Developing International Mindedness at IS Ruhr
‘Why did you enrol your child at IS Ruhr?’ This question kicked off our first PYP Parents Learning Hub on November 4. The discussion led to the concept of having international minded children.
What is international mindedness? “…International mindedness is the goal of all IB programmes. [it] is a view of the world in which people see themselves connected to the global community and have a sense of responsibility towards its members…’ IB PYP: From Principles into Practice Document. As an authorized IB world school we strive to support our students to develop and demonstrate international-mindedness.
How do we do it? Through the promotion of the Learner Profile attributes, which are key to becoming internationally minded, active and caring community members who respect themselves, others and the world around them. Students explore how the attributes look, sound and feel like through the units of inquiry and across all subject areas. Daily class experiences and interactions with one another, provide them many opportunities to understand and demonstrate them. We encourage everyone to also demonstrate these attributes outside school – at home and in their community.
Going back to the original question, Dr. Vaishali Bhintade (mum of Advaya (G1) and Nyra (EY1)), explains why she chose IS Ruhr for her children: “I enrolled my kids at IS-Ruhr because it is very important to grow and respect the diversity in the world. For some it may come naturally and some learn through a process, and this is where schools play an important role. An international minded school and curriculum can help students see the world through different lenses and help them orient around their own experiences. I believe at IS-Ruhr, my kids will not just learn the regular subjects like Maths, languages, Sciences, Art etc. but find the common grounds and the path where the individual subject learning overlaps. Hence, they will be in a better position to comprehend the real life situations, develop observational and problem solving skills in the most (possible) non-contemporary way. IS-Ruhr with the PYP curriculum is at the horizon where I see my children ready to take ownership of their learning and conquer the world with their skillful knowledge.”
