traits to empower others and how my actions and choices affect myself and others.
HWEO - People we admire: SOLO Taxonomy HWEO - People we admire: Vocabulary List
If you have any experience or expertise with the content of these units of inquiry, we would love to hear from you! Please contact our PYP Coordinator (ssmyth@seisen.com) or your daughter's homeroom teacher.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
SOLO and Vocabulary Lists Updated for Grade 1 to 6

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
An update of the new SOLO Taxonomy for current and year long units of inquiry and vocabulary lists to support your child at home.

# data[].attributes.body
What is the order of documentation completion and timeframe for authorization?

# data[].attributes.body
rock

how can math come under transdisciplinary subject

paper

collaborative planning is essential

scissors

the books being used currently has to be relooked into

# data[].attributes.body
OIS' Vision

A community that recognises every student's individuality; nurturing charismatic leaders who become global citizens.

Edits
A community that recognises every student's individuality; nurturing charismatic leaders through intercultural understanding and respect who become global citizens to create a more harmonious world

OIS' Mission
Nurturing individuals of excellence and moral fortitude.

Edits
Nurturing individuals of excellence and moral fortitude to be compassionate and lifelong learners.

# data[].attributes.body
https://sites.google.com/a/bh.edu.pk/promoting-the-bss-learner-profile/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
School management should arrange monthly reflection meetings in which following points for embedding learner profile among students must considered for reflection:

· In the classroom practices are we providing more experiences and opportunities that allow students to be genuine inquirers?

· How much attention do we pay to how students interact with other students in group-work activities?

· Could we give more time to helping them work effectively as part of a team?

· Could we create more opportunities to discuss the ethical issues that arise in the subject(s) we teach?

· How well do we model empathy, compassion and respect for others in our classrooms and around the school?

During formative assessment tasks, do we provide students with enough opportunities to take intellectual risks, and then support them in taking such risks?

To what extent does the range of assessment strategies we use meet the diverse needs of students and encourage creative and critical thinking?

Can we provide time for students to reflect on an assessment task and what they have learnt from it? What aspects of student development do we report on?

Do all our teachers see themselves as responsible for the nurturing of lifelong learners?

What is the quality of interaction between students and teachers around the school?

Does the structure of the school day and the schedule facilitate the development of the learner as a whole person?

Are support structures in place to oversee the personal, social and emotional welfare of students, as well as their academic development? Are students empowered to take responsibility for their own learning?

Are we investing appropriately in ongoing professional development for teachers?

Way forward and action plan should be discuss for better implementation of learner profile in the school.

3. School should emphasize on celebrating internationals days (dignity day, peace day, labor day, mother day, Children Day ) etc to develop attributes e.g. empathy , ethics, globally aware, creative and innovative among the students.

4. Morning assemblies can be used as a tool to inculcate specific attributes e.g. one attribute should be assign per month and chance would be provided to every class to model through role play or debate on the specific attribute.

5. Friday Flyer would be used to highlight attributes for the month in which suggestions would be provided to the parents that how they can inculcate attributes among their children and ask parents to give their feedback and suggestion to the school through seesaw.

6. For creating the attributes e.g. Inquirer analytical, globally and digitally literate school can make an interactive science corner where one question should be raised under the heading of

Question of the Month

e.g. What will happen if we will not give water to the plant?

Students would be invited to search for the answer and share their finding during morning assemblies by the end of month.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Conducted meetings and workshops(with teachers and junior staff) in regards to BLP , highlighting the importance and need of inculcation of these attributed in our students and environment. i.e. We have planned to come up with a WALL having the pictures and captions of BLP . Monthly Agendas at

# data[].attributes.body
My control: Personal and Team Planning

My influence: students, parents, and community once I and my team are well planned

Beyond my control: things not planned, not thought of

# data[].attributes.body
- Ask powerful questions
- Develop critical appreciation towards one’s own culture and others
- IB learners ——> Passionate lifelong learners
- Turn experience into understanding
- How to learn and what you are learning
- Assessments
- Build confidence

# data[].attributes.body
Need to know:  How to do the POI?  What exactly is my role as PYP Co-ordinator?

Excited about:  I can't wait to start implementing the new way of learning to my students and the new way of teaching to my teachers.  The IB program is so refreshing and new as oppose to the old way of teaching and studying.

