IBDP: TOK (Theory of Knowledge) "Unpacking The Document For Use" Read-A-Long with me,

 Greetings, we previously unpacked the English A: Language and Literature guide (2021), this time around we are searching for clues into ways we can connect learning in both areas. To sum up, our last read-a-long, we got a glimpse into the exploraty areas of the guide (time and space and intertextuality), these areas of the guide provide some food for thought regarding the inclusion of TOK in subject specific classrooms.

This time around, we begin our journey in this document through the exploration of knowledge questions as presented on page 5, these are,

"key tool for both teachers and students. These are contestable questions about knowledge itself, such as: “What counts as good evidence for a claim?”, “Are some types of knowledge less open to interpretation than others?”, or “What constraints should there be on the pursuit of knowledge?”. While these questions may initially seem slightly intimidating, they become"

(p.5 2021)

It is really important to understand the development of this course in order to understand how it functions,  

"The TOK curriculum is made up of three deeply interconnected parts.

• The core theme—Knowledge and the knower: This theme encourages students to reflect on themselves as knowers and thinkers, and to consider the different communities of knowers to which we belong.

• Optional themes: This element provides an opportunity to take a more in-depth look at two themes of particular interest to teachers and students. The given themes all have a significant impact on the world today and play a key role in shaping people’s perspectives and identities. Teachers select two optional themes from a choice of five: knowledge and technology; knowledge and language; knowledge and politics; knowledge and religion; and knowledge and indigenous societies.

• Areas of knowledge: The areas of knowledge (AOK) are specific branches of knowledge, each of which can be seen to have a distinct nature and sometimes use different methods of gaining knowledge. In TOK, students explore five compulsory areas of knowledge: history; the human sciences; the natural sciences; mathematics; and the arts."

(p.5, 2021)

After understanding that this course essentially is a high school level epistemology course for students with emphasis on their specialized learning experiences, the teacher should note the following,

"There are two assessment tasks in the TOK course.

• The TOK exhibition assesses the ability of the student to show how TOK manifests in the world around us. The exhibition is an internal assessment component; it is marked by the teacher and is externally moderated by the IB.

• The TOK essay engages students in a more formal and sustained piece of writing in response to a title focused on the areas of knowledge. The essay is an external assessment component; it is marked by IB examiners. The essay must be a maximum of 1,600 words and must be on one of the six prescribed titles issued by the IB for each examination session."

(p.5, 2021)

These two assessments are often seemingly emphasized in the workplace/school as assessments that are deeply connected the learning experiences of the student. The first asssessment as you can see, is an internal assessment (in case you forget, this means it is marked by the teacher), but externally moderated by an IB assessor; whereas the later is an external asssessment.

As discussed in the previous guide, "Nature of the subject", will give us a key insight, mroe or less, with regards to our "Big Ideas" that we will observe next under the heading, "Aims".

"The following 12 concepts have particular prominence within, and thread throughout, the TOK course: evidence, certainty, truth, interpretation, power, justification, explanation, objectivity, perspective, culture, values and responsibility. Exploration of the relationship between knowledge and these concepts can help students to deepen their understanding, as well as facilitating the transfer of their learning to new and different contexts."

(p.7, 2021)

After we get our fill of keywords to incorporate into the course and assessments, (in some cases, we might call these, HOT's-Higher Order Thinking Skills), we have the Aims, as previously mentioned, 

"The aims of the TOK course are:

• to encourage students to reflect on the central question, “How do we know that?”, and to recognize the value of asking that question

• to expose students to ambiguity, uncertainty and questions with multiple plausible answers

• to equip students to effectively navigate and make sense of the world, and help prepare them to encounter novel and complex situations

• to encourage students to be more aware of their own perspectives and to reflect critically on their own beliefs and assumptions

• to engage students with multiple perspectives, foster open-mindedness and develop intercultural understanding

• to encourage students to make connections between academic disciplines by exploring underlying concepts and by identifying similarities and differences in the methods of inquiry used in different areas of knowledge

• to prompt students to consider the importance of values, responsibilities and ethical concerns relating to the production, acquisition, application and communication of knowledge."

(p.8, 2021)

As mentioned in the guide read-a-long before, the aims portion of the guide, personally, gives me a "Big Idea" to the course guide.

