The IB Approaches to Learning series

In this series we are exploring the IB Approaches to Learning Skills known as the ATL’s that are at the core of all four International Baccalaureate Programmes.


John Harvey and I will, in these eight episodes, try to give you a coherent, sustainable, values aligned strategy to implement ATL Skills in your school. We want to help you build your team of coordinators, teachers, librarians, and support staff.


We are also adding an opportunity for interaction. Below, you will find a link to a Google form where you can ask questions. We will take a few minutes at the end of each episode to answer questions you have about the ATL’s in your context.


John will continue to respond after these episodes are produced, so please feel free to pose your questions anytime.

Episode 1: Building your team for ATL success

In the first of eight episodes featuring the IB Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills, We talked about building your team of coordinators, teachers, librarians, and support staff.

Episode 2: States of Mind

In this episode, John described how he moved some of the skills around to optimize teaching 'States of Mind' in the different IB Programmes. Here is a link to his spreadsheet so you can see how he did it: John Harvey's States of Mind Continuum Framework

Episode 3: Thinking Skills

In the podcast, John described how he prefers the Gibb's Relective Cycle. You can learn more using this link.

John also mentioned the 'Thinking Skills Across the Continuum' document he has compiled. Here is a link to that document. Be sure to check out all the tabs in the spreadsheet to access Critical thinking, Creative thinking, Information transfer, and Reflection & Metacognition.

Episode 4: Research Skills

In this episode, John talks about how research skills can be incorporated into all classes and all grade levels of the IB Continuum.

In the podcast, John referred to the Big 6 and Super 3 models for building research skills. Here is a link to explore more.

Episode 5: Communication Skills

In the podcast, John referred to the Thinking Pathways 'Ladder of Feedback' model for building communication skills. Here is a link to explore more.


He also referred to the Verbal Signposts activity. Here is a link to the pdfdocument which can also be found in the MYIB site.

Episode 6: Social Skills

John shares some very interesting ways to use media to model positive collaboration and conflict management skills. He also shares his favorite model for team building, the Belbin Team Roles model.

In the podcast John also talked about ways to help students catch up on the skills they may have missed building during the pandemic. Here are a few links to learn more.

Episode 7: Self-management Skills

John uses this episode to focus on Organizational Skills within the Self-management category.

Affective Skills, Reflection Skills, and States of mind were addressed in episodes 2 and 3. Look for those links in the sections above.

Links for this episode are below:


Episode 8: Our panel discusses how to make the ATL skills work for you in your school

My guests are Adrian von Wrede-Jervis, Nigel Gardner and John Harvey who has developed and led this series.

With this episode we are taking time to look at what might be missing, what might be done better, and what each of you in an IB school can do to make the Approches to Learning more useful to your teachers and students.

Use this form to ask John Harvey questions about the IB Approaches to Learning.