C45: Putting all the Pieces Together

As my podcast series evolved, it seemed like all of the strategies were geared to supporting students in their abilities.  I think that is brilliant, especially during this crazy year we’ve had.  I enjoyed this process of collating and creating unique ideas to support student learning development.

When it came to the topic of transdisciplinary learning, I knew I had to take a different course, since this process is mainly driven by teachers.  Students do participate in the process, but it’s after the teacher(s) have laid the foundation for transdisciplinary learning to happen.  You are the most important part of transdisciplinary learning.  Every decision you make either creates or stops transdisciplinary connections, so we need to plan wisely. 

Some might argue that student driven learning is centered on transdisciplinary learning.  This is true.  But, you need an open-minded teacher to set the stage for this type of learning to exist for the students. 

My ultimate goal is to create learning that is tasty and invites my learners to take a bite out of risk-taking, inquiry, and demonstrating their own agency. 

If you are new to the PYP, I am sorry if I have confused you massively.  If all of the ideas are too massive, push the rewind button and consider revisiting these ideas in a year or two.  There will come a time when you’ve had enough practice and professional development that the ideas will click in your mind. 

If you have been on the PYP journey for some time, well done.  We need your level of experience, repeated exposure to big ideas, and knowledge of the program.  I hope the ideas in this series were beneficial to you. If not, I’m sure there will be something else that comes along that springboards an aha moment. 

Possible Next Steps

As we bring this series to a close, I want to provide my suggested sequence of how to proceed. Everyone is different in their thinking, but I’m a bit linear and methodical.  Have you noticed the order of my podcast series?  

Suggested order of steps: 
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• Identify the concepts from the theme descriptors.  This is your anchor, so it’s super important.  
• Create or re-write central ideas to emulate the big ideas from the theme descriptor that you have chosen
• Write lines of inquiry that reflect the big ideas in your central idea
• Map your content to support the teaching of these ideas, including the specialist and supporting teachers
• Assess this process regularly to identify further transdisciplinary connections
• Teach your units as units, not different subjects.  
• Assess understanding of the big ideas (concepts) and the knowledge and skills (content)
• Allow students to voice agency 
• Regularly reflect with your team about your journey and suggest next steps

When I write it down in a checklist, it seems so easy, but this will be one of the hardest things you do.  With that said, it will become the most fulfilling part of your educational career.  Our goal has always been to provide students with the tools they’ll need to be successful tomorrow.  Transdisciplinary learning does that beautifully. 

I’ve put you through the ringer the past few weeks, but I hope you have found some utility value in the process. Now, we are going to explore something a bit lighter to give your brain some food for thought, but allow it to rest.  We will examine how to use the approaches to learning in a deeper, more enriching way.