Creating Connections at Hephzibah ES

​After attending the Pop-Up Studio EduRetreat, I was on a mental high. The number #1 lesson that I learned is the old adage, "less is more."  We all know it, but do we live by it?

In preparation for the Making the PYP Happen: Implementing Agency workshop, I knew I wanted to transfer my learning.  Coupled with my recent IBEN development experiences, I knew I could make it so much more meaningful to my learners.  

In preparation, I followed some common steps over again to guide each session.  It always began with an experience, question, or open-ended task.  Here, we are using the materials mingler that was modeled by Misty while in Brussels.

The directions were simple:  Use the materials to show line and shape.  

Some participants took it quite literally while others created abstract works of art.  We picked up our papers and angled them differently so the ink would run together to create new shapes and lines.  Something so simple, but so needed to get our thinking to come alive. 

To support the thinking, we took random Dollar Store materials and sorted by use.  This was done through this question:  What scientific principles do you see? 

Concepts are the hardest things for new teachers to the PYP to grasp.  This is natural, since it's the moment abstract.  By sorting materials using scientific principles, we were then able to label the grouping with a related concept.  Poof...the light bulbs went on. 

To help us synthesize the big ideas of the workshop, we used the PYP Nano Resources to gather new ideas about inquiry, transdisciplinary learning, or central ideas. Each group chose their topic (agency) and captured their notes on the back of seven strips from our materials mingler with lines and shapes. 

Each group was able to capture the big ideas and weave their strips together.  I modeled how you can highlight the words that are peeking out to create a big idea of the Nano engagement. 

Here is an example of a teacher's summary statement:  "In the PYP school, students are not restricted to standards and have a peaceful learning environment." 

One major aha moment:  teachers realized that they had created a central idea for their PD Nano engagement.  We discussed how to deconstruct the process, so we don't add so much pressure on ourselves to have the perfect wording.  We are striving to create central ideas that are thoughtful, provoking, and worth researching. 

One of the best parts of this experience was reducing the number of extra slides that I had incorporated into my facilitation.  In all, I cut about 100 slides.  Less is definitely more. 

I can't wait to try it again!