Personal Project Handbook

Manila Xiamen International SchoolSTUDENT GUIDE

MIDDLE YEARS PROGRAMME

Have you written your own book before? Or make a personal recipe for a healthy and delicious meal? Or maybe you wanted to create and promote your own fashion clothes or design an interior of a room. Whatever interest you have or a project in mind, the MYP Personal Project gives you a venue to showcase your talents and unleash the skills you develop throughout the IB MYP Program.

The Personal Project, as the term connotes, is an individualized project-based learning experience that results to producing a piece of work. It is your way of showing the skills you have learned in MYP over the years, both in your subjects and in approaches to learning. A project should be student-centered and age-appropriate. This will enable you to engage in practical explorations through a cycle of inquiry, action and reflection.

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What is the MYP Personal Project?1

AIMSOFTHEMYPPERSONALPROJECT

The aims of the MYP Personal Project are to encourage and enable you to:

• participate in a sustained, self-directed inquiry within a global context

• generate creative new insights and develop deeper understandings through in-depth investigation

• demonstrate the skills, attitudes and knowledge required to complete a project over an extended period of time

• communicate effectively in a variety of situations

• demonstrate responsible action through, or as a result of, learning

• appreciate the process of learning and take pride in their accomplishments.

The personal project encourages you to practice and strengthen your approaches to learning (ATL) skills, to consolidate your prior and subject-specific learning, and to develop an area of personal interest. The personal project provides you an excellent opportunity to produce a truly personal and often creative product/outcome and to demonstrate a consolidation of your learning in the MYP.

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What are the requirements?2The Personal Project should be completed in your final year (MYP 5 or Grade 10) of the IB MYP. This means you will be working with this project from

this year until next year. You will be doing this project over an extended period of time with your own supervisor as a guide throughout the completion of your project.

You must identify one of the global contexts for your MYP Personal Project, to establish the relevance of your inquiry (why it matters).

You should spend approximately 25 hours on your personal project. This includes:

- meeting with supervisors,

- independent learning through research, planning, development and completion of the project; and

- reporting of the project.

A timetable will be given to guide you in the process of making your project. Kindly make sure you are meeting the deadlines to prevent cramming and finish all requirements on time and with utmost quality.

To be considered successful in completing your personal project, make sure you have the following 3Ps:

- Personal Project Report with Cover Sheet and Academic Honesty form

(Download it here: https://mitchellium.wordpress.com)

- Personal Project Process Journal (Refer to p. 14)

- Product/Outcome

A Personal Project Exhibition will be done on June as a culmination of the year-long project and showcase all students’ work.

Successful completion will make you eligible for MYP results and awarded with MYP Certificate. Failure to comply will NOT promote you to IBDP 1 (Year 11).

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MYP Coordinator

- responsible for the final approval of your Personal Project Title

MYP Personal Project Coordinator

- responsible for organizing the systems that supervisors and students need for the successful completion of the project, with the support and collaboration of the MYP Coordinator and school leadership team.

MYP Personal Project Supervisor

- support the student or group of students during the project

- ensure the chosen MYP project topic satisfies appropriate legal and ethical standards with regard to health and safety, confidentiality, human rights, animal welfare and environmental issues

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Roles of Supervisor, Coordinator, Resource Centre and Specialist(s)3

- provide guidance to students in the process and completion of the project

- confirm the authenticity of the work submitted

- assess the MYP project using the criteria in this guide

- participate in the standardization of assessment process established by the school

- provide personal project grades to the MYP Coordinator to enter in IBIS (from 2016).

Library, Media and Resource Centre

- assist students with research skills and with locating and sourcing resources

- contributing in other areas such as referencing and completing bibliographies

Specialist(s) in the Community

- facilitate access to research and evidence

- provide information to extend skills and knowledge

- model good practice

- does not assess the project

Note:

It is important that you still receive guidance from a supervisor in the school relating to your project objectives and assessment.

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Students’ learning process in the MYP personal project involves action in a wide range of forms, including:

• developing an area of personal interest beyond the subject-specific curriculum

• sharing their new understandings with their peers, teachers and family

• changing their behavior in response to their learning and recognizing that they are able to make a difference through the decisions they make and the things they do.

The guiding process with five stages of service learning, developed by Cathryn Berger Kaye in The Complete Guide to Service Learning (2010), is the foundation for Personal project objectives and assessment criteria. The following stages provide

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Personal Project Learning Process4

a useful framework to develop the attributes of the learner profile. The fifth and final stage is “demonstration”, which in Personal project is the report.

