Blogs & Websites
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This blog is a global platform with the purpose of deepening understanding and furthering the implementation of the PYP. It hosts all the essential updates, news, links to resources and publications to keep you fully informed. The blog articles illustrate diverse experiences in implementing the programme and facilitate the connections among PYP educators around the world.
The PYP development team welcomes contributions which exemplify PYP learning and teaching practice. Learn more about how to contribute on the How to contribute page.
Sample Posts
PYP nano PD resources provide support and understanding about key characteristics of the PYP. Educators can complete the workshops on their own time individually or collaboratively and then they could be reviewed at grade/division level meetings.
Nanos are Divided into Four Series
Support understanding of key characteristics of PYP leading to authorization
Engaging with the PYP enhancements
Innovating in the PYP
The learning community
The resources in the IBO PYP Playlist are designed to help your school community learn about the PYP and become active in your students' education. The resources in the PYP Playlist do not currently represent all areas of the Enhanced PYP, but... The playlist will continue to be developed over time. More areas will be included as well as different resources for other stakeholders in your learning community.
Areas of Interest
Agency
Inquiry
Assessment
Early Years - Play
Leadership
Learning Environment
PYP Enhancements
Roadmap
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IB Matters is a podcast (established in April 2019) which brings listeners content related to International Baccalaureate (IB) education. It is for students, parents, and teachers interested in learning more about IB and for those working in IB schools wanting access to pedagogical support for their teaching.
Please listen, subscribe, and post a review to help us spread the word about the IB. Follow IB Matters on twitter @MattersIB and be sure to let us know what you would like to hear more about in future episodes.
Sample Posts
(Focus: Implementing the PYP, Inquiry, Early Years, ATL, Mindfulness)
Susan is an avid believer in the inquiry-based process of learning, having taught mostly within the International Baccalaureate’s Primary Years Programme. By teaching children to wonder and how to find out the answers to their questions, we are creating lifelong learners with a global outlook.
The goal of this blog is to offer some PYP guidance and inspiration with tips and tools that teachers can use in their classroom.
Some Recent Posts
Toddle is a collaboration platform for IB PYP and MYP teachers, designed by IB teachers. Toddle seamlessly integrates curriculum planning, evidence collection, student portfolios, reporting, and parent communication - all from one beautiful interface - and helps teachers focus on the important things... all for a fee of course.
There are different plans to use Toddle, be it for teachers and schools looking for a unit planning tool aligned to IB PYP / MYP. For schools looking to streamline their entire planning and evaluation process or for schools looking for a one-stop technology solution for the PYP - both for in-school and online learning.
Some Recent Posts
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Link: Kath Murdoch
Kath Murdoch is an experienced teacher, author, university lecturer and popular consultant who has worked for many years in schools throughout Australia, New Zealand, Asia, America and Europe. She is widely respected for her work in the field of inquiry based learning and integrative curriculum in which she has taught, researched and published for well over 20 years.
Go to Books | Facebook/Twitter | Instagram
Sample Categories
Link: The Achievery
Every now and then, one comes across a website resource that feels tailor-made for educators—The Achievery is one of those gems. It’s a free hub, created by AT&T, packed with lessons, activities, and over 500 videos aligned with 7 subject areas like ELA, STEM, social-emotional learning, and digital literacy.
It can be a useful resource for inquiry-based teaching. It offers interactive video lessons that spark curiosity while supporting learner agency by letting students explore content that aligns with their interests.
TeachSpace is hosted and curated by Monash University (Australia) for educators. It contains a large number of posts on a variety of topics
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Edutopia is dedicated to transforming K-12 education so that all students can acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to thrive in their studies, careers, and adult lives. Founded by innovative and award-winning filmmaker George Lucas in 1991.
Popular Topics
Grade Levels
YouTube Video Channel
Weekly Newsletter
Sign up for their Weekly Newsletter HERE
You can now customize your weekly newsletter for PreK, K-5, 6-8, 9-12 when you sign up. If you already have an account you can customize it in the account dashboard.
