Skip to main content

Use of symbols in an inquiry lesson



Every year when school starts, I have observed how quickly some classes put up the learner profile attributes, attitudes and concepts on the classroom walls.  Up they go, pat pat pat, on the wall followed by a relieved tick against their "things to do" list. Then the "real" learning begins. 

As a tuning-in activity for our unit of inquiry on media, I thought of introducing Yang Liu's representations of two cultures.  Liu's use of media to stereotype cultures will naturally generate dichotomy of thought and emotions among many. I felt it was the perfect provocation which would pave the way for deeper, conceptual learning.  The use of symbols would create enough intrigue among the students in order to generate curiosity and hopefully, higher order thinking skills.

The students loved the lesson. Every slide of Yang Liu's "East Meets West" stirred hearts. We spoke of perspective and bias, racism and the unfairness of over-simplifying communities. They realised the power of symbols, (in this case, dots, lines and simple geometric shapes) to convey messages so powerful as to entice exciting discussions about issues related to everyday life.

After immersing ourselves in Liu's work, I wanted to see how far the students could use their learning to construct meaning and create learner profile representations using symbols and simple colours.




Introducing the work of Liu. Mystery element.



Take a look at what the students came up with. 

As I walked around watching them brainstorm and draft their ideas,  it was encouraging to hear them use words such as "stereotype: and "bias" amongst themselves.






Path of person not clearly visible, but a powerful representation of Courage.

Draft visible in this shot

Snipping, measuring

Motivation, engagement


I was quite surprised with this one. Yang Liu's representation of the "Boss" is so similar!!! I had not shown them this slide.

Absolutely great way to show this LP attribute!


The group changed their background after the mess "the black crayon" made. They resolved the problem on their own. A more presentable final work.

I thought the lesson was very transdisciplinary in nature. Students had to think about colour, patterns and symmetry. They used various skills which involved listening, speaking, sharing resources, editing, and collaborating. One of those exciting lessons which inspired me to blog.



Comments

Post a Comment

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.

Popular posts from this blog

Unravelling the inquiry cycle in a PYP class room

“ People can make choices to support the sustainability of the Earth’s energy resources .” Me to students : Does that make sense? Students to me : (after a while)...not really...  Their understanding of "energy" during the pre-assessment task also reflected a superficial knowledge of the term. And thus our unit of inquiry started. As I was browsing the net, I came across this picture prompt- a map, which I thought would serve as a great provocation. The annual energy consumption per person . Kids love guessing where countries are, so it was a great way to address some geography at this point.  I had also been reading Craig Dwyer's  post  which inspired me to change my inquiry cycle and use a simpler one. Wonder (while exploring)- Explore (while wondering)- Create (while reflecting)- Reflect (with subsequent wonderings). I was feeling more at ease now. The map allowed the students to make a lot of inferences based on patterns whi...
5 comments
Read more

Reflections of a Workshop Leader

  Source: Cariyon.com I was nervous about flying down to California to lead a workshop that I dreaded the most. I remembered that  not-so-very-successful workshop in Vietnam a decade ago. I knew I didn't deliver as I should have. My problems had been compounded by an over-zealous Field Rep who kept popping in and taking over my sessions. Though she apologized later (a little too late in my opinion), my confidence as a fledgling leader was at an all time low. That failure (I will call it that for now) seemed to have found a place in my psyche, shaping my identity. I had done an upskilling course on this workshop. But to be honest with you, it was a blur and though I ticked all the checkboxes for the course, deep down I felt I was far from prepared.  But one thing I realize about myself is that I like to face my fears. When the email invitation popped up in my inbox, my heart sank because I knew I would take up the challenge. I had done this workshop several times but they ...
Post a Comment
Read more

A teacher's antidote to stress

Life can become hectic for us teachers. What does a Friday feel like to you sometimes? By the end of the day, I feel like having a hot bath, switching off my mobile phone, and ignoring everyone around me. For my Masters program, the first thing we were made aware of was the intense stress teachers go through and how important it is to make time for yourself. I always felt selfish when I took out a little 'me' time. My kids would be banging on the door while I was getting a massage done at home. When I would come out after one hour, feeling happy, I would get sarcastic looks from everyone in the house! But I always knew that if I did not take out some time for myself, I would get mad! I love Hatha Yoga. Every morning I feel and enjoy the stretches; I am conscious of how I breath. I silently communicate with my body and get to know it. With a little practice, this becomes a really good habit. I love smooth pebbles! I collect them whenever I see one that intrigues me...
4 comments
Read more