Suggestions for moving forward:  None.

Worried about: How to assist teachers and students to adapt to the IB program.

# data[].attributes.body
OPTION 2

Mr Abdul Kalam. As a leader , when a failure happened he took the front step to take responsibility rather than pointing fingers at his team members.

He had such great vision for the future generation. A man of simplicity, who lived as an example.

He strongly believes that education is the main tool to make a change.

# data[].attributes.body
Excitement: To be a part of an IB World School is a new challenge and a new way of thinking.

Questions: How can we promote or encourage parents and students to be part of the IB School?

Concerns: For our school, the main concern is that parents do not want to be part of the IB School

# data[].attributes.body
Connect: It seems like we are all currently in the same boat, having to face similar issues and challenges.  By connecting with others facing the same challenges, a lot of it can be resolved.

Extend: We are not the only school that faces challenges.

Challenges: How to promote open mindedness.

# data[].attributes.body
I am originally from South Africa and have been living in Cambodia for the past 14 months.  I have been teaching online and in the classroom for going onto 4 years.  I am brand new to the PYP Co-ordinators circle, and I look forward to this wonderful, new, exciting journey.

I have a very strong personally but I am very kind, caring and fair.  I can sort out conflict in a very deplomatic way.  I have a lot of energy and I share this with my teachers and students.

As a leader, I believe that you need to have the ability to think fast, be able to work under pressure.  Most importantly set a good example for everyone around you.

I believe that education is very important, not only for myself and my students, but also for teachers and other staff in our school. You must be willing to learn and educate yourself on a daily basis. I am always willing to learn and teach/educate others.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.seisen.com/connect-link/news/setagaya/~board/ib-pyp-at-seisen/post/solo-and-vocabulary-lists

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Link to the Elementary Programme of Inquiry.

All students in Kindergarten and Elementary have begun their Units of Inquiry. The SOLO Taxonomy is designed to take students on a journey from first developing surface level knowledge-based learning outcomes and progress to connecting and extending their knowledge in order to take action. This enables students to 'go deeper' and process their knowledge to develop conceptual understanding. This is scaffolded and guided using an inquiry process illustrated in the image, below.

Below you will see the possible assessment criteria developed through the SOLO Taxonomy for this unit of inquiry. It is important to note that in alignment with the Enhanced PYP, students may develop the SOLO taxonomy by co-constructing this with their teachers. This is to provide students with agency - choice, voice and ownership throughout the process of their learning. Therefore the SOLO co-constructed by students may look slightly different this one. This learning progression and vocabulary list is developed so you can support your daughter's learning at home. These can also be found on each individual Grade Level Blog and hard copies are located near the Cafeteria Display. Please feel free to come and take one.

Grade 1:

Grade 2:

Grade 3:

Grade 4:

Grade 5:

Grade 6:

If you have any experience or expertise with the content of these units of inquiry, we would love to hear from you! Please contact our PYP Coordinator (ssmyth@seisen.com) or your daughter's homeroom teacher.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Link to the Elementary Programme of Inquiry. All students in Kindergarten and Elementary have begun their Units of Inquiry. The SOLO Taxonomy is designed to take students on a journey from first developing surface level knowledge-based learning outcomes and progress to connecting and extending their knowledge in order to take action.

# data[].attributes.body
1.  Guidelines on how to assess students.
2.  Formative and summative assessments.
3. Guidance on Action Plan.

# data[].attributes.body
pg 8-9

- Conceptual understandings are changeable, contextual, and may be elaborated or reinterpreted
- transcend disciplinary boundaries
- Concepts = BIG IDEAS = understand
depth of understanding
- Promote transfer to familiar or less familiar situations, issues, ideas and contexts
- conceptual understandings are the aim of a unit of inquiry and forms the central idea.
- The statement should be substantial and open-ended enough to support students’ understanding of the
transdisciplinary theme and the concepts to which the theme is connected.

