Edmonton Catholic Schools provides quality education surrounded by the love and faith of Jesus Christ. It includes information about the. These are always popular. It’s a learning and l’m already using traffic light sometimes in my classes. The introduction of student agency is not a new change in the Primary Years Programme. Using success criteria and self-assessment helps them to make informed choices. But complexity is good. Dec 29, 2019 - Explore Jacqueline Ann's board "Learner Agency & Innovative Learning Environments", followed by 214 people on Pinterest. In my well-intentioned lessons, I miss their divergent comments, I offer a provocative question but rush their thinking time, or I give a factual answer when we should really marinate in confusion. Developing Thinkers with the IB PYP Approaches to Learning Skills, Amazing Books for Developing IB PYP Thinking Skills, Strategies for Authentic IB PYP Inquiry with Distance Learning, Online Teaching with the IB PYP- A Starting Point, Developing Personal, Social and Emotional Learning within the IB PYP, FREE Video 3 Training for IB PYP Inquiry Teachers, 2nd FREE Video-Inquiry Teacher Training! You can try it out for free if you like, here.Â. Jo, Hi Jo, Greetings ! And many more! Learner agency leads to increased feelings of competence, self-control, and self-determinism; and higher emotional intelligence. The resources would be best printed on A3 (or larger size) or can be used as a quick reference document. Rajendra, Your email address will not be published. It really all depends on your group of kids and how much autonomy they may have been exposed to prior. And although there are many different approaches to planning for student-led conferences, generally all iterations of SLCs have some element of student voice, choice and owership. I’m so glad it was useful for you. Categories assessment, IB, IB PYP, inquiry, inquiry based learning, inquiry based teaching, International baccalaureate, PYP, PYP classroom, teaching Tags assessment, ib pyp, student agency. (3) Assessment in the early years. A more useful question, given advances in tools and schools in the last 15 years, would be, “How do distinct components of learner experience influence the development and expression of agency?” In particular, factors related to learning models, progressions, and environments appear critical to promoting or damaging agency. The last 10-15 minutes at the  end of the day is our reflection time, where we discuss and share our new knowledge, our reflection journals and look at the inquiry bank. challenge – Only when students are challenged beyond current levels of understanding, do they experience the frustration and dissonance needed to ask questions, test theories and start investigations of their own. (2) PYP action in the early years Best regards I know many are using digital portfolios and, of course, these can be used as a record of learning too. Probably the simplest way to get your kiddos thinking like active and important members of the classroom community is to involve them in making some of the decisions for their classroom. The IB learner profile permeates all facets of school life in the Primary Years Programme (PYP). This article explores the complexities of learner agency. It discusses some important pedagogical practices that support self-directed, mastery-driven inquiry. Learner agency; Learner Profile; Action in the PYP; The Early Years Learner feedback (and feedforward) – Students exercise agency when they know the next steps to take on their journey of personal growth. Thank you for sharing this! It’s been a great help with simplifying student agency, and given me awesome ideas to create workshop material for our staff. IB PYP THE LEARNER. Learner agency 1. My iceberg is an attempt to capture the complexity of supporting learner agency. For example, if I know each learner’s current understanding of 2D space, I might invite one student to develop a mathematical proof. As the Learner Profile has always been the centre of the PYP, so must the Learner become the centre of our classroom. In my school district we adopted the five learning beliefs from Education Reimagined to help drive our district vision: competency-based; personalized, relevant & contextualized; learner agency; socially embedded; open-walled.. And they are never present in the documentation provided by the IB. Thank you! Til next time….. It  has been an explicit expectation of the PYP for a while, that successful inquiry will lead to student initiated action as a direct result of the learning process, which in turn, extends the students’ learning. A direct connection can be found between self-directed learning, learner agency, and emotional intelligence. I have referenced this page – and acknowledged your ideas. The inquiry bank is a communal area where the children are encouraged to read others’ inquiries and answer them too. These Goal Setting activities are simple to print,  go and display. Hello, The International Baccalaureate (IB), formerly known as the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), is a non-profit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded in 1968. 8:35 pm Learner Agency & the Instructional Core. Learning Through Agency PYP students with agency use their own initiative and will, and take responsibility and ownership of their learning. If there is a particularly popular question, then I will add it to our lines of inquiry. © International Baccalaureate Organization. Learner Agency is widely discussed in education circles with growing numbers of educators producing articles on the benefits of building the capacity of learners. In Education Reimagined’s lexicon, Learner Agency is the “methodological development of both the capacity and the freedom of learners to exercise choice regarding what is to be learned and to co-create how that learning is to take place” (italics mine). Honestly, learner agency is not visible all day, every day. Learner Agency Derek Wenmoth CORE Education Upper Hutt Education Cluster 21 October, 2016 2. The IB learner pro le represents 10 attributes