Introduction:
This post was originally created in 2020 when I was still thinking about whether or not I was going to spend another semester at Maple Leaf Dalian or move on to greener pastures.
Long since I left Maple Leaf to join Huamei-Bond Internaitonal College. The leadership was better to a degree, but at the cost of consistent contractual comforts that I experienced at Maple Leaf. Over the years, Huamei experienced a great deal of profit loss and rather than trying to restablish its quality, it sought to cut funding in certain regards around the school.
In my time at Huamei, I began to wrap up training and professional development that I wanted to ascertain on a proivinicial accreditation level, and currently am seeking IB qualifications.
I made the leap and shelled out the cost of getting my International Baccalaureate Educator Certification.
Begining my journey with the University of Windsor, I am working under the instruction of Eric Robertson and Laurie Crawford, through these courses, I will have completed my requirements of "Teaching and Learning" as well as "Curriculum Processes" in order to complete the final three segments of the course requirements to receive qualification.
Here are some resources to introduce the depth of looking into IB certifications,
Highlighted Resources:
https://ibpublishing.ibo.org/live-exist/rest/app/sui.xql?doc=p_0_pypxx_mon_1309_1_e&part=1&chapter=2
In the past, I studied up a bit on what IB entails on a functional level, these are resources I observed before making the decision to pursue this level of expertise.
IB Past papers
Extended Essay:
IB Textbooks:
Resources for IB Teachers:
IB Crash Course:
With the increasing trend in Hong Kong for International
Schools and ESF (English Schools Foundation) schools to switch from country
specific syllabuses to the IB many in Hong Kong have been left asking questions
about what exactly the IB is and what it offers.
The IB program is an internationally recognized
pre-university curriculum that offers year 12 and 13 students (or year 11 and
12 in some schools) an opportunity to gain a diploma based on a comprehensive
and integrated curriculum that meets international standards.
There are currently 1,888 schools worldwide offering the IB
diploma programme. In the Asia Pacific region alone there are 255 schools
currently offering the IB.
The IB curriculum is a fairly traditional and broad based
curriculum. There are many similarities to the United Kingdom AS and A2-level
curriculums. One major difference is that students must take six subjects over
two years in the major academic areas (native language, second language,
individuals and societies, experimental sciences, mathematics and computer
sciences, the arts).
As well as these subjects, students study ‘The Theory of
Knowledge’ and are required to complete a certain amount of CAS (Creative
Action and Service) plus undertake a major research assignment or extended
essay (EE).
This comprehensive and advanced programme of study offers
students an integrated approach to learning across different academic
disciplines. The focus is for students to develop the knowledge and skills
needed to meet the challenges of living and working in an increasingly
interdependent and globalized society.
The International Baccalaureate is governed by the
International Baccalaureate Organization based in Geneva, Switzerland and
administered by the International Baccalaureate Curriculum and Assessment
Centre in Cardiff, United Kingdom. The IB organization originated nearly 50
years ago in Europe. It was created by international schools looking to ensure
quality educational standards for students regardless of where they lived or
studied. The IB programme today seeks input from educators worldwide to make
sure the curriculum is up-to-date, to train the teachers who deliver the
programme and to assess students who undertake the program.
An IB diploma offers numerous advantages for students. One
of the greatest advantages is that the IB was designed to ensure a cohesive and
comprehensive education for students. This is still the key objective of the IB.
The programme aims to prepare students not just for success in further
education but also for success in their future lives. The IB allows students to
gain a broad and general education and to postpone some choices about which
area they wish to specialise in until a more mature age and outlook is
achieved. Students gain a broader view of the world andare encouraged to follow
in-depth approaches to academic disciplines. They improve and develop their
time management, research & development and problem solving skills. These
talents and skills will help students long after they have completed their IB
diploma. The CAS allows students to become more community aware and gives them
the opportunity to ‘put back’ something to the community they are living in.
