HKA Exhibition Mentor Booklet

Grade 5 PYP Exhibition - Mentor

Handbook

Exhibition Dates: 13 - 14 May 2010

Name: ________________________

Hong Kong Academy Grade 5 Exhibition 2010

Exhibition Mentor Training:

Agenda:

1. Introduction2. What questions do people have?3. The things we steal from children4. What is the exhibition?5. Role of the Mentor6. Process – Timeline7. Action8. Mentor Handbook/Student Journal/Wiki9. Look back at original questions -- did we answer them?10. Reflections/Feedback/Evaluation


The Things We Steal From Childrenby John Edwards

If I am always the one to think of where to go nextIf where we go is always the decision of the curriculum or my curiosity and not theirsIf motivation is mineIf I always decide on a topic to be studied, the title of the story, the problem to be worked onIf I am always the one who has reviewed their work and decided what they needHow will they ever know where to begin?If I am always the one who is monitoring progressIf I set the pace of all working discussionsIf I always look ahead, foresee problems and endeavor to eliminate themIf I swoop in and save them from cognitive conflictIf I never allow them to feel and use the energy from confusion and frustrationIf things are always broken into short working periodsIf myself and others are allowed to break into their concentrationIf bells and I are always in control of the pace and flow of workHow will they learn to continue their own work?If all the marking and editing is done by meIF the selection of which work is to be published or evaluated is made by meIf what is valued and valuable is always decided by external sources or by meIf there is no forum to discuss what delights them in their task, what is working, what is not working, what they plan to do about itIf they have not learned a language to discuss their work in ways that are intrinsically growth enhancing If they do not have a language of self-assessmentIf ways of communicating their work are always controlled by meIf our assessments are mainly summative rather than formativeIf they do not plan their way forward to further actionHow will they find ownership, direction and delight in what they do?If I speak of individuals, but present learning as if they are all the sameIf I am never seen to reflect and reflection time is never providedIf we never speak together about reflection and thinking and never develop a vocabulary for such discussionsIf we do not take opportunities to think about our thinking

If I constantly set them exercises that do not intellectually challenge themIf I set up learning environments that interfere with them learning from their own actionsIf I give them recipes to followIf I only expect the one right conclusionIf I signify that there are always right and wrong answersIf I never openly respect their thoughtsIf I never let them persevere with something really difficult which they cannot masterIf I make all work serious work and discourage playfulnessIf there is not time to exploreIf I lock them into adult time constraints too earlyHow will they get to know themselves as a thinker?If they never get to help anyoneIf we force them to always work and play with children of the same ageIf I do not teach them the skills of working cooperativelyIf collaboration can be seen as cheatingIf all classroom activities are based on competitivenessIf everything is seen to be for marksHow will they learn to work with others?For if theyHave never experienced being challenged in a safe environmentHave had all of their creative thoughts explained awayAre unaware what catches their interest and then to have confidence in that interestHave never followed something they are passionate about to a satisfying conclusionHave not clarified the way they sabotage their own learningAre afraid to seek help and do not know who or what to askHave not experienced overcoming their inertiaAre paralyzed by the need to know everything before writing or actingHave never gotten bogged downHave never failedHave always played it safeHow will they ever know who they are?


The exhibition

In the final year of the PYP, students participate in a culminating project, the PYP exhibition. This requires that each student demonstrates engagement with the five essential elements of the programme: knowledge, concepts, skills, attitudes and action. It is a transdisciplinary inquiry conducted in the spirit of personal and shared responsibility, as well as a summative assessment activity that is a celebration as students move from the PYP into the middle years of schooling. For further information and guidance on the exhibition, refer to PYP exhibition guidelines (2004).

The exhibition represents a significant event in the life of a PYP school and student, synthesizing the essential elements of the PYP, and sharing them with the whole school community. It is an opportunity for students to exhibit the attributes of the learner profile that have been developing throughout their engagement with the PYP.

