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The challenge for some schools I think with the number of UOI for the Early years age six. The programme is play-based and in some countries that parents expect focus on reading, writing and Maths will be a challenge. Nevertheless. With agency which is the power to take that takes responsibilities of the individual supporting voice, choice and ownership, the whole learning community will be supporting the learner. “Agency will be the area where the schools can demonstrate ongoing development and exemplary practice and is supported be the new Programme of standards and Practices.” There will be support for the EARL YEARS the meaningful international actions taken and the new understanding regarding how we look at exhibition in  the enhanced PYP.

Hala

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Increased flexibility and choice for schools. The challenge is you reduce the consistency amount schools offering the PYP but increase ownership and personalization. Examples I read are four or six units of inquiry for early years, Exhibition residing within or outside the POI, and use of the planner or customize your own using the key elements. Embedding the Attitudes into the learner profile makes good sense to me. I am still confused about calling the trans transdisciplinary  skill approaches to learning. Skills seem to describe them better for me. Rob

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I agree that it is critical to help teachers reframe "challenges" as "opportunities". We often do this to effectively address undesirable student behaviors and can also do this in other areas such as creating more inclusive learning environments and giving students more ownership of their learning. Paul

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Reading the defining characteristics posted about play makes it clear to me that these are attributes that learners of all ages should be developing and demonstrating. I also love the idea of helping parents and our colleagues to view play as agency. Paul

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- Better for students: All students are able to engage in the PYP through the play base learning. Students with learning disabilities are able to demonstrate their learning process by different ways. Students also learn through communication, students learn to make peace with one another through communicating their issues, with the guidance of their teacher.

Challenges for the teacher: Teachers would need to constantly upscale their learning engagements, to keep the interest and attention of the learner.
- Teachers should have a open-minded view about each student, teachers constantly face challenges when making decisions objectively about students.
-When teachers are faced with problems among students, teachers should not take sides. This can be done by creating a peace board to bring students together in order to guide students to solve their issues in a peaceful manner.

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Comment to Challenges in the short term......greater opportunities and outcomes in the long term!

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Comment to Challenges in the short term......greater opportunities and outcomes in the long term!

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I agree that the enhanced PYP give the key point to support more of the opportunities and possibilities in the long term for our teachers and students in the future.

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I agree that play should be more pronounced throughout the program when I was reading the descriptors of the Early Years teacher, I thought shouldn't we all be these throughout the program. Dawn

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In reading the various documents regarding Tbe Learner from the resource folder, the challenges I see are primarily related to changing the mindset and self-perceived roles of student/teacher by all members of  the school community.  To move forward in the areas of agency and self-efficacy, action, etc. requires a shift in roles and the behaviors of these roles.

I also see challenges of meeting the needs of the learners as we aim to be inclusive.  It is always easier to create documents as to how education should be but making this a reality in the learning environment is often fraught with difficulty and frustration for those bringing it to fruition.  It requires a transition period and should be seen as a process.

But, the opportunities and rewards are many.  The IB has with these learner enhancements taken program positives and improved on them and, from my perspective, has listened to the educators, e.g. play driving the learning for the early years.

Lastly, the idea of believing in one’s success is so powerful and coupling this with choice, voice and ownership has the potential to develop outstanding young men and women to lead us into the future. Dawn

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Challenges and Opportunities
That Play is now the Primary vehicle for inquiry in Early Years but I would argue that play should be more pronounced throughout the program but contextualised to a 'genius hour' or 'maker space' time and also offer enhanced opportunities in the outdoor areas of the school and other spaces that allow freedom to play for all kids in the PYP.

PLAY IS PLEASURABLE. Children must enjoy the activity or it is not play. PLAY IS INTRINSICALLY MOTIVATED. Children engage in play simply for the satisfaction the behavior itself brings. It has no extrinsically motivated function or goal. PLAY IS PROCESS ORIENTED.  When children play, the means are more important than the ends. PLAY IS FREELY CHOSEN. It is spontaneous and voluntary. If a child is pressured, she will likely not think of the activity as play. PLAY IS ACTIVELY ENGAGED. Players must be physically and/or mentally involved in the activity. PLAY IS NON-LITERAL. It involves make-believe.

All these opportunities support creativity and skills learning that are transferable. Play is agency and action at an individual level for the child or community member because it is their will that is engaged rather than deferring
to others. Of course when kids play socially this is negotiated but this is part of a social building and collaborative moment.

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students has more opportunities to inquiry, question and wonder about themselves. They have their voices and ownership for their own learning and it is more students-based learning. But at the same time it is more challenge for teachers as variety roles to support student’s inquiry learning.

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Challenges in the short term...greater opportunities and outcomes in the long term!

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Challenges in the short term...greater opportunities and outcomes in the long term!

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Yes there is more of a challenge for teachers, initially, however once they have put systems in place and equipped the students with the necessary skills they need then this should not be as challenging.
One of the biggest challenges will be faced by teachers having to let go, something that often can be very difficult to do. It is also about developing and enhancing students self regulation skills and giving them more autonomy and control over their learning. I believe the key is in getting teachers to focus on the opportunity and possibilities rather than the challenges.