It is interesting to see the much shorter portion of text dedicated to "Assessment objectives", in comparison to academic subjects, 

"Having completed the TOK course, students should be able to:

• demonstrate TOK thinking through the critical examination of knowledge questions

• identify and explore links between knowledge questions and the world around us

• identify and explore links between knowledge questions and areas of knowledge

• develop relevant, clear and coherent arguments

• use examples and evidence effectively to support a discussion

• demonstrate awareness and evaluation of different points of view

• consider the implications of arguments and conclusions."

(p.9, 2021)

Page 10 to 11 reflect a course outline and summary of what the students are trying to understand in the way of knowledge. However, come page 12, there is a chart presented with "Examples of knwledge questions", 

Fig.1 (p.12, 2021)

"Knowledge questions play a crucial role in helping students to move beyond subject specific questions or specific real-life situations into TOK discussions that are focused explicitly on knowledge..Throughout this guide, examples of knowledge questions are suggested for each of the themes and areas of knowledge. In order to encourage and support students in making comparisons and connections across different elements of the course, the knowledge questions suggested for each theme and area of knowledge are organized into a “knowledge framework” consisting of four common elements: scope, perspectives, methods and tools, and ethics."

(p.12, 2021)

from the table of "Examples of knowledge questions" as presented by the guide on pages 14-15, 

Scope: 

• What criteria can we use to distinguish between knowledge, belief and opinion?

• How do we distinguish claims that are contestable from claims that are not?

• Are there situations where “knowing how” is more important than “knowing that”?

• Why should we care about acquiring knowledge?

• Why are the criteria for what counts as knowledge not obvious?

• Can other people know us better than we know ourselves?

• How do our interactions with the material world shape our knowledge?

Perspectives:

• What shapes my perspective as a knower?

• How much of our knowledge depends on our interactions with other knowers?

• Is the truth what the majority of people accept?

• How do empathy and imagination help us to understand other perspectives?

• Presented with the belief system of a community of knowers, how can we decide what we personally believe?

• Are there types of knowledge that are specifically linked to particular communities of knowers?

• How can we know that current knowledge is an improvement on past knowledge? 

Methods and Tools:

• How do we acquire knowledge?

• What constitutes a “good reason” for us to accept a claim?

• Are intuition, evidence, reasoning, consensus and authority all equally convincing methods of justification?

• Does knowledge always require some kind of rational basis?

• How do our expectations and assumptions have an impact on how we perceive things?

• What are the advantages and disadvantages of requiring that all knowledge is

verified by a group?

Ethics: 

• Are there responsibilities that necessarily come with knowing something or knowing how to do something?
• As knowers, do we have a moral duty to examine our own assumptions andbiases?
• Under what circumstances, if any, do we have a moral duty to share what we know?
• In what ways do ethical judgments differ from other kinds of judgments?
• Is there knowledge that a person or society has a responsibility to acquire or not to acquire?
• If moral claims conflict, does it follow that all views are equally acceptable?
• What personal traits (such as taking seriously the knowledge of others) do we need in order to be ethical knowers?

(2021)

On what might feel like an unnecessary note, but actually, when reading more closely, 

"Teachers must select two optional themes from the following five options.

• Knowledge and technology

• Knowledge and language

• Knowledge and politics

• Knowledge and religion

• Knowledge and indigenous societies"

(p.16, 2021)

The IB words the selection as "optional", however the idea is that a teacher of TOK MUST select 2 of the following themes to present in class in order to meet student interest. To be honest if it is up to the teacher, I wager the idea is that the choices are built around yes, the interest of the students but more or less the teacher's breadth in subject knowledge.

Therefore, I will sum up  that pages 16, through 26 are exemplar questions for each of these "optional" themes and these questions would essentially be guides on a "curricular competency" or "big idea" level through the units.

I will go back though for a moment and observe the "Knowledge of language" (p.18) and "Knowledge of Indigenous societies"  (p.24).

To begin, page 18, "Knowledge of language", 

Scope:

• Can all knowledge be expressed in words or symbols?

• Is it possible to think or know without language?

• Is being able to speak a language an example of “knowing how” to do something?