The IB assessment is conducted over the two years of the
programme using internationally-accepted performance standards. Student
achievement is assessed in a variety of ways: examinations that are developed
and marked by international examiners; oral language exams; science laboratory notebooks and experiments; art portfolios, computer science dossiers; essays
and other projects. The student's final score is calculated from a combination
of all these activities. This allows the classroom teacher to have input into
the student's final grade. The philosophy underlying the IB assessment process
is aimed at giving students the opportunity to express what they do know,
rather than finding out what they do not know. The method that is used to
achieve these objectives is based on the theory of criterion-referenced
assessment, which has both internal (by the teacher) and external (by over 5000
subject examiners world wide) elements, over the two year period of the
diploma. All internal assessment is externally moderated and standardized to
ensure fairness and consistency.
In comparison to UK A levels, Oxford University on its
website states that the exam results from the IB will generally be equivalent
to the following: grades A, A, B or A, A, A in British A-levels will be
considered equal to 38 points in the IB. Cambridge University states that 36 -
40 for the IB is normally sufficient to be considered for most courses.
Cambridge also states that for some courses a seven will be required in
specific subjects.
The final score is based on the following - Highest score is
45:
Group
1
First Language |
Group
2
Second Language |
Group
3
Individuals and Society |
Group
4
Experimental Sciences |
7
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
Group
5
Mathematics and Computer Science |
Group
6
The Arts |
Extended
Essay
Theory of Knowledge |
Total |
7
|
7
|
3
|
45
|
The International Baccalaureate® (IB) Diploma Programme (DP)
curriculum sets out the requirements for study of the DP.
The curriculum is made up of the DP core and six subject
groups.
Made up of the three required components, the DP core
aims to broaden students’ educational experience and challenge them to
apply their knowledge and skills.
The three core elements are:
Theory
of knowledge, in which students reflect on the nature of knowledge and on
how we know what we claim to know.
The
extended essay, which is an independent, self-directed piece of research,
finishing with a 4,000-word paper.
Creativity,
activity, service, in which students complete a project related to those
three concepts.
The six subject groups are:
There are different courses within each subject group.
Theory of knowledge
Theory of knowledge (TOK) is assessed through an oral
presentation and a 1,600 word essay.
It asks students to reflect on the nature of knowledge, and
on how we know what we claim to know.
TOK is part of the International Baccalaureate® (IB) Diploma
Programme (DP) core, and is mandatory for all students.
Learn more about theory
of knowledge. You can also find examples
of TOK essay titles and read about how the IB sets deadlines
for TOK.
You may also be interested in the other components of the DP
core: creativity,
activity, service (CAS) and the extended
essay.
Learn more about TOK in a DP workshop for teachers.
"Hi Carmelo. Sorry for the late response. I haven't been on LinkedIn for a while and am unsure exactly when you sent the message so I apologise if its too late to be of any help. I'm unsure exactly how to apply for a job there as I am no longer working there. I originally got the job through a recruitment agency. Crs explore. Are you looking to join the Canadian programme or the IB/ pre IB programme? As a heads up I did enjoy it there but it was mainly down to the staff and the students in the Canadian programme. The pre IB has a varied range of abilities with the management accepting students who could barely say there own name in English when they joined. They take students even if they are doomed to fail. Also if you care about legality of stuff. The school tax dodge by making you sign a fake contract with an incredibly reduced salary which they use for the tax and Education burea. This also means they pay less towards your pension fund. So you could work there for years and barely get anything back when you decide to leave China. Unfortunately many schools do crap like this so be sure to find one which you can either be sure of the legality of things or be able to look by this sort of business."
Granted DMLIS (Dalian Maple Leaf's BC Curriculum was a constant work in progress in regards to student quality assurance because of the lack of consistently trained incoming staff-but its a given, its common knowledge that is treated was at one point the difference between a school with quality learning experiences in mind and the one that tries to put bodies in a room. It makes me question if the IB brand is worth the time/money investment on Maple Leaf's end. Whats the consequence for school that doesn't meet the expectations of the IB brand?
This is not to say that I think ML's "parallel" to IB was going to be worth a nickel...but I'm just saying sometimes its better to go with the tyrant you know. All the same, good luck to Maple Leaf in their journey into ascertaining IB status in their Wuhan campus.
