Workshop description: Concepts are integral to the inquiry process and one of the essential elements of the PYP. A concept driven curriculum promotes meaning and understanding, and challenges students to engage authentically with significant ideas. This workshop will explore concepts in greater depth. Participants will review the theory behind conceptual thinking, develop a better understanding of key and related concepts and analyze the programme of inquiry, units of inquiry and curriculum documents through different conceptual lenses. Participants will also explore practical ways of assessing a learner’s conceptual understanding within a unit of inquiry.
The purpose of this workshop is to develop the following understandings:
Concepts are integral to the inquiry process and one of the essential elements of the PYP.
A concept-driven curriculum promotes meaning and understanding, and challenges students to engage authentically with significant ideas.
A concept-driven curriculum challenges the memorization of isolated facts and the mastery of skills out of context.
The exploration and re-exploration of concepts leads students towards an appreciation of ideas that transcend disciplinary boundaries as well as towards the essence of each subject area.
In addition to the key PYP concepts, each discipline has powerful related concepts that also support inquiry.
The IBO scope and sequence documents are written as conceptual understandings to provide a platform for knowledge and skills development - concepts before content.
Concept based teaching and learning offers a solution to the 'crowded curriculum' by linking students' interests to essential understandings that are transferable across disciplines.
The concepts are explicit at all stages of curriculum planning, in the central idea, the lines of inquiry, provocations to inquire and assessment.
There are other IB professional development opportunities that can enhance an understanding of concepts.
Concepts are integral to the inquiry process and one of the essential elements of the PYP. A concept driven curriculum promotes meaning and understanding, and challenges students to engage authentically with significant ideas. This workshop will explore concepts in greater depth. Participants will review the theory behind conceptual thinking, develop a better understanding of key and related concepts and analyze the programme of inquiry, units of inquiry and curriculum documents through different conceptual lenses. Participants will also explore practical ways of assessing a learner’s conceptual understanding within a unit of inquiry.
The purpose of this workshop is to develop the following understandings: