Observations about the current offering of workshops in the region
- The workshop which continues to be consistently oversubscribed is workshop 2A. Schools which are authorized or have been candidate for a number of years, should be able to provide staff new to the PYP with a strong basic inschool induction provided by the school’s pedagogical leadership team upon which participation in regional workshops can be based. This would allow schools to select from the range of category 2 workshops which is most suitable for the needs of individual teachers to further their understanding of the programme. For further details of this aspect of the selection of workshops for individual teachers see the introduction to the AEM Overview to PYP Regional Workshops.
- As result of the note in last year’s memo about which teachers should be encouraged to participate in the Arts in the PYP workshop, there was a much broader representation of homeroom and single subject teachers in that workshop in Munich in July 2008. But again, let us reiterate that all PYP educators: homeroom, single subject, support teachers, and administrators can benefit from viewing the arts and physical education as areas which can, and should, be integrated across the curriculum. In considering ‘how best will they learn’ all teachers should consider how the arts and physical education can provide students with other than verbal means of expressing what they know and can do. Similarly not only homeroom teachers should view workshops on language and literacy as for them. If schools are truly to view the ‘whole child’ as the responsibility of all teachers, then all teachers need to be familiar with how inquiry looks in the different areas.
- Workshop 2G: Action in the PYP was offered twice in 2008-9. The response of schools has been very positive.
- Workshop 3B: The Educator as Professional Inquirer, which targets teachers and school leaders who wish to become involved in educational innovation in their schools and across the network of IB World Schools, was fully subscribed in Munich in July 2008. It is highly recommended experienced for PYP educators who wish to deepen their personal and professional understanding of teaching and learning.