• What role does language play in allowing knowledge to be shared with future generations?

• Are there differences in how knowledge itself is conceived of, or presented, in different languages?

• Is it the case that if we cannot express something, we don’t know it?

• To what extent does language allow us to make our private experiences public?

• How does language allow humans to pool resources and share knowledge?

Perspectives:

• Does the transmission of knowledge from one person or generation to another depend on language?

• What knowledge might be lost if the whole world shared one common language?

• If a language dies, does knowledge die with it?

• How do our values and assumptions influence the language in which we express our ideas?

• Is ambiguity a shortcoming of language that must be eliminated, or can it also be seen as making a positive contribution to knowledge and knowing?

• Do all people share some innate linguistic knowledge? If the categories that we use necessarily empower or marginalise, is it ever possible to produce knowledge that does not either reflect or challenge existing power structures?

Methods and Tools:

• How are metaphors used in the construction of knowledge?

• If language works according to sets of rules and conventions, how much scope do we have as individuals to break the rules or challenge these conventions?

• In what ways do values affect our representations of the world, for example, in language, maps or visual images?

• To what extent do the classification systems we use in the pursuit of knowledge affect the conclusions that we reach?

• In what ways can language be used to influence, persuade or manipulate people’s emotions?

• To what extent do the names and labels that we use help or hinder the acquisition of knowledge?

Ethics:

• Does ethical language differ in any significant way from other types of language?

• How can we know if language is intended to deceive or manipulate us?

• Do ethical statements simply convey our feelings/emotions rather than making claims?

• If ethical terms and concepts cannot be easily defined, does this mean that they are meaningless?

• Can we define words such as good and bad in terms of objective features of the world?

• Do professional interpreters

(2021)

Turning forward again to page 24, "Knowledge of language", we look at examples of questions,

Scope: 

Does our culture determine what we know?

In what ways does the loss of indigenous languages signify a loss of knowledge and cultural diversity?

Does the emphasis on holistic knowledge found in some indigenous societies avoid a limited understanding of reality resulting from the compartmentalization of knowledge?

Who owns knowledge?

 How have government education policies and systems compromised the transmission of indigenous knowledge?

Why is there sometimes a strong connection between indigenous knowledge and cosmology?

Perspectives:

• To what extent is our perspective determined by our membership of a particular culture?

• To what extent does the fact that most early literature on indigenous societies was written from a non-indigenous perspective affect its credibility?

• What values and assumptions underpin the use of the term “indigenous” knowledge?

• Does a neutral position exist from which to make judgments about competing claims from different groups with different traditions?

• As an “outsider”, can we know and speak about the knowledge held by a different cultural group?

• How might differences in their worldviews create challenges for collaboration between environmental scientists and holders of traditional environmental knowledge?

• Does the term “indigenous” knowledge” necessarily suggest power divisions between a dominant and non-dominant group?

Methods and Tools:

• How reliable are oral traditions in preserving knowledge in indigenous societies?

• What is the role of oral tradition in enabling knowledge to be handed down through generations?

• What role do objects and artifacts play in the construction and sharing of knowledge?

• Does what is seen to constitute “good evidence” vary from culture to culture?

• What is the role of folklore, rituals and songs in acquiring and sharing knowledge?

• What methods have indigenous peoples developed to support the recording, preservation and protection of their traditional knowledge?

Ethics:

• Does the diversity of moral practices that we see in indigenous societies around the world support the case for moral relativism?

• To what extent does deliberate disinformation by educational institutions and governments threaten indigenous knowledge?

• Is cultural appropriation an example of a violation of collective intellectual property rights?

• Is there a difference between moral values and cultural customs?

• Is there any knowledge that a person or a society has a responsibility to acquire, or not to acquire?

• Can the practices of one individual or culture be judged with any validity by applying the moral values of another generation or another culture?

(2021)

From page 27 through to 36, the document outlines the 5 areas of knowledge students must engage with, "Students are required to study all five of the following areas of knowledge.

