Concept-Based Model
A major facet of the IB is getting students to think critically about what they are learning. One way the IB gets students to do this is through concept-based teaching.
A concept-based model is used in the MYP because it encourages students to process factual knowledge at a deeper intellectual level, create personal relevance, increase fluency with language, and achieve higher levels of critical, creative and conceptual thinking.The program design of MYP is broken down into two kinds of concepts: Key concepts and related concepts.
Key concepts are broad and organizing ideas that have relevance within and across subjects and disciplines. These help students make connects to other classes, experiences, and subjects. They also “engage students in higher-order thinking, helping them to connect facts and topics with more complex conceptual understanding.”
Related concepts explore key concepts in greater detail. They emerge from reflection of specific subjects and disciplines, providing a focus for inquiry into subject-specific content. They are useful for exploring key concepts in greater detail.
We were able to explore the idea of a concept-based model by engaging with an item during class. We were shown an object (see photo) and were asked to write down what we thought about it in regards to different aspects, such as perspective, responsibility, form, function, change, casusation, connection and reflection. From there we looked at what the cohort had written about the object. It was explained to us that from there the teacher could take the questions/comments about the object and create a unit based on the inquiry of the students. This would make the unit more relevent to the student and allow them to draw their own connects to the content knowledge and hopefully develop transferable skills and knowledge while allowing them to think deeper about what was being studied.