How do we communicate? Do we have to always buy our gas? How do I change my style of writing to support my message? Can I measure happiness?
The IB way of learning states that there are several different ways to arrive at an answer. For each method used there will be advantages and disadvantages. Through reflection (an ATL skill), MYP students discover how to make purposeful decisions and selections when presented with a multiple of choices for arriving at an answer. MYP students learn to transfer their skills (from the Thinking ATL) to suit a required inquiry. MYP students discover that using their approaches to learning skills whether at the novice, learner, practitioner or expert levels eventually turns them into stronger self-regulated learners. This is very evident in the tasks and expectations of interdisciplinary learning.
The MYP teaches us to find connections between subjects. This week the Interdisciplinary Unit (IDU) Days have taken place. This has been another successful week in horizontal planning and delivery of the MYP between and within subject groups. During the IDU days, our new MYP students discovered how to find and use connections between subject areas in order to complete inquiries within specific global contexts. Once again, our more seasoned MYP students have taken concepts from multiple disciplines and used them to develop new knowledge and understanding. This is the essence of interdisciplinary learning.
Grade 7 discovered verbal and non-verbal communication across their interdisciplinary unit in Language Acquisition (French and Spanish), the Arts (Music) and PHE by connecting rhythm, signals, motion, language.
Grade 8 carried out a Science/Individuals & Societies interdisciplinary unit. They visited the Safina Waste Management Centre which is not far from school. They were shown how biogas is helping to contribute to the national grid. Back at school, Grade 8 carried out their own tasks to create biogas of their own, an action that any community can carry out to generate fuel for everyday use.
Grade 9 enjoyed their session on styles of writing for a given purpose. Their interdisciplinary unit brought Individuals & Societies and Language & Literature together. Whilst reflecting on issues of population movement, grade 9 created their own articles on migration.
Grade 10 our pioneers in everything MYP have undertaken yet another interdisciplinary unit; this time, linking Language & Literature with Mathematics, to answer inquiry questions such as “What factors contribute to life satisfaction?” which is an inquiry question from a past MYP interdisciplinary learning assessment. Grade 10 demonstrated self-management skills, transfer skills and collaboration skills to help each other through their tasks at the disciplinary stages and finally at the interdisciplinary stages. For them, it has been preparation for their mock and final interdisciplinary learning examinations through the use of authentic IB MYP pre-released materials. As always, bar a few notes jotted down, the whole process was onscreen.
The focus during the IDU days has been amazing with all grades exhibiting pride and ownership of their chosen products. Hopefully some of the questions such as “How do we communicate?” “Do we have to always buy our gas?” “How do I change my style of writing to support my message?” “Can I measure happiness?” have been answered.
