The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end, the organization works with schools, governments
The IB continuum of international education, for students aged 3 to 19, is unique because of its academic and personal
The IB offers high-quality
- focuses on learners - the IB's student-centered promote healthy relationships, ethical responsibility personal challenge
programs and - develops effective approaches to teaching and learning - IB Programs help students to develop the attitudes and skills they need for both academic and personal success
- works within global contexts - IB
programs increase understanding of languages andcultures, and explore globally significant ideas and issues - explores significant content - IB
programmes offer a curriculum that is broad and balanced, conceptual and connected. Informed by values described in the learner profile, IB learners strive to become inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled, open-minded, caring, risk-takers, balanced, and reflective. These attributes represent a broad range of human capacities and responsibilities that go beyond intellectual development and academic success.
The MYP is flexible enough to accommodate most national or local curriculum requirements. It builds upon the knowledge, skills
- addresses holistically students' intellectual, social, emotional and physical well-being
- provides students opportunities to develop the knowledge, attitudes skills they need in order to manage complexity and take responsible action for the future
- ensures breadth and depth of understanding through study in eight subject groups
- requires the study of at least two languages ( of instruction and additional language of choice) to support students in understanding their own cultures and those of others
- empowers students to participate in service within the community
- helps to prepare students for further education, the workplace and a lifetime of learning
The MYP consists of eight subject groups: language acquisition, language and literature, individuals and societies, sciences, mathematics, arts, physical and health education, and design. Student study is supported by a minimum of 50 hours of instruction per subject group in each academic year. In years 4 and 5, students
have the option to take courses from six of the eight subject groups, which provides greater flexibility.
The MYP aims to help students develop their personal understanding, their emerging sense of self and responsibility in their community. MYP teachers organize the curriculum with appropriate attention to:
- Teaching and learning in context. Students learn best when their learning experiences have context and are connected to their lives and the world that they have experienced. Using global contexts, MYP students explore human identity, global challenges and what it means to be internationally minded.
- Conceptual understanding. Concepts are big ideas that have relevance within specific disciplines and across subject areas. MYP students use concepts as a vehicle to inquire into issues and ideas of personal, local and global significance and examine knowledge holistically.
- Approaches to learning (ATL). A unifying thread throughout all MYP subject groups, approaches to learning provide the foundation for independent learning and encourage the application of their knowledge and skills in unfamiliar contexts. Developing and applying these skills help students learn how to learn.
- Service as action (community service). Action (learning by doing and experiencing) and service have always been shared values of the IB community. Students take action when they apply what they are learning in the classroom and beyond. IB learners strive to be caring members of the community who demonstrate a commitment to service-making a positive difference to the lives of others and to the environment. Service as action is an integral part of the
programme , especially in the MYP community project. - Language and identity - MYP students are required to learn at least two languages. Learning to communicate in a variety of ways is fundamental to their development of intercultural understanding and crucial to their identity affirmation.
MYP projects provide students the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned in the MYP. In schools that include MYP years 5, all students must complete the personal project. In
- The community project encourages students to explore their right and responsibility to implement service as action in the community. Students may complete the community project individually or in small groups.
- Each student develops a personal project independently, producing a truly personal and creative piece of work that stands as a summative review of their ability to conduct independent work.
Any school, or group of schools, wishing to offer one or more IB
A good curriculum develops a range of student skills. The MYP encourages teachers to assess this acquired skill set, including how to succeed in written examinations. Typical MYP assessment tasks include open-ended, problem-solving activities and investigations, organized debates, tests and examinations, hands-on experimentation, analysis
The IB Middle Years Programme, © International Baccalaureate Organization 2015
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