presented by
Dr. Janette Poulton, Ben Reeves & Vanessa Hodgkiss
Summary
A brief report on pilot project at Wesley 2021, including film samples of COI practice in classrooms at various year-levels. The stimuli are related to the IB Curriculum units of inquiry, followed by a report on the masterclass demonstrating how such film footage can be used to introduce new teachers to the principles of COI.
We would love to discuss further with IB teachers , particularly those working at Primary level and those delivering TOK. We will demonstrate how we worked with teachers to show the usefulness of Community of Inquiry (COI) pedagogy and practice to support the IBDP Theory of Knowledge [TOK] course commencing in 2021.
TOK is a compulsory component of the IB Diploma Programme, focused on inquiry into epistemological problems. Students self-reflectively grapple with knowledge questions that are contestable and relate to key concepts such as evidence, certainty, truth, power, justification, perspective, culture or responsibility. These concepts are framed by broader issues, such as the difference between knowledge and understanding; issues of culture or social practices in the production of knowledge; explorations of big ideas such as paradigms, theory, models and creativity / metaphor. These concepts and big ideas are also explored through a range of optional themes or lenses: technology, religion, indigenous societies, language, and politics. The first year assessment culminates in an exhibition, where the student chooses 3 objects as a stimulus to critically explore knowledge questions. This masterclass will explore how COI pedagogy may be used to support the key skills and dispositions for being a successful TOK student. This includes COI’s emphasis on:
Developing dispositions to support the handling of complexity and ambiguity, using stimulus to generate contestable questions, promoting pedagogical practices that support students self-reflective critical thinking, negotiating multiple perspective-taking, deepening understanding of the nature of epistemological-philosophical problems, a focus on conceptual understanding
Biography
Ben Reeves, lead teacher at Wesley , Vanessa (Lead teacher at Woodleigh PS) , Janette is the longstanding Education and Innovations Officer for VAPS, including design and delivery of the FAPSA approved two level teacher training programs and establishing Philosophy in public places (PiPS) such as Zoos, Museums and Galleries. Doctoral research in developmental assessment of philosophy.