Rethinking Action

As we begin to reflect on our last units of inquiry for the year, student action becomes a topic of conversation. We know that, as a part of the action cycle (choose, act, reflect), students are expected to take action as a result of their learning. It can be hard to capture student action because it doesn't always happen within the context of the school day. One of our jobs, as PYP educators, is to make sure that our student's parents have a good understanding of the action cycle and are aware of the concepts we are studying in each unit of inquiry. I have developed a very simple parent letter that could be used for this purpose at the beginning of a new unit. Feel free to edit this document to meet your needs.

It's also important that we have a good understanding of what we are looking for when it comes to student action. In Making the PYP Happen (2009), it states that effective action does not need to be grandiose. It begins with the most immediate and basic level: with the self; within the family; within the classroom, the hallways and the playground. Effective action can be a demonstration of a sense of responsibility and respect for self, others and the environment. 

In Fahey's book, Ways to Learn Through Inquiry (2012), she gives several examples of student action including ideas. Fahey describes a situation where a preschooler was learning about different homes and came to the realization that not all people have a place to live. As he was playing with counters in his classroom, he created a "town" where all people had a home. This child didn't solve the homeless problems in his community, but the inquiry into homes in his classroom, helped him understand homelessness and he made a change in his thinking. This is taking action! It doesn't have to change the world, just the way you think. 

So...in the last few weeks of school, be an observer. Don't let student action pass you by!