Parent Pride MeetingIB Diploma Programme – The Core
American International School Kuwait
March 2016
Goals of Parent Pride
• Create an environment that fosters open communication between home and school.
• Develop relationships between home and school that promotes collaborative school improvement efforts.
• Provide an avenue for parents to share their thoughts and ideas
Purpose of Parent Pride
• Gather information and feedback about current practices;
• Collect ideas about future direction and new initiatives;
• Provide parents with information about the school;
• encourage, and enhance meaningful parental involvement;
• collaborate with the parents to support student success;
• Increase representative parent voice (not a forum for individual concerns).
School Improvement Plan
• Organizational Capacity Objective #1: By 2020, AIS will demonstrate a more collaborative and transparent process for developing, implementing, communicating and monitoring organizational and long range strategic plans.
• OC1 Goal #1: All stakeholders are committed to an ethic of organizational and long range strategic planning.
• Action #1: Develop clear, transparent and inclusive structures for school planning.
The DP Curriculum Model
6 Subject Groups: • Studies in Language and Literature
• Language Acquisition
• Individuals and Societies
• Sciences
• Mathematics
• The Arts
Centered around: • Theory of Knowledge
• Creativity Action Service
• The Extended Essay
Getting the Grade
Highest Possible Score = 45 a 7 for each of the 6 courses = 42
3 points total for TOK and EE
has met minimum requirement for CAS
A Pass = 24 points
a total of 12 points on 3 Higher Level courses
a total of 9 points on 3 Standard Level courses
a pass on TOK and EE
has met minimum requirement for CAS
The Diploma Points Matrix
TOK/EEA B C D E
A3
3 2 2
Failing co
nd
ition
B3
2 2 1
C2
2 1 0
D2
1 0 0
E Failing condition
A Look at the CORE
Theory of Knowledge
Extended Essay
CAS
The Core
Theory of Knowledge
Studied during both years of the DP
Assessed by the IB through a 1,600 word essay and oral presentation
The Core
The Extended Essay
Independently prepared research paper
Started in DP1 and completed by September of DP2
4,000 words in length
Theory of Knowledge
Studied during both years of the DP
Assessed by the IB through a 1,600 word essay and oral presentation
The Core
The Extended Essay
Independently prepared research paper
Started in DP1 and completed by September of DP2
4,000 words in length
CAS
Creativity, Activity and Service
1 hour per week throughout the Diploma Programme
Theory of Knowledge
Studied during both years of the DP
Assessed by the IB through a 1,600 word essay and oral presentation
Theory of Knowledge (TOK)
How do we know something is true?
How do different disciplines justify knowledge?
Theory of Knowledge (TOK)
Ways of knowing
-Reason
-Language
-Sense
-Perception
-Emotion
-Imagination
-Memory
-Intuition and Faith
Areas of Knowledge-Natural Sciences-Human Sciences-Art-History-Ethics -Religious Knowledge Systems-Indigenous Knowledge Systems
TOK Assessment Requirements
• One 1,600-word essay at the end of the course
• One group or individual presentation (10 minutes per person) at the end of the course
• The essay is externally assessed by IB examiners.
• The presentation is internally assessed by AIS teachers.
TOK Joys and Frustrations for Students
• Some students love TOK because it is an open-ended, non-content driven course where there are no right or wrong answers.
• Some students hate TOK because it is an open-ended, non-content driven course where there are no right or wrong answers.
Creativity, Action, Service (CAS)
Students spend 1 hour per week developing each of the three areas during their 2 years in the programme.
Creativity: any artistic / creative activity
Activity: any activity involving physical exertion (i.e. sport teams or dance)
Service: any activity that involves doing something for or with someone in the community – a natural extension of Community and Service in the MYP
Examples of Creativity
• Learning to play an instrument
• Writing poetry or prose
• Joining an art club
• Creating a work of art
• Designing posters and advertisements for a CAS project
• Doing the artwork for an awareness campaign
• Make a video or documentary
Examples of Activity
• Some excellent “action” activities are not sporting or competitive but involve physical challenge by demanding endurance (such as long-distance trekking) or the conquest of personal fears (for example, rock climbing).
• In CAS, action relates specifically to physical activity.More studying, no matter its purpose, does not qualify.
• Examples? Simply, try to work up a sweat at anything new or old; if it is something you have always done, set new goals and work to reach new heights.
