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Princess Artypants: Visual Arts in the PYP

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a Choice Based PYP art room in the land of sand

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Sharing PYP Blog post 'Developing approaches to learning'

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This article summarizes how reflections help learners choose how they want to act. It shares a real-time example and utilizes an opportunity to appreciate the beauty of the PYP and how implementing it ties together all the elements!
As a committed PYP practitioner for five years, I keep appreciating the uniqueness of the programme. However, moving from theory to practice is not always an easy journey. The PYP stresses achieving a balance between acquisition of essential knowledge and skills, development of conceptual understandings, demonstrations of positive attitudes, and taking of responsible action. Making this a realty in a classroom and making it meaningful for learners will bring the outcomes of the programme to fruition.

The IB approaches to learning are unarguably the most important to acquire not only in the units of inquiry, but also for any learning and teaching that occurs within the classroom and in life outside the school. The five categories and their respective sub-skills encompass what is needed for a learner in the 21st century. In this dynamic, fast evolving world we need people who are not just knowledgeable but are critical thinkers and problem solvers.

Year after year I work with a new set of learners, each of them unique in their own way. This year I am working with learners who are highly energetic, curious and incredibly open-minded. We often engage in reflection sessions during which we discuss how we are learning in classroom, what is going well and what is not. Learners come up with sincere reflections including that we often fall short at displaying our skills.

Learners reflected that if they could work consciously towards displaying all the sub-skills, they would resolve most of the problems they face in and out of the classroom. In tandem with this thought process we as a class managed to develop a means to help assess our commitment to display these skills in classroom - The skills wheel.

This assessment model is based on Carol Dweck's theory of Growth Mindset and the idea of "NOT YET" (Dweck, 2014).

Learners set up a skills goal for a period of 2 weeks. We display all the sub-skills of that category in an accessible area so that students know what they will be assessed on. After the observation period, the class meets up to discuss how they displayed each sub-skill. Learners provide each other feedback and those learners who have consistently made efforts to display the particular skill will be placed in the pink circle and those learners who have "not reached there yet" will be placed in the yellow part. Gradually, learners who try to work on their goal areas will be moved to the pink area too.

I have experienced a positive change in learners' thinking and learning behaviour in the classroom while utilizing this tool. Learners evidently show more ownership to their actions as they are a part of this solution. It also encouraged learners to show commitment to their choice and be more open minded to feedback.

Although small, I feel this model acted as an effective means for me to make approaches to learning categories and sub-skills more meaningful for my learners. It gave our learners the opportunity to choose to act; to reflect and decide the course of their actions. That, I believe, is responsible action.

References:
https://www.ted.com/talks/carol_dweck_the_power_of_believing_that_you_can_improve

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Rachana Kothapally is a PYP facilitator at Silver Oaks School Bangalore, India. She has been an IB practitioner for 5 years and is passionate about developing critical thinking and problem-solving abilities of learners.

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This article summarizes how reflections help learners choose how they want to act. It shares a real-time example and utilizes an opportunity to appreciate the beauty of the PYP and how implementing it ties together all the elements! As a committed PYP practitioner for five years, I keep appreciating the uniqueness of the programme.

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PYP- Getting Started with Principles to Practice (Video)

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PYP- Getting Started with Principles to Practice (Video)

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https://resources.ibo.org/pyp/videos/pyp-getting-started-2018/?c=a309420f

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Powerful Inquirers

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Sample Planners on the My IB - PYP Resources - Other Resources - PYP PLanners - Sample Planners

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© International Baccalaureate Organization |
Mission statement |
Learner profile

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This publication has been withdrawn in HTML, a PDF version is still available from the programme resource centre. You’ll be redirected there shortly.

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IB Community video library

A video library is available to help your community discover and share the IB experience. This series introduces viewers to a global network of engaged, passionate teachers and learners.

The IB Community series is on Vimeo and YouTube.

Stanford University video series

Meet university admissions officers from institutions accepting IB students from around the world. They discuss their perspective of the IB and how prepares students for university success

View university testimonials on Vimeo and YouTube.

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About the IB Download Download Download Programme videos Download Download Download Download Download Download Download Download The IB in Practice Download...

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The Learner Profile Challenge

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IB School Observation: Channing Hall Charter

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IB School Observation: Channing Hall Charter

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Learner Profile Poster

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A class of 6-7 year olds in the United States inquires into the central idea, "A community is impacted by the involvement of its members" under the transdisciplinary theme of How We Organize Ourselves.

A class of 7-8 years olds in Germany inquires into the central idea, "The properties of construction materials influence the design of buildings and structures" under the transdisciplinary theme of How the World Works.

Signs and Symbols

A class of 5-6 year olds in Australia inquires into the central idea, "signs and symbols can be used to communicate a message" under the transdisciplinary theme of How We Express Ourselves.

Language and Race/Ethnicity

A Theory of Knowledge class in the United States explores language as a way of knowing by reflecting on the question, "How does the language we use shape the way we think and understand race and ethnicity? Does language construct reality or describe reality?"

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All for One and One for All A class of 6-7 year olds in the United States inquires into the central idea, “A community is impacted by the involvement of its...

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Powtoon - PYP Concepts and Central Ideas

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Powtoon - PYP Concepts and Central Ideas

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IB Focus Wall Example

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Sample Agreement for Learning (staff PD)

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IB Focus Wall Example

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rubik's cube a question waiting to be answered

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rubik's cube a question waiting to be answered

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Inquiry Cycle

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Powtoon - PYP Concepts and Central Ideas

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Powtoon - PYP Concepts and Central Ideas

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Personal, social and physical education scope and sequence

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Personal, social and physical education scope and sequence

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Learner Profile embedded in learning target

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(Scope and Sequence)