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This article presents international schools in host culture contexts through the transdisciplinary theme 'How the world works'.
"Must we always teach our children with books? Let them look at the mountains and the stars up above. Let them look at the beauty of the waters and the trees and flowers on earth. They will then begin to think, and to think is the beginning of a real education."

~ David Polis ~

In an international context, students, families and educators bring the richness of diverse cultures, identities and influences of a global community. Working and learning together, we inevitably draw on individual backgrounds to create our own identity as an international community. Building on this idea, we also recognize how important it is for children to make authentic connections to local culture, geography and values of our host country. These connections play a significant role in shaping ways we live and learn together at school.

As a PYP school based in Switzerland, we recognize the importance our host culture places on children spending dedicated periods of time in the outdoors. The connections we have made with the local forest through our weekly visits have become deeply rooted in the identity of our learning community. Each of our early years classes has a year-long unit of inquiry into the laws of the natural world through the transdisciplinary theme How the world works. The forest learning space has become central to the deep, rich inquiries of these units of exploration. Therefore, time in the forest, throughout the whole year and in all weathers is an integral part of the programme.

Time spent in the forest is planned for by teachers with learning opportunities connected to the children's current interests. We aim to develop children's ideas and theories by re-proposing and connecting threads of learning in both the classroom and forest context. Encounters in natural spaces support the children to deepen their understandings about the world and are reflected upon when the children return to the classroom. This provides a platform for teachers to plan for further learning. It is important to us to ensure connections between the forest and classroom continue to flow back and forth between the two spaces. When observing the children as they explore the forest together what often strikes us is the remarkable opportunities the outdoors has for developing the PYP learner profile attributes in an organic and meaningful way.

As children set out for a morning of forest exploration the air buzzes with anticipation. The children and teachers alike are inquirers anticipating a morning full of awe and wonder as we embark on a shared learning journey. As the children work together both independently and in collaborative groups, we observe and document their emerging theories and their connections to the units of inquiry.

The forest also provides a wealth of opportunities for the children to demonstrate and practice the attributes of the IB learner profile in a way that cannot be replicated in a classroom setting. As children climb trees and explore physical challenges they learn to develop their own understandings about boundaries and explore what it means to be courageous risk takers. The children are knowledgeable as they ask questions and build their own theories about the changes they observe in the natural world. They carefully consider what inquiries are personally relevant and meaningful and how they can extend their knowledge back in the classroom. Or as they work together to build a shelter they communicate their ideas with their peers, solving problems and thinking through possible solutions. They demonstrate their caring, principled outlook on the world around as they truly become stewards of the earth.

For the community at Inter-Community School Zurich, the forest is not just an additional learning environment, it is an essential part of our identity. It is a place where we can truly come together as a group to work and play in harmony with the natural world.
"Let nature be your teacher"
~ William Wordsworth ~

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An original version of this post can be found at the Inter-Community School Zurich's Early Years Blog.

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Kate Bowen is a Kindergarten teacher at ICS Zurich. She has taught in the early years for 12 years in both Asia and Europe. Kate is an IB workshop leader and a level 3 forest schools practitioner. Victoria is the Early Years Coordinator at ICS Zurich. She has taught in the early years for 13 years in Asia and Europe. Rebecca is an early years teacher at the ICS Zurich. She has experience teaching in Australia, Asia and Europe. She is an Apple Distinguished Educator and a Level 3 Forest Schools Practitioner. Andrea is the Atelierista at the ICS Zurich. She has experience in a range of roles in early childhood education in the US, Netherlands, Italy and Switzerland.

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Supporting exploration of the learner profile through outdoor learning

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This article presents international schools in host culture contexts through the transdisciplinary theme 'How the world works'. "Must we always teach our children with books? Let them look at the mountains and the stars up above. Let them look at the beauty of the waters and the trees and flowers on earth.

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Continuing the 'mindfulness and well-being' discussion from IB World magazine's March 2016 issue, and the recent social and emotional well-being research, Jenny Mosley - former teacher, now trainer and author - talks about the power of social and emotional learning, and how her 'Golden Model' can promote self-esteem and self-confidence in PYP students.
Students who feel valued and respected for their social, emotional, creative and academic qualities are at the heart of happy, calm and successful schools.

