INTRODUCING THE
Middle Years Programme PART 2 The 21st-century world is a constantly changing environment characterised by rapid developments in knowledge, technology and globalisation. Education across the globe is undergoing reform as we look at how we can better prepare our young people for what lies ahead. One of the central pillars of our strategic plan at Dio has always been ‘Our Education’ which has been underpinned by an intention to ‘instil the courage and confidence to positively shape the future’. As we have continued to implement the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) this year, we are further developing ways that we can ‘educate girls at the speed of light’. (Diocesan, 2018)
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n order to respond to the demands of preparing young people for a future-focused environment, the IB has developed six researchbased approaches to teaching. These approaches are deliberately broad and allow teachers the flexibility to use different strategies to best suit the needs of their students and the context of the learning. In the MYP (and all IB programmes), teaching is: •B ased on inquiry A strong emphasis is placed on students finding their own information and constructing their own understandings. • Focused on conceptual understanding Concepts are explored in order to both deepen disciplinary understanding and to help students make connections and transfer learning to new contexts. •D eveloped in local and global contexts Teaching uses real-life contexts and examples, and students are encouraged to process new information by connecting it to their own experiences and to the world around them. •F ocused on effective teamwork and collaboration This includes promoting teamwork and collaboration between students but also refers to the collaborative relationship between teachers and students. •D esigned to remove barriers to learning Teaching is inclusive and values diversity. It affirms students’ identities and aims to create learning opportunities that enable every student to develop and pursue appropriate personal goals.
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DIO TODAY
