I would like to share my expertise gathered over 20+ years of teaching visual arts and DT to primary, elementary, and middle school students. Building a community of passionate teachers who are interested in visual arts and its integration as well as an exchange of ideas is the main reason to attend this workshop. We will be sharing expertise on how to design successful stand-alone units in visual arts as well as integrating art into the PYP program and other subjects such as math, music, language development, and storytelling. A full-day workshop will include a practical exploration of materials and the development of units relevant to the curriculum framework being offered in participants’s schools. Within the workshop participants will be given examples of successful/unsuccessful art integration and invited to share their own stories of teaching.
Based on the literacy framework designed by Pie Corbett, this session aims to inform and equip educators with the knowledge and skills to implement the celebrated Talk For Writing approach in their own settings. The Talk for Writing method enables children to read and write independently for a variety of audiences and purposes within different subjects. A key feature is that children internalise the language structures needed to write through memorisation and ‘talking the text’, using drama and visual cues. The approach moves from dependence towards independence, with the teacher using shared and guided teaching to develop the ability in children to write creatively and powerfully. This session will guide educators through the three I’s and principles of ‘Talk For Writing’ – Imitation, Innovation and Independent Application, sharing real examples of units of work and outcomes, modelling the different stages and include collaboration and generation of ideas for future units within their own classrooms and schools. Like the approach itself, this session aims to be interactive, engaging and fun, whilst using data-driven research to highlight how we can propel all types of learners at all stages to be confident, independent and inspired writers.
In our multimodal world visuals and moving images have become an increasingly popular means of communication to express ideas and convey emotions. It is our task as teachers to support our students in building a sound visual literacy that enables them to evaluate images and make meaning of them.
Images are a wonderful tool to inspire students to write not only because they activate prior knowledge but nurture students’ imagination to create their own stories. We will be looking at paintings, photos, films, and wordless books and find out how decoding and analysing their visuals work best. The three following questions will steer our workshop: How am I going to embed visuals meaningfully in my classroom? How can my students be supported in making meaning of images by not only asking them to describe what they see? And how can I sparkle their imagination in order to support them grow as independent writers by producing narratives, biographies, as well as non-fiction texts? “Stepping into the picture and going on an inquisitive journey” as well as “leading a dialogue with the characters depicted in the visuals” are only but a few strategies to mention that support students in analysing pictures.
We're hosting a round table discussion to connect with literacy coordinators in both German and English. Let's come together to share insights, improve how we teach literacy, and collaborate effectively. This informal session marks the beginning of an ongoing dialogue focused on refining literacy teaching practices. Join in, share your thoughts, and help shape the future of literacy coordination in German international schools. Together, we can strengthen connections for more impactful educational outcome.
Our learning spaces provide great opportunities to extend learning, develop relationships, and create safe and secure feelings for our youngest learners. How these spaces are created has a big impact on student engagement and interactions. We will be looking at what goes into creating the best environments for our early years (any beyond) spaces.
