Room: Superior A
presented by John Barell, Consultant/Author,
Melissa Anderson-Rossini, PYP Coordinator, Whittier International School
Jodi Baker, PYP Coordinator, Evergreen Park World Studies Elementary School
Nichole Rens, PYP Coordinator, Earle Brown Elementary School
IB coordinators from Minneapolis area schools for the past year have worked with the following themes to foster inquiry-based instruction in the PYP: 1) Challenging students to ask good questions during a unit; 2) Learning to ask deeper, more complex questions; 3) Planning and using problematic scenarios within units to foster curiosity and as summative assessments; 4) Teacher peer observing for professional development; and 5) Using inquiry journals, for teachers and students, to learn about our lives as inquirers. Presentations will include students' work (including special education students), video clips from classrooms and reflections on fostering effective professional development.
John Barell, Consultant/Author,
John Barell has been a teacher, author, and professional development consultant for several decades. His work has focused primarily upon working with educators wishing to challenge their students to inquire, investigate, think critically, creatively and reflectively. From New York City, to Montclair State University and to The American Museum of Natural History, Barell has worked with educators at all levels of instruction, K-12++. His most recent publications are Developing More Curious Minds (2003, ASCD) and Problem-Based Learning--An Inquiry Approach (2007, Corwin).
Melissa Anderson-Rossini, PYP Coordinator, Whittier International School
Melissa Anderson-Rossini, is currently the Primary Years Programme Coordinator at Whittier International Elementary School in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She has taught 1st & 2nd grade, as well as Reading and Writing in the middle grades in Minneapolis. She joined the district staff as a Literacy Coordinator for two years working with schools across Minneapolis. During her teaching career she also was a Fulbright Exchange teacher to Belfast, Northern Ireland, for a year and taught English in a small village in the south of France for a year.
Jodi Baker, PYP Coordinator, Evergreen Park World Studies Elementary School
Jodi Baker has been the PYP Coordinator at Evergreen Park World Studies Elementary School in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota for three years. She was the Writing Facilitator at Evergreen for several years and has also taught K/1 multiage, 1st grade, 2nd grade and 4th grade. Jodi presents literacy staff development and provides literacy coaching to educators in the Twin Cities area.
Nichole Rens, PYP Coordinator, Earle Brown Elementary School
Nichole Rens is the IB Primary Years Programme Coordinator at Earle Brown Elementary in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Nicole has been a high school English teacher and has worked in the Brooklyn Center School District for 10 years. Nichole received a B.A. in English from the College of St. Benedict, an M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of St. Thomas, and an Ed.S. in Educational Leadership from the University of St. Thomas.
Kristi Bosted, PYP Coordinator, Elizabeth Hall International Elementary School
Kristi Bostad is currently the PYP Coordinator at Elizabeth Hall International Elementary School in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She serves teachers and students in an urban school where 90% of the students receive free and reduced lunch, 95% are children of color and 15% speak English as a second language. She has worked as a teacher of Gifted and Talented students in K-8th grades and as an ESL teacher with English Language Learners in grades K-6. She holds a K-12 reading license and has facilitated summer literacy institutes for teachers in the Minneapolis Public Schools. She earned a B.A. from Carleton College and an M.A. from St. Mary's University.
