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New Personal Project Website

8/6/2021

Hello All!
I've put together a very basic personal project website, based on the new guide. I wanted to make this as simple as possible. Most of the information is directly taken from the IB's Project Guide or Teacher Support Materials page. I have added in a few templates for success criteria and the action plan. I've also embedded the ManageBac intro presentation I created, along with the four presentations on the IB's TSM. I've also added in a short presentation about setting goals.

I'll probably make a second version with a lot more resources, included things like source evaluations worksheets, support for writing bibliographys, tips for leading interviews, etc... but for now, enjoy this clear/concise version! I'll keep this version this simple - feel free to share with your students, as I will keep this school-neutral!

MYP Personal Project Website

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IBEducatorStudy Session One

2/6/2021

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Thank you to everyone who got involved with the first IBEducatorStudy. I've been sent lots of feedback, as well links to other great resources! I'll also switch up from light, easy reads to more serious articles, and for the visual activity I'll switch between art and photographs. I will try and use different tools and activities for every session, and will try and build in some live discussion after every few sessions!

If you want to complete either of the activities - there is stil time (but your responses won't be included in the write up).
Article: You can do the first activity by reading "" and responding to the prompts here.
Visual: You can do the second activity by completing this google form.

Article
Here's what we did for our first session:

Teachers were invited to read 'Make Your Own Grass Greener' by Rebecca Mieliwocki. Teachers were then asked to reflect on what is working well in their school and to share some advice. I think this is important to do at this time of the year, as everyone is exhausted and many are closed to being burnt out. Sometimes it can be easy to dwell on the negatices, so reflecting on what is working is important and can actual re-energize us.
We used the tool DotStorming (similar to Padlet...but free). This was quite tricky with the number of participants, so here are some screenshots to better show the reflections (visit the full board here):

Visual

The next activity was a series of thinking routines to get partcipants to unpack the photograph below. The photo is from:"They have to give up everything": A photographer captures the human drama at the border.
Without context, participants first did the routine See, Think, Wonder. They were then provided some context and did the Circle of Viewpoints routine, focusing on one person from the photograph. There was then an optional activity, where participants looked at another photograph from the series and completed the routine Step-In, Step-Out, Step-Back. Lastly participants reflected on the experience.

Take a look at the participant reflections below. To see all responses click here (names/emails removed).

Lastly - my reflections as a facilitator:

Potentially the most valuable part is seeing other people's responses. I need to make this easier and quicker for participants to see.
I also want to build in some live time, perhaps using Wonder for people to meet up and chat. I will most likely to FlipGrid for the next activity, so participants can't easily see and hear other peoples' ideas and can respond too.
Perhaps after every third session or so I will organise a live session. This can be hard to do, as people are all over the world...but maybe I will offer it at two different times?
Finally, one person mentioned adding an activity to the visual exercise, which allows people to take action! I think this is a wonderful idea! For now, try these

Please take a look at the fantastic ideas shared by the participants. If you want to sign up for the next session, fill in this form.

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Beyond IBEducatorsChat: IBEducatorsStudy

15/5/2021

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IBEducatorsChat webinars, workshops and roundtables have been a fantastic opportunity for sharing and learning. Let's keep the conversation and learning going outside of 40 minute video calls, through study groups!

There will be two different types of study groups. One will look at articles/research, focusing on pedagogy. The other will be an opportunity to practice thinking routines through exploring photographs/artwork. Teachers are welcome to join one or both.

The sessions will happen through email. You'll be sent a link to the stimulus, along with the activity. A week later you'll be sent a summary of the participants thoughts! Some activities will be done through Google Forms, others through tools including Jamboard and Padlet.

Most sessions will be suitable for any teacher, (though we might occasionally look at some of the IB's research), but I will usually promote this to IB teachers. However, non-IB teachers can definitely be involved too!

Study Group 1 - Articles

This study group will focus on short educational articles, mostly focussing on pedagogy. All articles will be free to access. Participants will be sent out an article, along with an activity to do. The activity might be linked to thinking routines or reflective questions. After a week or so, a summary, including participant responses, will be sent out to everyone.

