Blue Dog and IB

So here is the very first blog. Why now?  Why not?

This is the book I purchased.

On a recent trip to New Orleans I discovered a new artist. (Well, he is new to me!)  George Rodrigue is from New Iberia, Louisiana. His favourite subject to paint is the Blue Dog.  His gallery in the French Quarter is filled with paintings of this cute, little dog.  I find the style very whimsical and am excited to share this artist with friends, colleagues and students.

To learn more about Rodrigue or his Blue Dog, visit:
http://www.georgerodrigue.com/

I went to New Orleans to attend an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) Workshop. This workshop was an introduction to the IB framework. IB at the primary level was a new concept for me and I wasn't really sure how it might work, based on my limited knowledge of the High School IB programme.

I learned the following:

• PYP was established in the 1990s
• Its goal: To create open-minded individuals who collaborate globally in the creation of a curriculum that will provide critical and creative thinking, and problem-solving.
• PYP students are inquirers, thinkers, communicators, risk-takers. They are balanced, principled, open-minded and reflective.
• PYP looks at 6 Trans-disciplinary Themes:  Who we are, Where we are in place and time, How we express ourselves, How the world works, How we organize ourselves and Sharing the planet
• Provocative inquiry, based on globally relevant enduring understanding, drives the learning.
• Many of the ideas from the PYP are closely linked to the work of Wiggins & McTighe and Tomlinson

I am glad I have the background knowledge in UBD and UDL. Otherwise, I might have found this experience extremely overwhelming!  Because I do have the background, I found myself agreeing with most of what I heard, saw or did during the 3 days of the workshop.
More on this later....