The Learner Profile
One of the most useful
documents for IB teachers and students is the IB learner profile. Simply put,
this is the IB mission statement translated into learning outcomes that can
clarify the goals of the programme for students and teachers alike. The learner
profile provides a set of common terms for students and teachers as they
discuss the desired outcomes of any IB Middle Years Programme course, and they can
be related to not only academic goals but also personal goals. Read about the
IB Learner Profile here. The ten characteristics that all IB students
should strive to embody are as follows:
.Inquirers
.Knowledgeable
.Thinkers
.Communicators
.Principled
.Open Minded
.Caring
.Risk Takers
.Balanced
.Reflective
Few would argue that these are
qualities worth possessing at any stage of personal and intellectual growth;
the IB curriculum is designed to explicitly foster and strengthen them. The
learner profile also provides a framework for the students to know and discuss
their own experiences as learners in the IB classroom. The full list, with
elaboration on each descriptor, can be found on page 5 of the Learner Profile
Guide available from the Online Curriculum Centre. There is also a short video
illustrating the learner profile here.
Questions for Reflection:
1.
How can the IB
learner profile enhance your own understanding of your place in the IB
classroom? How can it inform your teaching?
2.
In what ways do
the assignments in your classroom encourage students to develop one or more of
the characteristics named on the learner profile?
3.
How can your
students benefit from studying the IB learner profile?
4.
In what ways can
an understanding of the IB learner profile help clarify the goals of the IB
Middle Years Programme to someone who is not familiar with IB?
I feel that the IB learner profile can enhance my own understanding of my place in the IB (or MYP) classroom by increasing my appreciation for the impact I can have on the whole student - not just that student's ability to master a large amount of content. It informs my teaching by reminding me of how important these lifeskill qualities are and challenging me to come up with teaching activities that can help instill these values in my students. Public speaking assignments in my classroom encourage kids to take risks standing up in front of their peers. Requiring students to look at political issues from multiple perspectives challenges them to be more open-minded. By reaching for these values, my students will hopefully become more sensitive, respectful, and peaceful human beings.
ReplyDelete(1) The IB Learner Profile serves as a reminder that I am a facilitator of learning as opposed to a “sage on a stage” imparting my knowledge to the students. By keeping elements of the profile in mind I aspire to craft lessons and activities that allow my students to develop and explore these traits in themselves more fully.
ReplyDelete(2) In particular I like to design lessons that ask my students to be thinkers and reach their own conclusions to open ended questions rather than simple parroting the “right” answer from the book or class. So for example, as a class we explore the idea of “justice” and then ask the students to reflect on whether they feel Hammurabi’s Code was “just.”
(3) By considering the elements of the IB Learner Profile, students can reflect on their own development as students and people and consider in what ways they wish to grow and develop and where their strengths and weakness are in these areas. They provide a gateway for introspection and development of metacognitive skills.
(4) The elements of the IB Learner profiles help demonstrate that the MYP program goes beyond the basic skills, wrote knowledge, testing, and data that so much of modern education emphasizes and works to help students become life-long learners.
1. The learner profile makes the goals of IB very real. These attributes are what drives teaching even when we don’t think about them as such. These attributes aid me in the classroom when I tend to get frustrated. They encourage me to reflect on what I am trying to teach and how I am doing so. They also help me to keep adjusting the methods I use to meet the needs of the students in the room.
ReplyDelete2. Some assignments require that students use other means to communicate their comprehension by asking them to think deeper and to apply their learning to a different scenario. For example, we have a Progressive magazine that students create about issues that exist today and how to solve them by using what they learned about progressives of the past like Ida Tarbell and Jacob Riis. Another example is creating an invention and a place to produce it based on learning why certain cities became industrial centers in the past to show their understanding of use of resources and geographical advantages.
3. Students can see some of the attributes of the Learner Profile that they already possess and work on those they do not possess. This gives them confidence and motivation.
4. I believe that Learner Profile makes all of IB easier to understand for not only students and their parents but for teachers new to the program as well. There is nothing to disagree with!
