05.04.2021

The teaching team attends a workshop on Conceptual Understanding

By Lais Carvalho

Keeping the commitment to offer frequent courses for the teaching team, Beacon chose a theme to focus on this month’s reflection: “Concept.”

Sean Walker, curriculum coordinator and a workshop leader certified by the International Baccalaureate (IB), was the guest of the time to be the facilitator of this training. Expert in Concept-Based Curriculum, Sean works at the International School in Paris.

Promoting meaningful learning that endures, that is applied and transferred, is only possible when we focus on concepts and not on themes. But how to make this possible without losing students’ interest? How to transform interests so diverse that they go through dinosaurs, Tiktok, games, constructions, politics, even Covid-19 into more significant concepts? And how to put all this into practice in an effective and transdisciplinary way?

Sean addressed all these questions and many others in workshops given in all segments: Early Childhood Education, Elementary School, Middle School, and High School, which reflected on macro concepts that permeate each subject, while other areas were based on the Primary Years Program (PYP) Units of Inquiry. 

The examples offered, the challenging proposals, the word clouds, and the possibility of pertinent discussions for each age group made the virtual meetings dynamic and interactive and inspired our faculty to revisit their plans, make adjustments, and make them more and more conceptual.

The process of constant formation of the pedagogical team affects our students and allows the classroom to be improved, preparing reflective, investigative, and curious citizens.

The process of constant formation of the pedagogical team affects our students and allows classroom work improvement, preparing reflective, investigative, and curious citizens.