Snowball takeaways by Denise Michel

ATL

mrebenko — 2026-06-26 11:13:48 UTC

The workshop reinforced that being intentional about modeling, naming, and reflecting on ATL skills helps children become more aware of how they learn, not just what they learn.

Planning

mrebenko — 2026-06-26 11:13:52 UTC

While unpacking the units with our specialists I want to start with conceptual understandings and then identify how different subject areas can contribute to those understandings while intentionally developing ATL skills from right now on

Takeaways

vanastasiou — 2026-06-26 11:14:01 UTC

Transdisciplinary learning in the PYP supports students in making meaningful connections between disciplines and real-world contexts. The focus is on conceptual understanding rather than isolated content, allowing students to apply their learning in authentic situations. During the workshop, it was valuable to explore different perspectives on this approach. A key takeaway was that integration of subjects should not be treated as a checklist or forced exercise; instead, disciplines should be meaningfully integrated only when it is appropriate and enhances the learning experience.

avanblerk1 — 2026-06-26 11:14:22 UTC

to be more intentional in developing ATL skills, LP attributes, and conceptual understandings across the pyp :)

Reflections

2026-06-26 11:14:31 UTC

It was great to reflect on our current practice and the work we have done over the past year. I also find the tools are quite helpful to guide our planning and inspire us with new ideas to make transdisciplinary connections.

krodriguez376 — 2026-06-26 11:15:08 UTC

What I take away most from this course is the opportunity to revisit and strengthen my knowledge and teaching practices. It also gave me time to reflect on how much we have grown and progressed as a school and as a team.

What I will definitely try to apply is collaboration and the integration of different subject areas to create more meaningful learning experiences. I also want to continue developing concept-based planning and intentionally applying the ATL skills approach to support student agency and deeper learning.

The What and the How

sgrajeda7 — 2026-06-26 11:17:12 UTC

We are getting out of the workshop with lots of practical ideas and tools to use as a team for planning, implementing, documenting, reflecting and deciding what's next!

Key takeaways

floshchits — 2026-06-26 11:21:09 UTC

My key takeaway is that transdisciplinary learning is not about simply combining subjects, but about making meaningful connections that deepen students’ conceptual understanding.

A particularly valuable tool was the KUD framework, as it provides a clear structure for planning learning experiences and ensuring alignment between conceptual understandings, knowledge, and skills across subjects.

Another important takeaway was the emphasis on promoting and celebrating action, and making it more visible for all members of our community.

Of course, one of the most valuable aspects of these two days was being engaged in such important conversations and having the opportunity to see the key elements of the PYP programme from different perspectives. Thank you for this opportunity.