• History

• The human sciences

• The natural sciences

• The arts

• Mathematics"

(p.27,2021)

Through this section, again, there are copious amounts of exemplar questions pertaining to knowledge in regards to the 4 areas of knowledge. Page 37 then turns to assessment practices in the DP until page 38, wherein the TOK course assessment is outlined and explored further into the end of the text. The last 20 or pages are about the Exhibition, Internal Assessments and Marking Criterion. I'm sure we will come back to this but, for now, I wanted to get an idea of what content was expected to be explored through facilitation of the teacher, and well, I think we got about as close to that as we will get.

thanks for stopping by, hope this helps folks, 

Bono

IBDP: English Language and Literature "Unpacking The Document For Use" Read-A-Long with me,

 This is one of the more recent times I have asked to become familiar with an IB document without fulling knowing what the "lingo" and acronyms are entirely. 

Today, I am looking into understanding what a teacher deems a "topic" in the document. Based on the tables of contents, it seems like this would be "Aims".

Nonetheless, as I browse through the document, I want to ensure I actually have the "Curriculum" document as this "guide" is labeled with "First Assessment 2021", this is a little confusing as, it means that there should be a second or later assessment of the document? I wager this refers to "edition" or "version". Ok.

So as I look at "Purpose of this document", I am seeing its general audience are the teachers, but not limited to. Thus after it discusses where to locate "Additional Resources", I am reassured that this "Guide" is indeed the document I am looking for. 

Under "Nature of the Subject", the first section "Studies in language and literature in the Diploma Programme" discuss some of the elements and themes students will come into contact with through the course. Among the descriptions of various aspects, there is an interesting bit, 

Some ways in which performance may be applied to literary forms other than drama include examining:

"• the performative nature of narrative and dialogue in the novel, and of voices and speakers in poetry

• the use of rhythm and sound in many texts in different forms, and in poetry in particular

• the relationships between written and oral forms in literature; between the drama script and the

performed play, between poetry and music, and between fiction and storytelling

• the relationship between written texts and dramatic adaptations and transformations of those texts,

for instance in the adaptation of narrative texts of all kinds to film, television and the stage, and in live

readings of poetry and fiction."

(IBO.org, p.7, 2021)

Here the lines between performance, arts and English language studies are drawn.

This is interesting, I am actually currently trying to identify connections between TOK and CAS with regards to English language and Literature (DP), a heading, "Studies in language and literature annd the core", outline what I am lookiong for very clearly. "Studies in language and literature and theory of knowledge", the document gives a heavily structuralist perspective on the understanding of idealogy's impact on one's individualism, "Studies in language and literature similarly engages students in an exploration of the nature of the human experience and of the ways in which personal views are constructed and communicated. In relating their studies to TOK, students become aware of the fact that although language and literature offer a powerful means of access to knowledge, they are nonetheless a construction rather than a perfectly mimetic representation of life and reality." (2021) In one manner this reflects the idea that the student could develop a deeper connection between texts and their own positionality. Lastly, students are participating in critical thinking and inquiry as they reflect on the different ways texts are impacting the self and the world/society on a larger scale.

Thereafter under "Studies in language and literature and creativity, activity, service" (p.8, 2021). The course requires students to reflect, plan and strategically develop actionable items to improve or carry out change. This could extend from classroom-based projects to growth into application of concepts/ideas into the larger community, often exemplified through global issues. Here is an interesting few ideas shared throught he document, 

"A wide range of connections can be made between CAS experiences and projects and studies in language

and literature courses. Some examples are:

• Create or participate in a literary walking tour, in which the milestones of a particular author’s

biography or the most significant places in the setting of a text read are visited, described and

discussed. The three strands—creativity, service and activity—would be involved if the students

actually created the tour, while activity and creativity would be involved if the student participated in

the walking tour and then produced some kind of creative response to it. Simple participation in the

tour would just constitute activity.

• Plan and host an event to raise awareness about a global issue explored in a text being studied, which

would involve creativity and service.

• Create audiobooks of a text being studied for the vision-impaired, or make a critical review of existing

audiobooks for the school librarian in terms of the performance of the actor or reader. This would

involve creativity and service.

• Develop and run book clubs or literary circles with younger students in the school. This would

constitute creativity and service."

(IBO.org, p.9, 2021)

Ultimately, this document addresses some really key points pretty early on that a lot of teachers who are new to the IB or whoa re trying to develop stronger control over their course articulation, might need to reflect on. 

