News

Making the PYP Happen

Several of our teachers recently attended an IBO workshop in Izmir, Turkey.

Making the PYP Happen in the Classroom was an introduction to the basic philosophy and framework of the PYP, with a view towards implementing and developing it in school.

This particular workshop centred on the questions What do we want to learn?, How best will we learn? and How will we know what we have learned?, all of which encompass the PYP curriculum model.

As a group, the teachers analysed and contributed to colleagues' Programmes of Inquiry; it was particularly interesting to note what different lines of inquiry are followed on any given concept, depending on the geographical location and resource limitations of schools that follow the PYP.

Assessment and collaborative planning were also a major focus of this workshop, and being able to get other perspectives and input from other teachers and specialists was invaluable.

The IBO defines an internationally-minded person as someone who demonstrates the attributes of the IB Learner Profile. Teachers explored these important criteria as part of a Promoting International Mindedness workshop. They engaged in a variety of activities that explored culture from a personal perspective and transitioned from there to a cross-cultural dialogue. Teachers brought and shared children's books that promoted cross-cultural understanding. The importance of mother tongue development (alongside English development) was emphatically reinforced.

Many strategies and practices were brought back from the conference, some coming from the workshop leaders themselves and others from the large pool of like-minded teachers they collaborated with during the course of the event. This opportunity to network and share ideas and resources will aid us in successfully extending inquiry-based learning at Southbank.

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