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PYP Curriculum Guide for Student Learning

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
17 views2 pages

PYP Curriculum Guide for Student Learning

Uploaded by

Nuraan Martin
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

AN IBPYP QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

KEY CONCEPTS: What do we want the students to understand?


Teach and use the key concepts to help students understand deeply using open ended questioning.

The Key Concepts


Form Change Responsibility
What is it like? How is it changing? What is our responsibility?
Function Connection Reflection
How does it work? How is it connected to other things? How do we know?
Causation Perspective
Why is it like it is? What are the points of view?
THE WRITTEN CURRICULUM…WHAT DO WE WANT STUDENTS TO LEARN?

KNOWLEDGE: What do we want the students to know?


The PYP program of inquiry organizing themes: Who we are, Where we are in place and time, How we express
ourselves, How the world works, How we organize ourselves, Sharing the planet.

TRANSDISCIPLINARY SKILLS: What do we want the students to be able to do?


The Transdisciplinary Skills
Social Skills accepting responsibility, respecting others, cooperating, resolving conflict, group
decision making, adopting a variety of group roles
Research skills formulating questions, observing, planning, collecting data, recording data, organizing
data, interpreting data, presenting research findings
Thinking skills acquisition of knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation,
dialectical thought (different points of view), metacognition (awareness and analysis of
how one thinks and learns)
Communication skills listening, speaking, reading, writing, presenting, non-verbal communication
Self-management skills gross motor skills, fine motor skills, spatial awareness, organization, time
management, safety, healthy lifestyle, codes of behavior, informed choices

ATTITUDES: What do we want the students to show?


Teach, integrate, and reinforce the attitudes.
What do we want the students to show?
Appreciation Cooperation Empathy Integrity
Commitment Creativity Enthusiasm Respect
Confidence Curiosity Independence Tolerance

ACTION: How do we want the students to act?


Create a climate and expectation for action in connection to a unit of study.
LEARN SOMETHING
CHOOSE
REFLECT ON THE LEARNING
REFLECT ACT

DO SOMETHING
STRUCTURED INQUIRY
Follow the unit of inquiry planners and extend the use of structured inquiry into other content areas
HOW BEST WILL STUDENTS LEARN?

when possible. Students are invited to ask questions in order to make connections with prior knowledge,
THE TAUGHT CURRICULUM…

acquire new knowledge and increase their depth of understanding. Teachers ask higher order questions
through the PYP key concept questions to integrate rigor through inquiry.

CENTRAL IDEA
The Big Idea of each unit of inquiry establishes the focus for daily planning, class activities, student-driven
investigations, discussions and assessments. The central idea should be prominently displayed in the
classroom at all times during the unit.

TEAM COLLABORATIVE PLANNING


Use common team planning time for the creation and evolution of the unit of inquiry planners, daily lesson
plans, common assessments and other inquiry-based learning activities that engage students in meaningful and
relevant learning. Reflect on the instruction as a team.

STUDENT PERFORMANCE
THE LEARNED CURRICULUM…HOW WILL
WE KNOW WHAT THEY HAVE LEARNED?

Use student learning performance to guide teaching and planning.

ASSESSMENT
Assess through “on the spot” checks for understanding, formative and summative assessments
 Planning, teaching, and assessing are interconnected processes.
 Use a range of assessment strategies, recording, and reporting strategies.
 Involve students (self-assessment), parents, and colleagues in the assessment procedures.
 Involve students in shared reflection during and at the end of each unit.
 Collect data through: observations, performance assessments, process-focused assessments, selected
responses, open-ended tasks, portfolios
 Analyze learning through: rubrics, benchmarks, holistic scoring, analytical scoring

THE RESULTS: INTERNATIONALLY-MINDED STUDENTS


INTERNATIONALISM: THE PYP PERSPECTIVE

The PYP program develops students who are “inquiring knowledgeable, and caring, young people who help
create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect”. Through a rigorous,
relevant, and engaging curriculum students acquire the knowledge, the skills and attitudes that prepare them to
be active, compassionate lifelong learners in a global society.

