Approaches to Learning

by Oscar Becwarika

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016

International Baccalaureate® | Baccalauréat International® | Bachillerato Internacional®
 Teachers will have the opportunity to draw on their own

experiences and the experiences of SSIS Senior school

colleagues as well as on insights from experts in the field,

to develop a deliberate and dynamic approach to

approaches to learning at SSIS

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016

International Baccalaureate® | Baccalauréat International® | Bachillerato Internacional®
 Use a word or phrase to answer the
question in www.menti.com
Why do think parents send their children
to school / why do we teach

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016 08/23/2020 3

 Approaches to teaching
How does this relate to theand learning in
the
IB Diploma standards
Programme Programme and practices?
C2.4 The written curriculum identifies the knowledge,
concepts, skills and attitudes to be developed over
time.
C2.6 The written curriculum incorporates relevant
experiences for students.
C3.2 Teaching and learning engages students as inquirers
and thinkers.
C3.9 Teaching and learning uses a range and variety of
strategies.

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016 08/23/2020 4

 Link to IB Programme standards and
practices: Standard C
C.3.5 Teaching and learning supports students to
become actively responsible for their own learning.

C 3.5 Teaching and learning supports students

to become actively responsible for their own
learning.

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016

 COMMUNICATION SKILLS

SOCIAL SKILLS
THINKING SKILLS

SELF-MANAGEMENT SKILLS

RESEARCH SKILLS
• Acquisition of • Listening • Accepting • Organization • Formulating
knowledge responsibility questions
• Speaking • Time
• Comprehension • Respecting management • Observing
• Reading others
• Application • Safety • Planning
• Writing • Cooperating
• Analysis • Healthy • Collecting
• Viewing • Resolving lifestyle data
• Synthesis conflict
• Codes of • Recording
• Presenting
• Evaluation • Group behaviour data
• Non-verbal decision-
making • Informed • Organizing
• Dialectical communication
choice data
thought • Adopting a
• Seeking variety of group
• Metacognition • Seeking • Interpreting
feedback; roles
support when data
reflecting
constructively on • Engaging needed
own work • Presenting
varying
research findings
personalities and
differing points
of view

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016

Hearts ( English) Counselling

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016

 Clubs – Math Department
Clubs – Chinese Department

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016

Diamonds _ Science Diamonds _ PE and IT

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016

Spades _ Humanities Spades _ Performing ,
Visual Arts

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016

 THINKING SKILLS

COMMUNICATION SKILL

RESEARCH SKILLS

SELF-MANAGEMENT SKILLS

SOCIAL SKILLS

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016

 THINKING SKILLS

SELF-MANAGEMENT SKILLS

SOCIAL SILLS

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016

Hearts Clubs Diamonds Spades

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016

 C.3.5 Teaching and learning supports students to
become actively responsible for their own learning.

C 3.5 Teaching and learning supports students

to become actively responsible for their own
learning.

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016

How we are doing at SSIS from the
Survey ?
Thinking Skills ; Questions 1 to 11
In almost every lesson In the majority of lessons In an occasional lesson
Not in this unit/topic Unsure

5%
13%

39%

43%

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016 08/23/2020 15

 Research Skills; Questions 13 to 20

In almost every lesson In the majority of lessons In an occasional lesson Not in this unit/topic Unsure

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016 08/23/2020 16

Communication skills ; Questions 22 to 31

15% 12%

In almost every lesson

28% In the majority of lessons

In an occasional lesson

44%
Not in this unit/topic

Unsure

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016 08/23/2020 17

 Social Skills :Questions 33 to 42
Unsure
Not in this unit/topic 1% In almost every lesson
11% 11%

In the majority of lessons

29%

In an occasional lesson
48%

In almost every lesson In the majority of lessons In an occasional lesson Not in this unit/topic Unsure

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016 08/23/2020 18

 Self management Skills : Questions 44 to 54
4
10

52

In almost every lesson

In the majority of lessons
In an occasional lesson
Not in this unit/topic
64
Unsure

57

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016 08/23/2020 19

 The term “skill” is used in a broad sense in the DP to
encompass cognitive, metacognitive and affective skills

Cognitive skills include all the information-processing and thinking skills, often called “study skills” in a school
environment.

Affective skills are the skills of behaviour and emotional management underpinning attitudinal factors such as
resilience, perseverance and self-motivation, which often have a large role to play in educational achievement.

Metacognitive skills are the skills that students can use to monitor the effectiveness of their learning skills and
processes, to better understand and evaluate their learning.

Activity:
• In pairs, use the example of a medical doctor diagnosing a patient with a rare disease. What
cognitive, metacognitive, and affective skills would the doctor require in order to effectively perform
this task? Create a mind-map to share with the group.