Fast forward to page 14, "Introduction" and the subheading "Aims", usually I might believe these would be the expectations of the course, and they are, but generally, these seem to be the "Overall Expectations" or if you are reading this from the BC curriculum-perspective, "Curricular Competencies". the aims of this particular course are as follows, 

"The aims of all subjects in studies in language and literature are to enable students to:

1. engage with a range of texts, in a variety of media and forms, from different periods, styles, and

cultures

2. develop skills in listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing, presenting and performing

3. develop skills in interpretation, analysis and evaluation

4. develop sensitivity to the formal and aesthetic qualities of texts and an appreciation of how they

contribute to diverse responses and open up multiple meanings

5. develop an understanding of relationships between texts and a variety of perspectives, cultural

contexts, and local and global issues and an appreciation of how they contribute to diverse responses

and open up multiple meanings

6. develop an understanding of the relationships between studies in language and literature and other

disciplines

7. communicate and collaborate in a confident and creative way

8. foster a lifelong interest in and enjoyment of language and literature."

(p.14, 2021)

So these are what we might base our Learning Goals (per lesson)/Big Ideas (per unit) around, is how I understand it.

Moving on, we have "Assessment Objectives", these are as follows, 

"Know, understand and interpret:

• a range of texts, works and/or performances, and their meanings and implications

• contexts in which texts are written and/or received

• elements of literary, stylistic, rhetorical, visual and/or performance craft

• features of particular text types and literary forms.

Analyse and evaluate:

• ways in which the use of language creates meaning

• uses and effects of literary, stylistic, rhetorical, visual or theatrical techniques

• relationships among different texts

• ways in which texts may offer perspectives on human concerns.

Communicate

• ideas in clear, logical and persuasive ways

• in a range of styles, registers and for a variety of purposes and situations

• (for literature and performance only) ideas, emotion, character and atmosphere through performance."

(p.15, 2021)

These are what students are presenting through their assessments, whether that is formantive, diagnostic or summative, I believe the idea would be that by the end of the course students will be measured on all of these on a summative level through either Paper 1, Paper 2 (External Assessments) and/or their Oral Assessment (Internal Assessments).

This is consolidated through the following chart under the heading "Assessment objectives in practice"

Fig.1 (p.16, 2021)

See the continuation, 

Fig.2 (p.17, 2021)

The charts shared demonstrate the assessments as objectives, rather than what objectives are achieved through each assessment, thus, it would be implied that the teacher has concluded previous aims/assessment objectives in previous learning experiences with students prior to these final summative assessments.

For reference, here is a course syllabus shared in the guide, 

Fig.3 (p.19,  2021)

A final note on the syllabus of the course as intended by the IBO, 

"The study of language, literature and performance, and the development of the relevant skills, is divided into three areas of exploration—the exploration of the nature of the interactions between readers, writers and texts; the exploration of how texts interact with time and space and the exploration of intertextuality and how texts connect with each other. Although these three areas seem to offer an ordered approach to progression through the course, they are, as represented in the diagram, inherently over-lapping, iterative or circular and allow for flexibility in course design."

(p.19, 2021)

This resonates with me as something similar to the "Content Competencies" as presented by the BC curriculum circa 2017.

Between pages, 20-23, teachers/students browsing this document will find the general "content competencies" (as I earlier analogized), with reference to text selection methods/expectations.

At the end of p.23 though, there is another point of reference in heading "Posisble Links to TOK", here the document references some "question of what kind of knowledge can be constructed from a text, how that knowledge is constructed and the extent to which the meaning of a text can be considered to be fixed."(p.23, 2021) They share some really great exemplarly lines of questioning actually, 

"• What do we learn about through the study of a literary text? How is this different from what we learn through the study of a non-literary text?

• In what ways is the kind of knowledge we gain from the study of language and literature different from the kind we gain through the study of other disciplines? Can the study of language and of literature be considered scientific?

• How much of the knowledge we construct through reading a text is determined by authorial intention, by the reader’s cultural assumptions and by the purpose valued for a text in a community of readers?

• Are some interpretations of a text better than others? How are multiple interpretations best negotiated?

• In what ways do interpretive strategies vary when reading a literary work and when reading a nonliterary text?"

