Reflections on Module 1

 I joined this workshop a little later than most; at the end of my first year as a PYP teacher (a situation I will not comment on). Many of the concepts present in this workshop so far I am fairly familiar with, and have encountered them in one form or another throughout my first year (but perhaps unevenly, and much of it not specifically aimed at PYP).

Implementing student agency is perhaps one of the most powerful, intriguing and attractive concepts of the IB overall. This was how I felt about it when I was introduced to the ideas behind the IB, and I’m sure the same has been true for many others. I have also found it very challenging to put into practice; while I have of course strived to award as much agency as possible I perhaps do not yet have the knowledge and experience to do this fully effectively yet. It is still a tricky balance between agency and productivity- allowing students freedom to choose their own learning, while still ensuring that what they do achieve is the best they can. So, I truly appreciate the topic of this workshop.

In week one the main theme as been International-mindedness. In my class of this preceding academic year there has been a mix of local Malay and Malaysian Chinese students, combined with Mainland Chinese, with also Malaysian Indian and British students elsewhere in other PYP classes. For many, thinking internationally comes easy, especially some of the children of parents who they themselves have travelled extensively. There are also those who have lived quite insular and culturally homogenous lives, who come from a background where they mistrusted outsiders. I have had my own successes in developing these ideas in particular the latter group- exposing them to new languages, concepts and beliefs. I also believe I have been successful in fostering open-mindedness between groups, some of whom had openly expressed disdain for one another- but by the end of the year had developed many avenues for bridging the gaps of understanding between them.

The most significant concept for me in this module has been the role of multilingualism as a force for intercultural understanding. Actually it has made me realise that for many students, learning in the last year needs to be greatly improved upon. Generally, most students were only making significant strides in their own family language (plus English) with a few exceptions for those whose home language was not provided for, or was provided for but had started to deteriorate due to lack of stimulating practice with peers. There have been very few examples of learners whose multilingual skills truly represented a breaking of a significant cultural barrier. It is something as a school we have been reflecting upon, and since there have been some big changes in staffing and structure of how we approach languages, hopefully the situation will much improve. I myself am not a language teacher, and my own multilingual skills are very poor. But I do hope that in some way, either through changing attitudes or something else I can use the medium of language to open up the student’s minds.

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