The Byrdseed website is chalk-full of differentiated learning challenges that will get all students thinking and spark their curiosity. I especially love the Puzzlements section which houses a variety of videos/photos that will peak your student's curiosity. You can even have 5 puzzlements sent to your email in box each week which could be posted each morning as your student arrive. Also have a look at Differentiation Techniques & Differentiation Examples
Webpage Sections
The resources in the IBO PYP Playlist are designed to help your school community learn about the PYP and become active in your students' education. The resources in the PYP Playlist do not currently represent all areas of the Enhanced PYP, but... The playlist will continue to be developed over time. More areas will be included as well as different resources for other stakeholders in your learning community.
Areas of Interest
Agency
Inquiry
Assessment
Early Years - Play
Leadership
Learning Environment
PYP Enhancements
Roadmap
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Link: Making Good Humans
Taryn Bong Clegg is the PYP Coordinator at her school and this blog is her small attempt to continue to make sense of the PYP, of inquiry and of how to make a real difference in the world through education. She asks: "Please bear with me as I muse, struggle, make mistakes, take risks and reflect on my own understanding and the things we are trying at our school… and hopefully along the way we can grow, share and build a better understanding of the PYP."
Sample Categories
Agency
Assessment
Concepts
Inquiry
Literacy & Math Inquiry
Planning
Professional Development
Classroom Set-up
Units of Inquiry
(Focus: Project-Based Learning, Rethinking Education, Professional Development)
Link: A.J. Juliani Blog
A.J Juliani has been writing at AJJuliani.com since 2011. He is the author of 8 books about learning, including best-sellers Empower, Launch, and my newest title: Adaptable. He has worked at every level of education as a teacher, coach, administrator, and now faculty at UPenn GSE Penn Literacy Network.
Some Posts
(Focus: driving changes in the ways we think about organising learning, driving a shift)
Link: The Common Ground Collaborative
The Common Ground Collaborative (CGC) is a non-profit, global community of sense-makers, innovators, educators and partners who share a common goal. They've had it with decades of disconnected curriculum, disconnected schools and disconnected conversations, so they are co-creating smart, systemic, sustainable solutions. Kevin Bartlett is the Founding Director. Some may recall that Keven, as a curriculum designer, was the initiator and early leader of the IB Primary Years Programme.
Some Recent Posts
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Donald Clark is a man of many hats. He’s an EdTech entrepreneur who was formerly the CEO and one of the original founders of Epic Group, a pioneering company in online learning, and he is now the CEO of Wildfire Learning, an AI company. He is a Visiting Professor at the University of Derby. And he is the author of at least two books - Artificial Intelligence for Learning, and Learning Experience Design.
Over the last 20 years or so - and gathering pace in recent months - Donald has been collecting learning theorists. He has written an incredible series of blogs on 2500 years of learning theory - from the Greeks to the Geeks. This is cool and informative - Check it out.
Check out the Podcast where Donald discusses 2500 Years of Learning Theory - From the Greeks to the Geeks
Sample Posts
(Focus: Family Engagement, Home Learning, Adult Playful Learning, Primary School, Early Childhood, Outside the Classroom, Classroom Examples)
Link: Pedagogy of Play
Hello and welcome to the official blog of the Pedagogy of Play research project! In 2014, some folks from the LEGO Foundation and Project Zero, a research organization at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, began thinking together about learning through play. What is the role of play in empowering children to be lifelong learners? In helping them develop critical and creative thinking skills? What does school-based playful learning and teaching look and feel like? How can a culture of playful learning be cultivated and sustained in schools?
The Pedagogy of Play (PoP) project officially took shape in 2015 with a playful participatory research project based at the International School of Billund (ISB), Denmark. With a mission and vision founded on the belief that play is a core resource for how children learn, ISB was fertile ground for exploring our questions. This co-created research inspired a working set of playful learning principles, practices, and tools and the inspiration for an evolving pedagogy of play framework.
