Module 1 learning objectives :
-demonstrate a critical understanding of the nature of international education and the IB’s mission, and how the IB philosophy promotes and develops it within schools
-demonstrate a critical understanding of the key areas of commonality and difference in the four IB programmes
-demonstrate a critical understanding of the role of collaborative working practices in supporting IB learning outcomes
-demonstrate a critical understanding of how the programme resource centre and other interactive technologies enable IB practitioners to professionally engage with each other to support student learning
Knowledge questions :
What shapes my perspective as a knower?
-->Introductions, thinking critically about our educational philosophies, interests and gifts
How do we acquire knowledge?
-->IB Programme continuum, the nature of the Diploma Programme, the core (TOK, EE, CAS)
Are there responsibilities that necessarily come with knowing something or knowing how to do something?
-->The Learner Profile, international-mindedness, intercultural awareness, and integrity
How do we acquire knowledge ?- IB Programme continuum, the nature of the Diploma Programme, the CORE (TOK, EE, CAS)
While there are links to the following IB documents within the text, just in case you run into issues, here are some PDF versions as well. A reminder that it's very important to get used to using MyIB to access resources.
You'll notice that there will be a lot of reading and watching in this section, however having a solid understanding of the foundations of the Programme continuum, as well as the nature and the core of the DP, is essential in understanding how to move forward in the course. Without a bigger picture idea of what the IB is, how the continuum impacts each programme (especially the DP) and how the core elements (Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay and CAS) are integrated into curriculum planning, it will be difficult to appropriate authentic planning. This initial exploration is just a basic overview, we'll be looking at each component much more thoroughly as we move through the course.
First, take a bit to explore what the IB Programme continuum is on MyIB : the PYP (including the Early Years), the MYP, the DP and the CP. It takes a little bit of exploring around to get your footing. However, it's fairly user-friendly, separated by programme, and includes many different kinds of resources. While I have included links and PDFs of many documents, you'll notice how much easier and efficient your life will be over the course of these next 10 weeks if you make a habit of referring to MyIB (the university will have provided you access information). Looking at all of the documents can make the programme (and learning) seem overwhelming. If you start to get comfortable with MyIB, you'll be able to retrieve information through the HTML sites (instead of sifting through a long PDF) and find other relevant resources and sharing forums. Some resources are also not available outside of the platform.
Lastly, begin to familiarise yourself with the nature of the Diploma Programme.
- You can find the main DP page HERE on MyIB.
- Take a look at the DP From Principles to Practice document (especially pages 4 - 14)
- Explore the CORE : Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay, and CAS. You'll notice this course is modeled after TOK and aims to explore DP curriculum processes through knowledge questions. The core of the DP informs everything - it is integrated in all subjects and you'll have to demonstrate an understanding of each in planning and assessment elements.
*Please note that these are preliminary explorations of programme documents and resources, you are not expected to know all of the information included in them during the first module of the course, we will be working through them and looking at specific sections.
- A brief introduction to the Learner Profile, international-mindedness, intercultural awareness, integrity
Let's think about this in a deeper and much more significant way. The IB supports research in a variety of areas of knowledge and pedagogy (you can read more about IB Research HERE). The paper 'Conceptualizing and assessing internationalmindedness (IM): An exploratory study' (Castro, Lundgren, Woodin, 2013) looks at the following research questions :
- RQ1 How is international-mindedness conceptualized in the IB curricular context? How is IM addressed in the educational philosophy of the IB and the curriculum framework of its programmes? How are multilingualism, intercultural understanding and global engagement associated with IM? How are attitudes, knowledge, skills and action associated with aspects of multilingualism, intercultural understanding and global engagement?
- RQ2 How are constructs related to IM defined and theorized in the research field of international and intercultural education? What are the theories, models, dimensions and core elements of IM and other related constructs? How are multilingualism, intercultural understanding and global engagement defined?
- RQ3 How are international-mindedness and some related constructs assessed within and outside of the IB context? What skills and competencies are being assessed? What models and instruments are being used for assessing the intercultural dimension in different educational contexts?
