# data[].attributes.body
Welcome to our padlet!  I'm Ali Flinchum, a former EY teacher, PYP Coordinator, and current Ed Tech guru. I will be adding pieces to this padlet throughout the coming weeks. No need to read everything before our workshop, but please take some time to look over the Pre-Workshop, IB Belief Statements, and official documents sections. I'm looking forward to seeing you soon!

Click here to view the video intro: https://youtu.be/HyhxJoBqxWg

# data[].attributes.body
This is a video of an early educator in Australia. Watch the video of this small groups and think about how the children are learning.  After viewing, reflect on these statements below.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Connecting with Practice Series NQS PLP - Car Factory

# data[].attributes.body
Curious about something?  Already have a question?  Contact me at...
ali.flinchum@gmail.com
Twitter: aliflinchum

# data[].attributes.body
During our workshop, we will inquire into:

1. Situating learning in local and global contexts supports students' understanding of human commonalities

2. Transdisciplinary learning design deepens students' understanding of complex ideas

3. Collaborative relationships support well-being

4. Diverse ways of knowing, doing and thinking are supported by well-designed learning environments

# data[].attributes.body
Take a moment to conduct this pre-workshop survey so that I can get to know you a bit better!

# data[].attributes.body
Select three from the following six options for teacher practice that you would like to focus on and further develop throughout the workshop:

I will integrate transdisciplinary and disciplinary concepts, knowledge and skills in a way that supports a coherent learning experience for early years students.

I will support students in developing an understanding of human commonalities (e.g. through transdisciplinary themes)

I will support early years students to initiate and engage in their own inquiries.

I will encourage student reflection and action in response to their learning.

I will establish, engage and maintain collaborative relationships that support the well-being of the learning community.

I will select teaching approaches, resources, technologies, learning experiences and assessments that are inclusive and effective for early years students.

# data[].attributes.body
Must Haves:

Samples of a program of inquiry (POI) and unit planners

Regional or national curriculum documents (if applicable)

For Sharing:

Sample of children's work (be sure privacy standards are met)

Sample documentation of children’s learning (e.g. learning story, photos of a documentation panel, portfolio, photographs of children learning)

Techie Stuff:

USB (or some other system to share and save resources)

Laptop

For ultimate comfort:

A water bottle

Your preferred creature comfort!

# data[].attributes.body
After viewing, do a Connect-Extend-Challenge. In your notes, write the idea that connected to your prior knowledge, an idea that extended your knowledge, and an idea or question that continues to challenge your thinking. Come ready to discuss!

# data[].attributes.body
Share your learning!
#ibpyp
#earlyyears

# data[].attributes.body
"The early years are an important stage for brain development. During this period, the brain is most open to the influence of experiences and relationships because children undergo rapid growth in all domains: physical, cognitive, social and emotional. The quality of these experiences and relationships directly affects the structure of the developing brain."

From "The Early Years in the PYP"
https://resources.ibo.org/pyp/works/pyp_11162-418371?

# data[].attributes.body
"From birth, children are interested observers and curious explorers who are capable of constructing meaning to make sense of the world around them (Yogman et al. 2018). "

From "The Early Years in the PYP"
https://resources.ibo.org/pyp/works/pyp_11162-418371?

# data[].attributes.body
"Play in children’s development highlights the importance of a developmentally appropriate environment for young children to learn at their own pace (Rushton, Juola-Rushton and Larkin 2010)."

From "The Early Years in the PYP"
https://resources.ibo.org/pyp/works/pyp_11162-418371?

# data[].attributes.headline
The Early Years: Resources for the early years educator, parent, or caregiver

# data[].attributes.subject
The Early Years: Resources for the early years educator, parent, or caregiver

# data[].attributes.headline
An Early Years Approach to Global Issues

# data[].attributes.subject
An Early Years Approach to Global Issues

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The inquiry approach requires educators to think about their role and their students in a different way. It creates conflict among some educators, as it is a change not only in their practice, but also in their belief (Short & Burke, 1996). It was very enlightening when I understood that my role had shifted from delivering information, to consulting and working with the students on their lifelong learning journey.