In the students’ final year of the PYP, which occurs in some schools at 10–11 years old and in others at 11–12 years old, there are five units of inquiry and the exhibition. The exhibition unit takes place under any transdisciplinary theme at the discretion of the school. Students are required to engage in a collaborative, transdisciplinary inquiry process that involves them in identifying, investigating and offering solutions to real-life issues or problems. The central idea selected must be of sufficient scope and significance to warrant a detailed investigation by all students.

The PYP exhibition has a number of key purposes including the following.

• For students to engage in an in-depth, collaborative inquiry• To provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate independence and responsibility for their own learning• To provide students with an opportunity to explore multiple perspectives• For students to synthesize and apply their learning of previous years, and to reflect on their journey through the PYP• To provide an authentic process for assessing student understanding• To demonstrate how students can take action as a result of their learning• To unite the students, teachers, parents and other members of the school community in a collaborative experience that incorporates the essential elements of the PYP• To celebrate the transition of learners from primary to middle/secondary education

As the culminating PYP experience, it is required that the exhibition reflects all the major features of the programme. Therefore, it must include regular and carefully planned assessment.


This assessment should take two forms: firstly, ongoing assessment of each individual student’s contribution to and understanding of the exhibition; secondly, a summative assessment and reflection on the event itself.

Assessment of the exhibition takes place within the school. It should take place throughout the whole process of the exhibition and should be rigorous. The IBO seeks to ensure the integrity of the PYP without formally monitoring internal assessment or conducting external examinations. Schools may find it helpful to refer to the exhibition rubric in the PYP exhibition guidelines (2004), which is based on standard D2 of the IBO Programme standards and practices (2005), as a guide to assessing their exhibition.

Teachers will find samples of how schools have engaged in the exhibition, together with further guidance for the exhibition, on the OCC.


The Role of the Mentor

Mentors have been asked for and will be designated to individual students or groups to ensure that students may: accomplish the tasks involved with greater understandings, achieve successful results, meet deadlines, research, analyze and synthesize with greater efficiency, develop better organizational skills and to produce a meaningful action component.

The key roles of any mentor are:• Understand the process and expectations• Assist the students with researching their chosen issue• Help find/locate/arrange contacts, resources, experiences• Encourage the students to be thorough and creative in how they share their

inquiry results and process• Meet with students regularly at an arranged time, at least once per week to

set goals, look at students’ work, and give immediate feedback• Assist the students in setting personal deadlines• Assist students with organizing information, visuals and artifacts needed• Discuss possibilities of action• Help students to identify their strengths recognizing that individual students will

have different needs and aspirations.• Review meeting log with students and sign.

The effective use of questioning in assisting your group is vital.

Thank you for becoming part of this process! The students and the Grade 5 team appreciate you tremendously!!


What the process will look like for a Mentor

1. You will be assigned a group. They will set up an initial meeting with you.

2. They will review their central idea, key concepts, and lines of inquiries with you.

3. They will discuss planning their research with you (What’s the best way to find out the answers to their questions? Who might have useful information? Where would they find reliable information? Do they need to carry out experiments? Do they need a guest speaker? Do they need to go on a field trip?).

4. The group will carry out their research, meeting with you along the way. They need to keep an ongoing record of their meetings with you as well as the sources that they use for research. They gather all necessary data, and mentors help with strategies to organize all of this information.

5. Group works through drafts. Revising and editing along the way. Action is the goal here, but they will need to not only present what their action is, but what they found out through this process.

6. The group prepares/designs presentation of their action and their findings. They think about how they will show what they know and how to show what they did.

7. Group presents at the exhibition. As a mentor, you come to visit and make your final comments and reflections on your experience.


Exhibition Estimated Timeline

Transdisciplinary Theme: Sharing the planetAn inquiry into rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and with other living things; communities and the relationships within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.

Week (Mon-Fri) What they’ll be doing Where they should be at

March 1 – March 5- Breaking down the TT- Brainstorming topics- SNAP research

By the end of week one, the students should be aware of what the transdisciplinary theme is and becoming curious about a potential topic.