After having read through the paper, hopefully you can better understand how true international mindedness and intercultural awareness also includes multilinguism and global engagement, making it a much more complex and nuanced concept that needs to be integrated in our pedagogy. It means appreciating human commonality, diversity, and interconnection. It means taking an active, engaged role in global citizenship and participating in the collective responsibility towards making the World a better place. We are facilitators of that engagement, and at the same time, authentic models for our students.
This brings us to the notion of responsibility and integrity - as facilitators of knowledge, what is our responsibility in ensuring the development of the learner profile attributes, true international mindedness, and at promoting global engagement ? You'll notice the word 'reflection' comes up often in IB pedagogy - in the learner profile, in the curriculum, in the approaches to teaching and learning (which we'll get to in the next module). In order to be models of integrity, we need to reflect on our own biases, our own perspectives, our worldviews, our practice.
Integrity, especially academic integrity, is a quick evolving topic in education and one that the IB is currently figuring out how to adapt to (regarding AI especially). We'll get back to that beast later on in the course, but let's talk for a second about integrity in pedagogical approach. Integrity, for example, is explicitly reflected in our choice of resources. From experience, in seeing thousands of PYP, MYP and DP planners, teachers almost see the resource section as an afterthought, a place to copy-paste a YouTube link, or a bibliographical reference to a book, or a general 'computer lab' type learning environment. I'd like you to reflect for a second on something. In order to promote authentic inquiry, you're going to need some sort of content as a vehicle, right ? You can't only talk about vague concepts without actually referring to specific examples. In order to have students apply conceptual understanding, you're going to have to have them develop skills such as being able to retrieve information via research using specific technologies, yes ? To have them live authentic learning experiences and connect concepts to 'real life', they might want to interact with a member of the community, or visit a local park maybe ? These reflections all relate to principled action.
https://ib-innovate.com/2019/05/19/principled-action/
These are all examples of resources : print, digital, technologies, human, environments. The IB considers each and every one of these equally important in order to support the integration of concepts, the delivery of content, the development of skills, and the transfer of understanding. Before we can even think about lesson or unit planning, it would make sense to plan out our learning experiences (how we're going to bring students to be able to show us what they know), and before we can plan out those learning experiences, we kind of need to prepare ourselves in terms of resources (for us, as facilitators of knowledge, and as prompts or exploratory elements for our students). Does this make sense ? The IB standards explicitly support the integration of authentic resources and it's our responsibility to seek those out (and also determine their value, validity, and ethics). Throughout this course, we'll be taking a closer look at all of this, and you'll hopefully start to feel confident in understanding how integrity is essential in informing your own curriculum planning within the DP and start to develop a toolbox of resources that can help you.
- represent a range of entry points and learning environments that creatively achieve the unit’s purpose
- promote student inquiry through learning support and extension;
- represent diverse and culturally responsive points of view;
- use students’ life experience and multi-literacies to inspire learning;
- create opportunities for action and real-world learning;
- include meaningful opportunities for interaction with people, organizations and facilities in the community.
- Take a look at the Continuum Standards and Practices (MyIB link, Standard 0202 : Student Support)
Discussion board post for MODULE 1 tasks (please answer the following prompts in the same post) :
- List some differences and similarities between the nature of IB's approach to teaching and learning and the educational system with which you are familiar (for example, the Ontario school system). For many of you, this course is your first initiation to the IB - what are you excited about ? what do you want to learn more about ? what could you see as potential obstacles ?
With regards to the Ontario Secondary School Diploma and the system in place that students participate in to achieve it differs on levels of rigour, evaluation and content. When consider the statements of the IB in regards to their course length through their website, for students to complete a course whether it is the Standard Level (150 hours of suggested instructional time) or Higher Level (240 hours of suggested instructional time) (DP Curriculum, 2025). The IBDP involves more required instructional time than that of the OSSD program courses (110 hours minimum). The types of evaluations that occur in the diploma programme are not unheard of in Ontario’s evaluation process of learners, but has long since been a curriculum that allows for learners of all pathways to hace access to the educational resources they need to be successful, where it doesn’t, it is amended over time. Where the DP in IB has 6 core subject areas, Ontario follows a similar model. A large difference between the subject specific courses and the OSSD subject specific courses lies in the content delivery, where Ontario focuses on more Canadian versus Global content the higher up the grades go in each subject (depending on courses selected), the MYP in IB is (from observations in regards to outlines shared through the Teaching and Learning course) includes interdisciplinary unit planning opportunities, this is mandatory. Furthermore, the MYP program (which includes equivalents of grades 9 and 10 level coursework) inlcudes expected collaborative meeting time where teachers of different subjects collectively develop an articulation document where they perform the base for their interdisciplinary study as required for at least one unit each year as outlined through the ibo.org website (Interdisciplinary learning, 2025).
