ATL - Approaches to teaching and learning

From time to time it is important to stop and think about how teachers teach and how students learn. Strong pedagogy, after all, is the cornerstone of any good international school. The IB has outlined 5 approaches to learning and 6 approaches to teaching that should be fostered across all Programmes. This one-day, in-school workshop aims to integrate these approaches into all curricula across the Diploma Programme:

Approaches to learning	Approaches to teaching
thinking skills	inquiry-based
communication skills	concept-based
social skills	contextualised
self-management skills	collaborative
research skills	differentiated
	informed by assessment

Sample agenda

ATL - Approaches to teaching and learning
08:30	-	09:00	Welcome coffee and introduction
09:00	-	10:30	Session 1 - Plenary: (whole DP staff) Introducing ATL; underlying pedagogical principles; terminology; importance for enhancing teaching and learning strategies already in place in school; necessity for DP evaluation.
10:30	-	11:00	Coffee break
11:00	-	12:30	Session 2 - Break-out group 1: (senior and middle management) ATL skills assigned to individual participants (or pairs) to work on implementation strategies. Report back to whole group.
12:30	-	13:30	Lunch
13:30	-	15:00	Session 3 - Break-out group 2: DP subject / department teams) reflection on application of ATL within DP subject groups; sharing good practice; practical ideas for implementing ATL skills effectively.
15:00	-	15:15	Coffee break
15:15	-	16:45	Session 4 - Plenary: Presentations from break-out groups. Finalising proposal for integration of ATL skills into DP action plan and school’s development plan.