Module 4- I as a PYP educator

 As a PYP educator, all the teacher capabilities listed are interconnected and essential for learning to happen in classrooms. 

The most important capabilities to develop that I have selected are with the possible evidence that will map the learning of the learner and success as a PYP educator: 

 

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

Success criteria: Hands-on learning experiences, subject integration with specialists, use of visible thinking routines to make thinking visible, differentiation in learning, 

Evidence (Mapping learning): When learners are able to make connections with their prior knowledge, apply their learning in real-life situations, frequent formatives to revise learning

 

2. I will situate learning in global contexts that support students' understanding of human commonalities (for example, through transdisciplinary themes)

Success criteria: Use Local and Global Case studies, Use resources that are globally recognized, Guest speakers with a global base, Initiate action having a global impact

Evidence (Mapping learning):  Field trips, Student Action, Reflection cycle.

 

3. I will support students to initiate and engage in their own inquiries. I will promote student reflection and action in response to their learning.

Success criteria: Student questions, open-ended questions, and inquiries help students connect action with personal experiences, celebrating student action

Evidence (Mapping learning): Students will initiate personal inquiries and together as a class come up with commonalities between concepts, sort questions according to different criteria

 ( Textual questions, Conceptual questions, Open-ended questions, and closed-ended questions )

Guide and lead inquiry through Open-ended questions.

 

Planning process and role of planner

 

The planning process and the role of the planner:

The planner templates provided by IB are extensive and cover all aspects of the framework, thus making it a full-proof planner for inquiry. The ‘Exhibition Planner’ (for Grade 5) caught my attention and it is something I am definitely going to consider using while the PYPX. 

1. What are 3–5 keywords that guide the collaborative planning process?

- Trust: Be open and honest in the process of planning. Observe peer classes to get hands-on experience of class in action. Notice the dynamics of the teacher to students, student-to-student, and teacher-to-teacher.

-Flexibility: The IB framework demands you to try, and be flexible to changes in planning. When working together, encourage all collaborators to generate as many ideas as possible early on. Really push each other to think about different ways that a learning goal can be executed.

-  Keep it simple: No matter what you’re creating together (a game, project, or lesson plan), the more complex the rules or the structure, the more questions students will have, and the less time they will be engaged in the actual learning.

- Students are your target audience: They should be involved in every step of the design process because they have invaluable feedback to give. They should steer the process of inquiry with you facilitating by their side. 

- Best of both worlds: Actively try to discover what all collaborators like and what they’re good at. Be attuned to moments of excitement and disengagement. Use each other’s passions to help sculpt the game or project.

2. How do we develop the planner bearing the student agency in mind?

 

 

 

 

3. Does collaboration with grade-level colleagues mean that all the learning must be the same?

Here is something I found online that helps to understand in detail what collaboration with grade-level colleagues means:

 

Common Planning Time	Professional Learning Communities	Critical Friends Groups
Interdisciplinary teams teachers share the same students Discuss students Meet with parents Plan team activities, thematic or cross-curricular units Examine student work Participate in professional development	Disciplinary teams The ongoing process of collective inquiry and action research Collective analysis of student assessment data in relation to specific learning targets Use of data to inform and assess the effectiveness of instruction	The group gathers voluntarily to improve practice through collaborative learning Uses coaches and specific protocols used to guide sessions Identify school-specific student learning goals, reflect on practices for achieving the goals, collaboratively examine student work

 

4. How does assessment feature in planning?

Assessing a student’s learning is an integral part of teaching. An assessment aims to measure what your students have learned or will be learning in the future. 

Assessments can be formal or informal because every piece of monitoring learning adds to the list of pieces of evidence you can collect to enable reporting on learning:

Exit tickets, backward planning the unit, quick reflections on peer work or self-work, co-creating checklists and marking rubrics designed by kids, and open-ended tasks. 

Leading the inquiry process

The IB foster a love for life-long learning and as teachers who facilitate classrooms it becomes a way of living! The purpose of learning is to empower students to lead their life with a purpose and meaning and as society expects them to 'lead a good life'. When do we expect these skills to be taught by the school we often miss the point of making them ready for real life which is actually unpredictable, vague, ever-changing, and often demands problem-solving. As IB educators, we pave a path for learners where they do the walking, something life demands. We help children build skills through our pedagogy which will help them to learn and find creative solutions to problems rather than succumb to traditional ways of measuring one's capabilities based on marks they get. Here are some ways we drive student-led learning...

1) Skill development

Teaching and Learning based on the inquiry method is an approach that helps students build their knowledge and understanding through research and exploration activities based on existing knowledge. The inquiry method requires higher-order thinking skills and critical thinking to make conclusions.

2) Higher order engagement

The inquiry has a student agency, wherein the students have a voice choice to guide their own learning journey, hence student engagement is high.

3) Storm your brain

The brain does not work in isolation hence transdisciplinary learning is the natural way to ignite learning.

4) Sensorial learning

Inquiry through sensorial engagements helps the learner to use maximum senses to enhance their learning

5) Skill based learning

Learning is more skill-based and learning is more by doing. It is more relevant and updated.

My learning reflection so far... Module 1: Making PYP Happen (CAT 1)

 IB- Making PYP happen- CAT 1
Module 1: Reflections    

Here is my reflection on my 1st week of  'Making PYP Happen' (CAT 1) workshop 

Reflecting on think prompts: 

1) How is my understanding of PYP principles and practices evolving?

-My understanding of the PYP program is becoming more concrete and I am able to make real-time connections to the learning engagements we plan and deliver in class. Also, reading the different resources shared with us helps me to understand the PYP framework even better. Collaborating with educators from around the world on this platform is creating a sense of oneness and belongingness in the IB community. 

2) In what ways can I apply learning from this workshop in my own learning and teaching? How is the agency supported and nurtured through this workshop?

-I will take the idea of an 'internationally-minded learner' and integrate its principles in my learning engagements along with a special focus on language acquisition. 

3) How am I developing international-mindedness in my students?

-My lessons will have a core focus to develop international-mindedness and having a collective responsibility of sharing the planet by providing opportunities to engage in discourse, peer interactions, and studying cases as exemplars for events happening around the world as integrations with the themes. Using language medium of expressions of ideas. 

4) How do I get the learning of language to encompass being international-minded?

-When I read the resource about the connections between language learning and being international-minded I realized the core essence of it and its transdisciplinary nature. I will take this understanding forward and intentionally add opportunities for understanding the nuances of language, the exchange of culture through it, and understanding the world.

5) How am I embedding the learner profile into learning and teaching?

-While developing the units of inquiry we chalk out the learner profiles we want to focus on in the unit and plan engagements based on that. Also adding pieces of evidence/s of instances where learners display these skills as a part of their prior knowledge. 

6) How am I encouraging students to engage with local and global issues and challenges?

- Every unit is designed in such a way that we integrate burning issues that the world is facing, also we look at developing problem-solving skills for which we look at Sustainable Developmental Goals by the UN. 

-As a part of giving a local perspective to learners we take the help of the local language (Marathi) and have planned 'Magnificient Maharastra' where we dive deep incorporating unit-related concepts by wearing a local lense.