Confessions of a PYP Teacher

In this episode, I was provoked by ideas and questions by Yuni Santosa and Shailja Datt.  Yuni asked,  ”Hmmm... is this the criteria based on the visible aspects (see and hear)?  This made me think about how we are balancing what we put onto the walls into our daily practice that can be evidenced by learner behavior and thinking. Shailja suggested, "Key concepts begin with and & then whether they are relevant, challenging and significant or not." This provoked me to ask the question, "How do we make key and related concepts engaging, challenging, relevant, and significant for our learners?"  In this episode we will explore how to use the inquiry thinking strategies to apply the meaning of the key and related concepts to the content. Get ready for a big cerebral experience!For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

Greetings friends!  Welcome to another week of our PYP Classroom Success Criteria podcast series!  We are going to have a lot of fun exploring interactive walls that are transdisciplinary.  More talk about the walls?  Yep.  They are the most underutilized teaching tool that we have at our disposal, so let's talk about ways that we can use them better. This episode was sparked by a question by our old friend, Shailja Datt, the PYP Coordinator at the Horizon Japan International School in Kanagawa.  Shailja asked: Are the walls interactive? A couple episodes ago, we talked about interactive bulletin boards as a teaching tool.  But this time, we are going to examine how we can use them to build deeper connections.  Meanwhile, our friend Nirali Parikh, a transitional kindergarten teacher, at the Creation Village World School in Celebration, Florida posed a simple question.  Nirali asked:  Is it transdisciplinary?The bigger question should be, how do we create walls that are interactive and transdisciplinary? This episode will focus on answering this big question!  Join us!For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

This episode came from a question that was posed by Nirali Parikh, a transitional kindergarten teacher, originally from India that works at the Creation Village World School in Celebration, Florida.  I've had the pleasure to work with Nirali on several occasions and she makes me think differently about the capabilities of an early years child.  If you haven't already, consider following Nirali on Twitter @NiraliParikh7. Here is Nirali's question:  What are the expectations of a school?  This simple question spreads its tentacles into every aspect of the school building.  How are the expectations seen throughout the campus?  One way I believe a school has clear expectations is that its practices align with the PYP transdisciplinary approach to learning and teaching.  It's visible as you walk through the campus within and beyond the classrooms. We will explore this question and another by Emmanouil Zerai: @E_zerai, a PYP homeroom teacher at the International School of the Stockholm Region (ISSR).For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

Welcome to our new series on a PYP classroom success criteria.  I am so excited for this series, because I feel like it's been so timely with things I have learned recently from the Pop-Up Studio Edu-Retreat in Brussels with Misty Paterson.  In this workshop, Misty took items around the school to create a welcoming gathering place that was flexible and driven by learner use. This made think about this question post by Shailja Datt, the PYP Coordinator at the Horizon Japan International School in Kanagawa: How do we help in tickling the student's brain?What a wonderful way to think about learning, which is more centered on curiosity, wonder, and awe.  This episode, we are going to examine how we can tickle our learner's brains through our school day and within our walls. For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

In the past six months, I have visited a lot of schools through official IB workshops, independent workshops, and curriculum development.  One repeating theme that came from these encounters is this simple question: What does a PYP classroom look and feel like in practice? On the surface it seems like an easy question to answer.  But, as you unravel the layers, you discover that there are many parts to making a PYP classroom come to life.  Here are the two main parts that I have identified: the physical space and the independent space. Join me on this new series as we explore different aspects of a PYP classroom and how we can make them more learner-driven. For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

In this episode, we conclude our journey with The Expert Effect by exploring selective perfectionism, major takeaways from the book club experience, an excerpt from the companion book The Expert Expedition, and some reflections about our podcast experience.   Be sure to join us for this action packed episode. For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

In this episode, we unpack the big ideas from this section of the book with authors Grayson McKinney and Zach Rondot of the Expert Effect.   During this dynamic conversation, we explored our own personal learning experiences, setting the conditions for learner agency to thrive, and leveraging technology as a teaching tool.  There are so many aha moments in this episode. If you would like to watch the #CITLreads book chat with Grayson and Zach, click here. For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

