In this week's WAB episode, we're joined by Grade 5 students Michelle and Justin, along with Elementary School teacher Kelly Crysell. They shared their experiences completing the PYP exhibition, shedding light on their motivation for selecting their topics, the knowledge they acquired, and their preparation process.

Kelly provided an overview of the PYP exhibition program, also known as PYPx, stating, "The PYP exhibition is a culminating project that students do that brings in all the different parts of their PYP experience." Throughout the year, they engaged in discussions around various United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), both local and global, to foster their interest. Students are divided into groups, collaborating to explore their chosen area of interest and its associated local or global issues, while considering actionable steps. During the final phase, they then thought about how to create art that inspired people to take action, setting the stage for PYPx.

Kelly also emphasizes the challenges of the PYPx, while students may be passionate and enthusiastic about their chosen topics they also need to invest a lot of effort into the research process.

Michelle, a Grade 5 student, shares her passion for consumer choices, which led her to select SDG 12, Responsible Consumption and Production. Michelle explained, "The central idea that I had was consumer choices influence the well-being of all living things." Her group aimed to examine how individuals adapt and utilize resources and explore opportunities for improvement, recognizing that both positive and negative choices can yield varying outcomes.

Justin, another Grade 5 student, expresses his team's choice of SDG 14, Life Underwater, with a specific focus on overfishing and plastic pollution. Justin emphasizes the significance of their decision, stating "It is our responsibility to protect it" with the ocean covering 71 percent of our planet. Their exploration centered around the alarming consequences of plastic pollution.

If you're interested in the exciting student learning behind the PYPx, be sure to tune in to this episode!

In this week's WAB Podcast, we had the pleasure of hosting a conversation with two Grade 11 students, Vanessa and Victoria, along with Kevin Crouch, WAB's Head of EdTech, IT, and Libraries. Together, they talked about WAB's approach to AI, its impact on students' learning, some of the challenges it poses, and how we can mitigate them.

Kevin described WAB's approach to AI as "cautious optimism." He acknowledged the potential for profound learning gains through the use of AI but also recognized the uncertainties surrounding its implementation and the associated risks. He stressed the importance of an innovative approach, where early adopters and innovators collaborate with professionals to identify areas of interest that align well with student learning. This ensures that the benefits of AI tools are maximized while minimizing the introduction of potential risks.

Victoria, a Grade 11 student, expressed her view that AI can be a helpful tool, particularly in finding relevant sources. However, she acknowledged the potential risks and opted to limit her use of AI to dictionaries and thesauruses.

Another Grade 11 student Vanessa shared her positive experience using AI to enhance her French learning. She found it to be efficient and convenient. Nonetheless, she cautioned against the risks associated with AI becoming overly generative and diminishing human creativity and critical thinking processes.

Find out more about WABs approach to AI on learn.wab.edu.

To explore the full discussion of our students on AI and its impact on student learning, be sure to listen to this episode.

In this week's WAB podcast, we're joined by three special guests: Grade 9 student Mia, and Grade 10 student Sam, along with their teacher James Lindop. Together, they shared insights about our new Global Crisis and Sustainability subject as an alternate stream to I&S in Grades 9 and 10.

James highlighted the new Global Crisis and Sustainability program, also known as GCNS, "showed a different way of thinking" to students and emphasized the importance of proactive inquiry and skill development. He provided an example of how he focuses on the connection between hazards and climate change while his colleague, Rob Clark, emphasizes mitigation strategies. Although they teach different aspects of Climate Change, their combined efforts provide students with a comprehensive understanding of complex global issues.

Grade 9 student Mia shared her journey of choosing GCNS after attending an informative introductory session at the end of Grade 8. She said she enjoyed the freedom and flexibility it offers. Mia believes that when students are genuinely interested in a topic, they have the opportunity to learn and absorb information more effectively.

Sam, a Grade 10 student, expressed his enthusiasm for the creative activities in the GCNS course, such as conducting different research and creating maps. He liked the course's student-centered approach, stating that it allows individuals to pursue their interests. Sam particularly enjoys mapping and reveals his consideration of making Geography one of his high-level DP courses.

For more insights into WAB's Global Crisis and Sustainability program and to hear more student learning stories, please tune in to this episode!