Johnston Heights »

The staff at Johnston Heights has spent the last 4 years looking at ways to implement the new curriculum through Inquiry Based Learning.  Their learning journey has taken them to understanding the 3 main pillars of learning: Assessment, Access and Ask. The belief is that if teachers who develop’ Assessment’ that measures growth of learning will design lessons that all students can’ Access’ their learning and this is done through ‘Asking’ the Inquiry question.

These principles are based on the premise that all students are capable and encouraged to demonstrate their learning through a variety of strategies.

In keeping with the framework of the new curriculum, this meant that the delivery model for Special Ed students needed to change to meet the full spectrum of learning needs. It was with this intention that we developed a model of Inclusion at Johnston Heights

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A focus on adult learning engages students more deeply in their learning.

How is an effective Inquiry Question written?

What is our understanding of Inclusion within an Inquiry Learning model? How is Inquiry Based Learning assessed?

As schools implement the MYP inclusively, teachers design learning experiences that allow students across a range of needs to meet their learning objectives (see Meeting student learning diversity in the classroom (2013)). Differentiated teaching practices can build opportunities in which each student can develop, pursue and achieve appropriate individual learning goals. This may involve utilizing collaborative and cooperative learning, a variety

of learning practices, creative approaches to teaching and learning, differing formats and modes of exploring and presenting knowledge and understanding being made available to the students.

Inclusion succeeds when a school-wide culture of collaboration encourages and supports inquiry and problem-solving. Increasing participation in the Schools should ensure equality of access to the curriculum and provide students with the support they need in order to set and meet challenging educational goals.

The inclusion/special educational needs (SEN) policy developed by the school should be public and readily available to staff, parents and students.

The inclusion of all students requires a school to address differentiation within the written and taught curriculum, demonstrated in the unit planner and in the teaching environment, which is reviewed during programme authorization and evaluation.

The teachers created Inquiry groups based on one of the Inquiry Statements. The school then embarked on a school wide collaborative inquiry. Through the collaborative process the teachers developed the following policies: Academic Honesty, Inclusion, Language, International Mindedness and Assessment.

Through collaborative inquiry, teachers in each department designed common units using the core and curricular competencies of the new BC Curriculum. The development of common units also provided both horizontal and alignment of core and curricular competencies.

Assessment in Inquiry Based learning became the foundation of teacher’s development of common units. Standard based assessment became the norm for teacher practice. Each unit had both summative and formative assessment based on 4 objectives that were reported out to students. Core competencies were also taught and assessed using standard rubrics.assessment