Welcome to the third episode in our series about the Expert Effect.  I apologize for such a delay, but sometimes our personal life takes time away from our passion projects.  I hope to get back on track with this fabulous book in hopes to help you get connected with the expert effect. In this episode, we will talk about people who have influenced our understanding as teacher learners and how to prepare our learners for meeting with experts.  Let's get ready to have some fun with the Expert Effect. For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

Welcome to the second episode exploring the book, The Expert Effect by Grayson McKinney and Zach Rondot.  It has been an absolute pleasure to read this book and learn how to set the conditions for engaging with experts.  Now that we have started with our WHY, we can move forward with engaging with experts. In this episode, we will explore: Finding local resources to enrich unitsExpert success criteriaStrategies that bring about local and global connectionsReflect using: Unveiling StoriesFor a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

Welcome to the #CITLreads Book Club for The Expert Effect by Grayson McKinney and Zach Rondot.  I am so excited to explore this book through my podcast and appreciate the authors for indulging my connections and reflections. In this episode, we will explore: Pick a new book club role based on the approaches to learningDiscover our "WHY"Define an expertMake essential agreementsReflect using: Name- Describe- ActFor a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

As I finish this series on local and global inquiry, I couldn't forget my early years friends.  Oftentimes, there are many strategies presented that are beyond the scope of what our little people can do.  I wanted to honor your special role in making learning come alive too.In connection to the Crafting Inquiry conference, I was inspired by the ideas of Kimberly Mitchell about asking deeper questions with our learners.  She posed this question that made me think. Wondering:  What gets in the way of students (and teachers) from asking questions? Kimberly gave some concrete reasons for why educators do not ask a wider range of questions.  I'd like to explore further and apply them to making local and global connections.For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

In this episode, we will look at local and global inquiry through the lens of the specialist and supporting teachers.  I see you my friends.  I know many times you don't feel included in the planning process, because the ideas don't apply to your roles.  This episode is an attempt to make local and global inquiry occur in your practice.  It's not perfect, but it's a start. For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

As I mentioned in my last episode, I was able to interact with many of my eduheroes last week, including Stephanie Harvey.  What a firecracker!  She is not only quite intelligent and articulate, but she has a fire within the language development for all learners.  Something that stayed with me was Writeacide; to die a death of writing worksheets.  How do we get learners to write authentically from their hearts?  It's certainly not from worksheets.  Steph shares that inquiry in literature comes from curiosity, comprehension, collaboration, and content.  Isn't that just beautiful?  She continues to state that “Inquiry is not always about a final product at the end..it is living in a way that all questions matter…because the more you learn, the more you wonder…and our role is to fan the flame of curiosity.”Let's learn how to fan the flame of curiosity together!For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

Let's take a moment to discuss ways to shape the story of local and global inquiry.  What does this mean?  Take a look at these questions to get a flavor of this week's episodes. Why do stories matter when exploring various content areas?How can storytelling help us to make deeper connections to ideas?How do stories humanize the experiences being faced in this world?What stories do you have to tell that you have kept to yourself?How will your stories reshape our thinking? For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

In the last episode, we talked about going from a local issue to more globally minded.  I used the PZ visible thinking routine, Projecting Across Distance as an example.  As I went through this past week, I realized that this may be a bit advanced for some people, so I scoured my files to find something that might be an easier starting point.  A tool that I really like is Investigate, Organize, Generalize by Rachel French.  It helps to scaffold the process of going from a local issue to a more global focus. To begin the process, think of a big idea that you will be exploring in your unit.  For mine, I chose culture, since this is a universal concept in Who We Are and How We Express Ourselves. Let's take a look at this strategy in action to bring about more local and global inquiry in your context. For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

Wahoo!  The moment has finally come.  We get to merge the local inquiry with a global context.  I'm physically and metaphorically rubbing my hands together with glee.  I can't wait to put these ideas together to create something meaningful. When I think of the relationship between the local and global inquiry, the first thing that pops into my mind is the PZ visible thinking routine, Projecting Across Distance.  This amazing thinking routine helps learners to stretch their understanding about local or isolated content and make relevant and significant connections. It has become one of my favorite routines to use to explore more complex issues that humanity is universally experiencing at the same time.  In some small way, it makes it easier to realize that you are not the only one. 

