An Interview of a Prospective PYP Teacher.

Working on the assumption that the teacher in question has inquired about the IBPYP prior to coming into interview: 

1) Looking at the IB learner attributes, what do they mean to you? 

Answer: 

- How the interviewee relates to these attributes. 

- Which ones stand out to them. 

(upon prompting) - How they make an learner more cohesive. 

- Interviewee should reflect on how they are universal and applicable to learners everywhere. 

2) The PYP Curriculum, and the IB as a programme in general, encourage learning through inquiry. How do you feel about such a programme and how do you think this benefits the learner? 

Answer: 

- Mentions learning by doing. 

- Builds on foundation. 

- Expands the students knowledge in a  situation that is applicable to them. 

- Creates a more cohesive programme because involves working in a team to come up with something that is inclusive for everyone involved. 

3) Say you have a particular lesson plan that does not go well. How would you react? What would go through your mind? 

Answer: 

- Candidate discusses reflection. 

- What went wrong

- How can it be made better

(upon prompting) - Is motivated to look for help and discuss their ideas. 

- Discusses their feelings and how they would handle a lesson that didn't go well. 

4) What would inquiry based learning look like in your classroom? 

Answer: 

- Discusses experimentation

- Research

- Making connections 

- Most importantly, candidate discusses allowing students to increase their understanding by exploring their interests within boundaries. 

5) Are you a team player? If so, what makes you a team player? 

Answer: 

- Positive thoughts about working with people. 

(upon prompting) - Can discuss how they would approach problems with colleagues. 

(upon prompting) - Can discuss what they are like as a leader and as a team member. 

6) The PYP curriculum centres around the written curriculum, the taught curriculum and the assessed curriculum. At the centre of this is the learner constructing meaning. How do you feel these different aspects of the curriculum help learners to construct meaning. 

Answer: 

- Interviewee discusses how the written curriculum focuses the taught curriculum. 

- Discussion of how assessment can inform whether goals are being reached within the taught curriculum

- Discussion of how assessment and reflection informs their own teaching, not only the students' achievement. 

- Refinement of own teaching practices. 

Reflecting on Planning and Collaborating

I have filled out this bone diagram based on how I feel we're presently working at in the pre-school I teach at. 

Just to put it into context, we have 4 groups of between 6-9 students. The groups are organized according to ages at the beginning of the year, with some mixing occurring while monitoring student ability over the year. Each of the 4 teachers in the class have a group, and we rotate the group we're working with each week. The school I'm working at at present is not an IB school and therefore the PYP curriculum is not implemented there. I shall be working with the PYP curriculum as of August. Therefore not all practices are applicable (I have an N/A there). 

If I were to rate how we're working at each practice: 

1) Collaborative planning and reflection addresses the requirements of the programme(s). 3

2) Collaborative planning and reflection takes place regularly and systematically.  1.5 

3) Collaborative planning and reflection addresses vertical and horizontal articulation. N/A

4) Collaborative planning and reflection ensures that all teachers have an overview of students' learning experiences. 2.5 

5) Collaborative planning and reflection is based on agreed expectations for student learning. 1

6) Collaborative planning and reflection incorporates differentiation for students' learning needs and styles. 1

7) Collaborative planning and reflection is informed by assessment of student work and learning. 2

8) Collaborative planning and reflection recognizes that all teachers are responsible for language development of students. 3

9) Collaborative planning and reflection addresses the IB learner profile attributes. N/A

At my present pre-school, the two things I think need to be worked on the most in order to encourage student learning are:

      1) Parental Ignorance or familial problems.

       2) Lack of communication between the teachers.

Parental ignorance and familial problems are a huge deterrent in my current workplace. This is largely due to parents working long and extended hours and students not being able to spend enough quality time with their families. This is hindering students’ progress because their main sources of interaction are their nannies. These nannies are largely non-English speakers and cannot engross in productive conversation with the students. There is therefore no continuation from what students are learning in school and what they are doing at home. Many parents are ignorant of what their children are learning in school, they don’t follow up with teachers and often do not have the time to attend any parent-teacher-student interactive sessions.

