My journey as an educator has taken many twists and turns. At both a national and international level I have carved my ways through the British, Canadian, American and Australia curriculums. I now am working with the IB programmes. What is so unique and educationally valued about this programme is the empathise on interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches to education. As Walter Isaacson in his recent biography on Leonardo da Vinci states "The ability to make connections across disciplines - arts and sciences, humanities and technology is a key to innovation, imagination, and genius.” (Isaacson, Intro, p2 ) School programmes that embrace this type of approach are surely inspiring successful leaders and thinkers of the future.
In the IB and other similar programmes concepts drive content and process skills through inquiry that is blended and connected to real life and the world. My students are encouraged to be creative, think critically, reflect on their learning and have an understanding of the importance of intercultural connections for a more peaceful and sustainable planet. They are enthusiastic about the learning because it can be connected and related to our world and their roles within it. As an educator, we also have the freedom to educate in more creative ways especially as it is not solely content driven.
The IB also incorporates ‘Creativity, Activity and Service’ as part of learning. Our students are heavily involved in numerous service activities that help both local and global communities. This includes such things as actioning supplies and educational facilities in less fortunate countries, visiting local nursing homes to provide fun activities for the elderly or even mentoring younger students in sports to name but a few. Here the educator is the facilitator but the students are encouraged to action and lead. As a result I have seen a great shift in my students drive, enthusiasm and passion. They are empowered in the learning process because they are given more responsible of and for their own learning with direct and indirect positive impacts on others.
The point is that for educators and the students we educate, good educational programmes are positive catalysts for change in education. We need dynamic transformative educational programmes. As Sir Ken Robinson says “The fact is that given the challenges we face, education doesn't need to be reformed -- it needs to be transformed. The key to this transformation is not to standardise education, but to personalise it, to build achievement on discovering the individual talents of each child, to put students in an environment where they want to learn and where they can naturally discover their true passions.” (Robinson p238) This is exactly what good educational programmes should be embracing.
June Caulfield
@IBMYP_Educator
Educator and Lifelong Learner
Sources Cited:
Robinson, Ken, and Lou Aronica. The Element ; How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything. Penguin, 2010.
Isaacson, Walter. Leonardo Da Vinci. Simon & Schuster, 2017.
In the IB and other similar programmes concepts drive content and process skills through inquiry that is blended and connected to real life and the world. My students are encouraged to be creative, think critically, reflect on their learning and have an understanding of the importance of intercultural connections for a more peaceful and sustainable planet. They are enthusiastic about the learning because it can be connected and related to our world and their roles within it. As an educator, we also have the freedom to educate in more creative ways especially as it is not solely content driven.
The IB also incorporates ‘Creativity, Activity and Service’ as part of learning. Our students are heavily involved in numerous service activities that help both local and global communities. This includes such things as actioning supplies and educational facilities in less fortunate countries, visiting local nursing homes to provide fun activities for the elderly or even mentoring younger students in sports to name but a few. Here the educator is the facilitator but the students are encouraged to action and lead. As a result I have seen a great shift in my students drive, enthusiasm and passion. They are empowered in the learning process because they are given more responsible of and for their own learning with direct and indirect positive impacts on others.
The point is that for educators and the students we educate, good educational programmes are positive catalysts for change in education. We need dynamic transformative educational programmes. As Sir Ken Robinson says “The fact is that given the challenges we face, education doesn't need to be reformed -- it needs to be transformed. The key to this transformation is not to standardise education, but to personalise it, to build achievement on discovering the individual talents of each child, to put students in an environment where they want to learn and where they can naturally discover their true passions.” (Robinson p238) This is exactly what good educational programmes should be embracing.
June Caulfield
@IBMYP_Educator
Educator and Lifelong Learner
Sources Cited:
Robinson, Ken, and Lou Aronica. The Element ; How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything. Penguin, 2010.
Isaacson, Walter. Leonardo Da Vinci. Simon & Schuster, 2017.