Now that we have stretched our learning to think a bit deeper about our standards, let's think about how we are going to leverage the local community and beyond to add value to the learning and teaching.  There are many people within our local community that want to give back, but don't know how to do it.  They are a valuable resource to adding a richness to the learning and teaching. For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

In the last episode, we ended with the idea of connecting our local issue to our curriculum and standards.  So, I'd like to dedicate this episode to examining possible ways to explore this.  I am providing some tips, but you and your team must decide what best fits for your school and learners.  I love challenging myself in creating curriculum connections that are not so blatant or that we haven't seen.  Isn't this the purpose of inquiry?  See, you are making deeper connections already!Oftentimes, we create curriculum that is segmented by subject areas, even if we are not intentional about it.  It just happens.  Here's something to consider when looking at your curriculum.  We will examine one content standard, so you can truly examine how it's being explored deeper and where you can connect to other content that you must teach.Let's get started!For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

Welcome to our new series on local and global inquiry.  After the book club on “Getting Personal with Inquiry Learning” by Kath Murdoch, I wanted to extend my thinking towards making local and global connections to our inquiry.  This seemed like the natural next step.   When I think of local inquiry, my mind immediately shifts towards place-based learning.  There are numerous definitions of what it is.  I have two favorites from Edutopia and University of Liggett School: Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning. Let's enjoy this experience of exploring the properties of local inquiry. For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

We all have something that we are wanting to invest in ourselves that we have put off, because we are too busy, too tired, or overworked.  Take the time to invest in yourself.  There is only one you. In this episode, I'm getting more personal than I have ever been to set my goal and hold myself accountable.  For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

After this book study, I decided to try something different.  Instead of picking random goals for my action plan, I pulled quotes from each week and partnered them with the enhanced PYP types of action: participation, advocacy, social justice, social entrepreneurship, and lifestyle choices.  I chose 3 or sometimes more quotes that resonated with me and placed them in a column.  At the end, I created a menu of options.  My next task is to choose ONE goal from each column to work on this school year.  Now, let's go through the process together and you choose which one resonates with you. To be honest, it might be easier to read the blog post for this one, but we're still gonna try it out!  I'd have paper and pencil ready too. For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

Welcome to our final session of our club for Getting Personal with Inquiry Learning by Kath Murdoch.  This session leads out with a bang by looking at resources that make personal inquiry manageable. A big thanks to Bhavna Mathew for being our moderator.  As usual, she posed some deep questions for us to ponder and we used a visible thinking routine to synthesize our ideas.  What a great way to end our book club!Most authors leave the back of the book for the bibliography, endless templates, and genuinely a menagerie of goodies that seem overwhelming.  Not Kath, she provided us with some purpose and reminders when curating our material. For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

Welcome to Week 7 of our Getting Personal with Inquiry Learning book club.  This fabulous book by Kath Murdoch has stretched our capability of thinking about personal inquiry learning.  This episode, we will explore how to document, reflect, assess, and share our process, so we are able to take meaningful action, which are sections 3.6 - 3.7 of the book. We have to give a big thank to Ragini who moderated our session this week and helped us to dive into this section.  She is a true delight and we are so grateful that she shared her insight and talents with us. She was the ultimate risk-taker this week by moderating, when she usually enjoys observing and discussing ideas.  Ragini, we couldn't have done this week without you!Also, a big thanks to Kath for joining our book club after a full day of teaching and travel.  She contributed to our conversations and we appreciate her dedication to our club. For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

Welcome back for another session of our book club on Getting Personal with Inquiry Learning by Kath Murdoch. We are focusing on sections 3.4 - 3.5 in this episode to learn how to confer and sustain the inquiry process. Before we begin, we need to give a big shout to Nisha Vahi, our moderator for this session.  Nisha helped us to explore new reflection tools: Root, Bark, Branch from Shifting Schools and Triangle-Square-Circle from Harry & Rosemary Wong in The Classroom Instruction Book.  Now, we have new tools to help our learners stretch their thinking! Join this session as we look at the process of really conferring with our learners and leaving the power of the learning with them.For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