Enhancing social and emotional competencies includes improving self-esteem and developing empathy and respect for each other, supporting the PYP's aim of preparing students to have the capacity to participate in the world around them. Group activities, which encourage genuine listening, nurture social, negotiation and teamwork skills, helping students find their own voice and develop self-confidence.

Quality Circle Time (QCT) is a specially-structured circle time (also known as group time) session and listening system, which is part of the Golden Model. During a session, students practice speaking, listening and negotiation skills, and work in teams to have varied discussions and play games - great for promoting self-esteem and self-confidence, and focusing on the development of the whole child, another essential aim of the PYP.

The circle is a fun and friendly place to be. To laugh, play, be creative and imaginative are basic human needs, but some of our classrooms are not emotionally warm enough. Every child can be heard in circle time and any successes are celebrated.

Self-esteem and self-confidence can grow and develop through good experiential opportunities such as circle time.

Positive behaviour for learning

Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify and manage your own emotions and the emotions of others. Setting goals, managing change, self-discovery and learning about self-regulation and behaviour are important skills for effective classroom learning.

Living by a set of moral values helps build emotional resilience in students, enabling them to cope with or adapt to stressful situations if or when they arise. You can work with your students to decide which moral values you all wish to adopt to keep your classroom physically and emotionally safe. I call these 'golden rules' and they are part of the Golden Model.

Once decided, the rules - which usually focus upon respect, kindness, honesty, trust and hard work - are written on gold paper and proudly displayed. The rules can be promoted through circle time discussions, games, assemblies, stories, and can also be used to motivate and provide positive feedback to students. Most importantly, introducing and embedding the golden rules helps to create positive behaviour for learning. This is central to inspiring active, caring, lifelong learners, which the PYP prepares students to become.

Developing emotional resilience can also take place outside of the classroom. Lunchtimes and playtimes are important breaks in a child's day. It's where enjoyment and exercise are available, friendships are made or broken and there is so much more freedom. Implementing fun lunchtime games where students use and develop their social skills can make all the difference between a student who returns from break-time feeling upbeat and ready to learn and another who feels de-motivated and less willing to participate in class.

Golden moments for you

It's important for educators to lead by example and model positive behaviour. To promote self-esteem in others, we need to develop a strong sense of our own self, which links to the IB Learner Profile attribute, 'balanced'. I encourage staff to work in circles with each other, too, and experience the support and help of colleagues.

All too often teachers put others first but in doing so can quickly burn out. Tired teachers are less inspiring. To release excellence in others we also need self-knowledge and oceans of energy. We need to tap into the wellsprings of our own humanity.
Tell us about your classroom activities that promote social emotional learning: email editor@ibo.org
The 'Five Wells of Wellbeing' is also part of the Golden Model. It focuses on replenishing emotional, creative, physical, spiritual and cognitive energy. I encourage educators to create their own personal care plan based on balance and perspective.

Taking golden moments for yourself to recharge the batteries, and become more grounded, can help you stay resilient and feel valued within a busy environment.

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The power of social and emotional learning

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Continuing the 'mindfulness and well-being' discussion from IB World magazine's March 2016 issue, and the recent social and emotional well-being research, Jenny Mosley - former teacher, now trainer and author - talks about the power of social and emotional learning, and how her 'Golden Model' can promote self-esteem and self-confidence in PYP students.

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In this article you will learn what it is like to be a creative and confident child who loves playing in sandboxes. When adults step back and observe students at play, beautiful, cooperative learning can be observed.
One cool morning in early September a group of students gathered around our school preparing to start their day. A first grade student eagerly showed me an empty bottle that once held vanilla extract. She explained it would soon contain a "secret sauce". Standing next to her was a third grade student holding a small box. The box had been transformed into a cash register with a homemade sign reading Old Oak Bakery. She explained, "Today we will be baking cakes, muffins and pies during recess. Do you want to come and see?" Of course I did, and more than sample a few items, I wanted to know how the students created this shared experience. What were their goals? Who was involved? How did they manage to collaborate with one another when their break times did not? Later that morning, I joined their play and observed them engaged in self-directed inquiry.