(p.23-24, 2021)

Then again, after a section on "Time and Space" where the document discusses the idea of cultural contexts/intertextuality/intersectionality (possibly the last two, but certainly cultural context), there is another link that could be made to TOK. Alright, I'm going to back up a moment, after reading "Area of exploration-time and Space" I get a "Sociological Approach"-vibe being taken to the way the document hopes teachers can explore texts with students and this would be important to be "observing" a text from a contextual standpoint rather than risking a cultural faux-pas and inappropriately over-analyzing the text. Ultimately students can compare and contrast texts/experiences/knowledge.

Here, is an interesting perspective summarizing the expectations of content selected,

"The culture, biography of an author, historical events or narratives of critical reception will be considered and may be researched, but the focus of study will be on the ideas and issues raised by the texts themselves and a consideration of whether these are best understood in relation to an informed consideration of context. In this area of exploration, students examine the ways in which a text may illuminate some aspect of the political or social environment, or the ways in which a more nuanced understanding of events may affect their understanding or interpretation of a text. The study of contexts does not imply a static, one-to-one relationship between a text and the world, but sees the former as a powerful “non-human actor” across time and space."

(p.24, 2021)

In a strange way, it seems like the document has presented teachers with essential questions to apply where needed with regards to the exploratory content in regardss to intertextuality,

Time and space aims to broaden student understanding of the open, plural, or cosmopolitan nature of texts

"ranging from advertisements to poems by considering the following guiding conceptual questions:

1. How important is cultural or historical context to the production and reception of a text?

2. How do we approach texts from different times and cultures to our own?

3. To what extent do texts offer insight into another culture?

4. How does the meaning and impact of a text change over time?

5. How do texts reflect, represent or form a part of cultural practices?

6. How does language represent social distinctions and identities?"

(p.24, 2021)

Sorry, that was a mildly interesting perspective to read in a curriculum/guide document, so "Possible links ot TOK" in regards to time and space,

"• How far can a reader understand a text that was written in a context different from their own and

which may have addressed a different audience?

• Is not sharing a world view with an author an obstacle to understand their text?

• What is lost in translation from one language to another?

• How might the approaches to a given time and place of a poet, a cartoonist or a diary-writer and a

historian differ?

• Is the notion of a canon helpful in the study and understanding of literature? How"

(p.25, 2021)

Once again, another interesting read that gets classified as Area of exploration, is "Area of Exploration-Intertextuality", this would be a section that one could say outlines a deepened text-text connection that is a bit beyond how the reader is involved and more or less how texts are interacting with the the reader's connections between these texts. it is well described here, 

"Intertextuality: connecting texts can be approached in a variety of ways, such as:

• through the study of a group of texts from the same text type or literary form (for example,

advertisements, drama or short stories respectively)

• a study of chronological development (for example, the tale, the elegy, political oration, the

newspaper)

• a consideration of mode (for example, satire, action-adventure, parody)

• an exploration of a topic or concept (for example, fame, gender, power, social code, values, the hero)

• an investigation into a theoretical perspective or debate in language or literature (for example literary

value, feminism, cognitive theory, critical discourse theory)."

(p.25, 2021)

There is a further explanation in the form of essential questions that could be described as questions that guide essential learning in this field of the course, 

"This area of exploration aims to give students a sense of the ways in which texts exist in a system of

relationships with other communicative acts past and present. Students will further engage with literary

and linguistic traditions and new directions by considering the following guiding conceptual questions:

1. How do texts adhere to and deviate from conventions associated with literary forms or text types?

2. How do conventions and systems of reference evolve over time?

3. In what ways can diverse texts share points of similarity?

4. How valid is the notion of a classic text?

5. How can texts offer multiple perspectives of a single issue, topic or theme?

6. In what ways can comparison and interpretation be transformative?"

(p.25, 2021)

Once again, the guide makes reference to connections to TOK,  

"Links to TOK in this area are related to the question of how the interaction of a text with other texts,

brought about explicitly by the author or established by the reader in the act of reception, influence the perception of them and their meaning.

• What are the boundaries between a literary text and a non-literary text, and how are these boundaries determined?

• What kind of knowledge about a text is gained when compared and contrasted with other texts?