There is also a lack of communication between the teachers. While we discuss what needs to be done the following week, we do not discuss how to better the learning environment for particular students. The groups are largely age and ability based, however no differentiation takes place for students because the work we do is largely centred around worksheets and workbooks that are required to be complete before the end of a term. Students therefore zoom through the books without really understanding. Progress is monitored based on progression in the workbooks as opposed to making certain that students are leaving with a strong foundation.

A Summative Assessment.

Where we are in Place and Time. 

Below is a descriptor of this unit of inquiry catered towards 10 - 11 year olds. 

The summative assessment I have devised based on the GRASP model is: 

Goal: Your task is to write a story about a family's migration either nationally or internationally. Your tasks include writing a story of 5 chapters and should centre around the reasons why the family had to migrate. 

Role: You are an author of a short novel about a family's migration to a real or imaginary place. 

Audience: 10- 11 year olds. 

Situation: You need to identify the reasons why a family needs to migrate to a foreign place and the challenges faced. Maps and pictures should be included. 

Product/Performance and Purpose: You will create a 5 chapter story that discusses why a family migrated to a real or imaginary place of your choice, the story should focus around the reasons why they had to migrate, and the impact they had on the place they migrated to. 

Standards and Criteria for Success: 

Your story should contain

- 5 or more chapters. 

- A minimum of 3 real-life reasons why the family had to move. 

- The impact of their migration on the place they emigrate to. 

- Maps and Images. 

- Use of correct punctuation, grammar and vocabulary. 

Assessment in the PYP

Here's a link to a short presentation made on assessment in the PYP. 

Assessment in the PYP

What is Assessment?

You can see my initial thoughts on assessment through the regular text. I have modified each of my ideas, and these modifications are the bolded ones. 


I don't believe my thinking has changed in any particular manner after doing the readings. I have however extended what I already knew and seen the connections between the different aspects of assessment and how they inform and extend the summative assessment aspect. 

I have learnt that formative assessment is more than brief note-taking. Observations and checklists are a part of formative assessment, these all also help inform the summative assessment. Especially when you look at the "what we have learned" aspect of the KWL chart. This can vastly help inform the teacher as to what the student has learned at the end of the unit. Furthermore, small tasks that can be seen as formative assessment can be gathered together to form a portfolio that expresses the students' journey through the unit. This portfolio can be used as summative assessment as well. 

Students also need to reflect on their journey, and inform the teacher in order to inform their understanding, but also to inform the teacher's practice so that changes can be made. 

There are a lot of similarities between my thinking and others' thinking. However, what I also learnt from others mind-maps was that formative assessment is more than just the teacher assessing the student, it is also the student assessing their understanding, and what they are learning. 

It was helpful to have my prior knowledge activated because I got to extend my schema and modify it in some cases. 

Analyzing a Planner on "where are we in place and time"

I was traveling prior to finishing off this activity and was thus unable to attain a copy of a planner form my school in time for the end of this module. Instead I got ahold of a copy of a sample Unit of Inquiry from the OCC and have analyzed it.

I have attached two pages of the planner that are relevant to the analysis I need to make.

Here's my analysis based on the evaluation available on pg 41 of Making The PYP Happen.

Purpose

- Is the central idea clearly stated? Yes. 

- Have appropriate connections been made between the central idea and the transdisciplinary theme?

Yes. 

- Do the teacher questions and provocations reflect the purpose?

The questions do reflect the purpose of the central idea and transdisciplinary themes, however, I question how challenging they would be for 10/11 year olds. 

- Are the teacher questions clear, open-ended and precise? 

The questions are indeed open-ended, clear and precise. Students will be able to use their own backgrounds as well as those of their community to engage in exploring the many questions. 

- Are the lines of inquiry appropriate to the development level and interests of the students?

I believe that the lines of inquiry identified are of some interest to the students. I do feel that a majority of the lines of inquiry could be straying from the interest of the students. I feel students should have the opportunity to explore migration reasons and needs from a country of their choice as well as looking at their own personal migration patterns -whether locally, nationally or internationally. 

- Is there a direct link between the concept-based questions and the activities?

