The International Baccalaureate Program:

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The International Baccalaureate Program

• What is it all about?
• A presentation created by Ms. Allisa Arnold,
  Teacher, St Johns School

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International Baccalaureate Organisation Mission
Statement

• The IBO aims to develop - Inquiring,
  knowledgeable and caring young people who help to
  create a better and more peaceful world through
  intercultural understanding and respect.

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To this end, the IBO works with schools,
governments and international organizations to
develop challenging program of international
education and rigorous assessment.
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These programs encourage students across the
world To become Active, compassionate and
lifelong learners Who understand That other
people, with their differences, can also be right.
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The IBO espouses the principles of educating the
whole person for a life of active, responsible
citizenship. -IBOs A continuum of
International Education
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The IBO reinforces students sense of identity
and (inter)cultural awareness. This affects the
entire school as well as the greater communities
to which we belong.
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The IBO embraces the concept of an international
community and, through the delivery of its
programs, encourages all students to participate
and positively contribute to grow and develop
individually, and with an understanding of
others. World citizenship is a key notion of
the IBOs programs.
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There are 3 distinct, self-contained programs
offered by the International Baccalaureate
Organization

• The Primary Years Program (K-grades 5)
• The Middle Years Program (grades 6-10)
• The Diploma Years Program (grades 11-12)

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St. Johns School is in the early application
stage for the Middle Years Program and the
Diploma Program right now. It will take
several years for St. Johns to apply and
successfully meet and address all criteria for
the Middle Years Program and the Diploma Program.
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A bit of history. The DP began to be offered
in schools across the world in 1969. The MYP
began to be offered in schools across the world
in 1994. The PYP began to be offered in schools
across the world in 1997.
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There are thousands of IBO schools both public
(state) and private schools all over the world.
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Even though the MYP (grades 6-10 program) and the
DP (grades 11-12 program) are very different,
they share common features

• The broad nature of study, including more than
  one language
• The flexibility of each programs curriculum
  model to allow teachers to respond to provincial,
  Ministry of Education requirements
• Teachers use many different approaches to teach
  content in the classroom
• Focuses on developing the skills of learning
• Includes a mandatory community service component
• Provides students with many chances to learn and
  demonstrate their learning collaboratively

- Taken and adapted from IBOs A continuum of
International Education
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A lot of what we are doing in our St. Johns
classrooms already fits with the philosophy and
approaches espoused by the International
Baccalaureate Organization.
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There are a handful of St. Johns teachers, in
both the Junior and Senior Schools, who already
have Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma
Program training and experience.
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Both the MYP and the DP celebrate the student as
the knower and place him/her in a central
position.
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The IBO programs are based on constructivism.
This means that the students are taught to create
meaning (learning) from their existing knowledge
base and personal experience. The construction
of meaning is a continuous and active process.
Learning is more likely to be effective if
students know where they are and where they are
going.
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The programs are holistic. This means that
teachers teach the curriculum in a way that helps
students develop links between subject matters,
between course content and the real world.
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How do teachers achieve this holistic learning
that is key to the MYP and DP programs?

• By the breadth of subject matter
• By using approaches that are effective for their
  particular subject and by exposing students to
  other traditionally non-related content
• EG. Bio 12 teacher makes reference to History 12
  content
• Team work (both on part of teachers and students)
• Varied approaches

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The varied approaches used by teachers in IBO
programs has a dynamic impact on the curriculum

• It lends integrity and authenticity to the
  content
• It helps students make connections to other
  subjects in a concrete and explicit way
• It illustrates connections to global issues
• An interdisciplinary approach can serve to
  intensify students focus. Students do not just
  memorize a potpourri of scattered facts they
  make links with their learning and with the real
  world.

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Diploma Program

• The DP consists of 5 elements
• The Theory of Knowledge course
• The CAS (Creativity, Action, Service) component
• The Extended Essay
• Subject specific objectives and subject content
  in 6 subject groups and in particular groups 1
  and 2 (languages)
• External and internal assessment

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Theory of knowledge, DP Program
This course offers students a mix of philosophy,
history and religious studies as they begin to
question the world and their own knowledge
The Extended Essay, DP Program
A 10 15 page essay written in a topic of the
students choosing that is done under the
guidance of a teacher advisor. This is an
extensive research paper which allows students to
study a topic of interest, and prepare for the
types of assignments expected at the university
level.
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Middle Years Program

• The MYP program consists of 3 elements
• The 5 Areas of Interaction (woven through all
  curriculum and activities)
• The Personal Project (at the end of grade 10)
• Subject-specific aims and content in 8 subject
  groups

In addition, there is the option of participating
in MYP moderation and monitoring of the
assessment process
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Acknowledgements

• -IBOs A continuum of International Education
• Andy Williams and Bill Johnston
• IBAEM Regional Workshop Ljubljana, Slovenia
  (pre-conference workshop, March 17th 2004)
• For further information contact Ms. Allisa Arnold
  via email aarnold_at_stjohns.bc.ca