Transdisciplinary Learning in the PYP
Having just run an introductory Parent Engagement Workshop (PEW) for parents new to the College, I became aware of the need to structure the communication about how the IB programme enhances teaching and learning at Scotch College, and how it relates to the Australian Curriculum. In order to support this request I am going to make the fortnightly Thistle articles a collection of articles that help to communicate these two goals in a sequential manner.
As a starting point, I would like to share a quote that sits at the heart of why the International Baccalaureate Programme works for the students of Scotch College:
'The PYP endorses a belief that students learn best when the learning is authentic and transdisciplinary' (Making the PYP happen: A curriculum framework for international primary education 2014).
What this means in a nut shell is that the learning is:
a) Relevant to the real world; thus providing meaningful context and connections to their world;
b) Where the learning is not confined within the boundaries of traditional subject areas, but is supported and enriched by them. I have explored this in more detail below:
The PYP acknowledges the importance of subject areas: language, mathematics, social studies, science, the arts (visual art, music, dance, drama), and personal, social and physical education. However, the PYP also recognises that educating students in a set of isolated subject areas, while necessary, is not sufficient. Of equal importance is the need to acquire skills in context, and to explore content that is relevant to students and transcends the boundaries of the traditional subjects.
"To be truly educated, a student must also make connections across the disciplines, discover ways to integrate the separate subjects, and ultimately relate what they learn to life" (Boyer 1995: 82).
In the next article, I will explore the overarching six Transdisciplinary Themes. These themes are addressed every year by all classes from Years 1 - 5. These themes ensure the students focus their learning on the study and investigation of conceptual units that look into; Who we are, Where we are in place and time, How we express ourselves, How the world works, How we organise ourselves and sharing the planet.
Mr Warwick Norman
Junior School Dean of Teaching & Learning