In regards to similarities, there are interdisciplinary courses available for students through the OSSD; the Ontario program requires students to participate in Culminating Tasks and/or Exams in order to summatively assess students by the end of the course for evaluation; and lastly, there is set time for professional development to occur as required by Ontario’s Ministry of Education.
This is my first course with regards to the attainment of an IBEC, I am very excited about a lot of things, meeting professionals, being in a learning environment online, studying something “new” and most of, starting a new adventure in my career.
I want to literally learn everything. Anything I can absorb, I’ll take, my goal is to take the IB certification as far as I can. Obstacles are literally, time, life as a parent and husband, day-job, the need to sleep. I love getting this information, these experiences and weighing them against what I have and know, identifying what’s missing and applying it where possible-its just not easy to have the quiet time to concentrate the way I would like to sometimes.
Source:
n.a, International Baccalarueate: “DP Curriculum”. IBO.org. 08 January 2025 https://www.ibo.org/programmes/diploma-programme/curriculum/
n.a, International Baccalarueate: “Interdisciplinary learning”. IBO.org. 18 October 2025
- While not all do, many students follow one or multiple of the IB continuum programmes. Assuming a DP student has done so, what do you think a potential entry profile for that student could look like ? What could/should their competencies be ? What personal qualities or attributes would be beneficial to that student being successful in the DP ?
I have read their the learner profiles, however already being familiar with them, it was interesting to observe the continuum as a whole rather than just the Diploma Programme, and it makes sense to believe that a student beginning in PYP and continuing into high school graduation would or could accumulate a great deal of strong characteristics that promote global mindedness (The IB learner profile, 2024). Based on my understanding of the question, I see that students would be submitting an entry profile that is well written, proofread as well as impressively detailed in regards to relevant experience and extra-curricular activities. Along with details described by the student, their academic performance outlined in their educational background could be ready to provide the student with anywhere under 24 credits (given that they have scored a 4 or higher on their Higher Level and Standard Level subject exams (Getting IB diploma credit at US colleges and universities, 2018). This being a great point of reference when trying to envision how or why IB learners may perform better (Benefits for students, 2024).
n.a, International Baccalarueate: “The IB learner profile”. IBO.org. 02 September 2024. https://www.ibo.org/benefits/learner-profile/
n.a, International Baccalarueate: “Benefits for students”. IBO.org. 06 June 2023. https://www.ibo.org/benefits/benefits-for-students/
n.a “The IB Community Blog: Getting IB diploma credit at US colleges and universities“. Blogs.ibo.org May 5, 2018. https://blogs.ibo.org/2018/05/05/getting-ib-credit-at-university/#:~:text=A%20student%20would%20receive%206,SL%20courses)%20to%20be%20applied.
- Having reflected on your own educational philosophy, experiences and gifts, what support (in terms of your skills, your knowledge/expertise) do you think you could bring to the table in order to help them succeed in the core elements : TOK, the EE and CAS ?
In way of supporting students through their IB education and learning journey, as a teacher, and a human, my experiences will go a long way in supporting students. Having taught for 10 years, I have the ability to not only identify issues students have and initiate a plan of action ot support, but I can identify and critical reflect on issues that might exist within my own practice. Through my experience and educational philosophy, it is in that where my growth mindset carries foremost the needs of students as people and myself as a human that allows me to know where my classrooom’s humanity begins, and where the potential could potentially be at the graduation of that student. To sum up, my expertise in the way of essay writing, assessment and evaluation, reading skills and teaching English language learners, that my knowledge couples with my emotional intelligence to allow me the tools I need to support and work with students.