Pg 10-11
- Conceptual understanding is  promoted through exploring a central idea where students use their prior knowledge and understanding to guide their learning while making connections to various other concepts.
- The conceptual understanding that they obtain will then be able to drive their ability to make meaning and connections when they encounter newer concepts.
- Teachers have the responsibility to integrate these concepts and ensure that children have the opportunity to construct and deepen their conceptual understanding.

Pg 12-13
- All learning and teaching, including subject knowledge acquisition, is through concept-based
inquiry.
- Links are identified between Central ideas, Key Concepts, Related Concepts and Subjects, within the programme of inquiry.
- Promoting and modelling conceptual understandings through stimulating critical-thinking and expanding thinking skills.

Pg 14-15
- connect learning and support the transfer of knowledge by:
talking abt how can we encourage the learning through various options ( opportunities, past experiences, reflections etc) and moving to documentations of their leaning and understanding.

- It also touched based on the learning and teaching strategies used to support depending on the needs of individual students.

# data[].attributes.body
Rock: POI planning and how it all goes together.
Paper: Aligning the POI in accordance with standards and practices.
Scissors: remake the schedule planning template to reflect transdisciplinary learning rather than subject specific blocks of time.

# data[].attributes.body
Mentor students to be independent thinkers mission matching to
create a community of independent thinkers. vision

make children make a meaningful difference to the world. vision matches to
empower young learners to be equipped with skills and knowledge to  succeed in a rapidly changing world. Mission

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.pypteachingtools.com/bringing-the-ib-pyp-learner-profile-to-life/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What kind of a learner are you? Consider the question. Are you more of the lion type of learner or perhaps you're more of the hamster? This is a simple activity that I use at the beginning of the school year, as we are getting to know, not only our class community but also ourselves. As I am building this community of learners, I want them to have a greater understanding of who as learners and to recognise and appreciate our diversity. And that, as we know, all stems from the IB Learner Profile. Let's begin with an inquiry into who we are as learners.

With a simple question and fun images, the children are asked to relate themselves to the pictures. You can choose to use words or simply begin with only the images. This adds to the thinking. I have done it both ways, depending on the students abilities with language, the vocabulary of the PYP and their thinking skills etc. Ask them: Are you more of a lion when it comes to learning, or are you more like the hamsters? Do you stand bravely and courageously step into the unknown or do you prefer to work with others, caring about your own feelings as well as those of others? etc. This simple and fun reflection, allows the children to begin to discern who they are as learners in a way that brings it to life in relation to their identity as a whole.

We have also focused on the profile traits within our units of inquiry in a similar way. By recording our thoughts throughout, the children are then able to monitor their own progress as it shifts and changes across the programme of inquiry. Having taught upper grades, I have found it best to present only a few attributes at a time. This way we can dive into them over the course of a few weeks at the beginning of the year. You may prefer to go more slowly or dive into all ten attributes at once.

A Whole Child Approach

This excerpt from my online course, Essentials for Inquiry: Getting Started with Student-Led Inquiry, shares how the philosophy of a student-centred, inquiry-based approach has endured across time and is spreading more than ever for a reason. It works and it works well. And so we begin with the Learner Profile, understanding the attributes behind the learner: the very centre of the the IB PYP philosophy.

When we consider the whole child, we need to begin with developing a child's basic awareness of who they are as learners on all levels, striving to meet their social, emotional and physical needs before academic learning can be fully embraced.

Susan Powers 2019

As we look more closely at the whole child, notice that there are fewer academic aspects to a learner than there are basic human fulfillments. Comparing this with the Learner Profile, we can see that the ten attributes fit into those circles. Consider how each attribute would fit within the coloured circles of the whole child approach. What do you notice?

Integrating the Learner Profile

When we are making the Learner Profile an authentic part of our daily routines, we are bringing the attributes to life and putting them into action directly and indirectly. There will be times we want to plan for explicitly learning of these attributes, modelling and demonstrating as well as planned implicit practice. There are many ways to do this and it will vary depending on the age of your students. This article shares some of the strategies I have used over the years, together with ideas from our global community, shared via Instagram.

