Hi Sharron,

Thank you very much for the comment. Indeed, the message, “Live it, don’t laminate it” is so important and I certainly endorse making the PYP elements visible in learning spaces. Thank you for pointing out that the opening statements are emotive and even misleading. I apologise if I’ve misrepresented the IB. It’s true that I was disappointed with one workshop, as I heard conceptual learning being limited to recalling or defining a set of words. However, this was just one experience. I know this is not the standpoint of the IB and I’m a passionate advocate of the concept-based curriculum of the PYP. In hindsight, it was good to hear someone present an opposing opinion, in order to clarify what I really do understand about conceptual teaching & learning. I was so glad that the IB included only an excerpt of this post in their blog – not my opening ramble! Thanks for your wise comment about using the conceptual questions, as the drivers for inquiry, both for teachers and students. I agree wholeheartedly and didn’t make this clear in my post. I aimed to discuss the importance of questions; however, I did not specifically link the key concept words, with their accompanying conceptual questions – so thank you for adding this clarification. Certainly, this strengthens the explanation and I do appreciate your feedback.

Shannon

I, too, agree with many of the concepts (pun unavoidable) in your post, particularly regarding developing conceptual understanding, but I think your statements about the PYP key concepts misrepresent, and perhaps misunderstand, their intended role in the inquiry process. l am shocked by your claim that an IB workshop leader would actually suggest that students must be taught the 8 key PYP concept “words and their meanings explicitly (& in isolation)”. I am a PYP Coordinator and IB workshop leader. I have facilitated the Concept Based Learning workshop many times and can assure you that any practice involving “remembering” or “reciting” key concept words would not be condoned by the IB or anyone with a genuine understanding of concept based learning.

It’s important to remember that the 8 key concept words are actually presented in conjunction with key conceptual questions. I have found from experience, that unless you focus on those questions, both in planning with teachers and inquiring with students, the words themselves can remain just words. It is the questions that give the words context and application, and as a consequence, meaning. The role of the key concepts and questions in any unit of inquiry is to provide depth and direction; without them, students and teachers may be more inclined to want to cover all aspects of a central idea, resulting in superficiality rather than deep understanding. The exploration and re-exploration of the key concepts throughout the programme of inquiry also helps students make transdisciplinary connections, as well as connections within particular subject domains.

You refer a few times to “laminated” words and posters, and started your post with very emotive words describing your feelings towards them. Let me reassure you that the IB in no way prescribes any such thing, although it is important to have the PYP and and UOI elements displayed for the benefit of everyone in your learning community. There is, in fact, a phrase that has been in PYP circles for many years now, which has become a bit of a cliché, “Live it, don’t laminate it”! If you haven’t come across it yet, it might come in handy!

I hope this helps you continue to clarify the role of concepts in the PYP.

Sharron Bailey

Hi there,

I completely missed your ‘key’ and ‘lock’ connection! D’oh!

At the risk of getting on the wrong side of people, a lot of mixed messages come from IB workshops, in my experience. I guess we just have to be respectfully critical, cross-reference with ‘best practice’ research, and take some things with a grain of salt!

I wholeheartedly agree with your sentiment that students, especially younger students, shouldn’t be required to memorise words and definitions before inquiries begin, absolutely not!

Thanks for your reply, and keep your insightful posts coming, please!

Brenna

Hi Brenna,

Thanks very much for the feedback and the challenging comments. You are absolutely right – the key concepts are a strong framework for designing inquiries and should not be restrictive – thank you for the clarity and my apologies for the misleading title.

It seems my attempt to play with the words “key” and “lock” was unsuccessful!

I attended a workshop recently where it was suggested that before inquiries begin, students must be taught these 8 words and their meanings explicitly (& in isolation). I found this approach alarming and disheartening, as it was presented by an IB workshop leader and gained general consensus among the participants (who I respect greatly as educators). After much debate in the workshop and additional reading on my part – I wrote this post to clarify my own thoughts about concept-driven teaching in the PYP.

My intention was to suggest that memorising the laminated words should never be a priority nor an end-goal for our students. However, the key concepts are definitely a wonderful starting point for teachers as curriculum designers. We must create opportunities for students to construct deep understanding of these and other concepts, so they may be passionate, flexible, critical inquirers.

Again, thank you for the challenge and for continuing the conversation.
Shannon

While I understand- and agree with- the general point of your post, I don’t believe you are in any way ‘locked in’ to the eight key PYP concepts.

From The Primary Years Program: A Basis for Practice (2009)……

“The PYP provides a framework for the curriculum, including eight key concepts as one of the essential elements. It is accepted that these are not, in any sense, the only concepts worth exploring.” (p. 5)

“Expressed as open-ended questions, the eight key concepts provide the initial momentum and
the underlying structure for the exploration of the content of the whole programme.” (p. 6)

As you said, the eight key concepts provide a framework for developing inquiries. They are useful as a starting point for developing the driving questions of units across all disciplines.

With all due respect, I think it’s misleading to insinuate you’re ‘locked in’ to using only the eight key PYP concepts.

On another note, I discovered you via twitter, and especially enjoyed your riting/speling post! 🙂

Brenna