How We Make Relevant, Real-World Connections in the PYP

Action

and agency are at the heart of the International Baccalaureate (IB). As an IB World school, we take pride to ensure all “Students have voice, choice and ownership for their own learning” (IBO, 2018). When the learning community is supportive of action and agency, students are inspired to take authentic action that is meaningful. “When students see tangible actions that they can choose to take to make a difference, they see themselves as competent, capable and active agents of change” (IBO, 2018). We know that students make relevant, real-world connections through action and agency.

The benefits of providing children space, time, and support to be agents of their own action leads to lifetime learning. Here at SCIS, students know they are part of a learning community that celebrates their learning. Learning celebrations, student action, and student leadership are perfect examples of how students take action to make relevant, real-world connections. Learning celebrations typically take place at the end of a Unit of Inquiry and are designed for children to share with others by presenting special projects or a piece of work that reflects the essence of their learning. Students work with their teacher to prepare learning spaces, displays, and experiences for people to interact with during a learning celebration. It is such an incredible experience to see five- and six-year-old Kindergartners confidently communicate their learning with high school seniors. The benefits for learning celebrations extend to both the students presenting and those in the audience.

A great example of how action is inspired by relevant, real-world connections within PYP was the Grade Three “How the World Work”, Structures Unit of Inquiry. Grade Three students were inspired by a teacher who uses a walker to inquire into accessibility on the Pudong campus. The Grade Three students were very aware of their teacher’s challenges and were highly motivated to investigate and advocate for improving access in our school because they were able to connect their learning to someone close to them. The students used their teacher’s walker to test ramps, measure space in bathrooms, navigate between desks and classrooms, and discovered opportunities for improvement in our school’s design. They used what they discovered during their exploration to design models of spaces in our school that could be improved to be more accessible for people with disabilities.

Knowing that the Pudong campus is undergoing renovations, some students approached the administration and wanted to invite members of the design and operations team to their learning celebration where they presented problems and solutions that are relevant and real to our building’s structure. During the learning celebration, students confidently outlined the problems and solutions in a clear, coherent, and confident manner impressing those in positions to make changes.

Without having this real-world, relevant connection they may have taken a different path during their inquiry. By having a real-life problem to solve, the sense of advocacy and action was more than an aspirational inspiration, it was a sense of urgency that warranted a response. By giving students a chance to share who they are, what they care about, and how they hope to make changes, they are living our mission by being knowledgeable, caring learners who contribute positively to their community.

References:

International Baccalaureate Organization. (2018, December). The Learner. Retrieved March 28, 2023, from https:// resources.ibo.org/pyp/works/pyp_1116251463?lang=en&root=1.6.2.2.5

By Dr. Molly Myers, Lower School Principal at SCIS Pudong