I believe the activity referred to (creating migration reasons for people of a particular land) does indeed link to the questions asked. However, there will be a need to develop a country profile for this fictional land prior to engaging in this activity. 

- Does the inquiry provide opportunities for:

• exploring significant knowledge 
• understanding key concepts and related concepts 
• acquiring and applying relevant skills 
• developing responsible attitudes
•  reflection and taking action?

Since a lot of PYP schools are International schools, there is a certain level of significance in exploring why families have moved to particular countries, and what encouraged them to do so. Students will have the understand the key concepts of Causation, Change and Perspective and inquire how these processes have been ongoing and impact at different levels of a country's growth. 

Students will look at a range of skills, in particular interviewing, researching and critical thinking. 

Students will learn to develop attitudes and tolerance towards migrants by understanding the need that drives them to leave their homelands. 

- Do the lines of inquiry and learning experiences promote international-mindedness?

Yes the lines of inquiry do promote international mindedness  by adhering to the following IB learner profiles 

- Caring

- Communicators

- Thinkers 

- Open Minded 

- Reflective. 

Learning experiences

- Do the learning experiences reflect a variety of appropriate teaching and learning strategies?

The learning experiences reflect a variety of teaching and learning strategies. Students will be required to research, however they will also be required to create questions for an interview process, write a report and look at migration as a global phenomenon. I do however feel that a lot of the learning experiences focused on are American in nature, and would thus not be applicable to students from other school. 

- Does the availability and range of resources support inquiry for all students? 

The resources looked at are appropriate for students. However I feel that the biggest resource that the students could use in this particular inquiry is each other. The teacher has not identified other students and their families as resources into migration inquiry. This would be something applicably globally. 

- Will the students be actively engaged, and challenged? 

I feel students will be engaged and challenged in creating their own lands and coming up with migration patterns and reasons for migration. I do however feel that the teacher whose plan this is, should have taken into account ways to extend students' learning because I feel the challenge is not immense. 

-  Is there room for student-initiated inquiry?

There is lots of room for student initiated inquiry. Mostly because students can come up with different methods -  other than those stated in the planner - to inquire and answer their questions. A lot of this unit should be focused around people and should be qualitative rather than quantitative in nature. 

I would change this unit by encouraging students to actively seek out members within their communities. I would also ask them to come up with a list of interview questions (in groups) which they would like to ask someone, and then try and bring in a guest speaker to talk to the class. In the American context, the teacher could bring in African or Mexican migrants to come and share their stories with the children, and explain to the children how they arrived in USA. 

The coherency of the trans-disciplinary unit of Sharing Our Planet.

Sharing the Planet is defined by the IBO as: 

An inquiry into rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and with other living things; communities and the relationships within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution

I looked at how this trans-disciplinary unit was addressed vertically across the different age groups. 

I thought this Program of Inquiry was balanced interestingly. Mostly because as you go down each age group, you can see how the Unit is slightly manipulated to increase in complexity. Furthermore, each age group looks at a different aspect of the planet. The youngest ones are observing the uses that animals have been put to, while the eldest age group is looking at the interdependence between species. This is an example of the complexity of the unit based on students' development and the manner in which they are expected to grow - essentially from the literal, to the vague and subjective. I think the myriad lines of inquiry that are to be looked at allows students to slowly come to terms with how we have evolved from a society that was dependent on the planet - animals, plants, resources, to one that co-habits, and now- in my opinion, negatively impacts, the planet. 

I believe this program can be improved by encouraging students of an older age look at finite and infinite resources, and inquire into the different conflicts that are caused by the struggle for resources. I believe that the age range the unit of sustainability is catered towards is quite young. I think there is a lot more critical thinking that can be applied to a topic such as sustainability of resources. 

Sharing Our Planet, an analysis of a unit plan.

I have chosen to use Sharing our Planet as the Trans-Disciplinary theme. The unit I've chosen is geared towards students of ages 7-8. I chose this because this is the age group I'll be working with next year, and because I'm particularly passionate about the environment. 

Central idea

When interacting with natural habitats, humans make choices that have an impact on other living things.