valued by IB World Schools. Developing agentic learners is more than offering a list of choices and seeking student voice. IB PYP LEARNING and TEACHING. All members of the learning community from the youngest learners to school leaders to parents, educators and beyond, have a responsibility to be guided by and demonstrate a commitment to the development of the IB learner profile attributes. Learner agency is a key feature of the Enhanced PYP. Get every new post delivered right to your inbox. Unpacking the understanding of agency and thinking about its implication in this major event in the life of a fifth grader was a challenge. Find out here. Join our IB PYP Educators group on LinkedIn. Involvement is peer learning at it’s finest with children working together to learn something, teaching each other a skill or a strategy. We take data protection and data privacy seriously. (2018) And so, I thought I’d take a step back, try to clarify the term “student agency” and go from there.  So, bear with me if you’re up to date with the shifting and changing going on. Tracking progress can be done with a simple rubric, chart, graph or a software programme such as Accelerated Reader/Math.  There is always a few kiddos that you have to chase down but for the most part, the kids enjoy the independent aspect of the conference. Thank you for letting me know. However, small groups can collaborate to teach another small group a skill that we have been learning. Agency is basically when our students have ownership of their own learning and action that comes from that learning.  Our job is to facilitate opportunities with their learning that enable more active participation for the kids. Transdisciplinary learning One way of thinking of learner agency is when learners have “the power to act”. These views and opinions do not represent or reflect the views and opinions of the IB. I also like to make it clear that the children can begin with one station and, if they find it too difficult or not challenging enough, then they can move onto another station. IB PYP THE LEARNER: A resource that documents the key facets of the what it means to be a learner in the PYP. If we want students to be risk-takers, we must allow teachers to be risk-takers. Developing Conceptual Thinkers, New to the IB PYP? The  children identify and set their own goals, help to choose their own differentiated activities and reflect upon how well they have met their goals. This was definitely a new word in my PYP vocabulary, but I used it all the time now, so let's first think about what it means. Profile: Norris Academy; Share On. And it’s not the children, with strong opinions and giant questions, who lack motivation! This form of leadership can be viewed as deliberate, independent decision making for one’s own success or leading synergistically within a group. The presence of a link is not an IB endorsement of the site and the IB is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites. While it is innate for us to have agency, our current mental models of school systems often limit agentic practices. It’s complexity that protects us from the trap of false dichotomies. How do we handle your personal data? However that spectrum of voice, choice and ownership can vary greatly school to school, class to class. Win-win! You are reminded that while all web addresses referenced in this blog were correct at the time of publishing, links can quickly become obsolete and we are unable to guarantee that links will continue to remain active. Learner agency can be remembered as "voice, choice and ownership" which Bandura says "enable[s] people to play a part in their self-development, adaption, and self-renewal with changing times" (in Learner Agency, IB 2018). Follow us. These things can be introduced as slowly or as  quickly as you feel your group of learners can cope. This was brilliant, very very helpful and written in such an ‘easy-to-read’ manner. The IB learner profile is the IB mission statement translated into a set of attributes demonstrated by an internationally minded person. So happy it’s useful for you Amal. Agency is when learning involves the activity and the initiative of the learner, more than whatever is passed on from the teacher, curriculum or resources. Agency is when learning involves the activity and the initiative of the learner, more than the inputs that are transmitted to the learner from the teacher, from the curriculum, the resources and so forth. Please feel free to comment below and add any other suggestions and ideas that you may have. Even though the term “student agency” is the new buzz word regarding our learners in the PYP, it really isn’t altogether new. We discuss the data that I have tracked, their questions and concerns and together we set goals for the following week. The first time I introduce this to my class, I will take time to explain the expectations, making it clear that we all have different strengths and challenges and that just because your best pal chooses one station doesn’t mean that it is the right station for you too. I have also used and references your Student Agency image for a presentation on creating cultures of thinking. It includes information about the. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are those of the authors of the articles who are independent of the IB and are based upon their own experiences of the PYP. Oct 6, 2020 - Explore Grace Gruendler's board "Student Agency", followed by 125 people on Pinterest. What’s happening in the Environment? I like to model it for the children first, using myself as the subject. This year… This works very well with 5-7 yrs old kids. But: what about teacher agency?. However, they are of little consequence to classroom educators, working with children who need responsive, personalised guidance. Use this page to help PYP parents understand the programme. Character development is fostered by incorporating the IB Learner Profile attributes and IB Attitudes into daily activities, routines and lessons. The IB is not responsible for the information collection practices of non-IB sites. The opposite of a learner with agency is a passive learner. Thank you! When my classroom starts buzzing with rich, student-led inquiry, I know that learner agency is high. For example: These dichotomies often spark debate. FREE Teachers’ Video Training Series. It was indeed a good learning experience. Some people prefer to use sticky notes, I prefer dry erase markers on a whiteboard. According to the section on Learner Agency in PYP: From Principles into Practice agency "enables people to play a part in their self-development, adaptation and self-renewal with changing times" (Bandura). What is the Learner doing? Susan. As the facilitator, it is easy to jump in and help as necessary. Exploring the pedagogy that supports learner agency, Making real life connections in response to challenges, Engaging with learner agency as a community, A transdisciplinary approach to a Grade 4 unit of inquiry. With a learner-centred classroom the teacher becomes the facilitator of the learning and assessment, monitoring the action, the progress and checking in with the kids. Thanks once again. Students with agency: Beautifully explained. It discusses some important pedagogical practices that support self-directed, mastery-driven inquiry. IB PYP LEARNING and TEACHING: A resource that documents the key ideals and practices that underpin learning and teaching in the enhanced PYP. A quick summary for the international teacher. We apologize if you find that a particular link no longer works. It is a move towards emphasising the importance of providing more autonomy to students, thus giving them an opportunity to develop leadership capabilities to act and bring about a change around them. Here a few: curriculum knowledge – Agency occurs when teachers know the curriculum so well, they can say “yes” to student-led inquiries because they are confident in making curricular connections and guiding conceptual learning. The answers are written beside ( or sticky note added beside) the inquiry. Johnna Noll Executive Director. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Student agency is fostered when students regularly use the learner profile attributes to set goals and reflect on their personal growth as IB learners. Learner agency can be remembered as “voice, choice and ownership” which Bandura says “enable[s] people to play a part in their self-development, adaption, and self-renewal with changing times” (in Learner Agency, IB 2018) The idea of agency is closely connected to self-efficacy, a belief in one’s own ability to succeed. Learner agency is when learners have the power to act and make choices. This article explores the complexities of learner agency. This is kept in our Reflection Journals, which each child brings with them to our conference. See more ideas about Student, Visible learning, Student voice. There’s been a great deal of talk about agency lately. You can download it for free right here or by clicking on the image.  Â, Once the children reflect upon their strengths and challenges as a learner, the Create Your Own bunting below is  a great focus activity where they can select a few profile traits and attitudes and explain more about how they see themselves within THAT profile trait. Can we dig a little deeper? as well ( specials teachers, SPED etc) and parents, making for a wonderful communication tool between all parties involved. It becomes more of a partnership with the teacher when the students are helping to design the projects and activities along the lines of inquiry, which is driven by their curiosity and interest. The difference with the current shift towards greater student agency is that the emphasis is on the word “greater”. (There is another blog post that goes into more depth about actively engaging learners with a growth mind-set here.). I have done this successfully with reading, science and math inquiries. Thank you for sharing. This isn’t too surprising. It is of course an on-going process. Currently available: With peer assessment, be sure that the kids know to give positive. 9/30/2018 0 Comments Agency is the power to take meaningful and intentional action, and supports voice, choice and ownership for students, teachers and the wider learning community. It is also a brilliant homework task –  choose something that you have learned this month and prepare a lesson for the class. -reflection journals – as bullet notes, sketch notes, short paragraphs, graphic organisers ( focusing on teacher-guided specifics or free choice), sticky notes, pictures glued onto pages with thoughts/questions. When I first started writing this post, my intention was to jump straight into ideas for implementing student agency in our PYP classrooms. Underpinning high agency environments are a host of not very new, not very innovative…but very important…educational practices. Within a learner-centred environment there is a lot more student participation with reflection and responsibility than in a teacher-centred environment. This immediately gives them a voice. It makes a great display too. Which, when you think about it, how can it NOT extend their learning? Shannon O’Dwyer is the Deputy Head – Academics at The King’s School (Preparatory School), an IB World School in Sydney, Australia. Creating a high agency environment is a complex quest. Thank you very much! In addition to the PLPs, we take time each term to set goals for our own learning and I like to keep those goals on display so that they are easy to refer to and right under ittle noses, thus keeping everyone accountable. Courses in our schools are taught using the Gospel values of dignity and respect to ensure the best possible learning environment for each child. This is a tokenistic or watered down version of authentic agency. right here or by clicking on the image.  