Equipping students in their Learning Journeys in the PYP

Many of us, as adults, are still experiencing our own learning journeys. Learning is a process that never ends, and we are all discovering new things, uncovering different passions and exploring new interests. For the young learners in our IB PYP (Primary Years Programme), it’s particularly important that they understand that learning is a process that will continue throughout their entire lives. As parents and educators, it is our responsibility to equip our students with the skills, tools and resources they will need on their lifelong learning journeys. This allows them to face their future with confidence.

What is the Journey of Learning?

The journey of learning is an experience that must be thoughtfully designed by educators and implemented in the classroom setting in a variety of ways. The entire experience occurs over a period of time — in this case, throughout the PYP at OWIS — and involves various elements. Our educators work to differentiate the learning experience for each child, ensuring that your child receives the experience that appeals to their specific learning style. Teachers design the learning journey using different methods and modes, which ultimately gives your child the opportunity to think and reflect on their learning experience and their progress on their learning journey.

OWIS teachers plan learning journeys for students as per their personal learning style
OWIS teachers plan learning journeys for students as per their personal learning style

How Teachers Design and Enhance Learning Journeys in the PYP

The teachers at OWIS work to incorporate the inquiry-based learning model into every learning journey in the PYP. These are a few steps that our teachers take in order to design and enhance the learning journeys in the PYP:

  • Teachers provide support and guidance to each individual student according to their personal learning style. Rather than giving students structured directions that take them step-by-step through the assignment, they allow students in the PYP to develop their own ideas, test their theories and see the results in action. By guiding them rather than telling them, teachers enable students to experience learning in action.

  • Teachers use provocations and prompts to encourage open-ended discussion and allow children to develop their own ideas and theories about a given topic.

  • Teachers use Visual Thinking Routines in the classrooms to help students develop their critical thinking skills.

Learning journeys are not something that occur naturally and without proper planning. At OWIS, our primary school teachers deliberately plan learning journeys and experiences for our PYP students, and afterwards, they reflect on how the experience went. They evaluate the progress of their students and make changes to the learning process as and when needed.

The Benefits of Learning Journeys

These are just a few of the benefits your child will enjoy because they are offered a personalised learning journey in the PYP:

  • Your child will benefit from differentiated instruction that is catered to their personal learning style.

  • Your child will enjoy a multifaceted learning experience with various types of instruction.

  • Your child will have an opportunity to reflect on their progress and provide their teachers with feedback.

Learning Journeys in the Real World

Your child’s learning journey will not end when they graduate from the PYP and enter Secondary School. In fact, they can expect their learning journey to continue throughout their lifetime. In most professional organisations, there is always a need to innovate. This means that the organisation’s leaders must understand the vital role that the learning journey plays, and they must know how to design a learning journey for their team. These learning journeys need to identify the needs of their staff while simultaneously creating a specific plan for training or learning that includes the tools and resources that team members will need. After the learning journey is implemented, it must be reviewed and refined to produce even better results.

Equipping students in their Learning Journeys at OWIS

An OWIS Primary Student presents her work at the PYP Exhibition
An OWIS Primary Student presents her work at the PYP Exhibition

During your child’s learning journey in the PYP, they will gain a sense of confidence that will stay with them throughout their lives. They will discover the joys of learning, and they will understand that curiosity is the key to endless learning. By personalising their learning journey in the PYP, we can help your child make meaningful connections to the curriculum’s content and inspire them to continue seeking more knowledge in the years to come.

For more information about the learning journeys in the PYP, schedule a school tour today.

(Please note all photos in this blog were taken pre-Covid 19.)

(This blog was originally written in collaboration with Mr Deepak Balakrishnan, former Primary School Cover Teacher, OWIS Nanyang.)

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