Modelling ATL skills

 

"...teachers model the skill and provide scaffolds when introducing a skill for the first time."

(https://resources.ibo.org/pyp/works/pyp_11162-51465?root=1.6.2.4.5.3)

The skills and sub-skills make learning more engaging and meaningful because it allows students to learn how to learn. When you listen to Guy Claxton or Daniel Pink talk about 21st century skills and what the job force of the future will ask from our present day students, you sit up and read those skill sets more closely!

I read over the portion on Approaches to Learning in MyIB's digital Resource Page and found that one innocuous line quoted above with reference to teaching. 

But I think we need to start from someplace else. 

Do you, the classroom teachers practice these skill sets with ease?

Let's take communication skills for instance.

Communication skills

• Exchanging-information skills (listening, interpreting, speaking)

• Literacy skills (reading, writing and using language to gather and communicate information)

• ICT skills (using technology to gather, investigate and communicate information)

I would add asking questions as a sub skill here. As a teacher (coordinator, principal, lead teacher) -

• How well do you listen to your students? colleagues? 
• Do you paraphrase what they say to avoid miscommunication? 
• Do you model reading and writing? 
• Are you constantly looking for rich case studies to support your units or do you rely on the old planners as that makes your life so much easier?
• How comfortable are you using technology? ( I know you didn't have much choice and had no one to complain to when you were forced to go on zoom because Covid-19 happened?)

Let's try Thinking Skills.

Thinking skills

Critical-thinking skills (analysing and evaluating issues and ideas) Creative-thinking skills (generating novel ideas and considering new perspectives) Transfer skills (using skills and knowledge in multiple contexts) Reflection/metacognitive skills ((re)considering the process of learning)

• Do you analyse and evaluate your planners regularly or fill them up at the end of the unit because you have to? 
• Are the tasks you set for the students well-thought out with the intention of enabling your students to be able to transfer learning to a novel situation?
• Do you reflect after every lesson and evaluate how your lesson went. It doesn't have to a written document! That would result in burnt out for sure, but is it a habit of the mind that comes to you naturally?

Next, Self Management Skills.

Self-management skills

• Organization skills (managing time and tasks effectively)

• States of mind (mindfulness, perseverance, emotional management, self-motivation, resilience)

• How well do you juggle your many tasks?
• Do you ask for help when you recognize the fact that you are overwhelmed? 
• Do you let that feeling spill over into your classroom?
• How resilient and prepared are you when handling difficult colleagues/parents/students?

You get the message I hope. We can't really teach these skills if we are not consciously practicing them.

So where do we go from here? I would say identify what skills you need to teach the students based on their units of inquiry. They reflect on how well you carry out those skills on a continuum. Based on your reflection, go about teaching yourself those skills. Share your goals with your colleagues and mentors and students. What better way than to model the learning process!

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