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Transdisciplinary Learning - Learning and Teaching

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Transdisciplinary Learning - Learning and Teaching

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Reflecting on Transdisciplinary Learning in Your Context

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Reflecting on Transdisciplinary Learning in Your Context

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WE AIM TO TEACH OUR STUDENTS

JUDGEMENT

Students tackle ambiguous problems that may have more than one correct answer. Judgement is not mere preference, but rather the ability to justify choices. Good judgement requires good reasoning abilities.

CRITICAL THINKING

Openly criticizing ideas and enjoying the nuances of critical thought are an important part of learning. Courage to advance new viewpoints should be encouraged at an early age.

MEANINGFUL LITERACY

Cultivating multiple forms of literacy and intellect, which not only include reading, writing, speaking, and numeracy, but also cultural literacy in music, visual arts and dance.

COLLABORATION

Students are given many opportunities to work with others collectively, cooperatively and harmoniously. This is especially important in a culturally diverse student population such as ours. The process of collaboration and empathy gives birth to new ideas and develops social skills.

SERVICE

Students learn the value of citizenship by contributing to the school community. CIS values the importance of developing socially responsible students who are willing to make a difference in their community.

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Students tackle ambiguous problems that may have more than one correct answer. Judgement is not mere preference, but rather the ability to justify choices. Good judgement requires good reasoning abilities. Openly criticizing ideas and enjoying the nuances of critical thought are an important part of learning.

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Approaches to learning: An integral part of an IB education

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Approaches to learning: An integral part of an IB education

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Conceptual Understanding in the PYP - Learning and Teaching

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Conceptual Understanding in the PYP - Learning and Teaching

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International Mindedness - The Learning Community

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International Mindedness - The Learning Community

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Principles into Practice - Learning and teaching

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Principles into Practice - Learning and teaching

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Principles into Practice -  The learning community

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Principles into Practice -  The learning community

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Learning environments: A room with a view

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Learning environments: A room with a view

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Classroom design is about more than colourful walls, polished desks and stylish furniture. A University of Salford study of more than 3,000 students discovered that a "well-designed classroom" has a substantial impact on learning. The effect may be most profound among PYP and MYP-age students, though the principles of good design are applicable across all ages.

In addition to good lighting, air quality, temperature and sound, researchers found that outdoor space can stimulate a range of different developmental areas: as well as encouraging social skills including empathy, it may positively affect cognitive and physical development.

Student input is important, too. The study identified a sense of ownership as one of the top three influencing factors of classroom design. When students feel ownership of the classroom, through displays of their work, this can lead to greater participation and involvement in the learning process.

Colourful environments have significant effects on learning and wellbeing, according to the study. Plain surroundings tend to under-stimulate students, which can lead to restlessness and difficulty concentrating. Over-use of very bright colours, however, can also negatively impact learning, so it's important to strike a balance in terms of visual complexity.

Goodbye, rows of desks!

Three years ago, a professional development conference inspired Adam Turner, a PYP teacher at Prairie Waters Elementary School, Canada, to transform his classroom. Where previously students sat at rows of desks, they now sit in groups at large tables, or on a carpeted area with cushions and two comfortable chairs, depending on discussions. "Our discussions are much more enriching," says Turner. "More often, students don't sit at their desks."

Meanwhile, Ben Toettcher, Director of educational company Skola Group, based the classroom design of Newland College, UK, on a Harkness-inspired round-table set-up. Desks with seating for 14 MYP students are arranged in an ellipse - or oval shape - with a console in the middle, similar to a boardroom. Teachers can switch between direct instruction, using the console, and whole class discussions.

"The main feedback we get from students is that they feel they are heard," says Toettcher. "Since we opened the school at the start of September this year, certain students have become visibly more confident. Parents are especially happy that, with this set-up, it is impossible for their children to feel lost in a class and disengaged."

Asking the students

Harnoop Bhogal, PYP Coordinator, and Olivia Shilvock, PYP teacher, both at the International School of Siena in Italy, have asked their grade 5 class to redesign their classroom for a unit on identity and learning styles.

To see how they learn best for different activities, the room has been sectioned into different zones, including a daylight area; a comfortable seating area with clipboards; a personal display space where the students can add objects throughout the unit; a music station with headphones; and a mathematics area, which is sometimes split to include a science area.