During our unit of inquiry People make choices about how they move from place to place, under the transdisciplinary theme Where we are in place and time, the students began to explore the transport systems they used over the holidays. We asked the students various questions to prompt their thinking and they communicated their experiences as well as asked each other questions. It became clear to us that this unit of inquiry was relevant and meaningful to the students, as it tapped into their personal experiences and prior knowledge.

From these conversations and explorations, we created different transport systems in the classroom using recycled materials. The students were active participants in their learning as they investigated different systems and decided how to make parts of a system. In the classroom, the students were seen engaging in dialogue with their peers or with the teachers. This was a demonstration of their commitment to learning and respect for one another.

During the unit, a student told me he had seen a plane crash on TV. I realized that the students are exposed to all sorts of media outside of school, which exposes them to unfortunate events such as the Trans-Asia flight 235 in Taipei. I wondered, "What do they think about this event? How does it make them feel?"

Undoubtedly, it is a sensitive topic and not all educators would agree that we should talk to our young learners about certain events in the world. However, what if our students raised it? Is it right to not explore the new direction of the inquiry with students in the early years?

At many points in our teaching career we find ourselves in the midst of a sensitive conversation and we are uncertain about how to tackle it. What do we say? What if we offend someone? Or we may come across challenging behaviours and realize that there is a cultural context, which we may not be aware of, or we do not agree with.

The TransAsia flight 235 was a real issue for one of the students and I question if comforting my student was the appropriate response. It may be a sensitive topic for educators; however, thinking about the IB mission statement, we need to equip ourselves with strategies to work with our young learners.

At a young age students begin to form their opinions and beliefs; this is evident from the choices they make. Therefore, I wonder if we want our students to be on the path of international-mindedness, should we give our young learners a chance to explore different perspectives? Thinking back to the classroom inquiry and the authentic direction it was going, I recognized that it could have been explored further.

I feel these observations of students and professional reflections raised valuable questions for me. I invite other PYP educators to do the same the next time you face tension in your teaching.

When thinking about the educator's role in approaching different perspectives, I recalled Merryfield's (2002) article on The difference a global educator can make. Merryfield states, "Everyday, teachers make instructional decisions that affect how students perceive their own culture, their nation, the lives of people around the world, and the issues and conflicts facing the planet."

So I ask, how can we, as Early Childhood Educators, make the right instructional decisions in an early years classroom?

Sources:

Davy, I 2011, 'Learners without borders: a curriculum for global citizenship', IB Position Paper, pp. 3-10.

Merryfield, M 2002, 'The Difference a Global Educator Can Make', Educational Leadership, no. 60, 18-21.

Short, K & Burke, C 1996, 'Examining our beliefs and practices through Inquiry', Language Arts, no. 73, pp. 97-104.

-

The article was originally published in The Red Dot, Issue 4, June 2015 - a Singapore/Malaysia PYP Network Newsletter.

-
Maninder Johal is passionate about the early years and enjoys teaching young learners. Since working and learning about the IB, she has taken a personal interest in international-mindedness and exploring how this looks in the classroom and the school community. She strives towards teachers sharing their practice, extending ideas with students and teachers and encouraging teachers to reflect on their practice.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
An early years approach to global issues

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The inquiry approach requires educators to think about their role and their students in a different way. It creates conflict among some educators, as it is a change not only in their practice, but also in their belief (Short & Burke, 1996).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
ICDL - International Children’s Digital Library

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
By Judy Graves, Opal School Founder

Opal is a small school of 117 students that is operated by the Portland Children's Museum. The school exists to pay attention to the natural learning strategies of children, ages 3 to 11 years, and to make our findings and experiences accessible to anyone interested in the topic of learning and teaching. We document our work and offer workshops and an annual summer symposium that are attended by educators regionally, nationally, and internationally.