Approximately twenty upper primary students were digging, raking, patting, rolling, pressing, sprinkling, spreading and scooping sand. They were industrious workers at the Old Oak Bakery, each person playing a role in the creation of tasty delicacies. With much enthusiasm, students transformed balls of mud into bonbons, jelly rolls and bread rolls. In a section of the sandbox referred to as "the kitchen", a child sprinkled flour onto a cement surface so the cookies would not stick to the pretend baking sheet. A couple other students pretended to be miners, grating clumps of sand into golden sprinkles which were collected and used to decorate cupcakes. At the entrance of the bakery a cashier served a line of eager customers, accepting fallen leaves as a form of payment. Twenty minutes later, an energetic group of lower primary students took over the space and began the second shift in the bakery. Their older peers explained what was created during their play and how the younger students could proceed with the work.

I was in awe of this creative and collaborative play that spanned between age levels and different times during the day. In this authentic, child-created context, students approached their learning with enthusiasm. In addition to developing their fine motor skills, our students communicated effectively, relying on their social skills as they worked courteously with one another. They assumed different roles, such as lead baker or cashier, to ensure the smooth running of the bakery.

At American International School Lusaka we believe students need to have regular opportunities to engage in tactile, sensory experiences in their natural surroundings. Upon student request, last year we built a large sandbox measuring 16 square meters around an old tree, providing shade as students play. In this space students experience intrinsic satisfaction and form positive relationships with peers. Adults rarely intervene to settle disputes, rather students self-regulate and support each other when there is conflict. Conflict, for example, when someone accidentally splatters mud on a friend or breaks another child's mud sculpture. Students are conscious of their actions and consider how their movements and decisions could impact others. Our students demonstrate they are capable and confident learners who enjoy engaging in self-initiated and very messy play. During each of the break times, and even after school, students imagine, design, collaborate, regulate their behavior, and have fun at the Old Oak Bakery.

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Chye is currently the PYP coordinator and assistant principal at the American International School Lusaka in Zambia. She has taught at IB world schools in Leipzig, Germany, Dhaka, Bangladesh and is in her ninth year in Africa. She is passionate about inquiry based learning and is inspired by children's creative instincts, especially when they engage in their natural surroundings. You can follow her on Twitter @ c_deryckel.

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In this article you will learn what it is like to be a creative and confident child who loves playing in sandboxes. When adults step back and observe students at play, beautiful, cooperative learning can be observed. One cool morning in early September a group of students gathered around our school preparing to start their day.

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What happens if a student asks to re-arrange the tables in a classroom? This article talks about a PYP teacher relinquishing control, standing back and allowing students to change everything.
Last year I reflected a lot on building our classroom community. It was a journey of trial and error and constant reflections with my students to see what was working well for us, and what needed changing. A moment that really stuck with me was when one of my students asked if we could move the tables, and when I relinquished control and dropped my plans for the afternoon, the results were magical.

After this past year's experience, I knew that I wanted my next year's class to start the year in this way, making the big decisions about how the room is organized and structured.

The students were confused and excited to enter a classroom where nothing was unpacked or arranged. We began by discussing what we wanted from our space and how we could best begin making changes. One member of our classroom community suggested splitting into groups and drawing plans, and everybody was on board. Taking a step back to watch them collaborate as they discussed and sketched their ideas was wonderful! It was the most collaborative spirit I had ever seen in them.

I loved how much they were valuing and respecting each other's opinions as they made informal presentations explaining their bird's eye drawings in detail. The ideas they came up with were much more creative than what I would have planned for the space and they carefully thought about all the areas that they thought were important, and justified why they thought this. As an example, I chose to get rid of my big teacher's desk but many of the groups felt passionate that there should be a small desk designated as the teacher's space and explained the reasons they thought the desk was important. Another group creatively decided that we should have one silent library area and another 'chatty library' where one could read with a partner.

