Everyone's got one!
One of the most important aspects of the International Baccalaureate curriculum is that it makes room for people to have an opinion, inquire about others' perspectives, and enter into discourse about how these opinions and viewpoints may be alike or different. The IB makes it very clear in their closing assertion found in the mission statement, "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." Simply put, at Tuscaloosa Magnet School, we strive to be open-minded thinkers and learners who are willing to accept the views of others as valuable even if we disagree. This is evident in so many places in our culture: football teams, religion, family orientation, politics, and much more. What does that look like? That's a loaded question! Basically, students and teachers at the magnet school have a rich, valuable life experience we want to embrace and respect each day. By taking the time to share opinions and viewpoints and allowing others to do the same, we hope to allow our community to see what it means to be compassionate, tolerant, empathetic members of our society. From time to time this may cause conflict for some as many people have varying belief systems. We embrace the differences in those situations and work tirelessly to allow the students to find ways to accept all others and their points of view as valuable despite differences in opinion. What do all of these acronyms mean?!?
Each has a meaning behind it as do most of the ones we see all around us on a daily basis. So, I decided that we should have a 'dictionary' of sorts to help everyone understand what we are referring to with regards to our programs. As we go on, I'll provide some information about each and try to connect it to a more familiar term or process to aid in understanding what we do. The IB(or IBO) is the International Baccalaureate Organization. It's the governing body that sets forth the ideals that we have determined most closely align with our philosophy at TMSE. In short, it's the organization that made up all the acronyms:). The PYP(Primary Years Programme) is the specific program created by the IB for ages 3-12. The POI(Programme of Inquiry) is the 'big picture' of what each grade level is teaching throughout the school year. The UOI(Unit of Inquiry) is the specific plan for each grade level which includes the the central idea, the lines of inquiry and the concepts and skills students will be learning and demonstrating while involved. This includes the activities that will take place throughout the Unit of Inquiry. The TT(Transdisciplinary Theme) is the guiding principle for the inquiry into each of 6 themes: Who We Are, Where We Are In Place And Time, How We Express Ourselves, How The World Works, How We Organize Ourselves, and Sharing The Planet. Each lasts approximately 6 weeks. The LP(Learner Profile) is a list of attributes or characteristics we seek to develop in all learners. The CAR(Choose Act Reflect) is a reference to the Action Cycle. This acronym is not IB, but the Action Cycle is. The action cycle is a methodological approach to decision making. The PSPE(Personal Social Physical Education) is a scope and sequence of child development as it relates to the development of the learner as an individual, a member of larger group, and as an active human. It should be noted that these 'definitions' are not official. They are mine to help me keep the acronyms straight. I hope they make some sense for you as well. If you have questions, you can email me or you can set an appointment and come meet with me. For the official breakdown on all things IB, check out the section for parents on the web at the IBO.org. PSPE stands for Personal Social Physical Education. These areas cover three primary areas of child development that are related more to the development of child as a person, not just an academic. The areas of focus are listed below with a simple 'definition' for your reference. identity-an understanding of our own beliefs, values, attitudes and how they shape us interactions-an understanding how individuals interact with others active living-an understanding of how to develop and maintain balanced, healthy lifestyle How is this different from what we already do?
It isn't really, but there are some notable items to make you aware of. In the PYP, the development of the whole child is critical to success. To that end, the PSPE Scope and Sequence brings the PE coaches, Media Specialists and the Guidance Counselor into the classroom Programs of Inquiry. What does that look like? At TMSE, we are constantly overlapping classroom instruction with all other aspects of the of the PYP. Ms. Hardy uses her guidance times in classes and small groups to weave Learner Profile attributes into lessons on how we identify ourselves based on our cultural, spiritual, and family experience(identity). She then bridges the gaps between cultural beliefs and prejudices by working with students and teachers within the classroom and beyond embedding the IB Attitudes and how we get along despite our differences(interactions). Additionally, our PE coaches are experts at bringing the knowledge of nutrition and exercise to our program by making the classroom connection possible with the PUSH program, the Mercedes Kids Marathon, health related fitness and sport education lessons and much more(active living). What else might be involved in this? Great question! Mrs. Ezell(media specialist) and Ms. Grayson will help to facilitate the literature connection through trade books and literary activities to support the classroom planners. That is a fair question...the short answer is Mrs. Burkhalter. More to the point, Mrs. B and I will work side by side to develop the program of inquiry(POI) and conduct lots of professional development for all faculty members. To this end, we have created 'job descriptions' as they relate to the IB PYP. These are far from exhaustive and are only related to the IB portion of our jobs as "head of school" and "PYP Coordinator." Additionally, these are posted for your review but your input is not needed as we can't really use it for this. Thank you for understanding that in advance. Should you have any questions or concerns regarding these documents, please contact me directly at [email protected].
Head of school description PYP Coordinator Over the course of several years, our pedagogical leadership team has developed policies that guide our practice as well as make clear our objectives at the Magnet School. The following policies are available for your reading, reflection, and responses. Please note, however, that these are living documents subject to change at any time.
Language Policy-This policy outlines both the Expressive and Receptive modes for language and how those look within our program. Assessment Policy-This policy outlines the policies, practices and procedures with regards to assessments and the data derived from such assessments. The following documents guide the development of our Program of Inquiry:
Math Language Arts Science Social Studies Personal/Social/PE Click here to view our current Program of Inquiry. A program of inquiry(POI) is the living document that we use to teach nearly all content in an IB Authorized school. The document itself is a guide, not a lesson plan. It is broken into groups in two ways-by grade level and by transdisciplinary theme. Each grade level has 6 themes lasting from 4-7 weeks on average. Listed in the POI are the Central Ideas and the Lines of Inquiry that we teach in the classrooms during each specific theme. ***Please note that we will be changing the entire Program Of Inquiry(POI) over the next few months in preparation for our authorization visit.
Last year--POI Current POI As many of you have already learned, we seek to create in students the kind of learner that is completely well-rounded. To that end, we strive for every child to exhibit the traits of an IB Learner. As we progress, we have developed specific ideas that help students and teachers identify these characteristics. For example, in Technology, we have a modified description for the Learner Profile. For examples of different Learner Profiles, click the links below:
Technology Library Physical Education Utilizing a simple approach, teachers will stimulate student thinking and questioning through the use of images. This is one of many ways we can address international mindedness. For example, students would be shown this image of a castle in Germany. Each child would write statements that describe what, "I see..." Then, students would write statements revealing what, "I think..." Finally, the students would share what, "I wonder..."
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AuthorAs IB Coordinator, I'll try to provide updates regarding our progress as an IB World School. Check back often. IB Learner Profile
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September 2014
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