The MYP, as well as all IB Continuum Programmes, aim at cultivating global international mindedness. To this view, Global Contexts allow learners to advance their abilities and personal values that are necessary for global engagement by providing them common starting points to inquire into the meaning of this engagement.
Global Contexts need a curriculum that promotes multilingualism, intercultural dimension in education and the formation of responsible world citizens. They help learners connect the learning experience with their own actual lives and respond to the following questions:
Why?
- Why are we engaged in this inquiry?
- Why are these concepts important?
- Why is it important for me to understand?
- Why do people care about this topic?
The MYP Global Contexts are:
Identities and relationships
Who am I? Who are we?
Students will explore:
- identity, beliefs and values;
- personal, physical, mental, social and spiritual health;
- human relationships including families, friends, communities and cultures;
- what it means to be human.
Orientation in space and time
What is the meaning of “where” and “when”?
Students will explore:
- personal histories;
- homes and journeys;
- turning points in humankind;
- discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind;
- the relationships between, and the interconnectedness of, individuals and civilizations, from personal, local and global perspectives.
Personal and cultural expression
What is the nature and purpose of creative expression?
Students will explore:
- the ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs and values;
- the ways in which we reflect on, extend and enjoy our creativity;
- our appreciation of the aesthetic.
Scientific and technical innovation
How do we understand the world in which we live?
Students will explore:
- the natural world and its laws;
- the interaction between humans and the natural world;
- how humans use their understanding of scientific principles;
- the impact of scientific and technological advances on communities and the environment;
- the impact of environments on human activity;
- how humans adapt environments to their needs.
Globalization and sustainability
How is everything connected?
Students will explore:
- the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities;
- the relationship between local and global processes;
- how local experiences mediate the global;
- the opportunities and tensions provided by world-interconnectedness;
- the impact of decision-making on humankind and the environment.
Fairness and development
What are the consequences of our common humanity?
Students will explore:
- rights and responsibilities;
- the relationships between communities;
- sharing finite resources with other people and other living things;
- access to equal opportunities;
- peace and conflict resolution.
In Platon School we nurture skills that help students manage their acquired knowledge in all MYP subject groups. Such skills make up the basis for both academic and social success beyond the classroom, in the here and now and in the future. Children attain a very wide range of skills classified into five Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills categories:
Communication
Communication skills
- How can students communicate through interaction?
- How can students demonstrate communication through language?
Social
Collaboration skills
- How can students collaborate?
Self-management
Organization skills
- How can students demonstrate organization skills?
Affective skills
- How can students manage their own state of mind?
Reflection skills
- How can students be reflective?
Research
Information literacy skills
- How can students demonstrate information literacy?
Media literacy skills
- How can students demonstrate media literacy?
Thinking
Critical-thinking skills
- How can students think critically?
Creative thinking skills
- How can students be creative?
Transfer skills
How can students transfer skills and knowledge across disciplines and subject groups?
