Developing Approaches to Learning (ATL) as a PYP Single Subject Teacher
Developing Approaches to Learning
(ATL) as a PYP Single Subject Teacher –
The
Importance of Transdisciplinary tasks.
By Ding Ding Song (Chatsworth East International School)
By Ding Ding Song (Chatsworth East International School)
The PYP is a holistic and transdisciplinary education framework. Subject
discipline knowledge is important, but at the same time, developing conceptual
understandings and developing skills that transcend disciplines should also be
a priority in the planning and delivery of a quality balanced curriculum.
When turning an idealized philosophy into a practical and deliverable curriculum,
many teachers and schools recognize and battle with the tension between
disciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches. Like all PYP teachers,
additional language teachers need to also apply transdisciplinary approaches to
teaching and learning as well as try to develop specific disciplinary knowledge and skills. However, it is not unusual for Mandarin teachers
from different PYP schools to share similar concerns, trying to balance the
development of Mandarin language skills
and content knowledge with transdisciplinary teaching and learning in their
classrooms. Having spoken to and reflected with many Mandarin language (and
other single subject) PYP teachers, some clear misconceptions and frustrations
emerge; “There is too much content to ‘cover’ and not enough time’’, ‘as a Mandarin teacher my job is only to build Mandarin skills.’ or ‘Isn’t it the classroom teachers’ job to develop students transdisciplinary skills?’.
Mandarin teachers (and all single subject teachers) carry equal
responsibility in building PYP students’ Approaches to Learning (Transdisciplinary Skills) as classroom teachers
do. One simple but effective way to promote transdisciplinary teaching and
learning in an additional language classroom is to commit to, and purposefully design,
transdisciplinary tasks, either individual or group, that require the use of a
wide range of skills. During the process of completing transdisciplinary tasks,
there are plenty of opportunities for students to develop transdisciplinary
skills and display the attributes of the PYP Learner Profile and attitudes.
They also provide opportunities for Assessment as Learning where students self reflect and peer assess
their skills, knowledge and new understandings.
The magic of Transdisciplinary tasks is to allow multiple
transdisciplinary skills to develop while at the same time, still having a
clear focus on Mandarin language skills. Transdisciplinary tasks sound like something
big and tedious. In reality, reframing simple class games and activities into
transdisciplinary tasks is relatively straight forward with a bit of reflection
and creativity.
Some strategies for Mandarin PYP teachers, and all specialized PYP
teachers to facilitate transdisciplinary teaching and learning are below:
Be Courageous –
Planning transdisciplinary assessment and learning tasks.
Don’t afraid of
doing things differently. Using backwards design as guidance, focus first on
skill development instead of content knowledge. Think of specific students or
classes and imagine them being engaged in these tasks. Are they all saying,
thinking and creating the same thing? If so, revisit your plans again to refine
and improve. A recent Year Six class wrote and performed fables in Mandarin
using Hanyu Pinyin. Students used, and were assessed on, Mandarin knowledge and
skills as well as social, communication and self-management skills.
Be a Thinker
and Communicator – Prioritize Collaborative Planning
Collaboration has always been the key for teaching and learning
in PYP classroom. Designing transdisciplinary tasks is best achieved through sustained
collaborative effort. Single subjects teachers and homeroom teachers can assist
each other in design, planning, delivery and assessment of such tasks. Teamwork
between teachers and with students will help ensure success in students’ transdisciplinary
skills development as there is greater opportunity for more teachers and
students to self assess and peer assess. Recently, the
Mandarin team integrated with a Year 2 unit of inquiry. Mandarin teachers and
homeroom teachers collaboratively designed and planned a transdisciplinary summative
assessment task. A variety of on-going formative transdisciplinary skills assessments
were effectively conducted during both Mandarin classes and homeroom unit of
inquiry sessions. Students self-reflected and peer assessed these skills at the
end of the unit.
Be Open Minded – Be open to try new ideas
and new ways of thinking.
A teachers’ philosophical belief regarding skill and
knowledge acquisition has a dramatic impact on students learning. Talk to
a colleague or a mentor that you admire or who has a different perspective than
yours. Imagine yourself teaching in a different way or delivering a different
curriculum. Thinking out of the box and taking other suggestions can be a good
starting point. Bring your students on board, acknowledging their ideas and
appreciating their afford in actively contributing in the creation of authentic
assessment tasks.
Be an Inquirer
and become Knowledgeable – Seek out appropriate professional development
As educators, we want to model the PYP Learner Profile and
Attitudes to be life-long learners. Professional development is not only able to
equip us with theory that allows us to make connections with practices but also
enables us to further challenge our way of thinking, practicing and seeking
different ways to achieve better results. This might be in the form of a
current book, video clip, conference speaker or school visit. Joining local PYP school networks, meeting
teachers from other PYP schools, using local resources or interviewing experts
from your school community could also provide opportunities of gaining
different perspectives and accumulating subject knowledge.
Be Reflective
and Balanced
– Critically review weekly and unit planning documentation.
Reflection informs further teaching and learning. Keep
some key questions in mind: Does this task address all the essential elements?
What specific skills and knowledge are being developed during this week or
month? What aspects need to be enhanced? Are we still focused on our objectives
while giving students freedom to inquire and be responsible learners? Have we
catered to students’ interests and different learning styles? Students, especially upper primary, can
actively participate in the reflection process. Work with your students and
receive some constructive feedback.
Show Commitment – Make these skills clear
and then continue to observe and monitor.
Share the objectives of transdisciplinary tasks with students and
parents. Clearly explain the focus isn’t only on content knowledge but also
skills and understanding. Assessment criteria need to be shared at the beginning;
making an assessment rubric with your students is even better. This helps
students understand what the expectations are and can stay on task. Bare in mind,
understanding and skills cannot be developed overnight. Teachers should provide
guidance and constructive feedback in a timely manner to improve students’
development. In the long run, time in planning and monitoring will pay off.
Be Confident – Be confident in your
plans, focusing on the process not the product.
No one is perfect and teaching is a learning journey as
well. Teachers and students need to understand that making mistakes and finding
tasks challenging are important parts of learning. Skill development occurs
when the focus switches from the product to the process, from memorizing to applying, from copying
to creating, from following to evaluating. Be confident when there are doubts
about these slightly time consuming and students directing tasks. Share your
skills and knowledge confidently. Believe the way we support our students is
the best practice to develop skillful global citizens.
By Ding Ding Song, Mandarin Teacher, Chatsworth East International School
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