Questions following the workshop

	What questions do you still have regarding the PYP Framework?
I'm still wondering how to truly connect the essential elements to the concepts.	Concepts are one of the essential elements.  In the PYP there is a commitment to a concept-driven curriculum as a means of supporting inquiry.  The transdisciplinary units, where concepts support and structure the inquiries, provide a context in which students can understand and at the same time acquire essential knowledge, skills and attitudes.  Concepts help the learner to construct meaning through critical thinking and the transfer of knowledge.
What are best practices of differentiation during U of I time?	Student learning is promoted through planning and refining the teaching and learning process to meet individual or group needs.  Formative assessment provides information that is used to plan the learning.  There is evidence that increased use of formative assessment particularly helps those students who are low achievers to make significant improvements in their understanding.  It is important to identify the needs of each student and to view learning as a continuum, with each student achieving developmental milestones in different but relevant ways.  Student led inquiry will aslo ensure that as student’s voice and choice are built in to the learning.
I am wondering about the vertical alignment of concepts.	In a school year at each grade level (K- 5) all 8 key concepts should be covered.  Periodically the entire programme of inquiry is looked at to ensure vertical alignment.
Understanding how to place a line of inquiry under one or more of the transdisciplinary themes.	Students inquire and learn about globally significant issues in the context of units of inquiry, which may fall under one of the 6 Transdisciplinary Themes. Each unit comprises of central idea and lines of inquiry. Refer to page 30 in your supplementary workbook for how to write lines of inquiry.
Not questions as much as wanting examples of best practices. Is there a website or a resource with all the work teachers worldwide have done already that we can draw from (besides Atlas)?	Opening Classroom Doors -  Here are multi-media resources about teaching and learning based around the written, taught and assessed curriculum.  There are videos, teacher materials, assessment resources and student work. Online Curriculum Center - http://occ.ibo.org/ PYP Blog- http://blogs.ibo.org/sharingpyp/ There is a PYP Threads ning.  This contains many resources including videos, blogs of the members and links to PYP teacher groups and the PYP Diigo bookmarks page. Every 2nd Thursday you can join in with the PYP Chat on Twitter using the hashtag #pypchat
How can I fully integrate with a UOI as a specialist teacher?	The PYP is a transdisciplinary programme.  Additionally there are 6 defined subject areas that have value in themselves and provide the students with knowledge and skills to explore the 6 transdisciplinary themes.  It is recognized that the subject areas have an integrity and essence of their own.  Teaching about and through the subject areas is advocated when it enhances the transdisciplinary learning, but not when the integration results in teaching and learning that is contrived and superficial.  The Annex at the back of Making the PYP Happen provides information about the role that each subject area plays in the PYP.  Note that personal and social education is the responsibility of all PYP teachers.
How often do the curriculum get reworked and are assessed through different main concepts.	The Programme of Inquiry gets assess on an ongoing basis. As units finish team reflect on how engaging, relevant and meaningful the units were for the students and accordingly propose changes to Central Ideas, Lines of Inquiry or concepts. These changes are shared with the school to ensure not just horizontal but also vertical alignment. The next step is to then create grade level Curriculum Maps for the school year.
I am wondering about the effectiveness of using rubrics for PYP summative assessment. I am wondering about different approaches to balance knowledge & conceptual learning in Math instruction.	Summative assessment is the culmination of the teaching and learning process and gives students the opportunities to demonstrate what has been learned.  Teachers gather and record information about learning using a variety of tools, for example rubrics, which contain descriptors of characteristics or signs to look out for.  Rubrics can be developed by students as well as by teachers.  Other examples of tools for assessment are exemplars, checklists, anecdotal records and continuums. MTPYPH page 81 Whenever possible maths should be taught through the units of inquiry, However, IBPYP recognizes that teaching maths through units of inquiry may not always be feasible, in those instances, units of math need to be created using the stand alone PYP planner ensuring that the essential elements are reflected in the units.
I am still wondering how math and language can be taught while working within the framework.	The programme of inquiry provides an authentic context for learners to develop and use language.  Wherever possible, language should be taught through the relevant, authentic context of the units of inquiry.  The teacher should provide language learning opportunities that support learners’ inquiries and the sharing of their learning.  When teachers plan learning experiences that enable learners to develop language within meaningful contexts, learners are able to make connections, apply their learning and transfer their understanding to new situations.   Links to the transdisciplinary themes should also be made with math, as developing understanding of these links will contribute to students’ understanding of mathematics in the world and to their understanding of the transdisciplinary theme.  The role of inquiry in mathematics is important, however it is recognized that there are occasions when it is preferable for students to be given a series of strategies for learning mathematical skills in order to progress in their mathematical understanding.
Sample units, examples, and resources to build my own units would be helpful.	Opening Classroom Doors -  Here are multi-media resources about teaching and learning based around the written, taught and assessed curriculum.  There are videos, teacher materials, assessment resources and student work. Online Curriculum Center - http://occ.ibo.org/- Sample Units There is a PYP Threads ning.  This contains many resources including videos, blogs of the members and links to PYP teacher groups and the PYP Diigo bookmarks page. Every 2nd Thursday you can join in with the PYP Chat on Twitter using the hashtag #pypchat
What is the 'backward design' exactly and how does it work in regards to the PYP. (I know we touched briefly on it.)	The summative assessment is discussed in Section 1 of the planner, along with the central idea.  Ways of assessing students’ understanding is addressed immediately.  If there is no effective way that students can demonstrate their understanding of the central idea, the central idea will need to be revised before further planning can take place. There are three stages to backward design: Stage 1: Identify Desired Results- What do we want to learn Stage 2: Determine Acceptable Evidence of Learning-How will we know what we’ve learned Stage 3: Design Learning Experiences & Instruction- How best will we learn