The MYP Top Ten #6

The Global Eagle – Week of November 21 to 25, 2016

1- The Learner Profile

2- Concept based learning
3- Inquiry Questions
4- Global Contexts
5- Assessment
6- Differentiation
As we continue deepening our understanding of the Middle Years Programme, this week I invite you to read the attached section about MYP Learning Diversity and Inclusion from Principles into Practice guide. (p. 27-28). The IB philosophy proposes that all learners can be successful. As educators, considering learning diversity and inclusion is key when designing units and delivering lessons. We are fortunate at Johnston Heights to have a dynamic, efficient and effective team of Inclusion teachers available to support all our students achieving that goal (see documents attached).

Learning Diversity and Inclusion

In IB World Schools, all students in the IB programmes should have meaningful and equitable access to the curriculum. IB programme principles and practices call for schools to be organized in ways that value student diversity and respect individual learning differences. Valuing diversity and difference is a key aspect of becoming more internationally minded and is an important goal of all IB programmes.

Among educators, the ongoing process that increases access and engagement of all learners in learning has become known as inclusion. Inclusive education involves responding positively to each student’s unique learning profile, including students with diverse learning needs. There is a shift from specialist teachers being solely responsible for students with learning differences to collaborative planning by all teachers who are part of a student’s education along the learning continuum.

Inclusion in the MYP

The MYP is intended to be an inclusive programme that can cater to the needs of all students. Thus, the IB strongly encourages schools to offer the MYP inclusively and schools must explain situations in which the programme is not available to all students. The central place of approaches to learning (ATL) helps teachers and students respond in a flexible way to individual learning needs, including the needs of those who are learning in a language other than their first language or who have learning support requirements. The MYP is designed to include students with learning support requirements.

Students with learning support requirements, as defined by the IB, may:

• display difficulties or live with conditions that are a barrier to learning and therefore need particular teaching strategies for classroom management and effective education

• display a higher than average aptitude in one or more subjects that requires adaptation and extension of the curriculum.

Students with learning support requirements, as defined by the IB, may:

• have the aptitude to meet all curriculum and assessment requirements but require support to reach their full potential in learning and assessment

• require support to access teaching and learning including planned strategies to access curricular instruction and inclusive assessment arrangements to access assessment.

As schools implement the MYP inclusively, teachers design learning experiences that allow students across a range of needs to meet their learning objectives (see Meeting student learning diversity in the classroom (2013)).

Differentiated teaching practices can build opportunities in which each student can develop, pursue and achieve appropriate individual learning goals. This may involve utilizing collaborative and cooperative learning, a variety of learning practices, creative approaches to teaching and learning, differing formats and modes of exploring and presenting knowledge and understanding being made available to the students.

Inclusion succeeds when a school-wide culture of collaboration encourages and supports inquiry and problem-solving. Increasing participation in the MYP is an important place to begin. Schools should ensure equality of access to the curriculum and provide students with the support they need in order to set and meet challenging educational goals.

(From Principles to Practice pages. 27-28)

PJ

MYP Coordinator