May 2016 Copy
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
MAY 2016 ISSUE 5 IB RESEARCH MANY IDEAS! DUNIA NEWSLETTER LIVING THE LEARNER PROFILE THE IB LEARNER PROFILE AT GMIS “Education is life itself ” ~ John Dewey The IB learner profile which exemplifies the character sketch of an IB learner is the nexus of a learner’s life in PYP. Every learning experience is an opportunity to imbibe, calibrate, revitalize and express the portfolio of a communicator, inquirer, thinker and a caring, courageous, knowledgeable, open-minded, principled, reflective and balanced individual. The teachers adopt various strategies right from the ‘tuning in’ phase, scaffolding through to the reflection, wherein the learner makes a conscientious effort to fortify his/her profile. At GMIS, the day typically begins with Morning Assembly, this provides a true pathway to the timeless human values that develop PRINCIPLED students, the basic intrinsic profile attribute. The ’Wonder Walls’, ‘Query Corners’ or ‘Curious Quests’, coined with different terms, invariably offer a gateway to provoke thinking and questioning. Same is true with the ‘What are my opinions, thoughts, ideas and wonderings on...” activity of expression which makes every child a thinker, inquirer and a reflective person. When they read and reflect upon the perspectives of peers, they learn to become open-minded. The children become knowledgeable about the momentous global issues through ‘World on Stage’ presentations that inspire students to do their best possible actions en masse for a better community. They make each other aware and rise through action as good communicators. They become balanced by participating in various curricular activities and progress-oriented assessment tasks within the programme of inquiry, sports activities including athletics, basketball, soccer, cheerleading and various stage performances. In the recent PYP Exhibition, the children emphasized the simple, yet powerful, formula of ‘Idea x Action = Change’ and partook in several actions, ranging from field interactions with the underprivileged to collecting donations for community service, thus expressing the need for growing up as a caring human being. And it really takes courage to resolve to do the right thing and to follow it through in their lives. In addition, the classroom displays demonstrate the fact that the learners LIVE the learner profile. Ms. Srikala Year 5 Homeroom Teacher GMIS Jakarta !1 MAY 2016 ISSUE 5 IB RESEARCH SUMMARY “Caring” across the International Baccalaureate continuum This recent study focused on the role of the learner profile attribute of caring across the continuum of IB programmes. For access to the research summary please use the following link; http://www.ibo.org/contentassets/ 952a2e6109b144ac86485780bfc8fbec/caring-across-the-continuum-eng.pdf. If you wish to read the full report, it is available at ibo.org/en/about-the-ib/research/. “The pedagogical principles that underpin IB programmes recognize, and indeed emphasize, that learning is a social process. Such learning must be underpinned by an ethic of care in which all those involved as teachers and students share an interest in supporting the learning of each other.” !2 MAY 2016 ISSUE 5 LIVING THE LEARNER PROFILE The$learner$profile$is$central$to$the$PYP$definition$of$what$it$means$to$be$internationally$minded,$and$it$directs$schools$to$ focus$on$the$learning.$The$attributes$described$in$the$learner$profile$are$appropriate$to,$and$achievable$by,$all$primary$ years$students.$The$teacher$needs$to$interpret$these$attributes$in$a$manner$appropriate$to$the$age$and$development$of$ the$student.$That$said,$part$of$the$adaptability$and$versatility$of$the$programme$lies$in$what$these$attributes$may$look$like$ from$one$school$culture$to$another.$All$teachers$have$a$responsibility$to$assess$student$development$in$the$context$of$the$ IB$learner$profile;$it$affects$all$students$throughout$the$programme.$Schools$have$a$responsibility$on$behalf$of$all$students$ to$assess$and$report$on$progress$in$the$development$of$the$attributes$of$the$learner$profile.$A$PYP$school$is$a$school$that,$ regardless$ of$ location,$ size$ or$ constitution,$ strives$ towards$ developing$ an$ internationally$ minded$ person$ who$ demonstrates$the$attributes$of$the$IB$learner$profile.$(Making(the(PYP(happen:(A(curriculum(framework(for(international( primary(education)$ In$our$school,$we$develop$several$strategies$to$‘live$the$learner$profile’$within$the$school$community$members.! ! ! ! ! The$posters$where$the$students$can$reflect$on$and$ stick$their$names$for$the$profile$they$have$ Focused$learner$profile$in$each$unit$of$inquiry$ A$booklet$where$the$students$record$ ! demonstrated$ the$profile$they$have$demonstrated$ related$to$the$unit$of$inquiry$ ! ! ! ! Stickers$to$be$given$to$the$sudents$ who$have$demonstrated$certain$ ! learner$profile$atrributes$ Students'$certificate$ Stickers$that$we$send$to$parents$regularly$ Weekly$Students'$SelfMassessment$ when$their$child$$has$demonstrated$certain$! learner$profile$attributes$ Each$level$in$our$school$has$its$own$class$blog$through$which$to$share$their$learning$journey$$throughout$the$ unit$of$inquiry$with$the$parents$including.