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016 08/23/2020 20

Impliciet versus explicit

You are likely to already be familiar with the approaches to

teaching and learning. The key is to consider how you can
make these approaches more:

• Explicit

• Deliberate

• Visible

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016 08/23/2020 21

Approaches to teaching and learning
• Skills can be learned and taught, improved with practise and
developed incrementally
• Not all are formally assessed, but they contribute to students’
achievement in all subject groups.
• Provide a common language that students and teachers can use to
reflect on and articulate, throughout the process of learning.
• In order to develop approaches to teaching and learning that facilitate
effective and efficient learning, students need:
• models
• clear expectations
• developmental benchmarks (or targets)
• multiple opportunities to practice.

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016 08/23/2020 22

Task in groups ; Approaches to learning skills
categories
In all IB programmes, approaches to learning skills are grouped into five
ATL categories
categories
Thinking skills Communication Social skills Self-management Research skills
skills skills

Turn and talk in your groups using the Library given

• Define the Approaches to learning skill highlighted ?
• Create a mind-map to share with the group to illustrate the different
aspects of the skill?
• Discuss and explain how this approach to learning skill is evident in your
teaching at SSIS?
• Discuss and explain how this approach to learning skill is not evident in
your teaching at SSIS?
• From your personal observations, which approaches to learning skill
category poses the biggest challenge for students? Why? ( attempt this
when you have finished looking at all the approaches to learning skills)

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016 08/23/2020 23

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016 08/23/2020 24
 21st century workplace competencies
• Comaford, C. 22 April 2017. “This Is What Generation Z Wants From The Workplace”. Forbes.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecomaford/2017/04/22/what-generation-z-wants-from-the-workplace-are-you-rea
dy/#3bb7fe7953ef

• Agan, T. 9 November 2013. “Embracing the Millenials’ Mind-Set at Work”. The New York Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/10/jobs/embracing-the-millennials-mind-set-at-work.html

• Chamorro-Premuzic, T. 18 February 2015. “Three Things You Should Know About Workplace Competencies”.
Forbes.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomaspremuzic/2015/02/18/3-things-you-should-know-about-competencies/#43a8fdca44
70

Read:
• Break into groups of three and divide the articles
• Briefly summarize three major points from your article
• Share your ideas with the group

Discuss:
• What connections are there between your article and the deliberate teaching of approaches to learning skills?
• What insights did you gain about the importance of explicitly teaching approaches to learning skills?
• What do you see as the most important competencies for the 21st century workplace?
• Do you feel the current education system is adequately preparing students for the workplace of the future?

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016 08/23/2020 25

 Effective communication skills
As teachers, we strive to promote effective communication and
teamwork in our classrooms. Mendler (2013) identifies eight
simple tips for encouraging good communication in the classroom:
• Model a good conversation, particularly with students who
struggle conversationally.
• Encourage physical cues.
• Challenge put-downs or hurtful comments.
• Ask open-ended questions.
• Put thinking ahead of knowing.
• Have informal conversations.
• Make eye contact.
• Encourage turn-taking.

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016 08/23/2020 26

Consider the following questions:
• What does it mean to be a “thinker” in
your discipline? What are the main
attributes of being a “thinker” in your
discipline? What challenges do we face
in helping students become “thinkers”?

• How does being a “thinker” link to the

other attributes of the IB learner
profile?

• What is the role of interdisciplinary

thinking in the DP? Why is the ability
to “transfer” concepts essential to an
International Baccalaureate education?

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016 08/23/2020 27

 Theory of knowledge (TOK) can provide us with powerful tools to promote
conceptual and critical thinking in all disciplines.

Activity:

• Pair up with a teacher from a different discipline

• Using the following TOK prescribed title from May 2017, identify an example from
your discipline which connects to the title:

"Given access to the same facts, how is it possible that there can be
disagreement between experts in a discipline? Develop your answer
with reference to two areas of knowledge.”

• With your partner, create a visual map represent your thinking. You will share your
map during a “gallery walk”. Consider the following:

• What methods are used in each subject to generate knowledge?

• What thinking skills are required in order to transfer this concept between subjects? Why are these
vital skills?
• What challenges do we encounter when trying to transfer abstract concepts between disciplines?

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016 08/23/2020 28

Critical thinking
• What are the key methodologies used in this lesson?

• How are “visible thinking” strategies being employed?

• What critical thinking strategy is being encouraged? How could

that strategy be applied in your own discipline?

• Share your thinking with the group.

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016 08/23/2020 29

 Making thinking visible
There are a wide variety of visible thinking strategies to promote critical thinking skills in the
classroom. Examine the various strategies below, and choose one that resonates with you. In pairs,
use one of the following strategies to reflect on something that has been covered so far in this
course. Share how you used the strategy with the group.