Opal School practice is influenced by many progressive thinkers in the United States and beyond. One strong influence comes from the early childhood schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy, a system of city-run schools in northern Italy that have been recognized world-wide as one of the best systems of education for young children in the world.

Opal School operates as two schools in one. The Opal Museum School, a tuition-based program, has a preschool for children, ages 3-5 years and an early kindergarten program for children ages 4-6 years.

Opal School is also a public, K-5 elementary school that is chartered by the Portland Public School District. Children are enrolled through an open lottery process and come from all quadrants of the city. We have four classrooms that we call Opal 1, Opal 2, Opal 3 and Opal 4. As a public charter school we are responsible for Oregon's curriculum standards (soon to be supplanted by the Common Core State Standards), but have the freedom to determine our approaches to instruction.

The mission of Opal School is to strengthen public education by provoking fresh ideas concerning environments where creativity, imagination and the wonder of learning thrive.

Opal School practices an inquiry-based approach to learning through the arts and through the sciences. We hold a strong image of the child as intelligent, curious, creative, competent and resourceful.

We view the classroom as a workshop with students and teachers in the roles of researchers who pose questions, wonder together, try out ideas, consider the perspectives of others and collaborate toward common goals. We call this a curriculum of playful inquiry. The teacher is an organizer of opportunities who listens, provokes, scaffolds and facilitates learning.

We consider the school environment to be an important part of the teaching team working alongside children and adults. By environment I'm referring to the physical space, the objects and materials that students can access and the furniture and equipment made available. These three aspects of environment can inspire, engage, provoke and support learning.

To live in an environment that has to be endured or ignored rather than be enjoyed is to be diminished as a human being. - Sinclair Gauldie

Our intention is to create warm and welcoming environments for children and adults. We create spaces that are welcoming for both large and small groups. There are connected spaces that offer different possibilities. And we offer transparency with feelings of privacy. Furniture, carpets and lighting are used to define space and soft boundaries. Materials are visible, well-organized and accessible to children and adults.

We create space that has soft edges and rounded angles and classrooms that pay attention to lighting, both natural and artificial. We've chosen soft colors to provide a backdrop for children's work to contribute its own palette of rich shades and hues.

We want the eyes to see a diversity of line, shape, color and texture. Our goal is to have classrooms that visually invite engagement, collaboration and participation. These are spaces devoid of harshness and isolation. Our experiences tell us that beauty and order can be an antidote to impulsivity and violence.

We like spaces that provide options and have the capacity of being shaped and influenced by the work that students and teachers are doing together.

We work to provide students and teachers with relational spaces that support inquiry-based learning. These are spaces that support connections to one another as members of a learning community, and relationships with ideas, interests, objects, and the wider community and the natural world.

The charter classrooms all have smaller rooms located within the classrooms that are designed for 6-8 students. These break-out spaces serve as laboratories or studios depending on the work at hand. These rooms have windows for transparency yet offer a space for small group work.

The teachers and students continually reorganize spaces to support playful inquiry around a big idea or interest that has surfaced among the children.

Where possible we have provided transparency between spaces. We opened up the classrooms to the hallways so that children and adults can have visual contact with each other. Younger siblings, for example, love to check out what's happening in an older sibling's room. We want the school to feel like a community. Everyone knows about the work happening in other rooms. No room is working in isolation. The hallways and entryways become additional spaces for connections and relationships to flourish.

We have tried to present well thought out vistas from one space to another. We were presented with a challenge with an interior classroom that has no natural light or windows. So, we put a large window with a vista to the hallway. A mural made by children provides a pleasing view into the hallway.

Another relationship that we nurture is children's relationships and connections with the natural world. We are fortunate to have Washington Park and the Hoyt Arboretum in our backyard. Opal students know these environments well. We also bring the natural world into the classroom as a source of inspiration and investigation.