This study group will be more focussed on reflecting on pedagogy through (usually academic) articles.

Articles will come from many sources, including Educational Leadership Magazine, The IB's research, JSTOR (individuals get access to 100 free articles a month) and other free sources. Participants can suggest future articles to discuss.

Study Group 2 - Photographs/Artworks

This study group will focus on using photographs or artwork as a stimulius. The photo or artwork will be sent out, with minimal information, along with an activity. The activity might be linked to thinking routines or reflective questions. After a week, or so, information about the photo/artwork will be sent back, along with a summary of participant responses.

This study group will be focussed on learning through slow looking and through thinking routines. This will be a chance to practice and be exposed to different thinking routines, taking on the role of a student/learner.

Photos and artwork will come from a range of sources, including the Guardian's Photos of the Week, New York Times 'what is going on in this picture' and Google Art and Culture.

EDIT:

Based on feedback so far, most people want to do both. What I will do is send out an email with both activities attached. Then each time, you can select if you want to do one, both or none. Hopefully we will grow so that each time there might be multiple-activities to get invovled with, including some subject or primary/secondary specific provocations and activities.

Getting Involved

I'll start off the sessions, but as they grow will be able to have more people leading sessions or suggestioning resources and activities. For those who want to join the study group, please fill in this form!

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IB Educators Chat: May 2021 RESOURCES

11/5/2021

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I'd like to start off by saying a massive thank you to everyone who attended or ran an IB Educator Chat for our May 2021 session! I really enjoyed this event and was able to attend every session! I learnt so much and my mind is now racing with ideas!

A special thank you to our hosts:
2021 Hosts: Amber J. Rhinehart, Anshu Sharma, Aprajita Ralli, Barb Bilgre, Chad Hyatt, Cristina Obae, Filimon Diamantidis, Heather Friesen, Ira Shrivastav, Jyaysi Kapadia, Loukia Kefallinou, Mansi Gandhi, Monika Kala, Nigel Gardner, Rohini Salaskar, Satvinder Singh, Sherwet Adel, Teresa Araújo, Tracy Waller and Zoha Khan.

We had hosts from Argentina, Romania, France Indonesia, India, USA, Namibia, Germany, Bangladesh, Japan, Canada, Ghana, Greece and Egypt!!! Truly an international event!

I've popped the resources into a slideshow and will also share them below:

Unit Planning on Managebac
"A sharing session for MYP teachers, MYP Coordinators, and Department Heads, based on the use of Managebac features for unit planning, including ATL, assessments, grading and reporting, and parent communication. Analytics tools such as auto-created SGOs, curriculum and ATL maps, assessment records, etc. will be shared."
With Mansi Gandhi, from Mumbai, India.
Connect with Mansi on LinkedIn,

Creating a Meaningful Statements of Inquiry
"During this session participants will learn top tips for creating meaningful statements of inquiry. There will also be activities where we come up with statements of inquiry and share and give and receive feedback."
With Lenny Dutton, from Stuttgart, Germany.
Connect with me on LinkedIn or Twitter.
Here are the slides for my session.

Technology Integration with Individuals & Societies
"This session will focus on the use of specific tech-tools to enhance the learning experience for students and teachers"
With Aprajita Ralli, from Noida, India.
Connect with Aprajita on LinkedIn or Twitter.
Here's a link to the Padlet and her slides.

Getting to know the NEW Personal Project Guide
"This session will lead participants to an understanding of the new PP guide: objectives and criteria; report structure; process journal and appendices requirements and MORE. Amber will also share checklists for the new report."
With Amber J. Rhinehart, From Accra, Ghana.
Connect with Amber on LinkedIn.
Here's a link to the slides (slide 23 has lots of additional links).

DP Psychology - making ERQ easy
"During the session best techniques used to teach the writing of essay response questions will be discussed. The participants are encouraged to openly share their ideas and strategies as well."
With Jyaysi Kapadia, from Mumbai, India
Connect with Jyaysi on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Here are the slides for the presentation.

