Group 2

Group 3

Be prepared to discuss this with your group using the Compass Points thinking routine. Post your thoughts in this column.

= Making sure that the approach, resource or experience is inclusive makes sure that all are able to enjoy learning and not feel defeated. Incorperating these into lessons help all achieve and be learners independant or otherwise.

At GEMS World Academy - Dubai we have a deep and unequivocal commitment to provide an education that is unsurpassed anywhere in the world. 

Martin Luther King Jr.  is our selection because he exemplifies our definition of what an internationally minded person should be. He demonstrated this by advocating for civil rights in peaceful manor. He took action in a way that was inclusive within his community. He showed exceptional leadership. 

Students are supported in a caring environment and given opportunities to learn about themselves and to take action in areas in which they are passionate.

Our students and teachers come from diverse backgrounds and we connect globally with our other campuses to learn about the world, from the world.

We inspire and teach students about global issues by connecting ideas and stories locally. We strive to use our environment as a tool and a canvas for learning and action.

Excited= I am excited about the opportunity to involve the learning community to further broaden our cultural understanding. I would love to invite guest speakers and take trips when possible so students can gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the many cultures present in our own learning community.

Worrisome= I am worried about the limitations of utilizing the learning community and extra-curricular activities during the pandemic. Last school year, our district did not allow any field trips, classroom visitors or co-mingling between classrooms. I know these ideas can be replicated virtually to some extent, but I worry it won’t have the same impact on the students. 

Need to Know = I am curious as to how my school could further involve the learning community in authentic ways this upcoming school year. 

Stance or Suggestion for Moving Forward = With our school being new to the PYP, I would suggest that in addition to the traditional “Open House”, that we also organize a PYP Open House where school staff, parents, and students are introduced to the idea of a learning community and how that would look in our school community. By including everyone in this Open House, I think it would allow for parents to feel more involved and comfortable in volunteering and providing extra-curricular activities.

 

Excited = I am excited because this idea really speaks to me as an educator. I like to look at my students -no matter the age- as future adults and I always try to teach to really celebrate diversity, not just tolerate it. I believe that if our students are raised with these ideas, we are on our way to a peaceful, more compassionate planet. So much of our current world is divided and it gives me great hope to be a part of the solution to such a huge problem. 

Worrisome = What makes me so excited about celebrating diversity is also what makes me nervous about teaching to these ideas. Without even knowing my students and their families yet, I am very wary that not everyone will agree with the internationally minded values and dispositions outlined. I was always told how important it is to keep your values and viewpoints out of the classroom and this suggests the opposite. I do worry of being accused of indoctrinating students by parents who share different viewpoints than my own. 

Need to Know = I am curious to learn if our school has a protocol on discussing difficult topics and/or our own values/viewpoints with students. I am curious if this is something our principal shares with families. 

Stance or Suggestion for Moving Forward = This is a topic I would like to discuss with my principal. I understand that at my grade level (first grade) we are not delving too deep into difficult topics but I do want my discussions to be authentic while still being age appropriate. 

 

Excited = I am excited about the idea of the reciprocal process involving families, students and teachers. It is important to me that my families know I am on their side and want to work with them hand-in-hand for the betterment of their child. I do not want my students or families to have the “us-versus-them” mentality, I want us to work collectively as a team. I love that the PYP recognizes that importance and helps facilitate those relationships. 

Worrisome = While I am all about family involvement, I worry about boundaries being crossed. I do like that parents have agency, I just worry that some may abuse that and overstep. While I do want to consider their viewpoints and values, I do not want that to completely override my teaching. 

Need to Know = I am curious to see what family/community involvement will look like this year as we are still dealing with the pandemic. What will we be able to do? Can these ideas be replicated virtually?

Stance or Suggestion for Moving Forward = This is another topic I would like to discuss with my principal in terms of how we are approaching family/community involvement this year. 

STANCE: My current stance toward the proposition is extremely positive and I look forward to continuing my own internationally-minded journey by ‘reaching out’ and reaching in’.