Once we heard everybody's ideas, I left it to them to decide what to do next. Somebody suggested choosing different parts of the plans they all seemed to like, so they voted on each section of the classroom to see which plan was best for that section (for example, library, tables, carpet area, big plant, etc.). I gently guided and mostly watched as they stitched together a 'Frankenstein' plan using different parts of different groups until they had all the spaces they wanted planned out. I noticed what I thought would be a couple of potential issues with their plan, but kept quiet to see what would happen.

They then worked as teams to set up the space following the plan. They designated leaders of each team and had people responsible for carrying out different parts of the classroom, from organizing the library into genres, arranging the tables and chairs, to deciding what information the wall spaces should contain.

Over the next couple of weeks they continued to reflect, identify issues and modify their designs; identifying for example, that the interesting table structure they originally planned did not quite work out. They nurtured, cared for and maintained the space in a way that they would not have done if they were not part of the process. It was an invaluable start to building our classroom community and not only were they setting the space up, but it also gave me a chance to take a step back and observe some of their skills: collaboration, problem solving, organization and measuring skills are a few. Having the students take charge of this process was so powerful and although the space was not automatically perfect, it was theirs.

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Liz Evans is a British teacher working in a multi-lingual language immersion school in California which is an IB candidate school. Currently working in 5th grade and coordinating math and design, she has a keen interest in promoting learner agency in and outside the classroom. She records her reflections on her blog and tweets from the classroom @_lizevans.

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What happens if a student asks to re-arrange the tables in a classroom? This article talks about a PYP teacher relinquishing control, standing back and allowing students to change everything. Last year I reflected a lot on building our classroom community.

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This article talks about Primary Years Programme students inquiring into the p hysical and virtual public spaces. As part of their action, students chose to design the mother tongue space for the library.
The beauty of the Primary Years Programme (PYP) is the empowerment of students during their learning journey and also as a result of their learning. P6 students (8-9 years old) started their academic year by inquiring into the central idea Physical and virtual public spaces provide people with opportunities to make connections and establish a sense of community under the transdisciplinary theme How we organize ourselves.

During the unit of inquiry, students differentiated between physical and virtual spaces and identified the importance, need and purpose for each. They looked at different public spaces in the school and brainstormed several ideas to redesign a space for the learning and teaching community. Some of these ideas included improving the design of the PYP field, the breakout space outside the P6 classrooms and the PYP library.

The students chose to redesign the PYP library by adding a home and family languages section. The teachers and PYP coordinator ensured that students were off to a successful start in their journey by involving experts in the field of architecture and design from our community, and arranging visits to different libraries in the city.

Students visited the Atelier D'Arts & Architecture firm to understand how the idea of a physical space develops from the concept of a virtual space. The architecture firm conducted a design workshop where students were mentored to design the space and shelving for the home and family languages library section. Students came back enriched with knowledge and ideas for their library. The mathematics focus on shape and space for the unit of inquiry enabled them to apply their knowledge to design this section of the library. Students continued to brainstorm additional ideas in the classroom, then worked on a plan and created a second and third draft.

Next, they visited the British Council Library and the Alliance Française to see how the libraries were organized. After their return, students reflected on the overall design, including furniture and arrangement of books in the two libraries, compared them to their PYP library and incorporated a few more ideas into their plan. During the design process, students looked at their peers' plans and gave each other feedback and suggestions for improvement. They were enthusiastic, cooperative and collaborative during the task and used persuasive language to convince others in their groups to include their ideas in the plan. The students' final designs included a description of the space in the library they have chosen for home and family languages section as well as detailed illustrations of furniture with measurements.

For the summative assessment, students presented their final designs, explained why their design was suitable for the PYP students and assessed the other groups using a rubric.

Creativity was evident throughout the unit of inquiry. Some of the ideas for the library included a tree book shelf, a cozy section with stuffed toys, bean bags and synthetic grass carpet, lower book shelves with different flag colours and a colourful caterpillar shelf for different language books.