Yet we know that playful learning is shaped by culture and context -- that is, what play looks and feels like in one place is likely not the same in another. So we have begun to explore other contexts of playful learning: how learning through play might be similar or different to what emerged from ISB and what a cross-cultural pedagogy of play might look like.
We hope this blog provides a mental playground for tinkering with ideas and building a community of playful thinkers and thoughtful players.
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ATL Skills in the Future is managed by Johana Barón, a primary teacher for more than 20 years. currently teaching in Gimnasio Los Portales in Bogotá, Colombia. Johana focuses on designing and creating new resources/strategies to help her students enhance their understanding of ATL skills in different environments. She loves helping colleagues around the world and sharing her insights.
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TeachThought is an idea and brand dedicated to innovation in K-12 education. This is pursued by growing teaching through thought leadership, professional development, resource curation, curriculum development, podcast publishing, and collaboration with organizations around the world.
Content
Some Tags
"Only a crisis actual or perceived produces real change. When that crisis occurs, the actions that are taken depend on the ideas that are lying around." [Milton Friedman, Economist].
There are plenty of great ideas lying around on this site to watch, read or listen to.
Sample Posts
Link: Professional Learning International
Rachel French is a full-time educational consultant and presenter. Through workshops and ongoing consultation Rachel supports schools around the world with the planning and implementation of Concept-Based Inquiry. She also coaches and provides feedback to teams of teachers on curriculum development. She is experienced in aligning Concept-Based Inquiry and the IB programmes.
Rachel is also the director of Professional Learning International (PLI), a company she founded to support international schools and educators in accessing leading professional development opportunities. Through PLI, Rachel French is now the sole provider of the annual Dr. H. Lynn Erickson and Dr. Lois A. Lanning Certification Institute for Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction Trainers and Presenters. Website: www.professionallearninginternational.com
Recent Blogs
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Link: Inquiry Into Learning
Yuni Santosa is a learner and PYP educator. She has been teaching since 2002. She is passionate about teaching and learning in an inquiry-based environment.
This is her personal blog which is a part of her learning journey. As a part of the learning community, she takes time to think and reflect on her thoughts and practices and shares them with others. This is a way to extend and challenge her own thinking and practice in order to grow as an educator.
Note: Last entry was April 2020
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Cult of Pedagogy is run by a team of people committed to making you more awesome in the classroom.
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A wonderfully rich blog chuck full of innovative and inspiring IB PYP teaching. The site was created and maintained by Tania Mansfield. She has been inspired over the past few years by wonderful educators, professionals and real people sharing their thoughts, observations and lessons in life. She is hoping that through her own learning journey she can continue to learn and to share.
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More Thoughts From Tania
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Link: Blooming Curious
Looking for fresh ways to ignite student curiosity and excitement for learning? Check out the Blooming Curious podcast! It’s full of practical strategies and insights for integrating inquiry-based learning into your teaching. Whether you want to inspire student agency, foster critical thinking, or rekindle your own passion for teaching, Blooming Curious provides tools to help you and your students thrive. Explore the podcast today and transform your classroom!The Blooming Curious website is designed for educators looking to challenge the status quo and inspire their students to love learning and eagerly engage in the classroom. The mission is to support teachers in cultivating their students' innate curiosity and passion for learning, while also equipping them with the skills and dispositions necessary to succeed in an ever-changing world.By integrating inquiry-based learning into your teaching toolkit, Blooming Curious believes it is the most powerful step you can take to reinvigorate both your teaching practice and your students' love for learning.
Link: Sonya Terborg
Sonya Terborg is an international educator located at the intersection of innovation, creativity and passion. She has been teaching for 20 years in 7 countries, located in 4 continents. She enjoys learning more about the challenges and triumphs in education and believe in sharing ideas in order to deepen understanding.
This blog the home for her thoughts and ideas on innovation in education. She hopes to use it as a gathering place for all her ideas and as a way of connecting with others with a passion for education and learning.
