Staff+Scholarship+Day+(May+2010)

IB Staff Scholarship Day- Notes/ Observations from the visit Reflections; Takapuna Normal Intermediate -Develop some ‘gimmicky’ sessions to reinforce the understanding of the concepts (e.g. perspective=optical illusion pictures) -Get into classes to teach and model some sessions illustrating the use of concepts across the curriculum areas -Ensure that all teams have a ‘folder’ of essential materials including copies of the PYP guide and annex sections as reference -KWLS board in classrooms (What we... KNOW, WANT to know, have LEARNED, SO what? -Rotation of displays- aiming to have units/ themes on display through year- rotate previous units to different parts of the room and have main area for current/ up to date displays -Authentic learning- removing what is not authentic and what is not relevant. Example- develop speaking and presentations throughout the year -Assessment activities which combine more than one curriculum area and/or concept -Ian to attend evaluation and review meetings OR attend team meetings and include a reflection element to submit into the planning -Photocopy and enlarge the 1st 2 pages of the IB unit planner and tape onto the teacher’s desk- use as a place to scribble notes and reflections and KEEP these as records -Walk around school- what can you see, hear, feel, smell etc that tells you that this school is an IB school? -The reception should be the first place where people can see that BBI is an IB school. -Essential agreements go beyond classrooms- staffroom/ professional manner is also important -Students books are their portfolio- we are already doing too much assessment! -Avoid double handling of planning and change systems to streamline the planning process -Use of ‘spider web’ plot chart to graph students’ strengths in IB LP attributes -Linked puberty to change and responsibility concepts and idea of Haoura in Maori -Have some expectations re planning at various levels -Library has some IB resources and reference materials for finding fiction and non-fiction based around the key concepts -Use of a stamp for simple and efficient conferencing summaries in kids’ books

Reflections; Glendowie Primary School -Need to create “essence of concept” statements to clarify students’ and teachers’ understanding of the concepts e.g. -Function; How do large organisations such as NASA require people to take on specific roles in order to be effective? -Change; How has space exploration had an IMPACT on science and technology discoveries? -TIP- Use the related concepts in the PYP documents in these statements in order to relate them back to the unit’s guiding concepts -Have a unit specific version of the IB Learner Profile to record what it is like to be an inquirer etc. -WONDERWALLS for student questions before, during and after the units -Consistency of classroom environments- displays under the theme/ knowledge areas NOT under a gimmicky title e.g. Sharing the planet :) Human intervention :( in order to reinforce -Investigate other means of coming up with suggestions for ‘Central Idea’ -What is there about this school that lets you work out what IB is JUST from walking round? What can be seen, heard, smelled etc that informs a visitor about the principles and practices in an IB school? -8-10 weeks to plan, prepare and execute the exhibition and requires a large number of parent ‘mentors’ to enable students to engage in genuine self-directed inquiry -Have some expectations re classroom displays and environment -Key IB vocabulary translated into key languages for the school (BBI- Korean, Maori, Chinese, Spanish, French, Japanese)