Collaboration is an important part of teaching and learning in a PYP classroom. The Learner Profile attributes of communicators, open-minded and caring and the Attitudes, cooperation, respect, empathy and tolerance all highlight the need for all those connected to the school to be working in collaboration with one another. Students working together When you visit any primary classroom at ACG School Jakarta, you will see collaboration in action. Classrooms are designed with collaboration in mind, from carpet areas to table groups, students are engaging and working together. Whether students are playing in stations designed to inquire into their UOI in Kindergarten or interacting through written words in a chalk talk in Year 6 teachers are always encouraging team work. We are not only all learners, but everyone in the classroom can be a teacher, by connecting with one another the role of ‘teacher’ extends beyond the adults in the room. Teachers working together Working collaboratively is not just an activity reserved for our students. Each week teachers engage in collaborative planning with year level colleagues, specialists’ teachers and the PYP Coordinators. We also engage in collaborative team meetings as a whole staff group weekly. According to the International Baccalaureate (2015), ‘Research and case studies suggest that by forming a network of resources, support, and guidance, teachers feel more comfortable in their roles, which subsequently has a positive effect on students.’ Through collaboration, teachers are able to share their expertise, foster a community of experience and feel confident to implement innovative approaches to teaching and learning. When ideas are shared, and built upon, we achieve a greater range of learning experiences for our students. Working with parents At ACG School Jakarta, teachers work closely with families to ensure that the best outcomes are achieved for the students. This is achieved in numerous ways, including class blogs, parent-teacher-student conferences, student-led conferences and parent information sessions, just to name a few. Parent information session engage parents in collaborative learning opportunities, aimed at educating parents about the PYP, using the approaches to learning students are engaged in everyday. Through these education session, we develop parents’ understanding of what happens in the classroom through hands on experience. Being a 21st century learner is all about collaboration a skill that is embedded into the philosophy of our school.
References: Collaborative teaching transforms the classroom http://blogs.ibo.org/blog/2015/07/30/collaborative-teaching-transforms-the-classroom/
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Parent Education Sessions are designed to teach parents more about our programme here at ACG School Jakarta. Today was the first in a three-part series to educate Primary parents about the Primary Years Programme (PYP). Our focus today was on the PYP Written Curriculum, where we inquired into the IB PYP philosophy, the Learner Profile, and the five essential elements of the PYP. One of our goals in these parent sessions is to incorporate teaching strategies that we use in the classroom. To this end, parents are actively involved in discussions and activities that encourage thinking and participation, rather than passively listening to a presentation. Today, parents watched a couple of videos to spark discussions about the future and about student action. Additionally, in small groups, they brainstormed what skills an internationally-minded person needs to have before sharing out in the larger group. The Learner Profile embodies the traits that an internationally-minded person needs in order to be successful. When we discussed the transdisciplinary skills sets, or Approaches to Teaching and Learning, that we teach students in the classroom, parents were involved in a Chalk Talk, a strategy where each person walks around, writing ideas about each skill set on the paper. No talking is allowed in this activity, but we communicate with one another by adding to existing ideas, agreeing with ideas through check marks, and adding questions we have about ideas. This is a strategy we use in the classroom to get students involved and show their thinking. During the presentation, we also touched on the ways in which we plan units of inquiry, the transdisciplinary nature of the programme, and how the goal of the PYP is student-initiated action. If you would like to learn more about today's presentation, you can view our presentation slideshow and videos shared by clicking here. If you'd like to learn more about the PYP, we encourage you to attend our next Parent Education Session focused on the PYP Taught Curriculum next month, on Friday, 20 October from 8.15-9.15am. Thank you to the parents who came out today!
We are excited to be working together, leading the staff and students in the implementation of the Primary Years Programme! We hope that through this site, you will gain a deeper understanding of the PYP, be informed of events and learning happening at the school, and connect to the curriculum and Learner Profile in a way you have not yet experienced.
Have a look around and familiarise yourself with our site. You'll find information on the Learner Profile of the Month, links and resources relevant to the PYP (as well as links to all the class blogs), an overview of our school's Programme of Inquiry (a work in progress), and information about upcoming and past parent education sessions. Our aim is to educate all of our community about the PYP, so we hope that you can attend some of our sessions. |
AuthorSMs Kesler loves the PYP! Teaching and learning through inquiry fosters enthusiasm and life-long learning. Archives
June 2018
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