Key elements of MYP education

In an MYP classroom, the students are at the centre of learning. They are drawing connections between all subject areas, learning is explicitly linked to the world around them, and a variety of assessments are used to inform teaching and learning. MYP learning experiences infuse global points of view wherever possible in order to promote understanding of other cultures, an awareness of the human condition and an understanding that there is a commonality of human experience.

As the IB website says, the MYP aims to help students develop their personal understanding and their emerging sense of self and responsibility in their community. Teaching and learning in the MYP is underpinned by the following 5 key elements:

Teaching and learning in context

Students learn best when their learning experiences have context and are connected to their lives and their experience of the world that they have experienced. Using global contexts, MYP students develop an understanding of their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet through developmentally appropriate explorations of:

identities and relationships
personal and cultural expression
orientations in space and time
scientific and technical innovation
fairness and development
globalization and sustainability.

Conceptual understanding

Concepts are big ideas, which form the basis of teaching and learning in the MYP. They ensure breadth and depth in the curriculum and promote learning within and across traditional disciplines. MYP students use concepts as a vehicle to inquire into issues and ideas of personal, local and global significance and examine knowledge holistically.

Approaches to learning (ATL)

A unifying thread throughout all MYP subject groups, approaches to learning (ATL) provide the foundation for independent learning and encourage the application of their knowledge and skills in unfamiliar contexts. Developing and applying these social, thinking, research, communication and self management skills helps students learn how to learn. Here are some examples of these skills.

Service as Action

Service and action (learning by doing and experiencing) have always been shared values of the IB community. Students take action when they apply what they are learning in the classroom and beyond. IB learners strive to be caring members of the community who demonstrate a commitment to service—making a positive difference to the lives of others and to the environment. MYP Service as Action projects grow from students’ participation in local and global communities, and provide stepping stones toward the Diploma Programme’s core requirements for Creativity, Action and Service (CAS). Follow this link to access ISH Service as Action guide.

Personal Project

In grade 10, the final year of the MYP, students go through a process to complete an extended, self-directed piece of work called the Personal Project. This is required component that provides opportunities for creative and truly personal demonstrations of learning. Students apply their approaches to learning skills to decide what they want to learn about, identify what they already know, discovering what they will need to know to complete the project, and create a criteria for completing it. Follow this link to learn more about the Personal Project at ISH.

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