About the Meet-Up
Join us for a thought-provoking virtual meet-up designed for PYP schools in Japan. Come be a part of expert-led discussions on topics most relevant to you, take-away actionable insights, and expand your local professional network.
Register nowAbout the Sessions
Exploring the Power of Concept-Based Inquiry in the PYP
3:30- 4:30 pm JST | 60 minutes
Are we robbing students of the opportunity to do the thinking by sharing the central idea with them from the get-go? Join Rachel French in this engaging webinar that will change how you think about what is possible in a PYP classroom. Build your understanding of concepts, how they can be used to promote deeper transferable understanding, and the potential for units as you move beyond one central idea.
Together we will explore these questions:
- What are concepts and how do we use them in curriculum design?
- How can we leverage the power of inductive teaching?
- Why is a single central idea limiting the scope of your unit?
Concepts and Conceptual Understandings in the PYP
4:30- 5:30 pm JST | 60 minutes
In the PYP, conceptual understanding is the goal of the inquiry unit. Miho Nishita’s session, entirely in Japanese, acknowledges the paradigm shift between the more traditional ‘fact-based learning’ and the theory and practice of ‘concept-based learning’ for Japanse educators.
In ‘concept-based learning’, students use knowledge and skills to guide their own thinking and transfer their understanding to gain a greater understanding of society and the world. Miho will discuss how students explore concepts through their central ideas in inquiry units.
To develop thinking children, it is first important that teachers are thinking adults. Concept-based inquiry, where there is no single answer but a myriad of ideas, naturally generates many insights and ideas through dialogue with children from different values and cultures. It is also a tool for us teachers to grow as lifelong learners.
Together we will explore these questions:
- What is a concept-driven curriculum?
- How can we use questions to develop an understanding of key concepts?
- Why should the PYP scope and sequence document be utilised to meet conceptual understanding?
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