Last year I read the book, A Whole New Mind, by Daniel Pink and think it directly relates to why the IB (International Baccalaureate) curriculum in international schools are becoming so popular. If you haven't read the book yet, I would HIGHLY recommend it. It's a quick read and very entertaining.
>Read about the book here!
The book centers around the idea that our future generations need to use their right side of the brain to activate the part of the brain that helps them be creators, storytellers, caregivers, designers and artists. We have passed the age that one needs to only be skilled at numbers and memorization. Since jobs and businesses are so competitive these days, what's going to allow an employee to stand out is their creativity and ways they interact with others.
In this way, students should be encouraged to challenge and use their right-brain thinking in and out of school. This exactly covers the inquiry-based IB (and specifically the Primary Years Program) curriculum, encouraging students to explore, imagine, question and create. I am confident that allowing our future generation of students to learn in these ways will give them the best opportunity to reach their dreams as adults.
The constructivism theory and the 5 E's (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate) is consistent with the IB curriculum since the stages that the students go through when learning the taught curriculum it is very important and the teacher can have a great impact on the way the child is learning. Engage is the stage when students tune in to their prior knowledge and make connections. Explore ties in with inquiring and getting to know the topic. Explaining is making guesses/theories on why or how it is the way it is. Elaborate is the stage when the students construct meaning, ask more questions and bring significance to the topic. Finally, evaluate is similar to the summative assessment, where the students show what conclusions they have made, their understanding on the topic, and show (through projects, portfolios, etc.) that they are independent learners.
Brain research tells us that each student is unique in their level of learning and the time frame that they reach different stages of learning. Inquiry-based learning is encouraged because students can develop in the areas that are most comfortable for them, and they can find meaningful connections to the topics they are studying so that their entire learning experience is purposeful.
To me, the IB curriculum in international schools is brilliantly designed! After reading about the written cirriculum in Making the PYP happen, everything that I remember learning in my education courses back in college came back to me. Yes, it seems simple to keep in mind that students learn in multiple ways, are unique in the way they think and act, and have different backgrounds, as well as prior knowledge. However, these are often forgotten about when the curriculum is being made and when the busy school year is more focused on prepping the students for their upcoming written tests or making sure they learn the required knowledge and skills to move on to the next grade level. I think the curriculum was thoughtfully designed in a way to soley focus on the needs of the students and making sure that they are not only prepared for the upcoming grade level, but for the future as motivated, balanced, and caring inquirers.
The written curriculum reminds me of a backwards design (similar to UBD, Understanding By Design by Grant P. Wiggins), in which you start with the end results that you want your students to reach. This includes assessing not only the skills and knowledge that are to be met for the unit, but also attitudes and concepts. The assessed curriculum is interconnected with the taught curriculum in that it is just as essential how the teacher goes about teaching the material for the whole design to work properly. I see how important it is for the teacher to ask open-ended questions, and to create activities that relate and bring meaning and interest to the students' lives. Also, if students don't take the time to question and assess their own learning process (as teachers should do likewise), then they cannot fully understand how they best learn and how what they are learning can impact and guide them in their future.
Nonacademic or extracurricular learning seems to be intertwined with the summative assessment and the action cycle. Out of the classroom, or out of the taught lessons, it is the students chance to use what they have learned from the taught curriculum to reflect, choose and act on authentic decisions in life. If students are able to be successful at this meaninigful out-of-class decision-making, it seems to me that they have become an independent learner in that area.
In this way, we can see that the written, taught and assessed part of the IB curriculum are all interconnected and have a meaningful impact on the student's future to allow them to become internationally, well-rounded and purposeful individuals.
Is an IB international school, or the International-Mindedness School Approach, the best choice for your child?
Read more on IB, PYP, international schools and international-mindedness by clicking on the links below.
Resources
Making the PYP Happen
Inspired Project Teams
A Whole New Mind
Constructivism and the 5 E's
Connect, Extend, Challenge
Visual Thinking
Brain-based Learning
Lifecircles Learning Map
>Read about the book here!
The book centers around the idea that our future generations need to use their right side of the brain to activate the part of the brain that helps them be creators, storytellers, caregivers, designers and artists. We have passed the age that one needs to only be skilled at numbers and memorization. Since jobs and businesses are so competitive these days, what's going to allow an employee to stand out is their creativity and ways they interact with others.
In this way, students should be encouraged to challenge and use their right-brain thinking in and out of school. This exactly covers the inquiry-based IB (and specifically the Primary Years Program) curriculum, encouraging students to explore, imagine, question and create. I am confident that allowing our future generation of students to learn in these ways will give them the best opportunity to reach their dreams as adults.
The constructivism theory and the 5 E's (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate) is consistent with the IB curriculum since the stages that the students go through when learning the taught curriculum it is very important and the teacher can have a great impact on the way the child is learning. Engage is the stage when students tune in to their prior knowledge and make connections. Explore ties in with inquiring and getting to know the topic. Explaining is making guesses/theories on why or how it is the way it is. Elaborate is the stage when the students construct meaning, ask more questions and bring significance to the topic. Finally, evaluate is similar to the summative assessment, where the students show what conclusions they have made, their understanding on the topic, and show (through projects, portfolios, etc.) that they are independent learners.
Brain research tells us that each student is unique in their level of learning and the time frame that they reach different stages of learning. Inquiry-based learning is encouraged because students can develop in the areas that are most comfortable for them, and they can find meaningful connections to the topics they are studying so that their entire learning experience is purposeful.
To me, the IB curriculum in international schools is brilliantly designed! After reading about the written cirriculum in Making the PYP happen, everything that I remember learning in my education courses back in college came back to me. Yes, it seems simple to keep in mind that students learn in multiple ways, are unique in the way they think and act, and have different backgrounds, as well as prior knowledge. However, these are often forgotten about when the curriculum is being made and when the busy school year is more focused on prepping the students for their upcoming written tests or making sure they learn the required knowledge and skills to move on to the next grade level. I think the curriculum was thoughtfully designed in a way to soley focus on the needs of the students and making sure that they are not only prepared for the upcoming grade level, but for the future as motivated, balanced, and caring inquirers.
The written curriculum reminds me of a backwards design (similar to UBD, Understanding By Design by Grant P. Wiggins), in which you start with the end results that you want your students to reach. This includes assessing not only the skills and knowledge that are to be met for the unit, but also attitudes and concepts. The assessed curriculum is interconnected with the taught curriculum in that it is just as essential how the teacher goes about teaching the material for the whole design to work properly. I see how important it is for the teacher to ask open-ended questions, and to create activities that relate and bring meaning and interest to the students' lives. Also, if students don't take the time to question and assess their own learning process (as teachers should do likewise), then they cannot fully understand how they best learn and how what they are learning can impact and guide them in their future.
Nonacademic or extracurricular learning seems to be intertwined with the summative assessment and the action cycle. Out of the classroom, or out of the taught lessons, it is the students chance to use what they have learned from the taught curriculum to reflect, choose and act on authentic decisions in life. If students are able to be successful at this meaninigful out-of-class decision-making, it seems to me that they have become an independent learner in that area.
In this way, we can see that the written, taught and assessed part of the IB curriculum are all interconnected and have a meaningful impact on the student's future to allow them to become internationally, well-rounded and purposeful individuals.
Is an IB international school, or the International-Mindedness School Approach, the best choice for your child?
Read more on IB, PYP, international schools and international-mindedness by clicking on the links below.
Resources
Making the PYP Happen
Inspired Project Teams
A Whole New Mind
Constructivism and the 5 E's
Connect, Extend, Challenge
Visual Thinking
Brain-based Learning
Lifecircles Learning Map