A Culture of Thinking and Collaboration

written by Cristina Milos, PYP Teacher

“Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton asked why.” Bernard Baruch’s words are the invisible motto that guides learning in the PYP at H-FARM International School whether we are just starting our learning journey at 2 years of age or we are already in grade five, preparing to join the middle school students.

We question things, we try, we understand. We roll the marbles, we pull the strings, we experiment. We make rockets fly up in the air, watch balloons’ trajectory and speed, measure temperature and build circuits.

Together, we explore, we build, we grasp the world around us. Learning is a social act and we engage in hands-on activities collaboratively so that we make meaning together. So that we build on each other’s ideas and our collective understanding gains richness and depth.

At H-FARM International School, we focus on the “H”: the human skills. Learning should be a joint adventure not a boring isolated act. That is why we work, we ask questions and find answers together. It could be in our inquiry into energy, or our exploration of probability in mathematics, or understanding themes and symbols in our class novel — each and all of these endeavors have at their core the “why”. Why does kinetic energy transfer through the ball? Why is it less probable to roll a 6 on a die? Why is this character’s sketchbook a symbol of freedom and courage?…

Sometimes it is difficult, but it is through challenges that we grow, we expand our understanding and learn. And we do this together — through experiments, discussions, hands-on activities, games, socratic seminars, online simulations and more.

The Author

Cristina Milos, Year 5 Teacher at H-FARM International School — Venice, holds a BA in Pedagogy and an MS in Information and Communication Technology in Education. She is passionate about inquiry and learning, and has been a teacher for 28 years. Cristina blogs about education, cognitive science and research, and has worked as an IB teacher in Rome, Denmark, Romania, Vietnam and Oman.