Image source: https://goo.gl/images/xGga2w

In the Personal project, the report will become the demonstration of the first four stages: a summary of the students’ processes of investigation, planning, actions and reflections.

a. Investigation involves taking an inventory of student interests, skills and talents to be used in considering opportunities. This analysis requires gathering information about the identified need through action research that includes use of varied approaches: media, interviews of experts, survey of varied populations, and direct observation/personal experiences.

b. Preparation involves the student planning the service experience with clarification of roles, responsibilities, actions to be taken, resources required and timelines, while acquiring any skills needed to successfully carry the plan to completion.

c. Action involves implementing the plan. Students may work individually, with student partners, in student groups or with others.

d. Reflection involves students describing what happened, expressing feelings, generating ideas and asking questions. Reflection occurs intermittently and in summation to gauge understanding and synthesis, to assist with revising and rethinking plans, and to internalize the experience.

e. Demonstration involves metacognition, with students making explicit what and how they learned and what they have accomplished, capturing the totality of the experience. Integration of technology is encouraged.

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Using the world as the broadest context for learning, the Personal Project can develop meaningful explorations of:

• identities and relationships

• orientation in space and time

• personal and cultural expression

• scientific and technical innovation

• globalization and sustainability

• fairness and development.

The global context provides a context for inquiry and research for the project. Only one Global context is to be chosen, the focus on this context will give the opportunities on a specific focus to the project. It can help you to stay on track!

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Global Contexts In MYP Personal Project5

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Global Context Possible Personal Projects

Identities and relationships

Students will explore identity; beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental,

social and spiritual health; human relationships including families, friends, communities and cultures; what it means

to be human.

Two sides of social networking; an awareness campaign about digital citizenship and cyber bullying

How online identities impact offline relationships; a research essay

Keeping culinary traditions; a video series following family recipes with historical relevance

The effect of mass media on teenage identity; a short film

Orientation in space and time

Students will explore personal histories; homes and journeys; turning points in humankind; discoveries; explorations

and migrations of humankind; the relationships between and the

interconnectedness of individuals and civilizations from personal, local

The Euclidean space perspective of the universe; a 3D model

Explorers in search of a new world; immigration over the ages through visual texts

The Mayflower and the dream of religious freedom; a personal family history

Personal and cultural expression

Students will explore the ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs and values; the

ways in which we reflect on, extend and enjoy our creativity; our appreciation of

the aesthetic.

Video games as a form of cultural expression; a short film using five video games that shows how they are an expression of our culture

The art of Manga in Japanese culture; a Japanese anime and a survey of the understanding of my peers Culture and self-expression through dance

Scientific and technical innovation

Students will explore the natural world and its laws; the interaction between

people and the natural world; how humans use their understanding of scientific principles; the impact of

scientific and technological advances on communities and environments; the impact of environments on human

activity; how humans adapt environments to their needs.

Nano fibers build stronger bikes; a prototype bike with nano fibers

What’s the matter with the anti-matter?; an informational talk

Why are genetics and genomics important to my health?; a media presentation

Can stem cells replace organ transplants?; an investigative report

Global Context Possible Personal ProjectsGlobalization and sustainability

Students will explore the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities; the relationship between

local and global processes; how local experiences mediate the global; the

opportunities and tensions provided by world-interconnectedness; the impact of decision-making on humankind and the

environment.

The struggle for water in developing countries; an awareness campaign

The impact of the financial crises of Europe and the European Economic Community on the United States; a visual presentation

Education as the tool to change the future of Peru; a workshop for adults

The role of the developing countries in protecting the tropical rain forest; a collection of slides

Fairness and development

Students will explore rights and responsibilities; the relationship between

communities; sharing finite resources with other people and with other living things;

access to equal opportunities

Supporting fair trade: Cocoa trade in Ghana; an awareness campaign for our school restaurant/cafeteria to promote fair trade

Open-market economies and their role in fair trade; a talk for students

Exploring the intersections of race and inequality; a radio broadcast

Asylum seekers and their right to live like us; a painting

”The global context helps the student engage in a cycle of inquiry and a process that leads him or her from academic knowledge to thoughtful, principled action.”

IBO Statement: PP Guide

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Approaches to learning skills provide a solid foundation for independent learning and learning with others. It demonstrates learning, and reflect on the process of learning.

Keep in mind that the aim of the project is not just to display knowledge; you must also apply methods and techniques you have developed through ATL and demonstrate your experience and understanding of Approaches to Learning. This is reflected in the Process Journal and in the Process Report

Table 2 shows possible alignment between ATL skills and project objectives; however, it is important to realize that ATL skills work in articulation across all stages of MYP projects,

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Approaches to Learning In MYP Personal Project6

sustaining and often overlapping throughout the projects.

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Throughout the process of making your personal project, you are expected to document your process in a process journal. In this way, you are able to demonstrate your working behaviors and academic honesty.

The process journal is a generic term used to refer to the record of progress throughout the project. However, the media for documenting the process can vary depending on your preference. It can be written, visual, audio or a combination of these, and it may include both paper and electronic formats. Everything should be transmitted to our online storage site - Seesaw.

The process journal is personalized, in the sense that you are also exploring ways of recording your process. You are not restricted to any single

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The Process Journal In MYP Personal Project7

model of recording your process journals. However, you are responsible, through your use of the process journal, for producing evidence of addressing the four objectives to demonstrate achievement at the highest levels of the criteria.