March 8 – March 12

- Central Idea Writing- Final topic choices- Group formation- Mentor assignments

By the end of week two, the students will hopefully have settled on a central idea, formed groups and be considering lines of inquiry.


- LOI writing- Research begins- SMART action plans

By the end of week three, the students will have developed an action plan. At the end of the week text based research should have commenced.


- Researching/Taking Notes

- Action Plans- Field trips/Interviews

At the conclusion of week four hopefully the students will have collected the majority of their information from a range of sources.

March 29 – April 1- Finish research- Complete Action Plan- Consider presentation

After the fifth week, students should have completed all of their research. They will begin to work through the drafts stage and should have a clear plan of SMART action.

April 12 – April 16after the break

- Publishing their work- Use a variety of

mediums- Work on action plan

By week six they will be starting to publish their research findings. Action plans should be in full-swing by the end of this week.

April 19 – April 23 /

(conferences)April 26 – April 30

- Finish publishing research findings (variety of mediums)

- Action plan- Reflect on what’s been

done/ what else needs to be done

By the end of week seven/week eight, students should have finished publishing their research findings using a variety of mediums. They should now be focused solely on their action plan. (1.5 weeks left)


May 3 – May 7

- Speeches for next week- Final work on action

plan- Last chance for work on

presentation for next week

- Reflection- Evaluation/Assessment

Students will spend the time they have during week nine finishing their presentations for the exhibition days, completing their action plans, and working on their presentations for the exhibition parent evening.

May 10 – May 14

- Last minute details- Set up for the exhibition- Execute the exhibition- Clean up and reflect

By the end of this week, the students will have completed the exhibition, though we hope that their action continues beyond this project. Come and celebrate with our students on Thursday evening.


The Action Cycle

REFLECT CHOOSE Is it SMART? Is it SMART?

ACT Is it SMART?

What is action? List some examples that students could do that might constitute action.

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Examples of

Action

Turning off the tap while you brush your teeth

Having quicker showers

Switching the light off when you leave a room

Creating a documentary video

Creating a booklet for others to read

Teaching others about your topic

Creating a newsletter

Raising money to support a charity

Writing a persuasive letter to someone involved in an issue

Designing and presenting a performance to convey a message

We are asking that our students take action that is S. M. A. R. T. (specific,

measurable, actionable, relevant, and time-bound). For the purposes of

the exhibition, collecting money is not action, but doing something to

solve a problem is.


Teacher Mentor Tips

Do Don’tUnderstand the process and expectations.

Forget to ask questions when unsure throughout the process.

Help students find resources and locate contacts. Phone Skills.

Make phone calls for them.

Meet with the students at least 1-2 times per week.

Feel responsible if the students forget to turn up.

Help the students set goals. Set the goals for the students. Make sure they agree.

Encourage the students to set deadlines and share jobs.

Make decisions about who should do what job.

Give suggestions and feedback about presenting their research.

Tell them how to present their information.

Help with photocopying/printing handouts.

Help prepare the materials.

Discuss possibilities for action. Insist on what action the students take.

Try to be positive and help them stay motivated.

Feel responsible if they start to lose focus and motivation.

Sit back and observe discussions and conflicts.

Always feel that you need to intervene to solve their problems.

Help them with editing and revising.

Help with editing until they have made a genuine attempt first.

Try to let them establish a format for how meetings should be run.

Insist on leading each discussion.

Encourage them to refer back to their assessment goals and action plans (S. M. A. R. T.).

Let them fly ahead without stopping to reflect.

Encourage them to explore a wide range of perspectives.

Let them decide on only one conclusion.

Try and encourage them to help each other (or themselves) first.

Always be the first one with a solution.

Help out on a field trip if you have time.

Put your mentor group ahead of your normal workload.


Working through the kinks

• If a student seems lost or confused about the direction their issue is leading them, please arrange a time to see the class teacher with the student. This way you will both hear the same thing at the same time.