"The students have shown a very sensible approach to the new space," says Shilvock. "I did think that they would all want to sit on the cushions and fight over the headphones but they are already showing different preferences and making suggestions. Some went straight for the mathematics area and started to 'play' with the items there, some went straight to the light area and said they loved it, some went for the music. It was a lovely reaction."

But careful consideration has to be given to the display of certain objects. A study led by the University of Washington discovered that symbolic objects can reinforce gender stereotypes and can cause diversity and inclusivity difficulties. For example, researchers suggested that prominently displaying pictures of past US presidents - who are uniformly white and male - represented a negative stereotype for females and minorities.

Resisting change

Although change is exciting, it isn't always easy.

There is an adjustment period at the beginning of each year, says Turner. Not having a designated storage spot at their desk or a set seat each day is a shock for many new students.

But, as they become accustomed to their environment, students question how they learn best. "Most students gain a better understanding of when is a good time to sit in groups and work or when they need to focus on their own and find a quiet spot," says Turner. "We reflect on which subjects and learning times are best in big groups at a table, and which are best in their own individual realm."

Flexibility must be a key design requirement within school builds, according to the University of Salford study. Classrooms with clear breakout zones were found to have a positive impact on learning. But separate zones, away from the classroom, appear to be ineffective.

Turner rearranges his classroom depending on the lesson. "The large tables allow students to work in groups with ample room, as well as act as good 'staging areas' for sharing work. If we need a large space to convene for class discussions and activities, the tables are easy to move," he explains.

"When students recently shared their mid-unit assessment, we made a 'circle' of the tables - presenters on the inside, observers around the outside."

Teachers no longer feel they are tied to a one-size-fits-all classroom. For many, the traditional row of tables facing a chalkboard is no longer fit for purpose. As well as looking creative, comfy seats on a colourful carpet might be the beginning of a more collaborative way of working.
Tell us how you've changed your classroom and how this has impacted your students' learning: email editor@ibo.org

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Classroom design is about more than colourful walls, polished desks and stylish furniture. A University of Salford study of more than 3,000 students discovered that a "well-designed classroom" has a substantial impact on learning. The effect may be most profound among PYP and MYP-age students, though the principles of good design are applicable across all ages.

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Inquiry engagements - thinking about the different types of inquiry from guided to open

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Inquiry engagements - thinking about the different types of inquiry from guided to open

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How do you speak about learning and teaching in the PYP?

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How do you speak about learning and teaching in the PYP?

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I am fortunate to be able to spend a lot of time in the natural environment. It is the source of my well-being and the sustenance of my curiosity. As has been noted by many, being in nature also helps keep our ego in check. It literally puts us in our place.

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Literature for learner profile attributes

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Literature for learner profile attributes

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Kath Murdoch - what does it mean to be an inquiry teacher?

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Kath Murdoch - what does it mean to be an inquiry teacher?

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What does it mean to be an inquiry teacher?

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IB position paper: Lynn Erickson Concept based learning and teaching

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IB position paper: Lynn Erickson Concept based learning and teaching

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The Role of Language - Learning and Teaching

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The Role of Language - Learning and Teaching

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Language in the PYP - Learning and Teaching

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What Ed Said - great blogs on all things PYP and learning

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What Ed Said - great blogs on all things PYP and learning

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Thinking about assessment in the early years

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Thinking about assessment in the early years

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Making good humans - inquiry, learning and PYP

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Making good humans - inquiry, learning and PYP

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Educational researcher Sugata Mitra is the winner of the 2013 TED Prize. His wish: Build a School in the Cloud, where children can explore and learn from one another.

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Tania Lattanzio and Andrea Muller-  concepts

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Tania Lattanzio and Andrea Muller-  concepts

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Tania LATTANZIO is an experienced international educator. Previously a teacher, coordinator, and manager with the International Baccalaureate, she is now Regional Director of Innovative Global Education. In this role she works as a consultant extensively in Asia Pacific and other parts of the world. This role involves developing and conducting professional development for teachers and leadership, modelling pedagogy in classrooms, developing and designing curriculum for schools and working intensively with teaching teams, through mentoring and coaching, to improve planning, teaching and assessment. A passionate educator Tania works closely with educational institutions to specifically meet their needs in supporting school reform, making significant shifts in pedagogy and curriculum in both local and international settings. Tania has co-written a book "Taking the Complexity Out of Concepts,' available through Hawker Brownlow Publishing in Australia.
M Ed (Curriculum and Administration), Grad Dip (Librarianship), Dip Ed

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at ige we recognize that successful models and approaches involve forming relationships and collaborating to ensure sustainable success for innovation and development for education today and tomorrow.