Key concepts: causation, change, responsibility

Related concepts: habitat, interdependence, behavioural adaptations, diversity

Lines of inquiry

􏰀 Balance between rights and responsibilities when interacting with natural habitats

􏰀 Human impact on natural habitats 􏰀 How living things respond to changing

environmental conditions

How well does the central idea reflect the concepts identified?

The central idea reflects the concepts of causation, change and responsibility quite well. 

Causation: How things such as deforestation are impacting animals in the Amazon (global), at a local (Tanzanian) level, how poaching is impacting the elephant population in the Tanzanian national parks. 

Change: Life cycles, the cycle of the world - Can look at Polar bears and how they're dying because of global warming. How change has occurred in the past - Mammoths, Dinosaurs. How are human lives being impacted - e.g. Yanomamo tribe in the Amazon. Why is there need for a highway to be created through the Serengeti? What necessitates the construction of such a highway? 

Responsibility: What are the needs that are being fulfilled by things such as deforestation and construction of highways through the Serengeti. Why is global warming happening, who should be responsible for it.



How well does the central idea reflect an aspect of the trans-disciplinary theme identified?

I believe the central idea is a decent description of the trans-disciplinary theme of Sharing the Planet. This is because we don't only share the planet with other human beings. The impact of human actions is felt by animals, plants, as well as other humans. Furthermore, we also share the planet with things such as water, which humans directly impact. It is necessary for students to understand how decisions that we make at personal levels can have a global impact. 

How well does the unit provide opportunity to explore multiple subject-related concepts and knowledge through multiple perspectives?

There are always two sides to a story. This is obvious in analyzing the impact humans have had on nature. Industrialization, improvement of infrastructure, have all caused an environmental impact. Therefore students can inquire about both, the need for certain changes in the world, and the impact those changes had on the environment. The impacts can be discussed globally and locally, and numbers as well as literature can be included while presenting and analyzing different data. 

Which subjects do you think are most relevant to exploring the central idea?

The unit provides opportunity for students to explore this concept through: 

Literature - articles, books, folktales about the interaction and relationship between humans and the world - Maori folk-stories are good for this. 

Math - looking at water conservation and wastage, discussing the rate of deforestation, making calculations about this. 

Science - exploring life cycles, looking at the world as it was, how humans have impacted nature over the years. 

Social Studies - how different areas of the world are impacted by different kinds of human activities. 

Arts - Soundscapes, artwork and dances to depict different scenarios and feelings that arise from human impact on biodiversity. 

PYP Standard C3, the practices I identified as important.

After looking at Standard C3 of the PYP, I believe the below-mentioned practices are important, I have justified them by identifying the learner profiles they match to, and how they are applicable.  

1) #6 Teaching and Learning addresses human commanlity, diversity and multiple perspectives. 

2) #2 Teaching and Learning engages students as inquirers and learners. 

I'm going to defend my answer by using the recent Nepal Earthquake as an incentive for discussing Natural Disasters. 

So for Standard C3 #6

Teaching and Learning addresses human commanlity, diversity and multiple perspectives. 

 the learner profile it supports is: 

Knowledgeable: Something like an EQ is of global and often local significance. Students can come from many different backgrounds, and sometimes those places can have been affected by natural disasters. EQ would be one of those. Can also include things like floods, volcanoes, typhoons, tornadoes, hurricanes. Students will then learn about how humans and animals are affected by a natural disaster. 

Thinkers: Students can critically think of how something like a natural disaster can impact human life beyond the immediate effects. Crops, infrastructure etc. How systems can be introduced to warn people ahead of time. What are some of these systems that are used? 

Open Minded: Students can be attuned to how their peers and their families (past or present) have been affected by something like natural disasters. How places have helped their people bounce back from a natural disaster. Aid, Volunteer work. 

Caring: Students appreciate how as people we have changed the environment, what brings about climate change. Furthermore, students can be challenged to see how a particular problem currently affects and shapes the country they live in. 

For Standard C3 #2

Teaching and Learning engages students as inquirers and learners.

 The learner profile it supports is: 

Inquirers: Students are encouraged to look at how the earthquake has impacted life in Nepal. How natural disasters that have happened in the past have affected communities. Look at how different measures have been introduced, how can they be made better. 

