Learners are Researchers

As young as kindergarten, the students are exposed to scientific methods of acquiring substantial and meaning knowledge. The PYP Transdisciplinary Skills, although not specifically mentioned, were used inside the classroom in several activites. This was the trend I saw during my visits in each classroom. In Kinder A, they watched videos that were closely related to the the concept of NEEDS. During the activity, I noticed how engrossed the students were in recognize the things that they already know (cows, pigs, trees, cotton, rocks, etc) and connect it to the video.

One student remembered how he went to the market with his mom to buy pork meat. From there, the teacher used that chance to point the conversation towards "Where do we get our food?". The initial response of the students were "MARKET!". But of course, the teacher wanted them to think harder so she asked them, "Where do markets get the food?". I think this was the time when the students started trying to think outside the box. The teacher didn't give further clues but as they progressed, the students watched how the pigs come from farms and brought into slaughter houses where the pigs are washed and cleaned.

Naturally, the students begin to come up with their own ideas. Even without the teacher, there is still an on going process of learning through peer-to peer interaction. Like one of the conversations I heard, two students talked about how they didn't like pork and as they watch how pigs are cleaned, the other one said, "I hope it's not the baby pigs..." That in itself is an evident PYP attitude of empathy, caring and tolerance. Students, in their day to day activities, are already displaying the learner profiles naturally. I really admire how the teachers are not forcing students to act like THIS or act like THAT. Maybe they just model the behaviors but the students themselves reflect and know what is truly right.

For the higher grades (1-4), I noticed a more intensive and in-depth research topics. Not only do the UOIs strive for more comprehensive topics but they're actually relevant and impacting not only to the students but also the community. Albeit, having no sufficient field experience, I am very aware that concepts such as

Poverty, Hunger, Needs, Wants, Biodiversity, etc. are concepts that the majority might consider 'too mature'. Truthfully, I could have been a part of the majority because hey, before the 21st Century Education, could you imagine students this age talking about the things that mattered? No, right? But PYP made it happen. The teacher made it possible to build that window of oppurtunity, however small, to let the students understand that this is the reality and we have to act. I was not able to sit with them but I feel like the students from grade 1-4 were honest with whatever they wrote.

If we teach empathy at an earlier age, children would be less likely to bully and embrace diversity, oppose to bias. It is our silence that speaks the loudest to children. They are aware of whats going on around them. We need to teach our children coping skills and how to think of someone other than themselves. Young students are socially conscious, dont under estimate them. Now is the time to set a great foundation in them so they can make a difference for the future.