Examples of Service• Raising Awareness (Bullying, Environmental Issues, Human Rights Abuses, Etc.)• Assisting and organizing tournaments that our school hosts• Tutoring program• Environmental or KIVA Group• Help organise a 30 Hour Famine• Help organise an Independence Day Ceremony• Start or join (NHS) a Social Justice Group• Help recently arrived students understand Kuwaiti culture and the AIS
environment • Set up a program for the children of newly arrived teachers during the two weeks
leading up to school• Developing an “events” days for the PYP and MYP students• Set up language classes• Neighbourhood clean-up• Organizing intra-mural activities of all sorts• Initiating a program or working within an already established program at your
religious institution
The Extended Essay
What it is…
• A 4000 word research essay
• based on a research question or thesis
• requiring accurate research skills
• and offering a conclusion
• An independent endeavor
• A precursor to university level papers –universities are looking for applicants who can write essays independently
The Iceberg Model
7/8 = Pre-Writing/Draft Phase
Student & supervisor work together to:
Explore and discuss ideas
Locate appropriate resources
Discuss readings and ideas
Develop a suitable research question
Supervisor monitors progress
Represents 3-5 hours of work per student
1/8 = Writing Phase
Student works independently to:
Write EE draft
EE draft conference drives final draft of essay
Prepare the final EE
Research Help for Students
• AIS library:
• February 15th 11:00AM-12:00PM H Block RQ Workshop
• March 5th 1-3PM Research Workshop
• AUK Library: March 19th 12:30-3:30PM Field Trip
• See email about accessing AUK databases for preparing materials for the visit
• Please use all the materials that we make available to students. Navigating the World of Research is now available in addition to the AIS Research and Documentation Handbook.
The Extended Essay Timeline
• In the Student Handbook and on ManageBac
• First deadline: Friday, March 4, 2016: Research Question and Signed EE Contracts are due
• Next deadline: Wednesday, April 6, 2016: Annotated Bibliography is due
• Outline due: April 27th
• Rough draft due: May 14th
• Extended Essay final copy due: September 30th
Feedback from Students
• 87% of students said they were relieved that the process was over on September 30th (only 4 out 31 candidates said they were not relieved)
• “I feel so relieved that the extended essay is over. As much as I did not like the idea back then, I cannot imagine having to work on my extended essay now with all the other internal assessments and assignments.”
• “I will not lie as it was a rather stressful few weeks leading up to the deadline; however, in hindsight I am grateful that it was done.”
Scheduling of the Core
• Full Diploma Students completing the IB DP Core requirements are automatically registered in Theory of Knowledge as an SL course to be completed over the two years of the programme. Theory of Knowledge is delivered in 100 instructional hours during Semester 2 of the DP 1 year and Semester 1 of the DP 2 year. All Theory of Knowledge classes are scheduled in A block. Full diploma students are registered in Supervised Study for Semester 1 of the DP 1 year and Semester 2 of the DP 2 year.
Scheduling of the Core
• Full Diploma Students completing the IB DP Core requirements are automatically registered in Supervised Study for H block for the two years of the programme. This allows students to attend all H block HL classes. The three additional H block classes are used for the completion of the Extended Essay requirements, Creativity, Action, Service planning and recording of paperwork on ManageBac, and contacting teachers for extra help. Supervised Study teachers act as CAS advisors to the students in their classes and report on the students’ performance in the Extended Essay and CAS on the report card.
TOK – A Block EE/CAS – H BlockTIME
DAY
1
DAY
2
DAY
3
DAY
4
DAY
5
DAY
6
DAY
7
DAY
8
7:35
Warning Bell Warning Bell Warning Bell Warning Bell Warning Bell Warning Bell Warning Bell Warning Bell
7:40
to
8:35
A G E C A G E C
8:40
to
9:40
B H F D B H F D
9:40
to
9:55
Nutritional Break
9:55
To10:55
C A G E C A G E
11:0
to12:00
D B H F D B H F
12:00
to
12:30Lunch
12:35
to
1:30E C A G E C A G
1:35
to
2:30
F D B H F D B H
Testimonials about the Core
“The combination of critical thinking, research and writing skills learned in the IB program enables students to succeed in the university learning environment. Because of the skills they have learned, IB students provide leadership in classroom discussion and group learning. Statistics reflect this: IB students who registered directly into second year courses scored an average of 7% to 12% higher than their classmates.”
SOURCE: University of British Columbia Website, 2006
“Medical Schools noted that the service element in CAS provides an appropriate way for applicants to gain experience in the caring professions.”
SOURCE: Study on IB recognition in Britain, IBO 2004
Testimonials about the Core
Three new research studies conducted by McGill University (Canada), the University of Warwick (UK) and the University of Virginia (USA) reveal five ways that Diploma Programme students become better prepared for higher education by writing their extended essays. The studies conclude that the completion of the extended essay:
•Inspires a broad view of learning, beyond memorization of facts
•Helps students become critical, independent thinkers
•Develops skills vital to academic success: organization, reading, writing, and reasoning
•Encourages appreciation of the importance of research for learning and future career success and
•Gives students the confidence to design, conduct and analyze research (Aullsand Lemay, 2013, Wray, 2013, Kurotsuchi Inkelas et al., 2013).
ManageBac
Questions and Contact Information
• If students or parents have questions beyond those we can answer at this presentation, please stop by room 209 or phone or email me at [email protected] .
• If you would like a copy of the presentation, I would be happy to forward it to you. The presentation will also be available on our blog.