This is the section we have been waiting for!  It's at the heart of how to get started with a personal inquiry, how and what to document, and tons of reflection prompts.  If I were you, I would have my notebook ready to jot down some notes. I can't wait to get started using the templates provided in this section. For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

This week, we are going to look at various scaffolds that will support and assess our use of inquiry within our practice.  For newer teachers, we will explore some systems that may help you get started.  For others, we will examine ways to deepen our practice so learners take more agency. For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

In this episode, we will read sections 2.1-2.5 of Kath Murdoch's book, Getting Personal with Inquiry Learning.  In this section, we will examine the factors that shape school culture and how we can determine if we are ready to move forward with a culture of personal inquiry.  Join this thought-provoking discussion to identify where you can improve in your practice.  For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

Just a reminder my friends, this new series will take an intense dive into the book, “Getting Personal with Inquiry Learning” by Kath Murdoch.  This episode will focus on sections 1.4 - 1.6 of the book, so stay tuned to be inspired by Kath! This episode will examine the common issues that educators have about inquiry-based learning, common programs that limit inquiry, and how to making your own personal inquiry goal.  Let's have some fun!For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

I am excited to co-lead with Aga Chojnacka-Al Atat and Kirti Kale a book club for Kath Murdoch's latest title, Getting Personal with Inquiry Learning.  I am already several sections into the book and I've found a treasure trove of little gems that resonate deeply to my teaching philosophy. Each week, our book club will focus on two to three sections and apply them to our practice.  This podcast will serve as a reflection tool and also tap into parts of the book that resonated with me.  This week, we will focus on sections 1.1., 1.2, and 1.3.  Let's get started!For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

As we look at playing with the ATLs, I'm reminded of my friend Vidhya.  She is a passionate PYP educator from India.  If you are on Twitter in the education community, you have probably run across her many tweets.  Ever since last summer, she has opened my eyes to so many possibilities in seeing learning and teaching.  In a recent chat, Vidhya and I were discussing this challenge and the role of the ATLs.  She will share some of the personal connections her learners made with the ATLs. For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

Let's continue on with this theme about learning space design and how it impacts play.  From an organizational standpoint, what makes your space so special? When you look around your special spot in your home, what are some special things and tools you use that inspire you to play?   In this episode, we will examine how the environment layout, decor, materials, and storage impact play. Des Taylor (DesPop) artFor a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

Welcome to another application series, where we are going to take ideas we have explored before and apply them into a new context.  I absolutely love this part, because it helps to look at old things again…the process of anew (4A's by Misty Paterson).Since our last application series, you've had a chance to participate in the Transdisciplinary and Design Thinking challenges.  They helped you to take content and apply it to your individual context.  Now, we are going to do a minor version for learning environment, play, and the approaches to learning (ATLs).  Let's have some fun with this application challenge. Be sure to post your new thinking on social media with #thinkchat2020.  I can't wait to see your ideas!For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

Learning transfer is our greatest gift.  It helps us to better understand ideas that we are toying with during our learning.  What better way to transfer all of these ideas in our design thinking challenge, but to teach them to our learners?  Agency at its finest.Now, let's circle back to the big ideas from Pop-Up Studio: Responsive Teaching for Today's Learners that resonate and guide our thinking.  Think about how you will model them for your learners and make them a vital part of your planning process.  Remember, their purpose is to add depth and complexity to your learner's thinking and understanding.  Isn't this what we want for all of our learners? For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.comPop-Up Studio: Responsive Teaching for Today's Learners by Misty PatersonPaper BookEbookFor a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

