IB Dunia Teachers’ Conference - Approaches to learning within units of inquiry: transdisciplinary skills Mary Collins Saturday 22 November 2014

IB Dunia Teachers’ Conference -Approaches to learning within units of inquiry: transdisciplinary skillsMary CollinsSaturday 22 November 2014

Bandung International School

Agenda

1. What are the transdisciplinary skills? 2. How can we focus on approaches to learning?3. How can we develop transdisciplinary skills within

units of inquiry? 4. How can we develop transdisciplinary skills within

single-subject areas?


Tuning in: AlphabetogoriesIn groups list up to 5 different words related to approaches to learning for each of four different letters – T, S, P and F. For example, if the letter was M, words could include management or meaningful. Will score 1 point for each word. You must also circle one word they think the other groups may not have for each of the letters. You will score an additional 3 points if no one else has the word.

Strategy from Darren Kruse, Thinking Strategies for the Inquiry Classroom


Transdisciplinary skills

Thinking skillsCommunication skillsSocial skillsThinking skillsResearch skills


Alphabetogories and skillsThink back over the activity and decide which transdisciplinary skills you were practicing and how, e.g. social skills, communication skills. During learning engagements students are inevitably practicing skills, but need to be reminded of this so that they can talk about their thinking (metacognition).


PYP: programme model


Transdisciplinary skills


Why include skills as an essential element?• Students need to develop a whole range of skills

beyond ‘basic’ skills such as literacy and numeracy skills in order to conduct purposeful inquiry and to be well prepared for lifelong learning.

• Transdisciplinary skills are valuable, not only in units of inquiry, but also for any learning in the classroom and in life outside the school.

Categorise the subskills into thinking, social, communication, self-management or research.

Making the PYP happen p.20-23



Finding out: surveySurvey other people about how they learn best.1. What do you like to learn about?2. What do you remember learning about at

school?3. What helps you to learn?4. What gets in the way of your learning?


Finding out: surveyTanya orang lain tentang bagaimana mereka belajar dengan baik.1. Apa yang ingin anda pelajari?2. Apa yang anda ingat mengenai pembelajaran

di sekolah?3. Apa yang membantu anda untuk belajar?4. Apa yang menghalangi kalau anda belajar?


Finding out: Learning about learning

Having high self-confidence and being a good team member are more likely when students understand themselves as learners, and realize that differences are respected. Recognising one’s own learning style, strengths and needs can greatly enhance student learning. Students can be asked to think about what ‘learning’ means by reflecting on something they have learnt recently. They can draw up a T-chart to identify the things that helped them learn and the things that hindered learning (or ‘got in the way’). Students could also interview others about their learning. A discussion about the similarities and differences reveals much about the different ways students learn.


Sorting out: T-chart

What helps us learn? What hinders our learning?


Transdisciplinary skills: sub-skills

Look at the list of sub-skills under each transdisciplinary skill.Tick the ones you used during the ‘learning to learn’ activity.What about the initial alphabetogories activity?


When are the skills practiced?

Many of the transdisciplinary skills are practised naturally when teaching across subject areas. We need to make students more aware of them so that they come to a better understanding of themselves as learners and can make connections across different curriculum areas. The skills help us focus on metacognition – they help students to consider how one thinks and learns.


Going further:Skills integrated within units

You have examples of four different planners, with page 1 (sections 1-2) and page 2 (sections 3-4) jumbled. Match the pages so that the relevant transdisciplinary skill focus goes with each of the four central ideas.Choose a central idea and decide how the transdisciplinary skills will be focused on.


Skills integrated with different subject areasVisual Arts Grade 5: Where we are in place and time

Learning outcomes:

Needs to improve Fair Excellent

I can respond to art by creating art and explain the connection.

I have developed my skill in applying the elements and principles of art.

I can describe how people use artwork as a response to a situation and investigate the purposes of objects and images.

I can use preliminary drawings to develop personal interests, using my sketchbook effectively as a planning tool.

I can produce a 2-D work of art that communicates ideas for specific purposes.

Transdisciplinary skills I used were:


Skills integrated with different subject areas Visual Arts Grade 5: Where we are in place and time

Thinking skills – ApplicationMaking use of previously acquired knowledge (what we learnt about Jacob Lawrence’s work) in new ways

Social skills – Group decision-makingListening to others; discussing ideas; asking questions; agreeing

Communication skills – PresentingConstructing visuals for a range of purposes and audiences; communicating ideas through visual media

Self-management skills – Spatial awarenessThinking about the position of objects in relation to each other


Skills integrated within different subject areas

Choose a subject area and decide how the transdisciplinary skills will be focused on.


Making conclusions: Reflection

Complete the sentence: ‘The Transdisciplinary skills can best be developed by…’


Examples of developing skills


Thank you for coming!

Documents

IB Dunia Teachers’ Conference - Approaches to learning within units of inquiry: transdisciplinary skills Mary Collins Saturday 22 November 2014