On Our Way to Becoming IBPTO MeetingSeptember 20, 2012

International Baccalaureate Mission Statement

The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.

To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.

These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

School at St. George Mission Statement

The School at St. George Place empowers learners to become principled, compassionate, reflective citizens who construct meaning through rigorous, inquiry-based learning experiences. With open minds and hearts we embrace and respect diversity of culture, ways of learning and living in an international community where building knowledge is a life-long process.

Emphasis in Primary Years Programme

Traditional Approach PYP Approach

•Factually driven •“inch deep, mile wide” •New knowledge not transferable •Emphasis on covering material

•Inquiry driven•Facts are seen as a foundation to build new knowledge and understand concepts•Transdisciplinary-connections made across disciplines and to real world•Emphasis on ideas and making connections•Develops international-mindedness

Overview of the curriculum

• Unique to each school

• Built collaboratively by teachers and leadership to reflect scope and sequence and student need/interest

• Developed in Program of Inquiry

• 6 units (planners) addressing themes

• Each unit relates to concepts and a central idea that will drive the unit

• Is transdisciplinary

Unit Composition

• Each unit contains 5 Essential Elements

• Attitudes

• Skills-Research, Thinking, Social, Communication, Self-Management

• Concepts-Questions that guide thinking

• Knowledge-Themes and disciplines

• Action-How do we respond once we have learned?

LEARNER PROFILE is umbrella of entire program

LEARNER PROFILE develops international-mindedness

Themes for Program of Inquiry

• Who We Are

• Where We Are in Time and Place

• How We Express Ourselves

• How the World Works

• How We Organize Ourselves

• Sharing the Planet

So…what are the implications for St. George?• Teachers and leadership are actively rewriting curriculum

• Concept based

• Allow students to make deeper connections

• Teachers are currently teaching 1st planner

• On going staff development in areas of:

• Curriculum

• Inquiry

• Assessment

• Best Practice

• Commitment by teachers and administrators to deliver curriculum that is:

• Engaging

• Relevant

• Rigorous

Questions??

E-mail me:

LHERNA15@houstonisd.org

International Baccalaureate

www.ibo.org