Channing Hall will be making application to be authorized as an IB
school. If authorized by the IB, our school would become
the first Utah K-8 school to implement the prestigious
International Baccalaureate Program as the teaching methodology to
weave a systemof inquiry, respect for diversity, an emphasis on
collaboration, andincorporate a learner-focused environment into the
content we provide.IB is not a curriculum per se, but a trans-disciplinary
teaching method that ties subjects together in a meaningful way. IB also requires
all students to participate in a Secondary Language Program as it has
been shown to enhance learning across subjects. Our language
program will incorporate Spanish, with the goal that all students will
be proficient in Spanish by the sixth grade.
Students who
complete the
IB Diploma program (which is a continuation of the IB program into
the High School years)
are often able to enter college with as many as
two years college credit and 130 hours or more of community service.
Ourcurriculum content will come from theUtah State Core, Balanced Literacy based on the Ohio State Collaborative model, and
a balanced but fundamentally standards-based approach to Mathematics.
International Baccalaureate
Implementation
Channing Hall
will seek to provide a challenging academic experience that fosters
intellectually agile learners and inquirers by combining a
generous amount of meaningful collaborative group work with
appropriate levels of direct instruction, while including teaching
methods based on the latest research in learning and body/brain
integration. We believe that a well-rounded and challenging
curriculum must provide students with a variety of ways with which to
experience and learn about the world around them. As a result,
Channing Hall will be affiliated with the International Baccalaureate
Organization (IBO), which will serve as our framework for implementing
the Utah State Core Curriculum. The IBO’s mission is to meet
the academic, social, physical, emotional, and cultural needs of the
child. Therefore, the educational approach of Channing Hall
will be to teach the child as a whole using IBO as a framework. The
IBO is not a program of curriculum content. Rather, it is a
highly respected method for organizing and teaching the
curriculum content of a school’s choosing, and it features the
following three emphases:
Trans-disciplinary
Education
Inquiry and
learning is enhanced when children are taught how traditional
subjects, such as Math and English, are connected and relate to one
another. This trans-disciplinary approach not only increases the level
of inquiry but assists students in identifying how what they learn
relates to their own life experiences. This will increase curiosity
and excitement for the learner.
The IBO has
identified themes to be used in the classroom as a framework in
applying trans-disciplinary education. The purpose of these
trans-disciplinary themes is to add another dimension to learning
traditional subjects, not to replace local and state standards.
The themes are
as follows:
• Where we are in
place and time • Who we are
• How we express
ourselves • How the world works
• How we organize
ourselves • Sharing the planet
International
Perspective
trans-disciplinary
themes contain an international perspective which is beneficial
because learning takes place in a much broader context. The purpose
of using an international perspective and trans-disciplinary approach
is to support children in becoming inquirers, thinkers, communicators,
risk-takers; to be knowledgeable, principled, caring, well-balanced,
and reflective. Not only will students learn about their own
identity, culture, and values, but differing perspectives from other
populations outside of Utah will be explored. This will increase the
inquiry skills of students as they become aware of similarities and
discrepancies between their own views and those of others.
Four Key Elements
There are four key
elements which can be interpreted across all subject areas in forming
an additional framework for student inquiry. The first element is
CONCEPTS. Contained within CONCEPTS is a specific identification of
what is to be understood by the student. Second, the SKILLS element
defines what skills a student should be able to acquire by
successfully utilizing the IB curriculum standards. Thinking,
communication, social, research, and self-management make up this list
of skills. Third, there are certain ATTITUDES students are to feel,
value, and demonstrate. Tolerance, curiosity, creativity,
independence, and respect are a few of the attitudes the curriculum
will foster at Channing Hall. The final element is ACTION.
Making positive and lasting contributions to the school, community,
and world are essential components of ACTION. Students are to gain
the experience and knowledge to become constructive members of
society.