The MYP Top Ten #1

The Global Eagle - week of October 17-21, 2016

1- The IB Learner Profile

As we continue deepening our understanding of the Middle Years Programme, this week I invite you to read these two short passages of MYP: From Principles into Practice guide about the value of the Learner Profile. When asking: What do we hope to see in our students? or How can they show us growth as they move up grade year after year? The 10 attributes of the Learner Profile are at the core of the IB continuum. Don’t hesitate to point them out to your students and refer to them in your classrooms as often as you see relevant.

“From fundamental concepts to the IB learner profile

From its beginning, the MYP was guided by three principles that have had special currency for learners aged 11–16, inspired by the IB mission: holistic learning, intercultural awareness and communication. These fundamental concepts of the programme provided a strong foundation for teaching and learning in the MYP. They represent an early attempt to establish a philosophy of international education that the IB now recognizes more fully with the adoption of the IB learner profile across the IB continuum. Holistic learning, intercultural awareness and communication are implied in, or are a part of, the IB learner profile, especially in the attributes “balanced”, “open-minded” and “communicators”. Contemporary MYP educators have continued to focus on how best to meet the needs of adolescents, who are confronted with a vast and often bewildering array of choices in a complex and rapidly changing world. A focus on higher-order thinking skills gives students opportunities to explore their expanding concerns and their growing awareness of themselves and the world in ways that develop sound judgment.” (FPIP p.14)

“Developing the learner profile within a community of learners

All IB World Schools are learning communities that encourage school leaders, teachers, students, parents and local community members to value learning as an essential and integral part of their everyday lives. For students, IB World Schools support lifelong learning when they emphasize “learning how to learn”, helping students interact effectively with the learning environments they encounter in school and beyond.

Communities are bound together by a common sense of purpose and identity. The IB community shares a common purpose: making a better world through education. This goal, expressed in the IB mission statement, creates a series of interrelated aspirations, educational outcomes and shared values in the IB learner profile. The learner profile informs the IB’s educational philosophy and stands as a clear and concise statement of the values that inform a community that encourages the development of international mindedness.” (FPIP p.20)

PJ

MYP Coodinator