• It is imperative that the student(s) focus on the questions they want to answer, their LOIs, and thier action plans. Encourage them to identify their key questions and concepts and consistently revisit them (use the S. M. A. R. T. sheet). They will have all of this information in their exhibition journals.

• If a student continuously does not show up for arranged times and/or does not meet deadlines agreed upon, please let the teacher know. Your time is valuable both to yourself and us. We want to help rectify the situation as quickly as possible.

• If you need tips on how to assist the student(s) you are mentoring with research skills or using a variety of sources, please see the class teacher. There is also a wealth of information in the student journals, especially in the appendix.

• The Grade 5 teachers will help source any necessary materials your group may need.

• The Academic portal>Library catalog>HKOPAC>Hong Kong Academy>Search key words is great source for the students to use. Reminding the students of the importance of academic honesty is useful throughout any research process. Also, primary sources are usually best (where can they go? who can they interview?).

• The best tip is to keep communicating! Feel free to drop us an email, grab us in the hall for a quick chat, or pop down to our classrooms.


Planning Calendars for Mentors

March 1 – May 14 2010Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 12

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

28 29 30 31 April 1 2

Spring Break

Begins

3


4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12

Classes Resume

13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30 May 1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12

Set Up for the

Exhibition

13Exh. All

Day, Parent/ Mentor

Night

14

Exh. All Day

15


Meeting Log

Date Goal of Meeting

Group Meeting Checklist

Yes No N/A Meeting Notes

Well Prepared: Organized Punctual Communicative

Share Work Equally

Positive Attitude

Active Listening

_________

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Date Goal of Meeting

Group Meeting Checklist

Yes No N/A Meeting Notes

Well Prepared: Organized Punctual Communicative

Share Work Equally

Positive Attitude

Active Listening

_________

___

___

___

_________

___

___

___

_________

___

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How to the different Inquiry Cycles relate to one another?How to the different Inquiry Cycles relate to one another?How to the different Inquiry Cycles relate to one another?

Big 6 Inquiry Cycle Kath Murdochʼs Inquiry Cycle

What does it really mean?

1. Task Definition 1. Tuning In 1. What are we going to be studying?

2. Information Seeking Strategies

2. Finding Out 2. How do we find out?

3. Location and Access 3. Finding Out 3. Where do we find out?

4. Use of Information 4. Sorting Out 4. What does all of this information mean? How am I going to make sense of it all?

5. Analysis and Synthesis 5. Sorting Out, Going Further, Making Connections, Drawing Conclusions...

5. What am I going to do with this information now that I have sorted it? How will I present what I have learned? How will I take action on what I have learned?

6. Evaluating and Reflection

6. Reflection 6. What more can I do? (This project should never really be finished.) What are the next steps for me individually? What can I do differently next time?


S.M.A.R.T.?What are some things involved in determining whether the solutions to your problem are good or bad? What standards will your team use to judge the best solution?

Good solutions are also S.M.A.R.T. solutions. This means you have considered whether they are:

Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant, Time-bound

Think about this: Are your solutions SMART?

Who Yes Possibly No

SpecificIs your solution clear?

Does everyone know their role in implementing your solution?

Have you answered every possible 5 W and 1 H?

MeasurableHow will YOU know and how will WE know that your solution has worked?

ActionableWill you be able to take action and be successful?

RelevantDoes this solution actually relate directly to your problem?

Time-boundWill you have enough time to implement your solution?

How much time will you need?


S.M.A.R.T.?Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant, Time-bound

Think about this: Are your solutions / problems SMART?

SpecificIs your solution / problem clear?

Have you answered every possible 5 W and 1 H?

MeasurableHow will YOU know and how will WE know that

your solution has worked?

ActionableWill you be able to take action and be successful?

RelevantDoes this solution actually relate directly to your

problem?

Time-boundWill you have enough time to implement your

solution?How much time will you need?


HKA Exhibition Mentor Booklet

Documents

Transcript of HKA Exhibition Mentor Booklet