Developing Lifelong Learners

Developing Lifelong Learners
Eric Usher

Students as Lifelong Learners

In keeping with our goal of continuing to develop our MYP learning spaces in alignment with IB standards and practices, we turn our attention this month to the LEARNING standard.  One aspect of this standard is the call to promote lifelong learning by “develop(ing) students ready for further education and life beyond the classroom.” 

What shape does this commitment take? The IB identifies seven practices that provide a framework for developing lifelong learners:

  1. ATL Skills: Students actively develop thinking, research, communication, social and self-management skills.

  2. The Seisen Profile: Students demonstrate and reflect on their continued development of the IB learner profile attributes.

  3. Collaboration: Students identify and foster healthy relationships, an understanding of shared responsibility, and the ability to collaborate effectively.

  4. Academic Integrity: Students grow in their ability to make informed, reasoned, ethical judgments.

  5. Service and Action: Students exercise the flexibility, perseverance and confidence they need to bring about positive change in the wider community and beyond.

  6. Ownership of Learning: Students take ownership of their learning by setting challenging goals and pursuing personal inquiries.

  7. Cultural Competence: Students pursue opportunities to explore and develop their personal and cultural identities.

 

The Personal Project

One way in which we can assess how well we are preparing students as lifelong learners is through the Personal Project, students’ culminating demonstration of their learning in the MYP. This is perhaps students' most significant opportunity to take ownership of their own learning (Practice 6 above).

 

This year’s Grade 10 Personal Project Showcase will take place next week, on February 20, in the school gymnasium. Parents are invited to come and engage with the students about what they have learned … about their specific product, about themselves, and about learning itself.

 

Service Learning

This year, in alignment with our DEIJ (Diversity / Equity / Inclusion / Justice) roadmap, we have also been undertaking a review of service learning, another aspect of developing lifelong learners (see Practice 5 above). These conversations have helped us to clarify the mission of service learning at SIS.

As the mission suggests, we are committed to working with students to create opportunities for genuine and lasting partnerships in the community. As we continue to refine this aspect of learning at SIS, the MYP service as action learning outcomes will help shape our direction:

MYP Service as Action Learning Outcomes

  • become more aware of one’s strengths and areas for growth
  • undertake challenges that develop new skills
  • discuss, evaluate, and plan student-initiated activities
  • persevere in action
  • work collaboratively with others
  • develop international-mindedness through global engagement, multilingualism and intercultural understanding
  • consider the ethical implications of their actions.

Just as we have been engaging the K-12 faculty in conversations about this important topic, we would welcome your input about service learning at SIS. What have you observed that aligns with the learning outcomes outlined above? What additional opportunities might we look into?

For the Calendar

  • Tuesday, February 20 – Grade 10 Personal Project Showcase

    • Grade 10 students celebrate the culmination of the MYP, by means of an in-person interactive gallery showcasing their independent learning.

  • Friday, March 15 – MYP Information Session: Approaches to Learning

  • Monday, April 15 – MYP Information Session: Mathematics in the MYP

  • Tuesday, April 23 – MYP Information Session: Personal Project Intro for Grade 9 Parents

Thank you for your ongoing partnership in support of student learning and the development of the MYP at SIS.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or feedback.

 

Eric Usher, MYP Coordinator

eusher@seisen.com

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Eric Usher

As with all subjects in the MYP, the Mathematics curriculum framework is designed to take students beyond memorization of content into deeper conceptual understanding and the building of skills that will transfer across other disciplines and into their future math studies.

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