Mastering Idea-Based Learning: A Handbook for Contemporary Guardians
The International School of Ho Chi Minh City (ISHCM) has adopted a unique educational approach, focusing on conceptual learning, to prepare students for a changing world. This approach, at the heart of a progressive educational model, nurtures curiosity, independence, and critical thinking skills.
Inquiry-based learning is at the forefront of this method, starting with compelling questions that guide students to explore problems, collect information, reflect, and generate solutions. By doing so, students are encouraged to think beyond surface-level facts and develop a deeper understanding.
To promote conceptual thinking, the school employs various practical strategies. Multimedia tools such as videos, animations, simulations, and virtual reality engage learners and clarify abstract concepts. Graphic organizers, concept maps, and other organisers are used to emphasise relationships among ideas and support note-taking and mastery of concepts.
New information is connected to prior knowledge through scaffolds like word webs and analogies, situating learning in familiar contexts. Retrieval practices like concept maps, “stop and jot” reflections, and student-created quizzes encourage active retrieval and integration of knowledge.
Teachers at ISHCM model critical thinking by explicitly demonstrating questioning, verification of information, awareness of biases, and valuing diverse perspectives. This fosters intellectual virtues like humility and autonomy. The school also designs authentic, thought-provoking questions to encourage reflective and analytical thinking.
Interdisciplinary thinking is encouraged, allowing students to draw connections across subjects and approach complex ideas with depth and flexibility. This approach improves retention as students grasp the essence of ideas rather than relying on memorisation.
In multicultural classrooms, conceptual learning allows students to explore concepts like identity, culture, and sustainability from multiple viewpoints, cultivating empathy and global awareness. The school's community is rooted in curiosity and care, providing students with the environment and tools needed to reach higher and grow with purpose.
The school offers world-class IB programmes and is staffed by experienced international educators. A project that combines knowledge from multiple subjects encourages students to apply concepts from different disciplines in one meaningful task, developing adaptable thinkers.
Reflection after each unit or project strengthens students' understanding, helps them identify areas for growth, and deepens their awareness of how they learn best. In the IB framework, conceptual learning ensures that students see learning as part of a larger journey.
At ISHCM, conceptual learning is embedded into every part of the student journey. Inquiry drives every stage of the Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme, and Diploma Programme. The school's commitment to conceptual learning strengthens real-world readiness by equipping students to transfer knowledge from one area to another.
In conclusion, the International School of Ho Chi Minh City's focus on conceptual learning equips students with the tools to think critically, collaborate effectively, and adjust to change, making them well-prepared for an uncertain future.
- The International School of Ho Chi Minh City's (ISHCM) unique educational approach, focusing on conceptual learning, encourages students to think beyond surface-level facts and develop a deeper understanding.
- To promote conceptual thinking, ISHCM employs various practical strategies, such as multimedia tools, graphic organizers, and interdisciplinary thinking, which cultivate students' intellectual virtues and global awareness.
- In the school's multicultural classrooms, conceptual learning allows students to explore concepts like identity, culture, and sustainability from multiple viewpoints, fostering empathy and global awareness.
- Reflection after each unit or project at ISHCM helps students identify areas for growth, deepens their understanding of how they learn best, and strengthens their commitment to personal growth and self-development.
- By equipping students with the tools to think critically, collaborate effectively, and adjust to change, ISHCM's focus on conceptual learning prepares them for an uncertain future, making them well-rounded citizens in a rapidly changing world.