Â. Harvey Daniels book show above for those who’d like to learn more about Lit Circles. Learner Agency and Emotional Intelligence. I have found that works best in one-to-one pairings. This blog may contain web addresses of web sites created and maintained by other public and/or private organizations. -our questions, activities that we do, conversations that stuck with us, noting our mistakes & our discoveries, making connections etc. Your email address will not be published. Many thanks Then I got to thinking that maybe not everyone is wholly familiar with the PYP’s enhancements to be released this year. The reflection afterwards is quite powerful indeed.  It takes a wee bit more preparation on the teacher’s part but it is well worth it, I promise. As the IB rolled out a PYP enhancement about learner agency, the grade 5 team at International School of Tanganyika thought about how to incorporate agency into our PYP exhibition. All the best with your workshop. This takes about 60-75 minutes to complete a class in one sitting and I schedule it at the same time as our independent reading time, where the kids are working quietly on reading and related activities. Where are students exercising their agency? See our latest study on the transcultural capability and the PYP here. As a community of educators, many of us are still working to create environments that support student agency. Customer • Materialis.c concept of life • Consumer of a large range of goods and services as defined by someone else • Always searching for the ‘perfect brand’ 3. Kids trip out when you first have them help plan their own learning!  But they absolutely love it! It’s important to keep in mind that it’s not a brand new change but rather a shift towards a greater emphasis of providing more deliberate autonomy for our students, thus developing leadership. After all, it’s a major component of the new, enhanced PYP.However, with the explosion of conversations surrounding this topic, many seem to think that it’s merely the latest buzzword in education. Inquiry based teaching tips and tools for teachers worldwide. Learner Agency in 7 different ways At the end of October 2018, the IB's Primary Year's Programme released the much-anticipated new digital resource, "PYP: From principles into practice" (available on My IB 's Programme Resource Centre). The Learner: Programme Resource. Thank you for this information, Susan. (1) Learner agency in the early years To TEFL or not to TEFL? 13 Replies to “Assessment and Student Agency in the IB PYP” Kim Engasser says: February 20, 2019 at 11:40 am -PLPs –These can kept in the back of our Reflection journals and then added to our Portfolios for each unit. I have a Tic Tac Toe version for all transdisciplinary themes, geared for 3rd-5th grades that you check out here as well as choice boards for math standards.  So easy to print and go. The resources would be best printed on A3 (or larger size) or can be used as a quick reference document. There are many different ways to do this. When we witness agency in classrooms, it is truly thrilling. They direct their learning with a strong sense of identity and self-belief, and in conjunction with others, thereby building a sense of community and awareness of the opinions, values and needs of others. Learn how your comment data is processed. There are many ways that we can start to bring more responsibility into the hands of our pupils. And it covers so many of the APL skills! Learn how to strengthen programme implementation by reviewing this previously recorded series of webinars. I appreciate your feedback. Students are alive with purpose, passion and confidence. Learner agency at Norris Academy develops leaders at all levels. assessment – Teachers who continually collect and analyse information about what students know and how they learn, are well-equipped to provide just-right, just-in-time guidance to sustain student-led inquiry. Sharing news, updates and effective practice for the IB Primary Years Programme, What Lies Beneath Learner Agency? We, as the teachers, have to develop a greater awareness of what agency in our classroom looks like so that we are conscientiously implementing that shift towards supporting and developing even further ownership of learning amongst our children by giving them greater opportunities for voice and choice. independently choose which inquiry based activities they will do. We conduct Outcomes research to investigate the impact of the programme on students, teachers and schools, and Curriculum research to support the development and review of our programme curriculum and pedagogy. We should perhaps remember that many unseen, but important, factors support autonomous learning. psychological safety – Students advocate for their own learning when they trust that their mistakes are valued and respected by their peers and teachers. The learner profile provides a long‐ term vision of education. Categories Goal Setting, IB PYP, International baccalaureate, Learner Profile, PYP, PYP classroom, Student agency Tags active learning, authentic learning, Back to school, enquiry based teaching, growth mindset, ib pyp, IB PYP Learner Profile, ib world school, IBPYP, international baccalaureate, student agency, teacher Parents are encouraged to reinforce the attributes of the learner profile at home by recognizing when their child is … Learner agency is a key feature of the Enhanced PYP. Provocations have sparked curiosity, invitations (cognitive and interpersonal) have been accepted, collaboration has been fruitful, and teacher guidance has been “goldilocked” (pitched at a just-right level to keep students striving for understanding). Embedding learner agency in school systems, curriculum. IB programs promote the development of schools that: Create educational opportunities that encourage healthy relationships, individual and shared responsibility and effective teamwork and collaboration When you copy a link to an outside web site, you are subject to the privacy and security policies of the owners/sponsors of the outside web site(s). Kids LOVE standing up and being the teacher. This learner profile helps a child to develop social skills, thinking skills, research skills, communication skills and self management skills. A staple of any PYP school is the student-led conference. Learn More . Creating truly empowering classrooms should be challenging and even elusive at times.