Creating Authentic Assessment Tasks
"During this session, the focus will be on how to create authentic assessments. We will identify various elements of authentic assessments such as learning goals, project ideas, various formative assessments, and ATLs and how to use rubrics. We will create one authentic assessment collaboratively during the session.
With Anshu Sharma, from Noida, India
Connect with Anshu on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Here's a link to the slides.

An Equity-Focused Approach to Teaching and Learning
"Participants will learn how our actions as teachers and our conceptions of learners drive our abilities to create an equity-focused classroom. Participants will engage with student-centered pedagogical approaches like inquiry, agency, and concept-based learning as tools to construct equitable curriculum and learning environments."
With Chad Hyatt, from Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
Connect with Chad on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Here are the presentation slides.

Exploring the new guide: "Interdisciplinary teaching and learning in the MYP"
The new ID guide comes into effect in September 2021 and it has some significant revisions. Join me for an exploration of the changes and conversation about how they might impact teaching and learning in our schools.
With Heather Friesen, From Toronto, Canada
Connect with Heather on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Promoting Thinking Skills in the Language Acquisition Classroom.
This workshop will focus on Visible Thinking routines to develop students' critical and creative thinking skills
With Zoha Khan, from Mumbai, India
Connect with Zoha on LinkedIn.
Zoha ran her session twice - Video Link and Video Link

Classroom tools and strategies for making learning visible
"This session will be beneficial for homeroom PYP teachers. They will explore various hands on strategies to engage students and to achieve learning outcomes."
With Monika Kala from Noida, India
Connect with Monika on LinkedIn and Twitter.

MYP Science - Transitioning to Concepts from Topics
In this session, Science Educators will learn how approaching science teaching from a conceptual approach instills a love of science as well as a better understanding for students.
With Barb Bilgre, in Japan
Connect with Barb on LinkedIn and Twitter

What can MYP Innovation look like beyond the subject groups?
Many schools are working towards developing MYProgrammes that address the IB Learner Profile Trait of Balanced. While Service as Action, Project and IDUs play an important role in MYP Education, many leaders are considering how to integrate more innovation and personalized learning time into their timetables beyond the academic subject groups and advisory/PSHE periods so that students have a more enriching and fulfilling experience. This Round Table Discussion will provide innovative educators an opportunity to share their visions and strategies for revamping Middle Years Education to demonstrate what it can be.
With Barb Bilgre, in Japan
Connect with Barb on LinkedIn and Twitter

Engaging with SDGs
This session will focus on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (Global Goals)
With Aprajita Ralli, from Noida, India
Connect with Aprajita on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Blending CAS Experiences in DP Subjects
To promote the holistic vision of IB teachers should integrate the core subjects in their unit and lesson plans. How can we do it in a meaningful way?
Teresa Araújo from Namibia
Connect with Teresa on LinkedIn.
Here are the presentation's slides.

Strategies to teach the ATL Skills in English Lang & Lit.
In this session educators will be provided with explicit strategies to develop the ATL skills in English language and literature. They will be taken through a variety of learning engagements that they can use as well.
With Tracy Waller from Mumbai, India
Connect with Tracy on LinkedIn.

Introduction to Desmos Classroom Activities (Math Teachers).
Satvinder led a great session showing what Desmos can do. As someone who has not looked at Desmos in a few years I was blown away with the possibilities! Savinder shared many tutorials and activities on his website here.
With Satvinder Singh, from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Connect with Satvinder on LinkedIn.

HerFinding the ATL (DP)
Since 2014 there has been a re-emphasis on skills in the Diploma Programme through the adoption of the ATL skill clusters. In what is already a crowded landscape, how as an IB educators do you articulate this guidance through action in the classroom? Together in this session we will consider how teaching through ATLs is already embedded within each Diploma Subject. We will also look to develop possible opportunities through both the written and taught curriculum to strengthen student acquisition, development and practice of these skills.
With Nigel Gardner, from France/Indonesia
Connect with Nigel through LinkedIn, Twitter, or through Four Corners Education.
Here are the presentation slides.