Examples of visible thinking routines from Harvard Project Zero (Ritchhart et al, 2011)
Connect, extend, challenge Generate-sort-connect-elaborate I used to think ... now I think ...
(routine to help students make (concept mapping routine) (routine to help effective reflection
connections between old knowledge   on how and why their thinking has
and new knowledge) changed)
 

Headlines Claim, support, question Think, pair, share

(routine where students write a (routine for exploring claims; (routine where students think
newspaper style headline to capture Students make a claim, identify individually, then share/ compare
the essence of an idea, event, topic, support for that claim, then ask a their thinking with a partner)
etc.) question related to that claim)
 

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016

Technology and social skills
As teachers, we strive to assist our students in develop strong social and
collaborative skills. Technology increasingly plays a role in how we interact
with each other, and has strong implications in shaping social relationships.
Communications theorist Marshall McLuhan investigated the impact
technological advancements have on social interactions. Read the following
article, and identify three concepts that relate to this approaches to learning
category.
What is the Meaning of The Medium is the Messa
ge
by Mark Federman http://individual.utoronto.ca/
markfederman/article_mediumisthemessage.htm

What role does technology play in your

classroom? What role does technology play in
your life outside of the classroom? What are the
implications of technology for our students?

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016 08/23/2020 31

Technology and social skills
• In a small group, choose three technologies/mediums we
often use in a classroom environment. How do these
various technologies impact how our students interact
with each other?
• What are the challenges or opportunities associated with
each technology/medium, and how do they impact how
our students develop social skills?

Create a graphic representation of your

thinking to share with the wider group.

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016 08/23/2020 32

Service and social skills
Creativity, activity, service (CAS) and CP service learning are core aspects of the IB
experience. These aspects demand students demonstrate strong social skills.
Service is collaborative and reciprocal community engagement in response to an
authentic need. By investigating and identifying a community need, then determining
a plan of action that respects the rights, dignity and autonomy of all involved,
students are performing service.

Examples:
• Volunteering at a soup kitchen
• Advocating for a cause of global concern
• Organizing a charity soccer tournament

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016 08/23/2020 33

Self-management in the classroom
As teachers, we focus on differentiating our instruction to meet the needs of
all learners, to remove barriers to learning. An important aspect of removing
these barriers is helping students learn a variety of strategies to gain some
control over mood, motivation, and attitude.
Self-management focuses on building the following competencies in students:

• Persistence and perseverance

• Building self-esteem and identity
• Focus and concentration
• Self-motivation
• Mindfulness
• Reducing anxiety
• Delaying gratification
• Managing impulsiveness and anger
• Developing resilience

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016 08/23/2020 34

Goal setting and time management in the
IB classroom
One of the most crucial skill sets needed for success in the IB programmes are organizational
skills, and within that the particular skills of goal setting and time management.

What is the relationship between control and time? How can this
relationship be challenging and/or rewarding? In pairs, create a visual metaphor
to explain your thinking. Share your metaphor with the group.

In groups of four, brainstorm goal setting and time managements strategies you have used in the
classroom, or that are used in the greater school community. Share your ideas with the group.

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016 08/23/2020 35

 Mindset and resilience in the IB classroom
Can we change our mindsets?
Is resilience innate or built?

Read the following article and highlight what you feel are the essential
learnings. Share your thoughts with a small group.

• “’Nice Try!’ Is Not Enough” by KJ Dell’Antonia https://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/01/21/

nice-try-is-not-enough/

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016 08/23/2020 36

Questions for students to ask themselves

• Resilience What did I do well? What did I not do well? What can I learn for next time? Mistakes are a
good opportunity to learn.

• Self motivation What do I want to achieve with this unit? What challenges will I face? How can I
overcome them? What is my learning journey? What is my goal?

• Mindfulness How do I feel today? How can I manage the demands of today? What will help me right
now? I can’t control the past or the future but I can make a good choice right now.

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016 08/23/2020 37

Media literacy concepts
As teachers, we strive to help students develop tools to negotiate the world around them. The
explicit teaching of media literacy concepts can assist students construct a world view, and better
understand various perspectives. Review the following media literacy concepts. Which ones
resonate in your discipline? Do you explicitly teach any of the concepts? How?

1. Media texts construct reality

2. Media texts construct versions of reality
3. Audiences negotiate meaning
4. Media messages have economic implications
5. Media texts communicate values messages
6. Media texts communicate political and social messages
7. Form and content are closely related in each medium
8. Each medium has a unique aesthetic form

“What is media literacy” from the Association for Media Literacy

http://www.aml.ca/keyconceptsofmedialiteracy

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016 08/23/2020 38

Academic honesty
As teachers, we strive to assist our students in developing
academic integrity. How do you encourage academic
honesty in your classroom? How does your greater school
community approach academic honesty?

Group together with teachers from your discipline, and

discuss the challenges surrounding academic honesty, and
strategies to address these challenges. Share your best
strategy with the larger group.

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016 08/23/2020 39

Extended essay and the reflective project
The extended essay (EE) in the DP and the reflective project (RP) in the
CP both require students to demonstrated and develop a wide variety of
research skills.

Group together with teachers from your discipline, and identify three
relevant research skills explicitly taught in your subject. How do these
skills transfer to the EE or RP process? What model does your school use
to support students during the EE or RP process?

What ideas/strategies can you take from EE or RP supervision strategies

and advice in order to support student research in your own subject
lessons, particularly in terms of supporting students with their DP
internal assessment tasks?

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016 08/23/2020 40

• Consistently excel

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016 08/23/2020 41

Wrap-up
• Link to IB Programme standards and practices: Standard
C

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2016 08/23/2020 42