introducing
myp enrichment
International Baccalaureate
Mobile
View
MYP Design
We are excited to introduce a new course called MYP Design as part of the IB Middle Years Programme rollout at Austin Academy.
In recent years, universities have emphasized the value of design thinking for 21st-century learners. Centered around problem-solving, MYP Enrichment uses the power of design to develop students' abilities to tap into creative thinking, make keen observations, and develop solutions.
Austin Academy is the only GISD middle school offering this innovative semester-long course, which prepares students for the critical thinking and self-management skills needed for upper-level coursework and the future job force. Sixth through eighth-grade students will receive enrichment in topics relating to the arts, STEM, and social studies. In their MYP Enrichment semester, students can expect four days of course instruction and one day of advisory/study hall.
Skills Focus
- inquiring & analyzing
- developing ideas
- creating solutions
- evaluating solutions
- communication
- self-management skills
Course AIMS
The aims of MYP Design are to encourage and enable students to:
- develop an appreciation of the impact of design innovations for life, global society, and environments
- appreciate past, present, and emerging design within cultural, political, social, historical, and environmental contexts
- develop an appreciation for innovation and alternative solutions to problems
- act with integrity and honesty, and take responsibility for their own actions developing effective working practices
Design thinking "allows people who aren't trained as designers to use creative tools to address a vast range of challenges."
-Tim Brown, Harvard Business Review
What Do Universities & Professionals Say About Design Thinking?
MIT Sloan School - Design Thinking, Explained
UT Austin - About Design Thinking
Interaction Design Foundation - What is Design Thinking, and Why is It So Popular?
Texas A&M School of Education & Human Development - What is Design Thinking?
FAQ
When will MYP Enrichment classes start?
For many 7th and 8th graders, MYP Design will start on August 29th. All 6th grade and some 7th-grade classes will take this course second semester.
On Tuesday, August 23rd, current WIN teachers will provide information on MYP Design with students and share if there will be a location change to their WIN class.
What grade levels will take MYP Design?
In 6th, 7th, and 8th grades, students will take one semester of MYP Design. Just as with the TEKS, the course objectives progress as the students advance to higher grades.
Will this course change my student's schedule?
No, if your student has a WIN period, the MYP Enrichment course will take place during one semester of that class. It will appear as MYP CCR on your student's schedule in Skyward.
Does my student need to sign up for the class?
No. Your student will automatically be enrolled in the course. Some students will be unable to participate due to intervention requirements or because they receive enrichment through Jazz Band or Pentathlon.
Will my student need supplies?
No. Austin Academy will provide the supplies needed for the course this year.
Will my student receive grades?
Yes. Students will receive grades in Skyward for this course for classwork such as process journal entries and other assignments demonstrating their learning of the course objectives.
What happens to WIN?
Students will still receive one full semester of WIN class. In addition, MYP Design teachers will share the daily announcements and offer one class period of study hall/advisory each week.
Most WIN classes are sticking together, so students will be in MYP Design with the same group of peers with whom they started the year.
One of the critical components in education is that we have a paradox in which students tend to learn subjects in silos. But, the world isn’t like that. When a student enters a career field, they don’t come into an environment and say ‘now it’s time to put on my math hat.’
-Dr. de Miranda, Texas A&M University, on the importance of design thinking.
More About MYP at AAE
AUSTIN Academy IS a candidate school for the International Baccalaureate (IB)Middle Years Programme and IN PURSUIT OF authorization as an IB World School.
Kelli Davis, IB MYP Coordinator