Embed the Learner Profile: We want to be embedding the language of the Learner Profile into every single day. The descriptors of each attribute share what it means to be-do-feel-say-have all of those attributes. This is active learning versus passive learning. This is about BECOMING an active learner. But before we get to DOING we have to have this awareness of BEING. This is why we embed the Learner Profile into our day-to-day routines. There are many ways to do this, including the following:

Books: We begin with books. Books provide us with beautiful examples of the attributes in action within characters that can be relatable. Childern can make connections with how the attributes look when out into action. You can find a list of brilliant books for developing the Learner Profile in this article here. The key to making those books a success however, is to make sure that you are referring back to them. Give the children the opportunity to make those connections throughout the school year, by keeping a record of the books read. This example from Grade 1 teacher, Shaila Mallik, shows how she has made this a part of her classroom routines. As the book as read, Shaila keeps a visible record of the stories so that the children can easily refer to them, adding their own thinking as they make those connections throughout the school year. She has a visible record of their progress and the kids have a resource to compare and contrast their experiences.

Bulletin Boards: Our Learner Profile reference posters are a great place to begin. We want them to be interactive however, rather than static wall decorations.

I created the interactive bulletin board with the intention of developing the children's awareness of how our learner profile comes into play every single day. Promoting international mindedness, provoking critical thinking , looking at experiences close to home, personally and globally. Each pocket contains slips that have questions or statements that direct the conversation towards how the traits play within our learning experiences, disciplines and skills.

Guided reading groups: Select a few of the questions from the pocket of the Learner Profile that we are focusing on. Example: Caring - " As you read the text, consider how the author demonstrates caring."

I would then use these questions to guide the conversation through the profile trait, all the while relating it to a skill or strategy that we are working upon. The same thing can be done with ANY inquiry. There are 10 pockets, one for each of the IB PYP Learner Profile , acting like posters, assisting the children with their knowledge and understanding of the Learner Profile and how it relates to them, as learners. With a total of 150 questions you have enough for a conversation a day for the entire school year! You can take a closer look at how I use it, in this post, Using Interactive Bulletin Boards

We are always using graphic organisers to record the children's' thinking. Take it a step further, and show them how their action are demonstrating those attributes of the Learner Profile. In other words, what they are already doing is actually a part of BEING a thinker, inquirer, communicator and so on. I created these printable sticky notes , seen above left, and use them as part of our reading and research skills. Easy to integrate implicitly and adaptable enough for ANY inquiry or discipline.

The picture on the right shows reflection hats, (adapted from De Bono's thinking hats) each colour, a separate profile attribute. Perfect for my little kids, during our end of the day pow-wow, the children would be given the opportunity to choose their own hat ( or Learner Profile attribute), out the hat on and then share their reflection of how they were open minded or risk takers, how they were thinkers today etc.

Taking action with the Learner Profile is all about putting it into practice. From this, the children learn where they are strongest and where they feel challenged. Our profile is going to be unique and will change and adapt as we learn and grown. We WANT the children to know this and we WANT them to be able to identify who they are as learners. The above card games are fantastic for upper grades to integrate literacy comprehension with communication, thinking and social skills, all whilst gaining a stronger understanding of what the Learner Profile attributes look-sound-act like.

This T aking Action with the Learner Profile bingo resource is great for younger kids to actually put those attributes into practice. It was originally designed to be sent home during our distance learni ng, so that grade 1 could continue with our profile focus throughout our inquiry. It comes with a bingo sheet for each attribute and can be used in class, at home, early finishers and so on. Click on the link to see more about this PYP teaching tool.

I have created SO many tools for embedding the Learner Profile and bringing an awareness to my students of their own unique profiles. If you'd like to see more of those resources, you will find the collection in my TpT store. Feel free to browse.

You can listen to more ideas in my video series on Instagram, where I shared with our community. You can view this video @PYPteaching

Until next time, when I will share more about taking action with the Learner Profile, enjoy the video series and please do reach out with your own ideas or questions.