$This$includes$how$parents$can$help$to$develop$the$learner$profile$ at$home.$Here$is$an$example.$$ OPENJMINDED An!open'minded!student!knows!that!all!people!are!different.!They!listen!to!the!point!iof!view!of!others!and!consider!many! possibilities!before!making!a!decision.!They!celebrate!the!differences!that!make!all!people!unique.!Things!parents!can!do!to!help! developing!the!profile!at!home!are!as!follows:! • Spend!time!with!your!child!to!try!new!things!(new!food,!new!games!and!activities).! • Encourage!your!child!to!really!listen!to!others!when!they!speak!and!parents!have!to!do!so!too.! • Introduce!your!child!to!different!festivals,!celebrations!and!traditions.! • Buy!books!about!different!cultures!that!are!age!appropriate!and!reflects!the!culture!in!positive!ways.! ! • Involve!your!child!in!certain!family!discussions!where!they!can!learn!different!opinions!and!ways!to!accept!decisions! respectfully.! Irma Mustafa Homeroom Teacher of Grade 5 SEKOLAH VICTORY PLUS (SVP) Jl.Kemang Pratama Raya AN 2 J3 Bekasi, Indonesia Email : [email protected] !3 MAY 2016 ISSUE 5 Living the Learner Profile The IB Learner Profile describes the type of learner that we hope to develop. But how do we check that we are on track? The IB also recognises that we are all part of a community of lifelong learners and the learner profile should be the shared vision of all involved in creating the learning environment of the school. So - what have you done today that demonstrates aspects of the learner profile? Rather than have pictures of us demonstrating the learner profile in action, we thought it would be interesting to question ourselves. Are we really living the learner profile? The following questions and statements are suggestions that could form part of a reflective framework for educators, from senior administrators to teachers new to the IB philosophy, in order to examine their practice through the lens of the learner profile. Inquirers: What pedagogical practices am I curious about? How do I demonstrate lifelong learning? What new skills would I like to learn? Have I conducted any research recently? Knowledgeable: Do I remain current with developments in education, both locally and globally? What do I need to know more about? What ideas could I share with colleagues? Thinkers: How do I identify potential problems with colleagues? What problem solving strategies work for me? How are my students solving problems in and out of the classroom? How have I encouraged my students/colleagues to think critically and creatively? Communicators: Considering the feedback given on summative assessments - what message am I really giving? Do I allow my students time to respond in discussions? How do I let students know they are valued? How well am I collaborating to ensure the best possible experience for our students/teachers? Principled: Do I show respect for the students by differentiating to meet their individual learning needs? How do I show respect for colleagues when I disagree with them? Have I acted with integrity and honesty? Open-minded: When my ideas are challenged do I start my sentences with ‘but’? What am I open-minded about and on what won’t I compromise? Am I open-minded to new ways of working – with technology, for example? Caring: Would my students and their families consider me to be caring? How have I made a positive difference to my colleagues? Or modelled how to make a difference to our environment – did I pick up that piece of litter or just walk past it? Risk-takers: What do I do to support students to take risks with learning? What strengths do I have that enable me to take risks when moving to another country? Will I speak up during a meeting to ensure my view is represented? Balanced: How do I maintain personal well-being? Do I support others in the development of emotional and physical well-being? The list has countless possibilities! Nevertheless, the learner profile is a set of ideals that can inspire and motivate the work of schools and teachers, uniting them in a common purpose. We hope that the ideas and questions above help to focus on that goal. Sarah-Jane Green (Vice Principal) and Melinda Mawson-Ryan (Senior Teacher) at ACG School Jakarta [email protected] / [email protected] !4 MAY 2016 ISSUE 5 Developing the IB Learner Profile at Sekolah Buin Batu As part of the unit of inquiry about the human brain, the Year 6 students conducted a dissection to inquire into the different parts of a brain. The students were provided with some cow brains to make this activity relevant, engaging and challenging. Experiencing the learning is a powerful strategy in crafting students understanding of concepts which lead them to be knowledgeable learners. This activity was completed when the Year 1 students conducted experiments about the properties of air.