We love windows that open to the outside and give the classroom some control over temperatures as well as connections to the weather and the seasons. Nature inspires and informs us in many ways. A favorite micro-climate was an in-classroom butterfly house that allowed children to have a close up connection with one of nature's wonders.

We look for furniture that supports collaboration and organization of student work.

We nurture relationships be providing cozy places to be with a classmate or spend some alone time. These are places to relax, calm down and feel joy.

We like open shelving. Organized storage, that keeps materials visible, provides a home for all materials. We believe that if children have a respectful relationship with the materials and equipment they use, they will value what the materials can offer. We treat the materials as treasures and have discovered that when we give them this kind of respect, the students value them and take care of them.

We want to have classrooms that support the immense sensory capacity of children- spaces that invite children to use all their senses as they investigate the world around them. We want rich, complex environments that are as inviting as an old-growth forest or a beach at low tide. Joy is found in sensory delight.

To further this goal, we offer a wide variety of art supplies, tools and materials to children, using open shelving for them to see the possibilities. We view the arts as languages through which children can communicate ideas, images, stories and concepts. We want classroom environments that support messy, playful inquiry. For example, sinks with clay traps to catch sediment from potters clay and tempera paint.

The Reggio educators use the term "rich normality" to describe the sensory qualities of an environment that honors the diversity found in nature. This is based on the concept that richness is normal and found everywhere in the natural world. We would like our classrooms to reflect this richness.

We try to create spaces with the capacity to evolve and transform. Inquiry requires flexibility. The students and teachers restructure spaces to support the ongoing work that is always under construction because knowledge is an ongoing construction.

We need walls that can inform and hold materials, signage, student work -walls that can document student thinking.

If places have lasting effects on people's lives, then it makes sense that the places where we spend time should be designed for us. In schools, this means designs that inspire, support productive learning, enhance people's joy and prompt feelings of security.
How are the learning environments you are responsible for organized to inspire, support, and enhance joy, curiosity and learning? Please share your thoughts in the comments section and the forum! Return to Contents

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Organizing the Opal School Environment - Opal School Online

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
By Judy Graves, Opal School Founder Opal is a small school of 117 students that is operated by the Portland Children's Museum. The school exists to pay attention to the natural learning strategies of children, ages 3 to 11 years, and to make our findings and experiences accessible to anyone interested in the topic of ...

# data[].attributes.headline
Maximizing the potential of the 'third teacher'

# data[].attributes.subject
Maximizing the potential of the 'third teacher'

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Maximising the Potential of the _Third Teacher_

# data[].attributes.headline
Read “The Early Learner” and “Inquiry” on the PYP Resource Center

# data[].attributes.subject
Read “The Early Learner” and “Inquiry” on the PYP Resource Center

# data[].attributes.body
(This is the three columned website we used, accessible through ibo.org)

# data[].attributes.headline
For Lead Teachers: How We Express Ourselves Planning

# data[].attributes.subject
For Lead Teachers: How We Express Ourselves Planning

# data[].attributes.body
1. Tell stories about how your children express themselves
2. Look at your Central Idea. If you want to change it, do a POI walk and look at model POIs, accessible through the Padet.
3. Look at lines of inquiry. Think to yourself, “This is an inquiry into…..”. If it sounds like an open-ended statement, you should be good. If it sounds like a call to action or a point found on a checklist, rework it.
4. Complete the planner. Use the prompts for help.
5. There should be one planner for all lead teachers. Submit the one planner through your individual accounts.

# data[].attributes.headline
Supporting Teachers: Create a Take Home Education Piece for Parents to Understand on ATL Skills

# data[].attributes.subject
Supporting Teachers: Create a Take Home Education Piece for Parents to Understand on ATL Skills

# data[].attributes.body
Your parents need your help! Select one ATL skill and create a parent education piece about that ATL skill.

To begin, ask yourself,
1. What ATL skill do I want to explore?
2. What subskills do parents need to grow in? How will they grow?
3. Display this information in a booklet, brochure, speech, or similar format.