Teach, integrate, and reinforce the student profile.


The Learner Profile Traits
Caring Knowledgeable Reflective Balanced
Communicator Open-minded Risk-taker
Inquirer Principled Thinker

Post the IB Attitudes and the Learner Profile Traits prominently in the classroom. After explicitly
teaching what the traits and attitudes mean, refer to them often highlighting students, literary characters,
people in the news, etc. as people who exemplify these traits.

Common questions

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The PYP program encourages the development of internationally-minded students by fostering traits such as being inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring through a curriculum that emphasizes intercultural understanding and respect. The program integrates key concepts and learner profile traits that promote a global perspective. The curriculum is designed to be rigorous, relevant, and engaging, preparing students to be active and compassionate lifelong learners in a global society .

The PYP program uses formative assessments to provide ongoing feedback during the learning process, allowing teachers to adjust instruction to meet student needs and enhance learning. Summative assessments evaluate student learning at the end of a unit to determine the extent of knowledge and skills acquired. This combination ensures that assessments guide teaching and planning, support skill development, and engage students in self-assessment and shared reflection, ultimately promoting comprehensive understanding and skill mastery .

The PYP facilitates connections between different areas of knowledge through transdisciplinary themes and skills that encourage exploration across subject areas. Teachers utilize unit of inquiry planners to design learning activities that integrate multiple disciplines, creating a cohesive learning experience. By focusing on overarching concepts and encouraging inquiry that spans traditional subject boundaries, students gain a deeper, interconnected understanding of complex topics and are better equipped to apply their learning globally .

Reflection and action are interrelated in the PYP learning process, emphasizing a cycle where students reflect on their learning and take informed actions based on their reflections. This is supported through units of study that encourage students to engage in thoughtful reflection on their experiences, leading them to identify ways to apply what they have learned in real-world contexts. This ongoing process fosters deeper understanding and meaningful applications of knowledge, reinforcing learning through practical action .

Teaching attitudes like empathy and tolerance in the PYP program significantly enhances students' interpersonal skills. By integrating and reinforcing these attitudes, students learn to appreciate diverse perspectives and cultures, which fosters a more inclusive and respectful classroom environment. This emphasis on empathy and tolerance contributes to improved collaboration, effective conflict resolution, and greater social cohesion among students, preparing them for interactions in a global community .

The PYP program emphasizes student agency by encouraging self-directed inquiry and promoting students' involvement in planning and assessing their learning. The curriculum allows students to explore their interests within the framework of structured inquiry, facilitating ownership by having them pose questions, lead investigations, and reflect on their learning processes. This method ensures that students are not passive recipients but active participants in their learning journey, aligning with the program’s goal of developing independent and confident learners .

Collaborative planning is crucial in the PYP approach as it ensures coherence and continuity across the curriculum. It involves teachers using common planning time to develop and refine unit of inquiry planners, lesson plans, and assessments, fostering a shared understanding of educational goals. This collaboration allows for the integration of varied learning activities and perspectives, enhancing the inquiry-based learning process by adapting instructions based on collective reflections and student performances .

Embedding learner profile traits within the PYP classroom environment is significant as it shapes the culture and behavior of students. Traits such as being caring, open-minded, and principled are consistently highlighted and reinforced, guiding students towards respectful and ethically responsible behavior. By integrating these traits into daily interactions and curriculum connections, students develop essential character qualities that influence positive interactions and foster a supportive, inclusive learning environment .

In the PYP program, 'responsibility' is reflected across its organizing themes such as 'Who we are' and 'How we organize ourselves', emphasizing personal and social responsibility, ethical decision-making, and the role of students as informed citizens in a connected world. These themes guide students to explore their roles in communities, their interdependence on others and on the planet, fostering a sense of responsibility towards collaborative and sustainable living .

Self-management skills in the PYP transdisciplinary skill set include organization, time management, and informed decision-making, which are essential for fostering independence and responsibility in students. These skills enable students to manage their learning effectively, promoting personal well-being and academic success. By cultivating self-management abilities, students are better equipped to handle the demands of complex inquiry tasks and engage in lifelong learning .

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