Reflective: Students are inquiring about how systems can be made better and the different ways in which communities need help around the world. First world vs Third world. 

The Interconnectedness of the PYP Curriculum.

The interconnectedness of the PYP curriculum addresses the different aspects of "learning". The handbook - the written, the guide - the teacher teaching it, and finally, the destination (for now) reached. No one aspect of the curriculum can be singled out as being of primary importance. Each part of the curriculum inspires, reflects and informs the other, as well as future changes that may have to be made.

The written curriculum and in particular the trans-disciplinary themes are inspired by the teacher's roots, along with research. The teacher then guides the students through a journey into discovery, inspiring them to look at the different ways our world is interconnected over the different themes. This journey is a two-way one because not only does the guide (teacher) share their knowledge and ideas, but also learns from the students based on their experiences and the knowledge they bring into the classroom.

  In my visual image, the student starts off confused because they are yet to make sense of the world around them. The guide (teacher) encourages learning via ICT, experimentation and interaction with specialists, amongst other form that may take place. The student then informs the teacher via their assessment, whether this be through visual representations of what was learnt, or through an ICT based informative presentation. The student has a lightbulb going off because they are attaining new knowledge through discovery, as well as making connections between what they know and what they have learned - i.e. modifying their schemata to fit new knowledge. 

Reflecting on Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

There are a number of theories that I felt connected to, however, the one I have chosen to focus on is Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

What I connected and agreed with: 
What I found I connected with (in terms of my experience teaching so far in Tanzania) is the satisfying of the most basic of needs. The physiological. Diet and sleep are the factors that most stood out for me because I feel these are needs that are met, however not adequately in many students I have taught thus far.
 I also understand the need for students to feel secure and safe in the environment they spend their day in, as well as at home. Once again, this is a need I do not feel is sufficiently met whether it be because of parents working and leaving their children unattended with a nanny (who may or may not be proficient in caring for the child), or because the child does not feel secure at school (bullying, teasing).
What stood out the most for me however was belongingness. I have found many students I work with struggle to find the affection and love that they need to grow. Once again, this may be because of absent parents, divorced parents, or tension at home. I have found that students who have a healthy home environment tend to be more confident, as opposed to students who do not have these needs satisfied at home - who tend to be shy, quiet and unconfident. This obviously correlates to the esteem level of the pyramid. If the first three tiers of the pyramid are unmet, the 4th, the esteem, tends to suffer.
All in all, self - actualization (at its loosest definition for the students I currently teach), growth and the willingness and desire to learn is something that is absent for students who are not sufficiently having the first four tiers of the pyramid satisfied.

New ideas and what I learnt: 
Upon further research into Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, I came to learn that movement between the different tiers of the pyramid is made when one tier of needs is fulfilled. I shall follow up on this when I discuss tensions that came about.
An idea I came up with is to perhaps have students analyze their own needs and wants by inquiring into foods they eat and whether these foods are good for them in terms of their health and their concentration. Furthermore, students can reflect on whether they think they spend enough time with their families and how safe they feel. This would be most applicable via a UoI, perhaps addressing the "who we are" unit.

What I found puzzling or that created tension, and questions that I came up with: 

What caused tension for me is this belief that movement between each tier of the hierarchy is dependent on the satisfying of all the needs in the previous tier. I do not necessarily find this to be true. I feel that each tier of the hierarchy is interrelated and movement between the tiers is not dependent on the complete satisfying of the needs of the tier below. For instance, students will have the need for food and sleep - the physiological fulfilled, even if they are not completely satisfied, this does not mean that the student has to feel insecure about the environment they live in or go to school in. Moreover, a student may have their physiological, safety and love/belongingness tiers fulfilled, but that does not imply that the student will have self esteem or self confidence, but at the same time they may have the determination to learn and take risks and problem solve.

I suppose the question I came up with then is:
1) If I as a teacher feel that a students needs (based on Maslow's hierarchy) are unmet, how do I approach parents in a passive manner to perhaps reflect on their own home environment?

I'd also like to add that I do not feel that this one theory gives a complete picture of what education is. I chose to focus on this theory based on the environment I have worked in and what I have seen amongst the students I currently teach.