Transcript International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program (PYP

International Baccalaureate
Primary Years Programme (PYP)
Presentation
Riverstone International School 2009
What is the IBO ?
• IBO is the International Baccalaureate Organization
• A non-profit educational foundation based in Geneva,
Switzerland
•
Diploma program (final 2 years of school)
•
Middle Years program (11- 16 years of age)
•
PYP program (3 – 12 years of age)
• IBO provides curriculum & assessment development, teacher
education, information sessions, electronic networking and
other educational services to IB schools
IBO Mission Statement
The International Baccalaureate Organization aims to develop
inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to
create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural
understanding and respect.
To this end the IBO works with schools, governments and
international organizations to develop challenging programmes
of international education and rigorous assessment.
These programmes encourage students across the world to
become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who
understand that other people, with their differences, can also be
right.
Riverstone Mission Statement
Riverstone students are independent lifelong learners who
take the most challenging courses that prepare them for
entrance to the best universities around the world. They
are passionate and caring about their community and the
environment, thinking globally and acting locally. They
are confident communicators and active listeners. They
are empathetic, inquisitive, creative, respectful, principled
and balanced individuals. Riverstone students are leaders
by example; they are our hope for a better future.
What is the PYP?
An International, transdisciplinary program designed to
foster the development of the whole child, not just in the
classroom, but through other means of learning.
PYP focuses on the total growth of the developing child,
encompassing social, physical, emotional and cultural
needs in addition to academic welfare.
PYP combines best research and practice from a range of
national systems with a wealth of knowledge and
experience from international schools to create a relevant
and engaging educational framework for all children.
What is the PYP? (cont)
Provides an opportunity for learners to construct meaning,
principally through concept-driven inquiry.
Traditional academic subjects are part of the PYP, but it
emphasizes the interrelatedness of knowledge and skills
through a transdisciplinary programme of inquiry.
The PYP focuses on the heart as well as the mind and
addresses social, physical, emotional and cultural needs as
well as academic ones.
The PYP aims to develop in student’s:
Sensitivity to the experiences of others through the
curriculum
Characteristics listed in the learner profile
Attitudes that are an explicit element of the programme
Expectation of socially responsible action as a result of the
learning experience
What is transdisciplinary inquiry?
Focus on big ideas/issues/concepts
Essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes are necessary and
must be taught
Focus on taking socially responsible action
Emphasis: Inquiry, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking
Integrates key learning areas
AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT
What is the PYP learner profile?
The goal of the Primary Years Program is to create
internationally minded students. IBO believes that
students should be:
Inquirers
Thinkers
Communicators
Risk-takers
Knowledgeable
Principled
Caring
Open-minded
Well-balanced
Reflective
The Curriculum Model
Commitment to structured inquiry as the leading vehicle
for learning.
Six transdisciplinary themes provide the framework for the
exploration of knowledge.
Students develop an understanding of important concepts,
acquire essential skills and knowledge, develop particular
attitudes and learn to take socially responsible action.
Organizing Themes
Who We Are
An exploration of the nature of the self; our beliefs and
values; personal, physical, mental, social, and spiritual
health; of our families, friends, communities, and cultures;
our rights and responsibilities; of what it means to be
human.
Where We Are In Place and Time
An exploration of our orientation in place and time; our
personal histories; history and geography from local and
global perspectives; of our homes and journeys; of the
discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind; of
the contributions of individuals and civilizations.
How We Express Ourselves
An exploration of the ways in which we discover and
express our nature, ideas, feelings, beliefs and values
through language and the arts.
How The World Works
An exploration of the physical and material world; natural
and human-made phenomena; of the world of science and
technology.
How We Organize Ourselves
An exploration of human systems and communities; of the
world of work, its nature and its value; of employment and
unemployment and their impact on us and the world
around us.
Sharing the Planet
An exploration of our rights and responsibilities as we
strive to share finite resources with other people and with
other living things; of communities and of the relationships
within and between them.
The Process of Inquiry
Students learn to ask questions. They are encouraged to
develop their own questions related to the materials being
studied. Through questioning, students learn there are a
broad range of answers for a given question and they begin
to appreciate the enormous, complex world in which they
live.
Attitudes
In addition to the concepts, content and skills that are
imbedded in the curriculum, students are taught and they
practice the attitudes outlined by IBO. These attitudes are
descriptive of a person who is a responsible citizen of
his/her local and world wide community.
Students should demonstrate the following attitudes:
Appreciation - Appreciating the wonder and beauty of the world and
its people
Commitment - Being committed to their learning, persevering, and
showing self discipline and responsibility
Confidence - Feeling confident in their ability as learners, having the
courage to take risks, applying what they have learned and making
appropriate decisions
Cooperation - Cooperating, collaborating, and leading or following as
the situation demands
Creativity - Being creative and imaginative in their thinking and in
their approach to problems and dilemmas
Curiosity - Being curious about the nature of learning and of the
world, its people and cultures
Students should demonstrate the following attitudes:
Empathy - Imaginatively projecting themselves into another's
situation, in order to understand his/her thoughts, reasoning and
emotions
Enthusiasm - Enjoying learning
Independence - Thinking and acting independently, making their
own judgments based on reasoned principles and being able to
defend their judgments
Integrity - Having integrity and a firm sense of fairness and honesty
Respect - Respecting themselves, others, and the world around them
Tolerance - Feeling sensitivity towards differences and diversity in
the world and being responsive to the needs of others
What does this mean for parents?
The PYP is working to define a balanced program of
concepts, knowledge, skills, attitudes and actions for
children
The PYP curriculum sets high standards for and has high
expectations of students
The teachers plan the program together, providing a
coherent education
The PYP promotes good teaching practice, both through
the written curriculum documents and by sharing ideas
among authorized IB schools
The PYP incorporates a range of assessment, recording
and reporting strategies
What will my child be learning? Your child will:
Engage in structured, purposeful inquiry, which engages
students actively in their own learning. PYP believes this
way students learn in the most constructive manner
Develop a deep understanding of important concepts
Conduct research into knowledge which has local and
global significance
Acquire and practise a range of essential skills
Be encouraged to develop positive attitudes towards
learning, the environment and other people
Be involved in responsible action and service learning
Confucius on Questioning!
In his teaching the wise man guides his students but does
not pull them along; he urges them to go forward and does
not suppress them; he opens the way but does not take
them to the place; …. If his students are encouraged to
think for themselves we may call the man a good teacher.
(Confucius c.500BC taken from Brown and Wragg pg.18)