The International Baccalaureate Organization
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 IBO works with schools, governments and international
organizations to develop challenging programmes of international
education and rigorous assessment.
These programmes encourage students across the world to become
active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand
that other people, with their differences, can also be right.
The International Baccalaureate Organization is a non-profit
educational organization that was established in 1968. It
is governed by 17-member Council of Foundation, and is
funded by fees from IB world schools, with additional
income from workshops and catalogue sales.
Donors provide support for development projects that
otherwise cannot be implemented from the organization's budget.
The IBO's Annual review and financial report gives
details about its income and expenditures.
For more information visit www.ibo.org.
Accreditation
BSGE is authorized by the International Baccalaureate
Organization to offer the Diploma Program in 11th and 12th
grades and is a Candidate School for the IB Middle Years
Program, which is for grades seven to ten. We are
on the road to becoming authorized as a Middle Years Program
in 2007.
Middle Years Programme
(Grades 7-10)
The Middle Years Programme (MYP) provides a framework
of academic challenge and life skills for students aged
11-16 years. The five-year programme offers an educational
approach that embraces yet transcends traditional school
subjects. It naturally follows the Primary Years Programme
(PYP) and serves as excellent preparation for the Diploma
Programme (DP).
Schools may subscribe to any or all of the programmes,
although none is a prerequisite for another.
The framework is flexible enough to allow a school to
include other subjects not determined by the IBO but which
might be required by local authorities. After consultation
with the IBO, and provided certain conditions are met,
schools enjoy much flexibility in terms of the language
of instruction and languages taught. The MYP, like the
DP and PYP, is based on the premise that education can
foster understanding among young people around the world.
Intercultural awareness is central to the programme, to
enable future generations to live more peacefully and productively
than we do today.
Students at this stage—early puberty to mid-adolescence—are
in a particularly critical phase of personal and intellectual
development. This is a time of uncertainty, sensitivity,
resistance and questioning. An educational programme needs
to provide them with discipline, skills and challenging
standards, but also with creativity and flexibility. The
IBO builds its programme around these considerations but
it is also concerned that students develop a personal value
system by which to guide their own lives, as thoughtful
members of local communities and the larger world.
Diploma Programme
(Grades 11 & 12)
The IBO’s Diploma Programme (DP) was created
in 1968. It is a demanding pre-university course of study
that leads to examinations. It is designed for highly motivated
secondary school students aged 16 to 19.
The programme has earned a reputation for rigorous assessment,
giving IB diploma holders access to the world’s leading
universities. The DP's grading system is criterion-referenced,
which means that each student’s performance is measured
against well-defined levels of achievement. These are consistent
from one examination session to the next and are applied
equally to all schools.
The IBO has shown, over the course of 30 years, that students
are well prepared for university work. They are accepted
by universities all over the world.
The programme is a comprehensive two-year international curriculum,
available in English, French and Spanish.
It generally allows students to fulfill the requirements
of their national or state education systems. The DP incorporates
the best elements of national systems, without being based
on any one.
Internationally mobile students are able to transfer from
one DP school to another. Students who remain closer
to home benefit from a highly respected international curriculum.
The programme was born of efforts to establish a common
curriculum and university entry credential for students
moving from one country to another. International educators
were motivated by practical considerations but also by
an idealistic vision. They believed that students should
share an academic experience that would emphasize critical
thinking, intercultural understanding and exposure to a
variety of points of view.
Community & Service
- How do we live in relation to each other?
- How can I contribute to the community?
- How can I help others?
One of the main goals of the Baccalaureate School for
Global Education’s Middle Years Program is the promotion
of responsible citizenship that deepens students’ knowledge
and understanding of the world around them. Students
are encouraged to make personal connections with their
intellectual and social growth and what they can contribute
to local and global communities. This Area of Interaction
reaches far beyond the classroom, fostering an awareness
of international social realities, reinforcing the importance
of community as well as recognition and respect for human
rights.
