Blair’s IB Learner Characteristic for March is Knowledgeable

The International Baccalaureate (IB) approach applies ten characteristics to describe an IB learner. As an IB World School, at Blair all students, staff and teachers strive to demonstrate the attributes of Inquirer, Thinker, Caring, Balanced, Knowledgeable, Open Minded, Risk taker, Communicator, Reflective and Principled.

This “IB Learner Profile” also demonstrates how the IB approach is about much more than academic success. Each month at Blair one characteristic is highlighted. For the month of March we are focusing on Knowledgeable.

How might we build a culture that encourages engagement with local and global issues?

Knowledgeable learners explore concepts, ideas and issues that have local and global significance. In doing so, they acquire in-depth knowledge and develop understanding across a broad and balanced range of disciplines. IB students are extraordinarily well prepared for the academic requirements of university coursework.

Discussion and Activity Ideas:

Students who are knowledgeable have explored relevant and significant concepts and can remember what they have learned. They can draw on this knowledge and apply it in new situations.

• Encourage students to read books that correspond with the topics being covered in school. In particular, books in their mother tongue will help students make more meaningful, lasting connections to what is being taught in their classroom in English.
• Make connections between the known and unknown
• Ask questions and seek answers!
• Be informed about the world around you
• As teachers and parents, we can instill a knowledgeable attitude in our students, which isn’t just about retelling facts and figures. These characteristics, which will exhibit in different ways, include:
– acquire, apply and share knowledge
– look at different perspectives
– consider all factors involved
– ask questions to challenge and deepen their understanding
– reflect and analyze their knowledge
– show curiosity and search out information
– understand failure is part of gaining knowledge
• Ask your student about what they are learning and engage them in conversations about it:
– “Why do you think that is an important thing to know about?”
– “Can you think of anything happening in the world today that might be similar to that aspect of History?”
– “You’re learning about pulleys and gears at school? This reminds me of your simple machines unit… have you noticed any similarities? How is what you’re learning different?”
• Foster any area that your student expresses an interest in with books and activities, but also be sure to encourage them to explore other areas.
• Encourage your student to become familiar with current events and to read the newspaper and watch the news when appropriate.
• Encourage students to explore concepts, ideas and issues that have local and global significance. In doing so, they acquire in-depth knowledge and develop understanding across a broad and balanced range of disciplines.

Discussion Questions
• Did [a character’s] knowledge impact their actions? How?
• How did [a character’s] knowledge affect other characters and/or events?
• How did [a character’s] curiosity help or hinder events?
• How did [a character] analyse and evaluate the new information they discovered?
• What is the connection between curiosity and being knowledgeable?
• Why does failure help us become more knowledgeable?
• How does being reflective increase knowledge?
• How can you become more knowledgeable?
• How does knowledge impact our actions?
• How does knowledge impact our ability to relate to people and events around us?
• What is the relationship between knowledge and curiosity?
• What is our responsibility to be knowledgeable, especially if we have Google to help us answer so many questions?

Blair is an IB World School with three IB programs. The Middle Years Programme is all students grades 6-10. The Diploma Programme is offered for 11th and 12th graders, with the option of pursuing the full Diploma or individual course certificates. In the Career-related Programme, Health Careers Academy students integrate IB Diploma courses with their technical training and other requirements.

Blair High School, 1201 S. Marengo Avenue, Pasadena, (626) 396-5820 or visit www.pusd.us/site/Default.aspx?PageID=55.