IB programmes
The aim of all the IB programmes is to encourage student growth towards international mindedness. Our two IB-programmes, the Primary Years Programme (PYP) in grades 1-4 and the Middle Years Programme (MYP) in grades 5-9, give the framework for teaching and learning in Finnish and English. The PYP and the MYP share a common conceptual lens for learning, helping students make connections between fragmented knowledge. Skill development and active global citizenship are essential in both programmes, as is the learner profile, which is at the heart of all work at Ressu Comprehensive School.
The Learner Profile
At Ressu Comprehensive School we encourage students to become active and responsible members of local, national and global communities through supporting student development in line with the learner profile attributes:
Inquirer, Knowledgeable, Thinker, Communicator, Principled, Open-minded, Caring, Courageous, Balanced &Reflective
The Primary Years Programme, PYP
Learning in the PYP is inquiry-based and the approach to learning is holistic: the PYP focuses on the development of the whole child, preparing students to become active, caring, lifelong learners. Students are encouraged to demonstrate respect for themselves and others, and to participate in the world around them. The programme focuses on five essential elements:
knowledge, which is both disciplinary, represented by traditional subject areas and transdisciplinary
concepts, which students explore through structured inquiry in order to develop coherent, in-depth understanding, and which have relevance both within and beyond subject areas
skills, which are the broad capabilities students develop and apply during learning and in life beyond the classroom
attitudes, which contribute to international-mindedness and the wellbeing of individuals and learning communities, and connect directly to the IB learner profile
action, which is an expectation in the PYP that successful inquiry leads to responsible, thoughtful and appropriate action. www.ibo.org
Development within these elements is supported through six transdisciplinary units of inquiry.
Each PYP academic year is divided into six units of inquiry, which last 6-8 weeks and connect the Finnish national core curriculum objectives with the PYP transdisciplinary themes. Teaching and learning utilises the broad perspectives offered by different disciplines. Teaching and learning benefits from the wide learning environments around the school and the expertise shared by the Ressu community.
Ressu Comprehensive School Programme of Inquiry in Grades 1-4
Each class has a class teacher and several subject teachers. Special education teacher supports students in each class and the class assistant resource has been planned so that they can support many students. Subject teachers work in close collaboration with the class teachers in order to find meaningful connections between their discipline and the units of inquiry. Some independent subject content is also learnt separate from the units of inquiry.
The number of subject teachers increases in the final year of the PYP, as the students choose their optional courses as determined in the Finnish core curriculum. Optional courses are chosen for a year at a time and learning takes place in mixed age (grade 4-6) and stream groups. Students and teachers use Finnish and English to access the course content.
Students are guided to self-assess their learning in the context of the essential elements of the programme. The purpose of ongoing, constructive feedback from the teacher is to enhance and guide learning during each unit of inquiry. Mid term assessment is handed out in December and the end of year report in June. Student led conferences are held in the Spring term.
More details from the programme coordinator anna.hart at edu.hel.fi
The Middle Years Programme, MYP
The MYP emphasizes intercultural awareness, communication and holistic learning. The teaching and learning are inquiry-based and follow the inquiry cycle: Inquiry, Action and Reflection.
The subject matters are approached through global contexts with the help of key and related concepts. This helps to connect the subject contents into wider learning entities. At the end of the MYP programme, student will complete their personal project.
Subject Groups
Students studies subjects from eight different subject groups according to the aims and objectives stated in the Finnish National Core Curriculum.
Language and Literature: Finnish language and literature, Finnish as a second language
Language Acquisition: A1-English, Proficient English, Swedish, French, Spanish
Individuals and Societies: History, Civics, Health Education, Study Councelling, Religions, Ethics
Sciences: Biology, Geography, Physics, Chemistry
Mathematics
Physical Education
Design: Crafts (soft and hard materials), Home Economics, ICT
Arts: Visual Art, Music
Assessment
Students get national grades to their report cards and the assessment is based on the criteria stated in the National Core Curriculum. The scale of the grades is from 4 (has not fulfilled the requirements) to 10 (Excellent performance). IB subject specific criteria are used as assessment tools. These criteria support the aims and objectives of the subject. The achievement levels of the criteria are from 0 (has not achieved) to 8 (has achieved the highest given descriptors). The IB assessment criteria support inquiry-based teaching and learning. The subject specific criteria are shared with the students annually..
Conceptual understanding
Concepts are used in teaching and learning to make connections between fragmented knowledge. There are 16 common key concepts for all the subjects and in addition to these key concepts each subject group has their own related concepts.
Global contexts
Subjects are approached through six global contexts. These global contexts and the key and related concepts help student to find connections between fragmented knowledge and form a wider understanding.
-Identities and relationships
-Scientific and Technical innovations
-Orientation in space and time
-Globalization and sustainability
-Fairness and Development
-Personal and cultural expression
Approaches to learning and national objectives for transdisciplinary skills
At Ressu the student is guided through the approaches to learning skills which are communication skills, self-management skills, social skills, research skills and thinking skills. These ATL-skills can be aligned with objectives of transdisciplinary skills stated in the National Core Curriculum.
Service as Action
One important goal of the IB education is to educate students to be caring towards communities and the environment. In Ressu Comprehensive School each student must complete one Service as Action credit per each academic year. Student can choose the action themself, but the idea is to help a community or the environment in some way.
Personal project
The MYP culminates in the Personal Project at the end of Grade 9, when each student completes their own inquiry and project report and presents them to the school community. Student should use minimum 20 hours for the project. Student must complete the personal project in order to obtain the MYP attachment to their final report card.
More details and information from the programme coordinator petra.gronros(at)edu.hel.fi
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