1. In my first year teaching in FCPS, in high school, and in an IB/MYP classroom, the learner profile WAS the Middle Years Programme for me. It is a concrete way to see how students should be growing and learning in the MYP classroom.
ReplyDelete2.I think one of my strengths as a teacher is to adapt and to use a number of different techniques; therefore, my students get chances to practice these characteristics throughout the year in different ways. I especially give them opportunities to share ideas and be inquirers to go deeper into the subjects we cover.
3. As a reminder to practice all of these skills like they would practice different skills for a sports team. It might remind them to try taking some risks or cooperating more with others or inquiring into a tangential topic that came up in class.
4. I am someone not familiar with IB! As stated in question #1, it is the easiest way to get a grasp on what IB means as a student or teacher.
1. By referencing the IB learner profile, students can understand the meaning of lessons. Students are often wondering “what’s in it for me?” By providing them real life characteristics that can be gained, this question is answered.
ReplyDelete2. Using many different types of lessons in a classroom encourages different characteristics for the students to develop (and stay engaged).
3. The IB learner profile includes characteristics necessary for holistic growth. They face academic problems, and by gaining the characteristics of the IB learner profile, they can transfer the skills to real life.
4. The IB learner profile puts the MYP goals in a short list. It’s a way of saying “this is what we want students to get out of IB.”
1) Our veteran IB teachers agree that there are very few differences between the programs' statements. I think the end goal is positive, and should be followed.
ReplyDelete2) See #1
3) Better understanding of the statements could certainly help the curriculum. It would be beneficial to promote the program and increase participation in higher level courses.
4) We are encouraging more reflections, to increase the students writing opinions on the subject matter. We have the statements in plain-view for most of the class room to help guide their thoughts.
1. By constantly reflecting on the important aspects of the learner profiles, it can remind us that these are the elements we need to be aware of when instructing. We as teachers and they as students both share the common goal of being a life long learner.
ReplyDelete2. By differentiating instructing, students are allowed to engage in one or more of the learner profiles and choose a profile they feel most comfortable with.
3. By learning how to incorporate the learner profiles into their learning, they will develop the skills necessary to activate these learner profiles as they age and develop into more challenging adult situations.
4. When the learner profiles are described and broken down for someone who is unfamiliar, they can see the targets that are attempting to be obtained by the IB programme and hopefully understand the real world applicability.
By using the learner profile as a guide I can gain a better understanding of exactly what my IB/MYP students should be striving to become. I can see how my students, who start off as MYP students, have grown by their Junior or Senior years and see how they are much more prepared to represent the ideals of the IB program. If my students also study the learner profile they will gain a better understanding of what is expected from them which will in turn allow them to make efforts to become a more successful IB student. Without knowing about the learner profile it would be difficult to determine exactly how you have grown as an IB student.
ReplyDelete1. How can the IB learner profile enhance your own understanding of your place in the IB classroom? How can it inform your teaching?
ReplyDeleteIt is helpful for me to think about the Learner Profile as an extension of the IB mission statement. As a teacher, I can seek to both model and cultivate these qualities for my students.
2. In what ways do the assignments in your classroom encourage students to develop one or more of the characteristics named on the learner profile?
One of our goals as a 7th grade Humanities team this year is to be more explicit in our instruction of the learner profile. In part, this will be mean integrating the language and terms of the learner profile into our instruction when we describe tasks and content. It also means designing assessments around specific qualities and making those connections transparent to students.
3. How can your students benefit from studying the IB learner profile?
The learner profile qualities are essential 21st century skills that students will need to be successful in the classroom and beyond for the rest of their lives.
4. In what ways can an understanding of the IB learner profile help clarify the goals of the IB Middle Years Programme to someone who is not familiar with IB?
The learner profile qualities are specific, tangible and relevant. Consequently, they will be relatable and recognizable to anyone, regardless of their level of familiarity with IB programs.
- Sarah Beck