Project Based Learning in MYP
MYP is characterized by project-based learning and all disciplines should be able to adopt it. We will present how to implement PBL in MYP and for all disciplines.
With Filimon Diamantidis, From Greece.
Connect with Filimon through LinkedIn and his blog.
Here are the presentation slides.

Backward Planning of MYP Units
The session will take an overview of backward planning of MYP units from SOI to learning experiences. It will also look into embedding ATL skills in the planning stage. Ideally should address questions like 'Where should i start?" and "How to embed criteria objectives in my learning experiences?"

With Rohini Salaskar, from India
Connect with Rohini on LinkedIn

ATL Skills

develop a deeper understanding of Approaches to Learning (ATL) as a way for students to acquire and use skills developed over time in order to access learning
consider contemporary research in order to apply metacognitive strategies throughout the learning process, with an emphasis on assessment as learning
design the curriculum to encourage students to build these skills
reflect on how developing cognitive, affective and meta-cognitive skills
using a variety of strategies may increase the capacity of learners to become self-regulated and intrinsically motivated.
With Ira Shrivastav, from Bangladesh
Connect with Ira on LinkedIn

Personal Project - something old, something new...
Which are the main changes brought to the Personal Project by the new guide? Which are the implementation challenges? Let's discuss and find together practical solutions.
With Cristina Obae, from Romania
Connect with Cristina on LinkedIn
Here the the Discussion Slides.

MYP Service as Action: ideas for activities during covid-19 eraThrough this session teachers will be informed of possible SaA activities (either student-initiated or subject oriented) that they can organize during schools' closure.
With Loukia Kefallinou from Athens, Greece.
Connect with Loukia on LinkedIn
Here are the Presentation slides

Our next session will likely be in August 2021. I'll post on the website here and in the usual Facebook groups when a date is announced, then I will open up the host volunteer form too. I'm hoping to get more people from different time zones, so that we can extend our reach further!

Thanks again everyone!

AN EYE ON THE KEEP IB EDUCATOR CHAT WEBSITE.

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IB Educators Chat: May 2021

3/5/2021

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It's almost time for our next IB Educators Chat event! This is happening Friday 7th May to Sunday 9th May. We have 25+ sessions being led by educators from around the globe! You do not need to register ahead of time - just click the links on the slide deck below, or on the agenda on the 'Upcoming Chats' page of our website.

Some presenters are recording their sessions - after the event I will upload those videos and add them to our recordings page.

I am extra excited about this event as I will be able to attend many of the sessions - when I ran this last time I was also teaching full-time, so often I missed out on the sessions! Hopefully see lots of you there. The next session will likely be after the summer.
Have a look through the slides to see what events we have - lots of great free PD on offer - let your colleagues know too.

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Analysing Existing Products: Diapers

1/5/2021

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I've probably lost my mind - and I blame being a new mum and lack of sleep - BUT I just had an idea for an activity for my students. This can be used for design or it can even be a homeroom/advisory activty. It could also be adapted for science class. This could also be a fun activity to do at the start or end of the year, or even a team buuilding exercise for staff!

The activity: Students will have a selection of different diapers. They have to determine which is the 'best' diaper. First they have to decide what makes a diaper good (how much it absorbs? How well it fits? How easy it is to put on the baby?). Then they create testing methods, gather data and decide which diaper is the best.

If each group picks a different diaper, the class can discuss why (bad testing methods? different factors for success prioritised). Lastly they can also discuss if having more knowledge of the family (their client) would have made them pick different factors for success.

I think students will have a lot of fun with this activity (anything that gets students thinking about poop and wee is normally successful). I put together a short presentation which you can find here.
The last slide is 'teachers notes' with more ideas for how to use this.

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Personal Project Guide and Workshop

1/5/2021

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I've been keeping busy during my maternity leave! One of the things I have worked on is a guide for the new Personal Project for ManageBac. The guide is aimed at students and can be found here.

On the page "Introducing the Personal Project" you can find a slide deck which can be used with your teachers, students and parents.

I'm also going to be running some online professional development to support MYP Coordinator and Personal Project Coordinators with understanding the new personal project. This will take place over five 90 minute, interactive sessions. You can get tickets here.