Humanities Workshop with Nicole Schmidt
The Humanities consultation visit with Nicole Schmidt had the desired effect: pulling the team together, creating a unique AIS vision and giving us the tools to start implementing MYP Humanities strategies.
Nicole shared many strategies for Assessment and Unit Planning used at her school, NIST. She gave us a more confident direction by encouraging us as beginners on the MYP journey and had us leaving ready to get going, uplifted, ready to respond to the rigours of the MYP as professional, competent educators.
Questions for the Humanities team:
1. What aspects of the Humanities workshop did you find most beneficial? Why?
2. How do you think the workshop will feed your professional practice from now on?
3. What particular areas of the workshop did you find difficult, confusing, need further discussion/clarification?
4. Can you suggest topics for future workshops/PD which you think would build MYP confidence in all teachers at AIS?
Thu hard at work
AIS Humanities team with Nicole Schmidt from NIST
Crowther reflects...
:)
It was so good Mohummid came to the mountain. What an inspiring and encouraging lady Nicole was/is. The benefits were thet the sessions were not only providing scaffolds but were also affirming. It was open and nonthreatening and just opened the channels of communication for all. Graet to have some PYP insight from Noah who was full of helpful ideas and having everyone plus Sally and Wendy makes it a collaborative journey for an already finetuned department with Andrew leading us. The only difficulties at this stage is the time restraint for planning….there needs to be more time allocation for this. Hearing Nicloe speak about planning….it seems there is time allocation for the team. We are setup now so we need to strike while the iron is hot and finetune our planners which we will do. Future workshops will be catered for according to what we achieve in this first part of our journey as we implement when we will recognise our own needs after we get the ball rolling. Maybe some follow-up on assessment would help me but I can do that by asking colleagues. This was what we all needed. Thank you.
1. What aspects of the Humanities workshop did you find most beneficial? Why?
More than anything else, the workshop clarified my own understandings and gave me a deeper understanding into the use of the planner. It was satisfying to discover so many “unknown knowns” – things I didn’t know that I already knew! Although it was a Humanities-based workshop, Nicole provided me with a deeper
understanding of the planner that applies to all curriculum areas.
2. How do you think the workshop will feed your professional practice from now on?
Largely by demystifying the planner and the language for the students. More kid-friendly language will make the units far more accessible to them. Also, the need for close collaboration with collegues both in the same department and those in other departments. There were some very good outcomes out of the session on Saturday where Noah and I worked with Margaret on her planners. This needs to continue!
3. What particular areas of the workshop did you find difficult, confusing, need further discussion/clarification?
None. The further discussion needs to happen with departments and across year levels to ensure a consistent approach and shared understandings.
4. Can you suggest topics for future workshops/PD which you think would build MYP confidence in all teachers at AIS?
I think that the opportunity to have experts come in an provide PD for departments is an excellent way to go. I would love to have someone come in with a Mathematics focus.
1. What aspects of the Humanities workshop did you find most beneficial? Why?
Nicole’s explanations of the thinking and teaching and learning philosophy which underpins the MYP was very helpful in guiding and supporting us in developing our awareness and skills in becoming MYP teachers.
2. How do you think the workshop will feed your professional practice from now on? I feel empowered to be able to teach as a student-centred, inquiry based teacher.
3. What particular areas of the workshop did you find difficult, confusing, need further discussion/clarification?
None. Nicole is a very good trainer. We do, however need to work on assessments and rubrics, as well as creating resource ‘banks’ where we can all access each others’ resources.
4. Can you suggest topics for future workshops/PD which you think would build MYP confidence in all teachers at AIS?
Assessments and rubrics (!) and integrating units with other teachers – these would be really useful workshops.
Kerry Kennedy