FOLLOW ME HERE, FOLLOW ME THERE.....

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Bringing the IB PYP Learner Profile to Life

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What kind of a learner are you? Consider the question. Are you more of the lion type of learner or perhaps you're more of the hamster? This is a simple activity that I use at the beginning of the school year, as we are getting to know, not only our class community but also ourselves.

# data[].attributes.body
1. Creating convertible/multi-purpose footwear for convenience and efficiency for the user
2. 18 years and up
3. All genders - no restrictions
4. Athletic and fashionable footwear
5. Robotic, convertible heel - from comfortable soles to heels
6. Imagine a heel to sneaker design

# data[].attributes.body
SPHERE OF CONTROL

-WHAT: my ideas / decisions/ time management
-WHO: none

SPHERE OF INFLUENCE

-WHO: my students / my teachers /higher management with my approach and ideas
-WHAT: boost their confidence & willingness in trying out a new change

EVERYTHING ELSE

- individual decision in accepting a change
-individual willingness in even wanting to try

# data[].attributes.body
4 programs 3-19yrs of age
Intercultural
Learner Profiles
life long learners
Student centered
build healthy relationships
what it is to be human
Experience through understanding
Inquiry, Action, Reflection
Increase language culture
Globally engaged
Make a difference
Make connections
Assessments
Collaboration, working together

# data[].attributes.body
loved the session today and the way it was planned. great collaborating with others . interesting to know many are going through candidacy. would love to know more on  pyp modules . thank you for today.

# data[].attributes.body
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1grOMfoyYOhYj__54_BDQAKUNB0AYI80QatZ4KJ94KGI/edit?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Guide to School Authorization - Learning - Students as lifelong learners

# data[].attributes.body
Barack Obama is a role model and has inspired me through his leadership style. He displays genuine characteristics and shows compassion to people who are around him. His decision-making is based on people's needs and demonstrates his critical and logical thinking skills.

# data[].attributes.body
Excitement - Exploring the new way of teaching and learning along with the students.  I am so excited about "no textbooks".  The "new way" of exams (assessments).  The oppurtunities for students to explore and broaden their mind set.

Questions - Information on how to create the Program of Inquiry.

Concern - Could we actually visit other existing IB schools in order to see the setup?

# data[].attributes.body
Connect
Learner profile is a key element of IB curriculum. All our lesson planning will focus on that.
Extend
Create a lot of opportunities for the learners to develop international mindedness. Also make use of the IB flexible curriculum effectively.
Challenges- Faith that results will happen. financial viability to implement and outsource resources, and parents mindset

we are looking at project based learning as pedagogy under the IB framework.

# data[].attributes.body
I am from South African.  I came to Cambodia with my son 5 years ago.  I have been teaching early years for the 5 years.  My son has recently starting teaching as well.

I am lead teacher for nursery and kindergarten where I assist my teachers with their teaching strategies.

I have recently been chosen as PYP CO-Ordinator, and I am still learning what PYP is all about.

As a leader I am able to sort out conflict and between my teachers in order for us to have a positive working environment.

As a leader I believe that we should all work together as a team.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.inspiringinquiry.com/learningteaching/toolsstrategies/solo-taxonomy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Solo Taxonomy: Developing Student Thinking

# data[].attributes.body
after this workshop if we need to clarify on more details, can we still approach you?

# data[].attributes.body
Key elements

1. Concept-based curriculum are powerful and abstract
2. They can be transdisciplinary or abstract
3. it covers across, between and beyond concepts
4. It links the prior learning and new learning
5. 7 concepts can help inquiry-based learning
6. Concepts place no limits on breath of knowledge and depth of understanding.
7. meaningful learning.
8. Key concepts are well connected to students are learning.
9. Open-ended questions help
10 . conceptual understandings are better understood as transition points rather than endpoints."
11. goes beyond basic facts and enables  depth learning
12. Understanding is very broad

# data[].attributes.body
Paper-stand alone subjects -music, art ,pe teacher librarian.
core subjects- Home room teachers

# data[].attributes.body
* These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWxyOdP9NhY&t=216s