Author: Fiona Allan

International Baccalaureate Reflective Activity 3

There can be many links made between the progressive trends of the International Baccalaureate (IB) to the teaching and learning within Curriculum for Excellence (CfE).

Child-centred learning and student choice are progressive learning trends which I have seen being practiced within the teaching and learning of CfE. Whilst on placement, teaching and learning was a collaborative experience between the teacher and the student instead of only teacher-lead learning. This was done through discussion which links to inquiry-based learning, where the students can develop skills such as problem solving and collaborative skills. I also observed student choice through a lot of reflection and feedback from the students, about what they enjoyed learning about or what they found more difficult. Moving forward, the teacher and school can take these into account when curriculum planning, which will in turn increase engagement levels throughout students and classrooms.

Education of the whole child is a focus of CfE and is highlighted through the four capacities and SHANARRI documents. Successful learners, Confident individuals Responsible citizens and Effective contributors are the four capacities of CfE, each capacity reflects on the whole child’s education and not just academic learning and development, but social, emotional and physical learning and development also. SHANARRI highlights the importance of the health and wellbeing of children and provides practitioners across Scotland to identify children who need extra support and how to help children receive that support. Practitioners are provided with materials such as the SHANARRI ‘Wellbeing wheel’ and ‘My world triangle’ to help them support children’s social and emotional development.

Transdisciplinary learning can be seen in CfE through Interdisciplinary learning, both involve learning content relevant to two or more disciplinaries. This could involve overlapping of mathematics and science to develop problem solving skills, or expressive arts and health and wellbeing to create a wellbeing plate. This is highly effective to student’s learning as it shows the links not only between disciplinaries but also the links to the real world which shows the students the relevance of their learning.

International Baccalaureate Reflective Activity 2

The Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) four capacities and the International Baccalaureate (IB) learner profile attributes both have similarities and differences between them but strive towards a similar goal; to help develop well-rounded individuals.

A distinctive similarity both the CfE capacities and the IB learner attributes have is focusing on the child and linking every aspect back to developing independent individuals and not just good students. I think this should resonate to education around the world, because we as teachers need to support not only children’s academical development, but also help them develop socially and emotionally, to help them become individuals who can go out into today’s society well equipped.

Respect is an underlying theme with both the IB attributes and the CfE capacities. Self-respect is an attribute received in both, displaying how this builds confidence and allows pupils to communicate well. Respect for others is also highlighted, which also links to respecting cultures which can be seen in both. CfE details under the ‘Responsible Citizens’ capacity, the importance of understanding Scotland’s place in the world. This in turn, would require knowledge about Scottish culture, but also how we fit with other cultures of the world. However, this is especially relevant to the IB attributes, which is detailed under the ‘Open- minded’ attribute. This is due to there being many different countries and cultures coming together to learn and so, there needs to be a mutual respect and understanding between all.

Regarding learning, in both the four capacities and the attributes, it can be seen that nurturing curiosity and enthusiasm towards learning is an unmistakable goal for both curriculums.  I think this great both IB and CfE strive towards this as, this is what will drive students and will allow them to take authority of their own learning in school, but also out with and into the future.

Whilst there are many similarities between both curriculums, one difference is how the values are divided with CfE having 4 capacities and the IB learner profile attributes being divided into 10 headings. Each of these have their strengths as I find the 10 headings of IB provides a more specific approach and is very clear. However, with CfE I think it is good there are 4 capacities as within each capacity there is great detail and there is a breakdown of what they are aiming to enable and how they will know they’ve helped young people achieve that.

 

In my experience I think the IB attribute of ‘Principled’ resonates with my own education and working with children in schools today in particular. This is because in my own school and schools I’ve worked in they endeavour to instil honesty and responsibility in every pupil, as it links with many other qualities which contribute to a well-rounded individual such as respect and fairness. Going forward in my teaching practice I will take the CfE capacities and the values they strive to uphold but also, I will aspire to involve the 10 IB attributes within my practice. This is because I believe both contribute a great deal towards creating an emotionally and academically developed individual who is ready for the world.

International baccalaureate Reflective Activity 1

How would you summarise the main aims of an IB education?

The main aims of an IB education is to develop an intercultural understanding and respect within their pupils; which can be further explored in the 10 aims in the IB learner profile:

 Inquirers- We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning throughout life.

Knowledgeable- We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global significance.

Thinkers- We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyse and take responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions.

Communicators- We express ourselves confidently and creatively in more than one language and in many ways. We collaborate effectively, listening carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and groups.

Principled- We act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.

Open-minded- We critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, as well as the values and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the experience.

Caring- We show empathy, compassion and respect. We have a commitment to service, and we act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and in the world around us.

Risk-takers- We approach uncertainty with forethought and determination; we work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and innovative strategies. We are resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change.

Balanced- We understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives—intellectual, physical, and emotional—to achieve well-being for ourselves and others. We recognize our interdependence with other people and with the world in which we live.

Reflective- We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development.

Here we can see a range of aims to make well rounded pupils who can achieve a vast and varying education. However an underpinning aim of IB I think is to learn about different cultures and how people can work together to create amazing things to better the world we live in. This is supported by having the IB curriculum taught across the world in 97 different counties showing the interest of being intercultural.

Have you experienced any aspect of the IB aims when working in school or in your own education?

One aspect of the IB aims I have seen in schools and in my own education is the principled aim. This is because a big part of positive behaviour management is the pupils recognising wrong from right and taking responsibility if they do something which strays from the school ethos. I have also seen the knowledgeable aim when working in schools as pupils are introduced to many different curricular areas where they use their interchangeable skills and understanding to explore each area.

 

From exploring and learning about the IB curriculum and its main aims and values I can see the main forefront of the curriculum is the students. This covers the learning each student undertakes is of a high standard and there is great curricular area range, but also the IB curriculum ensures that their students are well rounded individuals not on academically but also socially and emotionally. The learner profile supports this as each aim within the profile helps further the students development, academically, emotionally, socially and also makes them a strong independent individual. I believe teaching pupils outside of traditional curriculum knowledge is crucial in teaching today as we as teachers need to help prepare children to be best equipt to deal with today’s world and society we live in and by teaching them how to use different skills from a range of areas we are helping them navigate the world. Another main aspect of the IB curriculum is the actual learning, where they are introduced and exposed to many different curricular areas which link and overlap. This is great as it further aids the pupils in developing their sense of identity and what they enjoy and also best equips them for the world.