Community and Service develops:
- Sensitivity to the needs of the community and society
in general
- Awareness of the role of the individual within a community
- A willingness and the skills to respond to the needs
of others
- An unselfish attitude which enriches the life of the
student through enhanced insight into different social
patterns and ways of life
- Intercultural awareness, encouraging respect, empathy
and understanding for all people regardless of ethnicity,
race, gender, class, sexual orientation, nationality
and/or physical disability
Students participate in interactive activities that engage
them in constructive and positive action working in diverse
social and cultural environments. These activities
will enhance their education at BSGE and enrich their lives
socially, politically and culturally. Students engage
in developmentally appropriate activities over 7th, 8th,
9th and 10th grades.
The Baccalaureate School for Global Education requires
students in the Middle Years program to complete 100 hours
of Community and Service. Students who later enter
the diploma program are expected to fulfill 150 hours of
Creativity, Action and Service during their junior and
senior years. In order to receive credit,
all activities and volunteer service must be approved by Peter
Wilson.
Central Elements of Community and Service in the Middle
Years Program
- Awareness
- Involvement and Service
- Reflection
Community Awareness:
Before students can participate in activities in relation
to their respective community and the global community,
they must develop an awareness of what community is on
varying levels.
Fundamental Questions:
- What does community mean?
- What makes a community?
- How are communities similar?
- How are they different?
- What is my role in my school community?
- What is my role in my local community?
- What is my role in the global community?
- How can I make a positive change in these communities?
Through BSGE’s curriculum and school activities
outside of the classroom, students will be given opportunities
to develop an awareness of different communities and their
needs. Students will begin to recognize their own
strengths and interests, developing ways they can contribute
positively and practically in their respective communities. Teachers
are all responsible for the integration of Community and
Service by stimulating awareness and helping students develop
their Approaches to Learning skills.
Community Involvement and Service:
Through an increased and substantive awareness of community
issues and challenges, students should develop a desire
to respond to these needs and challenges in a responsible
and sincere way. The student will see himself/herself
as an active agent of change, increasing levels of responsibility
and action. At the same time, by encouraging students
to use the talents and skills they’ve developed at
school outside of the classroom, participants will also
build self-esteem. Students in BSGE’s Middle
Years Program are required to become actively engaged in
service activities individually and in groups.
Basic Principles:
- Community and Service activities are a requirement
of the MYP for all students. These activities
lead students through the stages of growth of awareness
to responsible and meaningful autonomous action.
- Each year BSGE students are engaged in a Community
and Service based activity in order to encourage students
to develop a positive response to community needs.
- Activities chosen by students and accepted by BSGE
as Community and Service should reflect the maturity
level of the students and should respect their individual
interests and preferences.
- BSGE recognizes and celebrates students for their
community involvement without awarding grades for Community
and Service.
Reflection:
Reflection is an essential part of Community and Service. It
encourages a better awareness of local and global community
needs as well as a stronger, more substantive level of
response. Through reflection, students can develop
positive attitudes towards their activities in their respective
communities. Reflection also helps students become
more aware of their strengths and challenges. It
allows BSGE staff to efficiently monitor the quality of
Community and Service on individual and school-wide levels.
To monitor Community and Service at BSGE, students are
required to complete Community and Service intake forms,
recording their monthly activity hours as well as their
total service hours for the semester or year. Students
must have their supervisor approve their calculated hours
for each activity they participated in during the school
year and, in some cases, during the summer. Students
are also required to complete a Community and Service reflection
form for each activity, answering the following questions:
- By participating in this activity, what did you
learn about yourself?
- What were the most valuable or rewarding aspects
of this activity?
- What did you find challenging or uncomfortable? Why
did it occur?
- How might this experience change your life?
- Would you recommend this activity to others? Why
or why not?
All Community and Service reflection forms require a supervisor’s
signature. A copy of both the intake and reflection
form must be submitted to BSGE’s Community and Service
coordinator, Peter Wilson.
