A brief overview of IPC jargon, and an invitation for parents to get involved!
by Janita Itäniemi
In the IPC we use a theme based approach to teaching art, geography, history, ICT, international mindedness, music, science, technology, and social studies. It is designed to enable children to see links between various subjects and help them to relate their learning to their own and others’ points of view in order to develop both a local and global perspective.
Selection of the units
The units of learning can be selected by individual IPC teachers according to their own preferences. For each Mile Post there are tens to choose from! This means that not every child in our school will go through necessarily the same units of work, as their Route Plan depends on their teacher‘s choices. However, the Mile Post related, subject specific, learning goals always remain the same, regardless of the selected units. E.g. the History skill of “Putting events in the correct order on a timeline“ can be practiced in a similar way, whether the theme is Chocolate and the conquest of the Aztecs, or putting electricity related discoveries on a timeline in the Bright Sparks unit.
IPC unit cycle
The length of the units can vary significantly: Some are as short as three weeks, and others can last for up to two or even three months. Each new unit is introduced through an Entry Point which aims to provide the “wow“ factor and capture children’s interest immediately. The learning process then continues through a Knowledge Harvest to explore what children’s existing understanding of the topic is, which is further followed by Explaining the Theme, which is about discovering what the upcoming unit will include. During the main body of a unit children are led through a variety of research and recorded learning tasks which aim to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding. Finally, each unit concludes with an Exit Point to consolidate and celebrate the learning.
.png)
Get involved!
If you would like to come and share your own experience/knowledge related to your child‘s IPC unit, please do not hesitate to contact the IPC teacher. Parental help and involvement is always appreciated!
Why should your child attend iSchool?
They will gain perfect knowledge of English.
Your child will become a global citizen with wide understanding of local and international topics.
We put a strong emphasis on the development on subject specific skills rather than on acquisition of knowledge.
Emphasis on skills development (not just memorising).
Individual approach; school’s ability to motivate for improvement.
Your child will be excited to come to school.
School philosophy
You are not buying success, you are paying for the school to monitor your child’s progress to their goals and motivate them to fulfil their potential.
We are not a selective school: we believe that everybody can be successful.