We have now completed our first unit of inquiry, but action is ongoing and the students are eager to see their virtual designs transformed into reality.

It is great to see students enthusiastically take ownership of their learning.
Syeda Hafsa Quadri is a primary teacher at Stonehill International School, Bangalore, India and have taught in PYP schools for 5 years. She is passionate about inquiry-based teaching and learning and constructivist methodologies that empower students to make a difference in the global world. You can follow her on Twitter

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This article talks about Primary Years Programme students inquiring into the p hysical and virtual public spaces. As part of their action, students chose to design the mother tongue space for the library. The beauty of the Primary Years Programme (PYP) is the empowerment of students during their learning journey and also as a result of their learning.

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IB teachers tell IB World magazine how they encourage students to lead their learning

Watch out teachers, your students are coming for your jobs. But many educators are encouraging this as a way to get students to lead their learning in fun and exciting ways.

Primary years programme (PYP) teachers are taking a step back from traditional teaching and instead learning from their students, giving them more voice and choice in what they learn and how, as they explain to IB World magazine...

"PYP students attend teacher training days and tell us what they want to inquire in to," Tracey Hughes and Nicole Lewis, Auckland Normal Intermediate School (ANI), New Zealand

"We have six teaching teams at ANI. Each team gets two planning days a term to plan for the next unit of inquiry and students attend these sessions. They have full ownership over the direction of their learning.

"Students' ideas for provocations and what they would like to inquire into can differ considerably to teachers. But this approach and collaboration, allows us to deliver engaging and motivating lessons that are relevant and meaningful.

Teachers can provoke and stimulate thought on local, national and global issues that are important to students' lives. For example, students are currently working with a local homeless man to rebuild his relationship with his family for the 'who we are' unit; and building and creating outdoor furniture for students to work on after exploring properties of different materials for the 'how the world works' unit.

"Engagement has increased and students are proactive and excited to carry out the inquiry process. We have also noticed increased levels in curriculum level attainment. In many cases, students are working at and above the required curriculum level across all areas.

"With a large cohort of 360 students each year, we want to ensure that each student has a voice and teachers provoke an area of interest for everyone. Teachers are learners too, inquiring on a journey with students. In collaboration and partnerships, students and teachers inquire together to become knowledgeable and lifelong learners."

"'Open Inquiry' removes the walls between classrooms and encourages student-initiated play and learning," Amber Taylor, PYP teacher at AAS Moscow, Russia

"Last year we set a new goal - to find new systems that allowed for more student voice and choice.

"We changed our thinking about our three separate classroom spaces and started to develop and see it as one large classroom environment that all the children could flow through, allowing them to connect with all the educators and opportunities each space had to offer. It's a workshop of creativity.

"Now we have an hour-and-a-half every day dedicated to 'Open Inquiry', which allows students to take the lead in their learning.

"Every day, before Open Inquiry, each classroom has a quick group discussion about what learning happened the day before. The different focused spaces are listed for the children to see and they are invited to visit them.

"They then spend over an hour moving through the spaces. Educators start to take on very fluid roles, according to the inquiries that the students are partaking in - perhaps helping a group focus on researching an interest, or sitting back and observing and documenting children's thinking. The resources are combined and shared.

Once Open Inquiry time has come to an end, we drop what we are doing, don't clean up, and head to the nearest carpet to join in on 'reflection time'. Educators ask: 'What did you think about today?' After reflection and deciding on ideas for the following day's play, we clean up.

"Each week we visit the forest as a big group. This last month of school, we divided the children into four groups according to their interests while in the forest; we had the builders (those who always make forts with sticks), the explorers (those who love to stretch the boundaries and wonder what is over the hill), the scientists (those who are always looking for worms and slugs), and the artists (those who love the aesthetics of the place and gravitate to the chalk pastels and paper). Each group spent a week's worth of Open Inquiry in the woods, building together, exploring the far reaches of the park, setting bug traps and grinding natural materials to make paint.

"Since Open Inquiry began, other grade levels at AAS Moscow are starting to develop their own versions, finding ways to remove the walls of the classroom environments and offer more voice and choice to students."