I'm so excited to record this episode on the 2nd birthday of this podcast!  What a journey.  I never thought I would ever record a podcast, let alone 86 episodes of my meandering thoughts about the PYP.  It has been truly a passion project as I share with you my love of learning and I hope it's helped you as well. As we have gone through this Design Thinking Challenge together, it has been my pleasure to connect to two books that have really touched my practice this year.  The Four Agreements and Pop-Up Studio: Responsive Teaching for Today's Learners have left the greatest imprint on how I think and craft my workshops for others. At the close of this challenge, I consider the POWR of connecting thinking as we try to evolve as educators and learners.  Let's unpack it together and apply it to our practice. Pop-Up Studio: Responsive Teaching for Today's Learners by Misty PatersonPaper BookEbookFor a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

The meaning of evolve is to develop gradually.  This captures the heart of our PYP journey.  We are developing gradually into educators that we want to be, so we can help to shape young humans into how they want to be.  When you take a step back and pause, it truly is a beautiful thing.  Evolution means that even with our past mistakes, we can continue to develop gradually into who we want to become.  In this episode, let's examine what it truly means to evolve in our teaching, our planning, and building strong relationships with our learners. Pop-Up Studio: Responsive Teaching for Today's Learners by Misty PatersonPaper BookEbookFor a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

As I was considering this challenge, I reflected on the CME model from Pop-Up Studio: Responsive Teaching for Today's Learners by Misty Paterson.  This has been my latest book club read, but more importantly my aha text.  Going through the book club experience with this text opened up so many possibilities of how to use these ideas in a variety of ways.  Isn't that the purpose of a prototype?  It's a tool we use to try out our ideas, so we can evolve our practice. The CME model was designed with “see me” in mind, so “we intentionally see the person within the learning engagement…We can see personal interests, understandings, wonderings, creativity, thinking, and agency surface.” (Paterson, 2021)So what exactly is the CME model?  It's a construct that helps learners to look at the interplay of using concepts to connect learning experiences with materials.  That sounds very simple, but it's quite powerful.  In this episode, we will explore how to create a prototype with the CME model with in our unit of inquiry. Pop-Up Studio: Responsive Teaching for Today's Learners by Misty PatersonPaper BookEbookFor a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

A prototype is a model of something that we want to test or try out.  In the PYP, our prototype is our unit of inquiry planner.  We create a planning tool that ties all of the elements together with the singular purpose to connect to the transdisciplinary theme, central idea, and lines of inquiry.  The other elements and content provide context for exploration.  To make this come to life, we model various processes for our learners and our peers.  This can come in the form of a think aloud using the Approaches to Learning (ATLs) and the MYP Command Terms. Join this episode to learn more about how to create a prototype through the design thinking process. Pop-Up Studio: Responsive Teaching for Today's Learners by Misty PatersonPaper BookEbookFor a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

In our last episode, we defined what it means to ideate and stretched our thinking with the Question Formulation Technique (QFT).  This lays the foundation of asking a variety of questions to and with our learners, so they are able to generate, revise, prioritize, and plan with their questions in mind.  As we create this culture of thinking, we are ready to think more outside of the box to ideate real solutions to issues within our organization.  As previously mentioned, we must do this process entirely with empathy.  We are asking others to change their viewpoints and alter their ways of operating within the organization.  It's huge, so tread carefully and kindly.  Over the past five weeks, I've been participating in the #CITLreads book club on Misty Paterson's book, Pop-Up Studio:  Responsive Teaching for Today's Learners.  While going through this five week process, my eyes were opened to new strategies on how to leverage inquiry and conceptual connections with our learners and peers. In particular, the 4A's Guiding Principles stood out as a scaffold in the inquiry process.  After all, isn't coming up with new and innovative ideas part of the inquiry process?  Misty Paterson came up with a simple system to help you take a look at your curriculum in a fresh new viewpoint.  We will apply this concept to problem-solving. You can use one or all of all of the 4A's to spark your ideation process.  We will have a challenge for each to help you stretch and grow. For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

In the design thinking process, we recognize that the issue we have defined has not been previously dealt with correctly.  We may have tried to solve the problem by examining the superficial symptoms, rather than getting to the root issue.  When we ideate, we have to think out-of-the-box, so we can find alternative solutions that may seem farfetched in order to move our organization forward. In this episode, we will explore how to ideate and slay some sacred cows along the way.  It's not easy to go against the status quo, but it's how we begin to evolve as an organization.Here are some links mentioned in this week's episodeThe Question Formulation Technique (QFT) Pop-Up Studio: Responsive Teaching for Today's Learners. For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