You should show your supervisor evidences of your process documented in your journals at meetings or by providing access digitally. Although legibility is important, the recording of critical and creative thinking and reflection is more important than neatness and presentation.

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Selecting process journal extracts You should carefully select evidence from your process journal to demonstrate development in all criteria. These extracts are submitted as appendices of the report or presentation at the conclusion of your project. You should take responsibility for making the appropriate extracts available to your supervisor.

You should select a maximum of 10 individual extracts to represent the key developments of your project. You should select extracts that demonstrate how you addressed each of the objectives, or annotate extracts to highlight this information.

An extract may include:

• visual thinking diagrams

• bulleted lists

• charts

• short paragraphs

• notes

• timelines, action plans

• annotated illustrations

• annotated research

• artifacts from inspirational visits to museums, performances, galleries

• pictures, photographs, sketches

• up to 30 seconds of visual or audio material

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• screenshots of a blog or website

• self and peer assessment feedback.

Materials directly relevant to the achievement of your project should also be included in the extracts, as appropriate. For example, if you produced a questionnaire or survey that has been described and analyzed in the report, you could include a segment of that completed survey. An individual extract may include any of the formats that you used to document the process. Extracts should simply be supporting evidence of the process and will not be individually assessed.

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In developing your Personal Project, you should select relevant and reliable information from a variety of sources. The number and type of resources will vary depending upon the nature of your project; however, to reach the highest levels of achievement through investigating, you must select a range of sources and a variety of source types. Your ability to evaluate the reliability of sources should be developed through ATL skills, particularly information and media literacy skills. You should consider factors such as credibility of the author, currency, accuracy, relevance, intended audience and objectivity of the source.

Available sources may include your prior knowledge, as well as primary and secondary sources such as: subject-area content, significant people, survey data, published media, internet

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Resources for Investigating and Planning8

resources (providing a variety of resources), video or audio recordings, and images.

You will select sources during the initial stage of your project, but research and evaluation of sources will continue during the process of completing the project. You should record information collected from these sources in your process journal, along with annotations and possible uses.

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In this phase you make a choice of a topic, decide on the Global Context, what product/outcome, set your goal and define your criteria (specifications).

You cannot do all this without more knowledge than you have at this moment. That means that your investigations starts here. This is the so called first Investigation, you start researching and gathering appropriate information to be able to formulate the answers to the questions above.

Start the Investigation:

This first investigation is essential (the base) to make your Design Brief, (as you do in Design) here you describe the goal/ product/ outcome and how you want to achieve this goal. In short, make an outline of the main ideas and questions challenge or problem you will be addressing.

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The First Investigation Phase9

Important is that you think about sources where you can get the information you need. The following questions may help you:

•What do I need to know/learn in order to carry out my project?

•Who has information on my topic?

•Where do I find the necessary material?

•Do I have to carry out my own experiments?

•Do I need to do a questionnaire or survey?

•What information can I find in the school resource library? There is a lot to find, ask!!

•Do I need to go to libraries other than the school?

•Do I need to visit museums?

•Do I need to interview people?

First list as many sources as you can think of; then determine which ones will be most useful and relevant to you. Consider in which order you will start looking for sources and start gathering material.

Collecting and selecting resources

Be sure to collect all material and note down information in your process journal about any sources you use. Don’t wait until the end of the project to list your sources; write them down as you go along. At the same time make a comment about each source which answers these questions: How useful was the source: was it helpful in your progress? If so, how? If not, why not? (Don’t be afraid to say that a source was not helpful at all! It h a p p e n s ! )

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Has the source made you do something differently or start a new idea? If so, why and how?

Remember that sources are not just websites and books; people, exhibits, or whatever you used for inspiration are also sources. Every time you interview

someone or get advice from someone, make sure to note down the place and date for your bibliography.

Remember there are lots of types of sources besides the internet. If you have a discussion about your project with your cousin’s stepbrother’s best friend’s ex-boss, that’s a source, and should be noted in your process journal and listed in your bibliography.

In your report you will have to show that you have evaluated your sources as to their use in your process and also that you have interpreted the information you got from your sources. By thinking about this information, you have identified questions and issues for their project and solved the problems you come across.

Make your criteria (specifications)

Together with the choice of topic, the goal, the Global Context, the criteria (specifications) relate very strongly to Criterion B: ‘Planning’. Here you create your criteria (specifications) and in Criteria C “Taking Action” you evaluate the outcome/ product against the criteria (specifications.).

HINT: Check the criteria NOW – know what you are expected to produce, and discuss your criteria (specifications) with your supervisor at the beginning and end of the process.

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Timetable For Personal Project 10

Now that you have an in-depth understanding of the MYP Personal Project, it is time for you to get those creative and innovative minds working. Follow the timeline for your Personal Project making to keep on-track and meet the deadline.

Wish you all the best and have fun working on your project!

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REFERENCES:

IBO (2014). Projects Guide.