Sample Posts
Sonya's Book
Click to download the PDF Free version of IMAGINE A SCHOOL. The book is based on Seth Godin's Ted Talk STOP STEALING DREAMS
Link: I Think Therefore...
In addition to Gareth Jacobson's role as an educator in school, he also facilitates and designs workshops independently for both the IB and non-IB organizations.
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Link: Studio 5 Website
Studio 5 created by Grade 5 educators at the International School of Ho Chi Minh City. The website and Blog reflect ongoing Action Research and is a reflection of their learning which is ever changing and evolving.
Studio 5 is designed to remove some of the structural barriers to a self-directed learning environment. It creates the conditions for increased independence, multi-layered collaboration agency and the opportunity to focus on fundamental skills and characteristics.
Topic Links
Link: Sharynideas.com
Sharyn has taught in Duesseldorf, Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore, and is currently the Lower School Asst. Principal / PYP Coordinator at The International School of Helsinki, Finland. She enjoys teaching and is passionate about Differentiation, Assessment, and Technology. She is an IB PYP Workshop Leader, Visiting Team Member and Reader. I am a CIS, WASC and NEASC Visiting Team Member. Her goal for this blog is to share her ideas and encourage you to share your thoughts with her.
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Link: Start With Joy Blog
Dr. Katie Egan Cunningham is a veteran classroom teacher, literacy consultant, and teacher educator with twenty years of experience in education.
Katie is the author of Start with Joy: Designing Literacy Learning for Student Happiness published by Stenhouse in the fall of 2019. Her book, Story: Still the Heart of Literacy Learning, was published in 2015 also by Stenhouse.
She is the co-author of Literacy Leadership in Changing Schools, published by Teachers College Press in 2016.
Katie is also the co-author of The Classroom Bookshelf, a weekly School Library Journal blog dedicated to children’s and young adult literature.
** Recommended by Kath Murdoch
Sample Posts
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Link: Innovative Learning in the PYP
Learning, collaboration and innovation in the elementary classroom. Jocelyn Sutherland is an enthusiastic, motivated, Apple Distinguished Educator, a tech advocate and advisor and life-long learner. Her philosophy hinges on collaboration, innovation and creativity. The site hosts a wide variety of PYP, inquiry, tech early childhood inspirational articles.
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Link: Reflective Practice
Jennifer Fenton is a Technology for Learning Coordinator. She is interested in tech integration, PYP, reading, learning and music.
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Link: What Ed Said
A very informative and provocative blog by Edna Sackson who a IB PYP learning consultant, workshop facilitator and presenter. She is the Teaching and Learning Coordinator at an IB PYP school in Melbourne, Australia.
Edna is the administrator and ‘Granny’ for Sugata Mitra’s Granny Cloud project, interacting with children in disadvantaged settings in India. She is the administrator of a collaborative inquiry blog, Inquire Within, home to a range of perspectives from inquiry teachers across 16 countries.
Note: Last entry was in 2022
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Link: Teacherhead
This blog is created by Tom Sherrington. He is an experienced former Headteacher and teacher and, having worked in schools for 30 years starting his training in 1986, he is now exploring the world of education consultancy to see where it takes him.
Sample Posts
Weaving it all together: 9 key threads for maximising learning
Let’s Probe! The words to unlock non-judgemental coaching conversations
When daily quiz regimes become lethal mutations of retrieval practice
Understanding = Capacity to Explain. Let’s use that idea more
The Dynamics of Questioning….agile, responsive, nimble, purposeful
Other Resources
Tom Sherrington's Podcast: Mind the Gap
Podcast featuring Tom Sherrington: Rosenshine, Behaviour and Why We Should Stop Grading Schools
Link: AppleMatsu Blog
AppleMatsu Blog is run by Billy Applebaum, a PYP practitioner, who currently teaches Grade 3 at Fukuoka International School, Japan.
A Few Recent Blogs