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Concepts vs. Topics: Let's Get clear.

In Module 1, Lesson 2 of my online professional development course, Essentials for Inquiry: Getting Started with Student-Led Inquiry, I dive into bringing inquiry teachers an understanding all about conceptual teaching and learning. As an inquiry teacher, it's that important to have this fundamental understanding right from the beginning because we approach our teaching through a transdisciplinary lens, and it is through those concepts that the children are able to make their meaning far more enduring, transferring this understanding across disciplines, time and place. As we plan conceptual learning experiences for and with the students, we want their learning to have this authenticity and the scope for expansion as they begin to make those rich connections, forming meaning for themselves. In this article, I'm delighted to be sharing teacher-author, Misty Paterson, as she helps to uncover the difference between concepts and topics.  The...

The early years in the IB PYP can be a whole new experience for teachers new to student-led inquiry. It is a beautiful mix of play-based exploration,  guiding invitations leading to inquiry and  provoking wonder all led by the children's natural curiosity.

I do not profess to be an expert with this age-group. Having never taught in an early years classroom, it amazes me when I see creative early years teachers working their magic and bringing the elements of the PYP seamlessly into practice with our youngest learners.

Common Challenges

I often hear from early years teacher-facilitators that their challenges include questioning and developing this skill with the children.  Such struggles include:

• How do I get the children to ask meaningful questions?
• How can we use thinking strategies with such young children?
• They can't  read or write, how do I plan for inquiries?
• They're too young to ask good questions.

Perhaps you can relate to one or a few? Well, I am...

If we are inquiry teachers, facilitating a student-led inquiry process, then it makes absolute sense that we have to be able to teach the children the art of questioning. Questions are, after all, the beginning of each and every inquiry.  Questioning plays an important role in building a true student-led inquiry, beginning with the initial provocation. So, where do we start? Well, allow me to share my experience with you and, hopefully, bring you some practical strategies to take back to your own class of inquirers.  If you missed the first part of this discussion about developing the Approaches to Learning Thinking Skills, click  here to catch up with how I begin to develop those sub-skills.  In this article, I have provided a free video that also offers practical suggestions. But, let’s start by doing.

Using simple thinking routines with the children, as the one below,  I would work up to each of those skills: observing,...

Over the past few months, I’ve been hard at work creating an online training course for teachers who are new or newish to the concept-based, student-centred, inquiry classroom. Does this sound like you or someone you know? I am happy to announce that it is ALMOST ready to be released! I’m calling it Essentials for Inquiry.  (has a nice ring to it, I feel.)

Meanwhile, I have these FREE training videos which will give quick, practical and useful information and can be available on demand. I shall be releasing the 3 training videos over the course of the next week. So, make sure you have subscribed so that they will drop right into your inbox. Allow me to introduce this video training series and scroll down for training video 1, Introducing Concept-Based Learning.

Video 1 : Introducing concept-based learning:

• What is a concept?
• The purpose of concept-based teaching
• Related concepts vs. key concepts
• Developing conceptual thinking
• Download your free...

Welcome back! And if you’re just showing up….welcome! I have had an overwhelming response to video number 1! I’m beyond grateful for everyone who commented, sent me private messages and all in all, expressed thanks. I feel incredibly thankful to be a part of such a fabulously supportive, global community of teachers.

Video number 2 is here! Following on from training video number 1, where I introduce the idea of using concepts within teaching and learning, I’ll now go on to give you some practical ideas for developing conceptual thinkers.

These videos are a snapshot of my new online professional development course, Essentials for Inquiry: Getting Started with Inquiry-Based Teaching, which I shall be releasing SOON! I receive so very many questions from teachers all around the world and this course is designed to get you off to an effective start from planning, through the inquiry process, to assessment. It comes complete with lesson...

Hello again! I am delighted to be sharing this inquiry teacher video training series for those of you new to inquiry-based teaching and/or the IB PYP.  If you missed video 1 and video 2 on concept-based learning, you can catch up right here by clicking the links. 

ANOTHER FREE WEBINAR COMING SOON!

With the ENORMOUS response I have had from this summer video series, I have decided to go one step further and will be hosting a FREE webinar about planning the inquiry!  And I know we are ALL over the world, so I have scheduled several times. Hopefully, you are able to make one of those webinars. I shall be sending out invitations to register in the next few days, so, keep an eye on your in box. If you would like to join in, and not yet subscribed to this blog, please drop your name and e mail in the box below.

Collaboration and Inquiry : Summer Training Video 3

The subject of this video in the series is something that is an integral practice to the...

The art of the provocation. Such a vital part of the inquiry classroom. This is the number one request for help and guidance that I receive from teachers, “How and what can I do to provoke this inquiry? ” If this sounds familiar, believe me when I tell you that you are not alone! But don’t worry. I have a few things up my sleeve that can help. In this article, I am sharing suggestions for planning a provocation as well as a guide to Six Simple Provocation activities that you can link to in my Instagram account. Also, read through to the end and you’ll be able to grab a FREE provocation template tool. Easy to use with ANY inquiry, simply edit to suit your needs.  It’s available in digital and printable versions, so whatever your situation or preference, I’ve got you covered.

No matter whether you’re teaching online or in the classroom, setting the scene of the inquiry and tuning in to the...

I am going to begin with applauding each and everyone of you, my dear colleagues, wherever you may be in the world, as we endure this CORVID 19 pandemic and work together to keep educating our young learners and making their lives as normal as possible given the incredible abnormality of the entire situation. I’m hoping, by sharing a few of my own trials and successes, that I can lessen some of the concerns you my have and help you to recognise that we are all feeling the same feelings. Teachers, children and parents alike.

We were thrown into this online learning situation with only 12 hours notice. Italy announced on a Sunday evening that schools would be closed the next day, for one week. Three weeks later, we re still working through it and growing from it! Stay positive, stay strong and focus on the silver lining of this cloud.

We have since learned that our children are incredibly positive, incredibly independent and incredibly willing. Their beautifully innocent...

Hello again fellow inquiry teachers! This article is going to be expanding on my previous post where I was sharing my favourite books for developing thinkers and inquirers.

                             Looking for ideas for books? Read the article here.

Over the course of the next few weeks, I’m going to be breaking down the IB Approaches to Learning Thinking Skills and sharing strategies for bringing a greater awareness and understanding of the sub-skills to the children.  If you are a subscriber to my blog, you already know that I send you free samples of my new resources and examples of tools I’ve used.  Look out for those in your inbox over the next few weeks. If you’d like to become a subscriber and...