Creativity, Action & Service
Creativity, Action and Service (CAS) is a framework
that promotes learning by doing real tasks that have real
consequences and then reflecting on these experiences over
time. Students are given the opportunity to
transform what they’ve learned in the classroom to
a form of service. The CAS experience encourages students
to build relationships with others over time and develop
the self-worth of service providers and receivers. The
aim of CAS is to build self-esteem, self-confidence, autonomy,
self-reliance, collaborative action skills, compassion
for others and awareness of global issues through creative
expression, physical activities and service projects. The
Creativity, Action and Service framework encourages participants
to become open-minded, life-long learners with a desire
to be active agents for progressive change in local, national
and global communities.
Students who enter the diploma program are expected to
fulfill 150 hours of Creativity, Action and Service over
their junior and senior years. In all aspects of
CAS, goals must be set and students are required to reflect
on their progress.
In order to receive
Creativity, Action and Service credit, all activities
and volunteer service must be approved by Peter
Wilson.
Main Objectives of CAS requirement:
- Attitudes and values which respect human dignity,
transcending race, class religion, gender, sexual orientation,
nationality, ethnicity and political stance
- An awareness of humanitarian and environmental issues
with a viable, informed ethical position considering
local, national and international circumstances
- Self-confidence and modesty
- A willingness to interact meaningfully with others
- A sense of responsibility towards all members of the
local, national and international communities and a commitment
to contribute valuable to these communities
- A recognition and respect for the human rights of all
persons in our global community
- Personal qualities of curiosity, honesty and self-criticism
- An ability to deliberate, reflect upon and learn from
experiences
- A spirit of discovery, commitment, initiative, determination
and perseverance
- The ability to meet challenges and an awareness of
personal limitations
- Practical skills which can be used in the service of
others and in a future career
Creativity:
This element of CAS covers a wide range of arts and other
activities outside the normal curriculum which includes
creative thinking in the design. Activities include
doing dance, music, art and theater. Students are
encouraged to participate in group activities and in new
roles wherever possible, however individual commitment
to learning and practicing an art form is allowed.
Action:
This element of CAS can include participation in individual
and team sports, physical activities and expeditions outside
the normal curriculum. It also includes physical
activity involved in carrying out creative and service
projects. These pursuits will require physical exertion
such as camping trips, intramural volleyball or erecting
and tending a community garden. Students are encouraged
to participate in group and team activities as well as
undertaking new, challenging roles. Individual commitment
to these physical activities is also acceptable.
Service:
Recognized as perhaps the most transforming element of
CAS, service projects and activities allow students to
build direct links with individuals and groups throughout
local and global communities. This interaction helps
to nurture and shape a global citizen who recognizes and
respects the human rights of all people. Students
do not simply provide service for others but are
doing projects with others, developing a sincere
commitment with them in the process. This relationship
should demonstrate respect for the dignity and self-respect
of others. Activities should address community needs;
for example, facilitating a clothing drive for families
who are homeless in NYC during the winter, teaching English
to ELL/ESL students from immigrant households at a community
center or working on an international initiative to ban
landmines. Both creativity and action elements are
heightened by incorporating the service aspect of these
activities.
Guiding Questions:
The following questions can help a BSGE student determine
whether or not an intended activity qualifies as Creativity,
Action and Service:
- Is the activity a new role for me? What
is that role?
- Is it a real task that I am going to undertake?
- Does it have real consequences for other people
and for me? What are those consequences?
- What do I hope to learn from getting involved?
- How can this activity benefit other people in my
local community? In the world community?
- What can I reflect upon while participating in
this activity?
Performance Criteria:
- Personal Achievement: ability to
meet challenges, consistent participation, showing
progress and growth, learning from experiences, helping
to address and solve community issues.
- Personal Skills: thinking creatively,
organizational skills, identifying and researching community
needs, resource management, identifying success and failure.
- Personal Qualities: self-confidence,
perseverance, humility, responsibility, punctuality,
commitment, reliability, initiative.
- Interpersonal Qualities: adaptability,
collaboration, empathy, respect, a sense and understanding
of justice, social responsibility.
