Risk-takers:
They approach unfamiliar situations without anxiety and have the confidence and independence of spirit to explore new roles, ideas, and strategies. They are courageous and articulate in defending those things in which they believe.
Principled:
They approach unfamiliar situations without anxiety and have the confidence and independence of spirit to explore new roles, ideas, and strategies. They are courageous and articulate in defending those things in which they believe.
Caring:
They show sensitivity towards the needs and feelings of others. They have a sense of personal commitment to action and service.
Open-minded:
They respect the views, values, and traditions of other individuals and cultures and are accustomed to seeking and considering a range of points of view.
Balanced:
They understand the importance of physical and mental balance and personal well-being.
Reflective:
They give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and analyze their personal strengths and weaknesses in a constructive manner
The Five Essential Elements of the PYP
To achieve a balance in learning, the PYP emphasizes five Essential Elements of curriculum. These five elements are: concepts, knowledge, skills, attitudes and action.
I. Concepts
The PYP has constructed a set of eight key concepts which answer the question: What do we want the students to learn? Questions in each unit of inquiry can fit into one of these key concepts. While asking form and function questions might be easy, we want students to be able to learn how to ask deeper more challenging questions like, "How do we know?"
*Form What is it like?
*Function How does it work?
*Causation Why is it like it is?
*Change How is it changing?
*Connection How is it connected to other things?
*Perspective What are the points of view?
*Responsibility What is our responsibility?
*Reflection How do we know?
II. Knowledge
What do we want the children to know? In answering this question, the program of inquiry is organized into six themed units. The following transdisciplinary themes provide the framework for the content of the program:
PYP Transdisciplinary Themes
Who we are
An inquiry into the nature of the self; beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental, social and spiritual health; human relationships including families, friends, communities, and cultures; rights and responsibilities; what it means to be human.
Where we are in place and time
An inquiry into orientation in place and time; personal histories; homes and journeys; the discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind; the relationships between and the interconnectedness of individuals and civilizations, from local and global perspectives.
How we express ourselves
An inquiry into the ways which we discover and express ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs and values; the ways in which we reflect on, extend and enjoy our creativity; our appreciation of the aesthetic.
How the world works
An inquiry into the natural world and its laws; the interaction between the natural world (physical and biological) and human societies; how humans use their understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.
How we organize ourselves
An inquiry into the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities; the structure and function of organizations; societal decision-making; economic activities and their impact on humankind and the environment.
Sharing the planet
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.
III. Skills
What do we want the students to be able to do is addressed in the element of the transdisciplinary skills within the units of inquiry. The construction of meaning and, therefore, understanding is complemented by the students’ acquiring and applying a range of skills. These skills are:
* Social skills
* Thinking skills
* Research skills
* Communication skills
* Self-management skills
IV. Attitudes
ATTITUDES COUNT! As part of the PYP, we focus on the development of positive attitudes towards people, towards the environment and towards learning. At LBCS, the Attitudes are addressed explicitly throughout every aspect of our curriculum.
Appreciation- Appreciating the wonder and beauty of the world and its people
Commitment- Being committed to their learning, persevering, and showing self discipline and responsibility
Confidence- Feeling confident in their ability as learners, having the courage to take risks, applying what they have learned and making appropriate decisions
Cooperation- Cooperating, collaborating, and leading or following as the situation demands
Creativity- Being creative and imaginative in their thinking and in their approach to problems and dilemmas
Curiosity-Being curious about the nature of learning and of the world, its people and cultures
Empathy- Imaginatively projecting themselves into another's situation, in order to understand his/her thoughts, reasoning and emotions
Enthusiasm- Enjoying learning
Independence- Thinking and acting independently, making their own judgments
Integrity- Having integrity and a firm sense of fairness and honesty
Respect- Respecting themselves, others, and the world around them
Tolerance- Feeling sensitivity towards differences and diversity in the world and being responsive to the needs of others
V. Action
In addition to the concepts and attitudes, knowledge of the curriculum, and the transdisciplinary skills of research, communication, thinking and self-managemet, action is one of the most important.
The International Student is challenged to choose his or her action based on the learning. We want to give the students the opportunity and the power to choose their actions, to act, and then reflect on these action in order to make a different in the world.
The action component of the PYP involves service in the widest sense of the word: service to fellow students, to the staff, and to the community. Through such service, students are able to grow both socially and personally, developing skills such as cooperation, problem solving, conflict resolution, and creative and critical thinking. These actions are, moreover, ways in which the students exhibit their commitment to the attitudes that teachers seek to engender within the PYP classroom.
Assessment
Within the PYP, continuous assessment is integral to all teaching and learning. Both children and teachers will be actively engaged in assessing student progress as part of the development of their critical thinking and self-evaluation skills. This will require both formative and summative evaluation. Formative assessment being that which is interwoven with the daily learning and helps teachers and children find out what the children already know in order to plan the next stage of learning. Summative assessment is that which takes place at the end of the teaching and learning processes and gives the children opportunities to demonstrate what has been learned.
Many methods of assessment will be used to provide a balanced view of the child such as:
*Observations
*Performance assessment of tasks with established criteria that are authentic challenges and problems
*Selected response assessments such as tests and quizzes
*Open-ended tasks in which children are presented with a stimulus and asked to communicate an original response
*Portfolios of children’s work
Authorization
IB World Schools must undergo an exhaustive authorization process in order to offer one or more of the Pre-K - 12 programs, which includes a study of the school’s resources and commitment to the IB mission and philosophy. This process typically takes two or more years and includes site visits by an IB team. In the years preceding official authorization, the faculty of a campus participates in a great deal of intensive training and planning for their own philosophy and methodology to correspond with the standards and practices of the IBO. A regular process of evaluation is undertaken by schools that have been authorized and IB teachers participate in a wide variety of professional development opportunities to constantly update their knowledge and share their expertise with colleagues around the world.