Albert Einstein once said, “If I had an hour to solve a problem I'd spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and five minutes thinking about solutions.”One of the hardest things to do is to define the problem we want to solve.  This requires us to dig deep into the underlying root causes, not the symptoms, which can open us to vulnerability.  Most organizations don't like to admit there is a problem, even if it is staring them in the face.  No one likes to have to admit they are wrong or part of a system that is malfunctioning.  It's our nature as human beings to strive for perfection, whatever that may be. At the root of every problem is a cause.  Do you know what is the cause of your problem?  Many do not.  They often think the symptom is the root, but you need to dig deeper to discover it.  Once you do, the organization must acknowledge that it exists.  From there, they can decide which instructional strategies to employ, organize the necessary resources, and develop the staff so they feel confident.  All of this takes time, but it's imperative if we want to move forward. To help us define our root problem, we will use the Four Agreements. Consider which agreement lies at the root of an issue at your campus and create a possible solution to present to school leadership. This is bold, but oftentimes the leadership team doesn't have all the answers.  They value specific, targeted feedback with possible next steps towards a resolution.  Even still, there are no guarantees that your ideas will be accepted, but you did your best to advocate for sustainable change.  This is taking ownership of your own learning process and taking meaningful action. For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

Welcome to the design thinking challenge!I am excited to explore the design thinking challenge through different lenses that you may have not considered before.  This is how my brain works.  I make connections between unrelated texts and somehow it works.  Let's do this!The Four AgreementsRecently, I stumbled on a video on LinkedIn about Cognitive Behavioral Theory by Joe Amabile, a seasoned IB educator. This video highlighted the idea that everyone responds to things that happen in the world based on their beliefs and identity. This demonstrated the connection between our reactions during a typical school day to our deep rooted beliefs and identity that has been developed over a lifetime. After watching Joe's video, my friend Mondrea Mitchell recommended The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz,. In reading this book, I found practical ways to implement cognitive behavioral theory into my life. These agreements are simple to understand, but they require intentional thought and reflection. You will soon find yourself stopping your thought process and stating to yourself, "Stop taking that personally" and "Don't make assumptions about this situation." I am doing it throughout the day, which means I'm on the way to creating a new set of beliefs about my identity.This challenge will examine the Four Agreements and how they help us to build empathy, which is the first phase of the design thinking process. For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

Empathy 101This episode will focus on building empathy.  If you feel like you have a solid understanding of what this looks and feels like in the school context, consider popping over to episode 79 to participate in the empathy challenge.  To empathize means different things to different people.  It's not a one size fits all, which is a huge lesson I learned being a PYP Coordinator.  The things that resonated with me did not for the majority of my staff due to cultural differences, learning experiences, and background knowledge.  So how do we build a culture of empathy within our schools, so we can move the work forward? Here are some resources to support empathy developmentHow to Build Empathy and Strengthen Your School CommunityThink about InquiryFor a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

As I think of the power of the conceptual lesson cycle, I naturally connect to the Design Thinking Process, which looks at conceptual ideas from the big picture.  If you haven't heard about it, no worries, I didn't until a year ago.  For those who have been engaging with design thinking for some time, we are going to explore some possibilities that will strengthen your usage of it.  I'm as giddy as an early years child on their first time bringing in a show and tell artifact.  For those rubbing their hands together thinking this series is about design, I'm sad to tell you it's not the case.  We will not be going through the process to create prototypes in the traditional sense.  For those ideas, consider listening to Design Cast: A Podcast about Design and Steam Education by Jason Reagin.  He's super talented and passionate about all things Design and STEAM.  He has a lot of guests that are just as nerdy as he is about design and I always walk about with new perspectives. We are taking a journey on the Design Thinking Process.  It's the same process of design, but applying it towards organizational structures.  What does that mean?  Well, it means we are going to look at Design Thinking from the lens of education and how it impacts lasting change within our school system.  I know it's quite deep, but we need this type of thinking as we emerge into a new educational landscape post pandemic.  Now is the time to make lasting changes, rather than sliding back into how it's always been.  We are not the same educators that we were two years ago, so why should we teach the same way? Why should our learners be forced to learn in the old model?Tim Brown Ted Talk:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAinLaT42xYFor a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

