PYP WORKSHOP LEADER (2)

Friday morning, September 6th 2012. Day Two.
Bilingual PYP & MYP Workshop Leader Refresher Course, Bali International School.

Day two.

One thing circling in my mind for day two was how we learned things more than the information or facts stage. Mostly, what we learned and wanted to learn coming to that stage: learning about facts. This kind of application had a tendency that the learning should be transdisciplinary becoming topical. As PYP teachers, how would we know that we were trapped in topical stage? By closely looking at the central idea we wrote in our planner.

One example that I tried to learn from the central idea I made some years ago.

"The way we use electricity has an impact on our lives and environment"

Reading the central idea, I learned that the central idea looked good but it was topical driven. It was shown from the word 'electricity'.  I really needed to make it like an "umbrella" for my conceptual understanding: a broader understanding.

Therefore, looking at the key concepts used: form, function and connection, I tried to move the topical into conceptual understanding.

"Understanding the use of technology impact our lives and environment".

Then later on, there will be some topics under this conceptual understanding which could be related to electricity use. Then how do we know that the students had grasped their conceptual understanding? The reflection of conceptual understanding could be seen from the students’ questions and actions.

I learned that we needed to drive the students from knowing as the know factual knowledge which was limited by time, place and situation; it should be into understanding the whole picture in order to get every discipline connected. Anyway, the students will not live their lives holding one subject only but they need skills to understand interconnected things.

I still learned some more things. That day, I told all participants "my brain is full" Indeed! I touched my head and it was hotter than any other body parts! Hahaha!

blessing,

Hugo