The following contribution regarding central ideas was a discussion that was initiated on the virtual network PYP Threads in May 2011. The introductory text has been provided by Kathy Epps.
In May a PYP Threads ning member started a forum discussion with this title. He began by asking:
This subject has been niggling at me for quite some time. I think it’s fair to say that there is an assumption in most PYP schools that we should have the central idea on display in our classrooms. I for one have poked my nose into classrooms to police their presence in the past. I thought I was doing the dutiful PYP Coordinator thing. But isn’t this counter-inquiry practice?! By displaying central ideas, aren’t we telling the students the ‘answer? Surely this is in opposition to constructivist/inquiry learning?!
In the six months since this first post, this thread has been viewed 170 times, and the conversation has continued among about a dozen people.
Click on the image above to view further posts from this discussion.
Links to resources in the discussion include:
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2000/nsf99148/ch_7.htm
http://blogs.ibo.org/sharingpyp/2011/11/30/conceptual-thinking/
http://pzweb.harvard.edu/vt/VisibleThinking_html_files/03_ThinkingRoutines/03a_ThinkingRoutines.html
http://whatedsaid.wordpress.com/2011/12/01/where-do-great-ideas-come-from/
One Comment
Interesting reading. This very matter came up in discussion in the Master of Education (PYP) course I am doing at Melbourne uni. It made me think these thoughts:
knowing the central idea up front lets everyone know the goal; it keeps learning focused; it is broad enough to show from different perspectives, allowing students to make personal connections with the CI as they learn more about it; it is what the whole class focuses on when they undertake the summative assessment task; and, it ensures that the big idea behind the unit is clearly articulated via collaborative teacher practice at planning stage. However, the really big thing for me is that, if you are focussing on skill development to develop life long learners, having the CI known beforehand allows for: the whole practice of deconstructing the CI into lines of inquiry and teacher questions which is so fundamental in life; the partakinging of analysing and critically thinking through the CI which is essential; allowing them to persue their own inquiries which reflect aspects of the CI and developing the ability to apply their knowledge- so important; being able to make connections between theirs and others’ personal inquiries to the central idea; the positive modelling that occurs and is acted on by students as they unravel their own inquiries; and, the continual checking that occurs as self, peer, teacher assessment occurs. None of these things could happen if the CI is kept as a secret. I think it is constructivism as it becomes part of the knowledge being built on, tested, clarified and explored. It is not an answer, it is more like a theory or as it is called, an idea.