 

How can this be aligned and incorporated  with state/provincial standards? 

Reading this section made me rethink how I think about the extra curricular activities I provide to the students and will help with my planning as I move forward. I hope to provide students with extracurricular activities that will enable them to learn about themselves and others. I also hope to provide activities that will help students see and hear diverse/varying perspectives. 

W - It was noted that teachers play important roles in celebrating diversity through modelling internationally minded values and dispositions. I couldn’t agree more with this statement. I worry however that staff demographics limit our ability to reach this goal. I believe to truly achieve this, it’s important to have a diverse body of teachers. In schools, and often in privileged schools, diversity is lacking. In order to fully celebrate diversity and international mindedness, we have to model this celebration not just in action but also in our demographics. 

N - It was stated that engagement with the school’s local community is an important expression of international-mindedness. It would be helpful to know how best to structure such engagement in order to foster a lasting connection with and appreciation for the community with whom we are engaging. 

S - Moving forward it may be beneficial to ensure that we are constantly and accurately informed about how different stakeholders are experiencing their work toward building international-mindedness.

How to manage time and support students' endeavors while still making sure to go through all units of investigation? I sometimes struggle trying to find this balance.

It isn't clear to me if the related concepts should all be set before starting the unit of investigation or can be added later based on the interests the group displays along the practice.

W: I think at times when there is that much discussion and collaboration with international mindedness, it can be easy to move away from what is deemed as international mindedness. 

N: I would like to know how developing international mindedness changes at different ages, is there a difference?

S: I would like to see the term international mindedness to become more individualized based upon the location of the school, the students, teachers and parents all coming together creating an identity unique to them

o    How do I balance open-mindedness with strong religious or political views. Many parents feel the need to protect their children from some ideas, so where is the balance. 

·         N = Need to Know: What else do you need to know or find out about this idea or proposition? What additional information would help you to evaluate things?

o    I want to know how schools protect the values of the individual student/family while also promoting a culture of open-mindedness?

o    How are decisions made about what is celebrated? What say does the parent have? 

Worrisome: I worry about always making the learning experiences meaningful for students. It is not always easy to make sure you are covering all the curriculum while also making the material applicable. 

Need to know: finding more valuable resources.

Stance or suggestion: finding ways to be involved and more integrated in our community and having them be meaningful experiences that continue throughout the years. As opposed to one-off experiences. 

What are the students doing?

How does the environment support inquiry learning?

Listen to students.

Ask open-ended questions instead of telling students what to do/how to do things.

Are sincere and tell students when they don’t know an answer. ‘How do we find out?’

See students as competente, capable and curious.

Help students ignite their passion.

Have a deep understanding of the curriculum.

Are able to explore something they are really interested in.

Reflect, get inspired, get frustrated.

Get motivated when the group is involved.

Can take action after learning about something they were interested in.

Can influence students’ behavior.

Can promote independence, creativity and collaboration.

When students help designing the space, it creates a sense of belonging.

 What are the students doing? 

 How does the environment support inquiry learning?

Classroom Environment
The culture and design of the classroom impact how student's interact with the space. When students have agency, they develop confidence and take ownership.

Students: Drive the learning, make hypothesis, they think of questions, they practise, they relate to previous knowledge and then they learn, learn to ask appropriate questions, they are problem solvers, they learn with their own ideas (more meaningful), make interesting and rich questions based on the lines of inquiry, they research, they get inspired, they are reflective.

Environment: Inspiring place, Significant, Challenging, Transdisciplinary, Collaborative environment, Promote independence/resources/motivation, Different areas in the room, students should engage with the classroom, students can organize it together (Agency). 

 

Students are…

The environment is…

Central Idea:
Resources you need to survive and standards of living differ depending on where you are in the world. 

2. An inquiry into: needs and wants.

3. An inquiry into: sustainability.

4. An inquiry into: interdependent communities.

5. An inquiry into: building sustainable communities.