As I was returning this week from a visit to an IB school in another state, I was reflecting on my experiences with the International Baccalaureate Organization that I was introduced to more than 13 years ago. In my early days as a school administrator, my colleagues and I were looking for something that would give our students something more, something longer lasting, than a traditional education.
Of course, we wanted our students to read, write, and calculate well, but we also wanted to instill in them a love of learning and help them find purpose in their school life. We had all experienced what it was like to be in a classroom where we didn't feel that what we were doing had any relevance to our future lives. I was one of those students that worked hard to memorize my spelling words or my times tables or a set of facts, so that I could get 100% on the test, but those things did not make school interesting or compelling for me. Nor were they particularly useful beyond the classroom. More than 100 years ago, John Dewey, and educator and philosopher, taught that we learn best through meaningful activity when students are invested in what they are learning. Unfortunately for most of us, schools mostly ignored this way of thinking and used an industrial style of rote learning that often doused creativity and curiosity in it's wake.
Fast forward to today and you still find some schools and some parents that think that this traditional way of learning is best. I wish all of them could see what I have seen over the last 10 years at Bel Aire Park. Our students have had some of the most amazing experiences through our IB units of inquiry. They have met and heard from visitors all over the world. They have been introduced to ideas and concepts that matter to the whole globe. They have looked at learning not just through one lens (i.e. math, science, language, etc.) but through multiple lenses at the same time. They have created beautiful artwork and poetry. They have been to see unique places in our community and the greater bay area. They have learned to know what they are passionate about and how they can help others. I still get excited every day to hear their voices when they share their thinking and I know it's their thinking and not just what someone told them to think. And yes, they read, write, and solve problems every day with the purpose of doing something with their learning that matters.
We still have lots of work to do and can continue to improve on the goals that we've set for ourselves, but I can't help but be grateful that we belong to this outstanding education organization that has helped us design our vision for our school. I'm grateful for those educators that were not satisfied to just keep doing the same thing, but had the courage to seek for something more for our children and our world. Happy 50th birthday IB!!
Of course, we wanted our students to read, write, and calculate well, but we also wanted to instill in them a love of learning and help them find purpose in their school life. We had all experienced what it was like to be in a classroom where we didn't feel that what we were doing had any relevance to our future lives. I was one of those students that worked hard to memorize my spelling words or my times tables or a set of facts, so that I could get 100% on the test, but those things did not make school interesting or compelling for me. Nor were they particularly useful beyond the classroom. More than 100 years ago, John Dewey, and educator and philosopher, taught that we learn best through meaningful activity when students are invested in what they are learning. Unfortunately for most of us, schools mostly ignored this way of thinking and used an industrial style of rote learning that often doused creativity and curiosity in it's wake.
Fast forward to today and you still find some schools and some parents that think that this traditional way of learning is best. I wish all of them could see what I have seen over the last 10 years at Bel Aire Park. Our students have had some of the most amazing experiences through our IB units of inquiry. They have met and heard from visitors all over the world. They have been introduced to ideas and concepts that matter to the whole globe. They have looked at learning not just through one lens (i.e. math, science, language, etc.) but through multiple lenses at the same time. They have created beautiful artwork and poetry. They have been to see unique places in our community and the greater bay area. They have learned to know what they are passionate about and how they can help others. I still get excited every day to hear their voices when they share their thinking and I know it's their thinking and not just what someone told them to think. And yes, they read, write, and solve problems every day with the purpose of doing something with their learning that matters.
We still have lots of work to do and can continue to improve on the goals that we've set for ourselves, but I can't help but be grateful that we belong to this outstanding education organization that has helped us design our vision for our school. I'm grateful for those educators that were not satisfied to just keep doing the same thing, but had the courage to seek for something more for our children and our world. Happy 50th birthday IB!!
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