Ever since the last episode, I have struggled with a gnawing feeling that I was not quite right in my ideas.  As I have unraveled the concept of play, I must admit that my friend Mondrea Mitchell was correct.  What I consider play to be in the older years, is actually a form of playfulness.  What is the difference?  Play is truly an open-ended construction of meaning and making sense of the world.  While Playfulness is using the concept of play to bring about more opportunities for learners to explore concepts deeper.  There is a foundational difference. In this episode, we will explore some ideas based on the following authors:The Importance of Making ConnectionsDefining PlayfulnessFor a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

Play in elementary school is a debated idea.  Does it only happen in early years?  What do we define as play?  How does it look and is it authentic when learners are able to manipulate and inquire on their own?In this episode, I will share my thoughts on these questions and how we can incorporate more play through a conceptual lesson cycle.  Come play with me!For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

Play is central to early years.  We know this.  If you are an early years teacher, this is what you do all day long.  This episode focuses on the role of play in the early years within the PYP.  There are many facets that we think about naturally with this age, but there are some teachers that are confined by their school systems to make it happen.  This episode will refer heavily to the PYP documentation, so you can advocate for yourself and your learners.  For the rest of us, it's a gentle reminder that we are on the right track.  We all need that, especially during these times. For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

Since the PYP enhancements in 2018, there has been a lot of talk of play.  It has always existed in early years, because that is how a young learner creates meaning.  In any given learning situation, a young child is presented with open-ended materials for them to build sensory awareness, make predictions, and experiment with on their own.  As they build connections, they work with others to test out their theories to determine any misconceptions. Individual and group conferences with the teacher expands the thinking and this often initiates new inquiries and wonderings.  Isn't this a magical way to think and learn?  Come take a listen to this episode to discover why play is so important to our practice. For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

As I think of the relationship between the learning environment and play, it reminds of the chicken and the egg argument.  Which one came first?  Do we need a well thought out learning space design to bring about play?  Does play shape the way the learning space is designed?  Hmm…which way do you look at it? In this episode, we are going to look at different learning space designs and how they encourage or stop meaningful play from happening. For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

This week, I'm excited to report to you from New London, CT.  It's a beautiful seaside town with a lot of history in its six square miles.  I'm here working with a PYP school to restructure their library according to the six transdisciplinary themes, as well as genrefying their novels, creating a lower primary section, and a place for the learner profile and key concepts to come to life.  This has been such a fun project, because I'm creating a space where learners will become readers.  Isn't this the best part of teaching?  This process has sparked an internal debate that led to a singular question.  When thinking about learning space design, do we consider other spaces besides the homeroom class?  I would venture to say, most of us don't, which is something I want to examine in this podcast episode. For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

The practices we have shared in the past two episodes apply to all learners.  Some will be overstimulated, while others will be underwhelmed.  No child fits into one specific category, which was part of my apprehension in separating the students into designation groups. At the same time, I believe there are some things we can put into place that will support a student with disabilities.  As we know, there is not one size fits all, because there are varying degrees of needs that a student might have.How does your learning environment support the needs of your learners with disabilities?  Are you giving them equal access to the curriculum? For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com

Now that we've designed the learning environment for the language learner, let's talk about the gifted learner.  I don't like this designation, because I believe that all children are gifted in their own unique way and the PYP allows it to shine.  I know everyone who is listening totally agrees with my summation.  We can picture specific learners in our class who are eager to learn everyday.  They are always present at school and voracious to learn.  They hunger to acquire knowledge and are naturally curious about the world.  Doesn't this sound like every student you have?  Of course.  The difference is gifted learners regularly go above and beyond what is “required” for themselves and they are usually seeking ways to improve.  How are you arranging the environment to bring about the capabilities of your gifted learners, so they are not forgotten while you support other learners? For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com