- Awareness of Global Issues: an ethical
appreciation of humanitarian and environmental issues
to guide choices of action from a local, national and
international perspective, a comprehension and respect
for human rights of all people, an internalization of
global citizenry.
Areas of Interaction
Five perspectives known as the areas of interaction are
at the core of the MYP. These are:
- Approaches to Learning
- Community Service
- Health and Social Education
- Environment
- Homo Faber (‘Man the Maker’)
These pervade and recur throughout the years of the MYP,
through the eight subject groups, but also through interdisciplinary
teaching and projects, whole school activities and the
MYP personal project. The areas of interaction are
not directly assessed nor awarded individual grades, since
they are themes rather than subjects. They are, however,
indirectly assessed through the personal project.
Approaches to Learning (ATL)
The IB Middle Years Programme places the concept of Approaches
to Learning in the center of the curriculum model, surrounding
the student and central to the programme. The discovery
and mastery of certain skills is considered to be important
for success in the other areas of study.
Approaches to Learning is concerned with values inherent
in the student’s educational environment. These
include intellectual, moral, social and cultural values.
Community Service
The educational philosophy of the IBO stresses development
of the whole person. Its concern extends beyond the
assumed focus on academic and intellectual achievement
and encourages responsible citizenship in the world outside
the classroom.
For information on the role of Community Service at BSGE,
see page 25
Health and Social Education
Health is an integral part of the total development of
the person and of society. This Area of Interaction
is therefore closely linked to the other four and has a
marked influence on the subjects of the Middle Years Programme.
Like the rest of the MYP, this Area of Interaction aims
to educate the whole person and should prepare students
for a physically and mentally healthy life. It should
also develop in them a sense of responsibility for their
own well-being and for their physical and social environment.
Environment
Students are confronted every day by the global issues
of environmental threats and related problems of a political
and economic nature which require balanced understanding. They
also have to cope with everyday environment-related situations
at home, at school or in their immediate surroundings which
require attention and involve decision making. It
is essential that students develop insight into environmental
concerns and into possible ways of investigating problems
and finding solutions.
This Area of Interaction encourages students to try to
contribute to a global environment in which people can
live in harmony with one another and with the natural world,
making best use of its resources.
Homo Faber (‘Man the Maker’)
Homo Faber (‘Man the Maker’) is concerned
with the products of the creative and inventive genius
of people and their impact on society and on the human
mind.
The purpose of Homo Faber as an Area of Interaction
is to develop opportunities for students to appreciate
the human capacity and drive to invent, create, transform,
enjoy and improve the quality of life over time.
The focus encourages students to see the relationships
among science, aesthetics, technology and ethics.
Extended Essay
Each student has the opportunity to investigate a topic
of special interest. The essay requirement acquaints
DP students with the kind of independent research and
writing skills expected by universities.
The IBO recommends that a student devote a total of about
40 hours of private study and writing time to the 4,000-word
essay. It may be written in one of 60 subjects,
including many languages.
The essay permits students to deepen their programmes
of study, for example by selecting a topic in one of
their higher level (HL) courses. Or they might
add breadth to their academic experience by
electing to write in a subject not included in their
programme choices.
Personal Project
This is an independent piece of work that is intended
to be the culmination of the student’s involvement
with the five areas. It may be an essay, an
artistic production or other form of expression, with the
topic chosen in consultation with teachers.
At BSGE the Personal Project is completed during the 10th
grade. Each student works with a faculty advisor
throughout the process.
Click here for a link to the 2006-07 BSGE Personal Project Handbook, which includes the timeline for this year's projects.
Theory of Knowledge (TOK)
TOK is an interdisciplinary requirement intended to stimulate
critical reflection on the knowledge and experience gained
inside and outside the classroom. The course challenges
students to question the bases of knowledge, to be aware
of subjective and ideological biases and to develop the
ability to analyze evidence that is expressed in rational
argument.
TOK is a key element in encouraging students to appreciate
other cultural perspectives. The course is unique to the
IBO, which recommends at least 100 hours of teaching time
spanning the programme’s two years. |