"On 'Creative Thursdays', students were given complete control of what and how they learn, which encourages a culture of initiative and action," says Taryn Bond-Clegg, PYP teacher, previously at American International School of Kuwait, now at International School Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

My experience last year trying to support students' agency was more of an individual risk-taking experience based on my own educational philosophy and understanding of the PYP.

"I experimented with many different approaches. For example, students would help set up the classroom at the beginning of the year and chose how to arrange the classroom in a way that would support their learning.

"Students reflected that being able to participate in decisions usually made by the teacher helped them feel like they had a voice. They specifically pointed out our classroom board where they could identify problems, ideas and questions. They explained how the routine we had each morning - going through the board and collectively solving problems, agreeing on ideas and answering questions - helped them experience more control over their lives.

"Students also planned their own days, based around units. However on 'Creative Thursdays', they had ultimate choice over when, how and where to learn, and also what to learn. On Thursdays, they were able to truly pursue passions, interests and let their curiosity run wild.

"As a teacher, I can honestly say it felt like a much more humane approach to education. I felt like I understood the children in my class not only as students, but also as people and for that reason I was able to build authentic and meaningful relationships with them and become a contributing part of their real lives, not just their school lives.

Students were able to be themselves and speak their mind. This allowed them to connect with each other and build friendships that I don't think would have necessarily developed in other classroom environments.

"Instead of a culture of permission, there was a culture of initiative and action. When students felt curious, they took the necessary steps to learn. When students saw a problem, they took the necessary steps to solve it.

"I also noticed growth in my students' social and emotional understanding of themselves and others. They grew in their ability to independently and productively solve conflict within themselves and with each other. So I guess when I step back and look at the year as a whole, I can honestly say that the biggest changes I noticed in students was their development of the attributes of the IB Learner Profile, the PYP attitudes and the Approaches to Teaching and Learning (ATL) skills."
How do you encourage your students to lead their learning? Email editor@ibo.org

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IB teachers tell IB World magazine how they encourage students to lead their learning Watch out teachers, your students are coming for your jobs. But many educators are encouraging this as a way to get students to lead their learning in fun and exciting ways.

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Home PYP Learner Profile Inquirer Thinker Communicator Risk-taker Knowledgeable Open-minded Principled B alanced Caring Reflective PYP Attitudes Appreciation Commitment Confidence Cooperation Creativity Curiosity Empathy Enthusiasm Independence Integrity Respect Tolerance

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International Mindedness & Children's Literature (Wikispace)

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International Mindedness & Children's Literature (Wikispace)

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Full of resources for a PYP TL

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Wikispaces was founded in 2005 and has since been used by educators, companies and individuals across the globe.

Unfortunately, the time has come where we have had to make the difficult business decision to end the Wikispaces service.

We first announced the site closure in January 2018, through a site-wide banner that appeared to all logged-in users and needed to be clicked on to dismiss

During the closure period a range of banners were shown to users, including a countdown banner in the final month. Additionally, the home page of Wikispaces.com became a blog, detailing the reasons for the closure. Private Label Site Administrators were contacted separately regarding the closure

Wikispaces Tier

Closedown Date

Classroom and Free Wikis end of service

31st July 2018

Plus and Super Wikis end of service

30th September 2018

Private Label Wikis end of service

31st January 2019

Why has Wikispaces closed?
Approximately 18 months ago, we completed a technical review of the infrastructure and software we used to serve Wikispaces users. As part of the review, it became apparent that the required investment to bring the infrastructure and code in line with modern standards was very substantial. We explored all possible options for keeping Wikispaces running but had to conclude that it was no longer viable to continue to run the service in the long term. So, sadly, we had to close the site - but we have been touched by the messages from users all over the world who began creating wikis with it and now running them on new platforms.

The Wikispaces team

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Wikispaces was founded in 2005 and has since been used by educators, companies and individuals across the globe. Unfortunately, the time has come where we have had to make the difficult business decision to end the Wikispaces service.

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All elements in 1 graphic