Bill's Blog

I am attending an introductory conference to the Middle Years Program (MYP)  (grades 6-10) of the International Baccalaureate (IB). It is being held in the RAI Convention Center in Amsterdam, Holland. I am in the Introductory Workshop for Administrators. The conference is open to schools from Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.

This post are my notes and reflections on ideas I have learned from the conference.

The keynote speech this morning was by Tristian Stable, the head of program development for the IB Diploma.

<!–[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE <![endif]–><!–[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]–> The point of the presentation is to show the relationship between the MYP and DP program.

The Big Ideas

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>There is a coherence of the MYP / Diploma continuum

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Creative Teacher Professionalism

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Curriculum is an on-going process

coherence = balanced

consistency = skills & ideas are sensibly arranged and ordered; for deep understanding, they have to experience repeatedly

My goal: Identify three leadership and three management strategies to improve practice and plan for their implementation in your school.

Curriculum defn –

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>What the students experience not the intended curriculum

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Should be what we value, but in many schools instead it is what can be assessed!

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Too much content and it is bad if it is driving the curriculum

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Transmission of the culture – IBO is very geared towards the USA/UK/Australia universities

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>What skills and ideas do they need for their future – “Does it equip students for life?”

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>You don’t need the same curriculum for all levels at the school –

Teachers are trusted to implement, develop, and deliver the curriculum (creative teacher professionalism). Administrators are there to support, develop, and holding teachers accountable.

IBO is Euro-centric, Western, for example “inquiry-based”; but it is good in that it encourages students to experience the thinking and feelings of others;

Theory of Knowledge – supposed to be the “glue” that sticks the different disciplines together, not a single subject

It is important that students take formal exams and students learn how to cope with stress and test-taking strategies.

Scheduling is critical; strong leadership is huge because of the teacher independence;

<!–[if !supportLists]–>1) <!–[endif]–>Clearly defined roles (job description)

<!–[if !supportLists]–>2) <!–[endif]–>Prioritize

<!–[if !supportLists]–>3) <!–[endif]–>On-going curriculum evaluation [look at every program every year to critique]

<!–[if !supportLists]–>4) <!–[endif]–>Have all three Student / Teacher / Parent Profiles

<!–[if !supportLists]–>5) <!–[endif]–>Day Two<!–[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]–><!–[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]–>

Introduction to the MYP Workshop

Do we give each of the eight subjects equal time in the 5 years of the MYP program?

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Technology is a key issue and the only subject that can be integrated into the rest of the subject areas. Rarely is it integrated properly.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Minimum number of hours per subject is 50 hours per school year

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Physical education different from extra curricular sports program, the sports does not fulfill the physical education criteria.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Find the MYP technology curriculum for Paul, our new Technology Coordinator for PK-12 next year.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>I need to look at the Design & Technology curriculum and ICT curriculum; the huge idea is the design

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Every year they need to do all eight subject areas.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>It is okay to for IEP’s and ESL to put in extra classes and take away from other areas, because the students are in the center of the octagon.

The MYP Octogan Points

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>The Areas of Interaction (AoI) are the context in which the students learn the subject areas and they are the “glue” or links between subjects.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>The AoI are different colored lenses; and they see the same subjects through a different color as you move the wheel

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>AoI are the whole world issues that give relevancy of the subjects to “real” life

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>The Learner Profile is wrapped around the student/ teacher / parent in the middle

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>What are the student learning outcomes, as regards the areas of interaction? Someone needs to write the specific student outcomes under each area for each of the 5-year MYP programs – it is all explained in the MYP From Principles Into Practice

The Standards of MYP

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>New standards are coming out in March 2010 – they will be streamlined and examples of evidence

At the end of the MYP experience, students can get two certificates:

<!–[if !supportLists]–>1) <!–[endif]–>The regular certificate of completing the entire program; you have to do the last two years at minimum, plus score a minimum on the personal project;

<!–[if !supportLists]–>2) <!–[endif]–>Record of achievement – this gives a listing of classes and the grades

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>PYP (doesn’t matter) MYP (4 or 5 years) DP (2 years) – work backwards from start of university

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>MYP can be 4 years, as long as it is the last four years before the DP.