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Tania LATTANZIO is an experienced international educator. Previously a teacher, coordinator, and manager with the International Baccalaureate, she is now Regional Director of Innovative Global Education. In this role she works as a consultant extensively in Asia Pacific and other parts of the world.

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A podcast worth exploring-  start with Kath Murdoch

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A podcast worth exploring-  start with Kath Murdoch

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Kath Murdoch on planet earth, paradox and the power of inquiry by Rethinking Education

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Kath Murdoch is a well known and hugely popular teacher, writer, university lecturer and consultant who has worked for many years with teachers and students in schools all over the planet. The author of 15 books and numerous articles for teachers – including the best selling ‘The Power of Inquiry’ (2015) - Kath is widely respected for her work in the field of inquiry-based learning in which she has taught, researched and published for well over 30 years. In fact, so popular is Kath’s work in the field of inquiry learning that she was recently described to me by a teacher in an International School as the Beyonce of the PYP (the Primary Years Programme, the International Baccalaureate curriculum for 3 to 12 year olds). 

Here's where you can buy 'The Power of Inquiry':

UK: https://store.kortext.com/the-power-of-inquiry-793815 

Australia: https://www.kathmurdoch.com.au/where-to-buy 

USA: https://www.follettibstore.com/search

Here's Kath's website: https://www.kathmurdoch.com.au/

And here's her TED talk, The Power of Ummmm...: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFt15Ig64Yg

The Rethinking Education podcast is hosted and produced by Dr James Mannion. You can contact him at rethinking-ed.org/contact, or via @RethinkingJames on Twitter.

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Since the inception of the enhanced PYP, educators across the world are thinking about how learner agency impacts student learning and well-being. Another challenge is to consider practical ways in which educators can support learner (and their own) agency within schools.

Agency is a complex phenomenon that constantly reveals new intricacies as we deepen our understanding of the connection between learner agency and personal, cultural and historical perspectives around children's identities and rights. It requires ' each of us to step out from behind our singular perspectives' (Jennifer Davis Poon) and to reflect on our own perception of the degrees of autonomy, choice and influence students should have within their learning communities.

Agency can be defined as ' the capacity and propensity to take purposeful initiative' (Harvard: The Influence of Teaching Beyond Standardized Test Scores: Engagement, Mindsets, and Agency). ' Students with high level of agency tend to seek meaning and act with purpose to achieve the conditions they desire in their own and others' lives .'

As an early childhood team at a recently authorised IB PYP school in the Netherlands, we are committed to achieving high levels of collaboration and being responsive to our students' preferences, suggestions, opinions and their ever-evolving interests, ideas and theories. This commitment has impacted the way we organize and share our learning spaces and materials and the way we plan collaboratively.

We view children as curious, inquisitive and capable in the way they connect with people and the world around them. Children seek to understand their worlds and are constantly asking questions. In this way, children create an image of themselves and their surroundings and constantly adjust this based on new information. Therefore, we observe and document their interests, ideas and theories and this forms the basis of our planning for individual children, small groups and the entire group.

Our planning meetings evolve around questions that helps us to make sense of our observations and documentation of children's experiences, interactions and learning processes . These interpretations then guide our planning of questions and provocations. This is how we ensure provocations are embedded in the children's thinking and support them with their research.

Some of our questions are:
How do the children connect with the lines of inquiry and the central idea? What do we notice about how the children co-construct conceptual understandings, knowledge and skills? How do the children apply their understanding and knowledge in new situations? What options are there for the children to receive feedback from teachers and other children and how can this impact our planning? What proof do we have of agency? What action do we observe?

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Since the inception of the enhanced PYP, educators across the world are thinking about how learner agency impacts student learning and well-being. Another challenge is to consider practical ways in which educators can support learner (and their own) agency within schools.

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Key elements of an IB education (including Approaches to Teaching)

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Key elements of an IB education (including Approaches to Teaching)

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CIS checklist of  Multilingualism and Reviewing a Language Policy

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Making the PYP Happen!