Pre Workshop

Introduction

We are very much looking forward to working with you all next weekend at our Making the PYP Happen Workshop at Kristen in a few weeks time. Please take time to read the information below.  
We will work through a collaborative inquiry to enable you, as teachers, to 'Make the PYP happen' in your classrooms.

Our Central Idea

Developing our personal knowledge and understanding of the essential elements of the programme deepens our understanding of international mindedness and the learner profile; prepares us for planning, teaching and assessing students; and develops our skills to analyse and refine the school’s programme of inquiry.

PURPOSE

The workshop is designed to support us all as life-long learners through readings and discussing current pedagogy and research.  I will facilitate this through allowing lots of opportunities for us to share insights and ask questions along the way.

Our Conceptual Understandings:

1. Individual teachers’ beliefs and experiences related to teaching affect the way they perform.
2. International-mindedness is encompassed in the IB Learner Profile. It is further developed by practices under PYP standards.
3. In the PYP, the school’s curriculum includes all those student activities, academic and non-academic, for which the school takes responsibility, since they all have an impact on student learning.
4. At the heart of the curriculum cycle is the learner constructing meaning.
5. The five essential elements resonate throughout the entire curriculum.
6. The PYP curriculum is concept-driven and transdisciplinary.
7. Teaching and learning takes place when a range and balance of teaching strategies are selected appropriately to meet particular learning needs.
8. Assessment is integral to planning, teaching and learning, and needs to be varied and purposeful.
9. Responsibility for learning is shared within a learning community through collaborative and reflective planning.
10. The programme of inquiry and the subject scope and sequences are components of the curriculum, which when used together, define a coherent curriculum.
11. Units of inquiry must illuminate the transdisciplinary theme under which they are placed.
12. There is a range of IB professional development available to support the implementation of the PYP. 

Activities

1)  There are a couple of items we would like you to action before we meet, you will find both as tabs on the blog:

• All about us 
• Participant questionnaire

2)  Please read Walker 2011

• Consider your perspective (whether you agree, or not) 
• Make any connections between this article and your current practice

What to bring with you

• A copy of Making the PYP Happen - 2009
• Your log on to My IB
• Access to your school's POI
• Access to your school's Scope and Sequence documents 
• Your school's Assessment, Language, SEN policies and  Academic honesty if they have one.

Further information

We very much look forward to working with you all next week.

On arrival at Kristen at 8:30, please just follow the signs.

If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact via this blog or email me direct:

ibheathertaylor@gmail.com or alisonhunt2013@gmail.com

Warm regards

Heather and Alison