Planning for Mario
by David Matthews
1. How and When Should Students be Involved in the Planning Process?
1.1. Students should be involved wherever possible during the planning process. This can begin initially in the inquiry stage, through opportunities for students to plan their own learning. By allowing students choices and engaging them through lessons which require them to ask questions, think and plan for themselves, they become involved in the planning process. Allow students frequent opportunities for feedback through formative assessment and evaluation, creating a rubric for this if necessary. Respond to student voices, be flexible as an educator and be prepared to adapt in order to ensure students have agency and are developing the attributes of the PYP learning profile.
2. How would differentiation be frameworked and sustained?
2.1. Differentiation is an essential pre-requisite of Inquiry-Based Learning. IB educators must realise that all students have their own unique way of learning. This must be planned for carefully, through offering a range of resources, activities and materials to appeal to young people from different cultural backgrounds and with a range of interests. Teachers need to revise and reflect on their framework to ensure differentiation is sustained.
3. Designing engaging learning experiences for Mario
3.1. Ensure differentiation is accounted for by appealing to a range of cultural backgrounds and tastes
3.2. Collaborate with class teachers to incorporate music and dance into their regular schedule
3.3. Be sure to achieve transdisciplinary teaching and learning by including aspects of other subjects into music and dance lessons.
3.4. Address local and global themes and issues in music and dance to captivate students
3.5. Find about about students musical and cultural tastes, discover what appeals to them and incorporate these influences into your planning