• Does knowledge of conventions of form, text type and of literary and rhetorical techniques allow for a better and deeper understanding of a text?

• How are judgements made about the merit of a text? What makes a text better than others?

• Is the study of texts better approached by means of a temporal perspective, grouping texts according to when they were written, or by means of a thematic approach, grouping them according to the theme or concern they share? What impact does each one of them have on knowledge of the discipline?

• How useful are classifications of texts according to form, text type and period? How do they contribute to the understanding of communication and its development?"

(p.26, 2021)

From therein the guide discusses connections that the course makes to the learner profile, which is actually something interesting (in retrospect) as it came up in the IBEC training initially as a point reflection in our own practice, might be worth noting,

"• reflections related to the guiding conceptual questions of the course

• reflections on the assumptions, beliefs, and values that frame a response to texts

• explorations of texts and the insights they offer into social, global and real-world issues

• detailed evaluations and critical analysis of texts or extracts which explore the potential meanings for language used in them reflections on the connections across a range of texts studied

• experiments with form, media and technology

• creative writing tasks for exploration of different literary forms and text types, and development of the students’ personal responses to texts

• reading, research and inquiry carried out beyond the classroom experience

• records of valued feedback received

• reports of classroom or group activities or discussions that explore the diverse values and perspectives negotiated and the process of negotiation in itself

• challenges faced and achievements

• selections of suitable extracts that could form the basis of the individual oral

• instances of self-assessment to evaluate the student’s own progress."

(p.26-27, 2021)

This next section resonates with me as another seemingly "content competencies" or "curricular competenices" portion of a course, the heading is "Conceptual understanding in studies in language and literature courses"

"Identity

When reading texts, students will encounter and interact with a multiplicity of perspectives, voices and characters. It is usual when reading and interpreting a text to assume that the views are to some extent representative of the writer’s identity. However, the relationship between an author and the different perspectives and voices they assume in the texts is frequently complex, and this makes the concept of identity an elusive one. The figure that emerges from the reading of various texts by the same author adds to the complexity of the discussion. Conversely, the ways in which the identity of a reader comes into play at the moment of reading a text are equally central to the analysis of the act of reading and interpretation.

Culture

The concept of culture is central to the study of language and literature. It raises the question of how a text relates to the context of its production and reception, and to the respective values, beliefs and attitudesprevalent in them. This concept also plays an important role with regards to the relationship that is established between an individual text and the writing tradition that precedes it. In both senses, the application of this concept to the study of a text should prompt reflection on the extent to which it is the product of a particular cultural and literary context and how it interacts with it.

Creativity

Creativity plays an important part in the experience of reading and writing. The concept is fundamental to analyse and understand the act of writing, and the role that imagination plays. When applied to the act of reading, creativity highlights the importance of the reader being able to engage in an imaginative interaction with a text which generates a range of potential meanings from it, above and beyond established interpretations. Creativity is also related to the notion of originality and to the question of the extent to which it is important or desirable in the production and reception of a text.

Communication

The concept of communication revolves around the question of the relationship that is established between a writer and a reader by means of a text. The extent to which writers facilitate communication through their choices of style and structure may be an aspect to analyse in this exploration. The writer may also have a particular audience in mind which may mean assumptions have been made about the reader’s knowledge or views which might make communication with some readers easier than with others. Alternatively, the amount of cooperation that a text demands from a reader for communication to take place, and the readiness of the reader to engage is also important as a topic for discussion. Even with cooperative readers, the meaning of a text is never univocal, which makes the concept of communication a particularly productive, and potentially problematic one in relation to both literary and non-literary texts.

Perspective

A text may offer a multiplicity of perspectives which may, or may not, reflect the views of its author. Readers have also their own perspectives which they bring to their interaction with the text. This variety of perspectives impacts on the interpretation of a text and therefore deserves critical attention and discussion. The fact that the acts of reading and writing happen in a given time and place poses the additional question of how far the contexts of production and reception have influenced and even shaped those perspectives.

Transformation

The study of the connections among texts constitutes the focus of one of three areas of exploration, namely intertextuality: connecting texts. The complex ways in which texts refer to one another, appropriate elements from each other and transform them to suit a different aesthetic or communicative purpose, are evidence of the importance of transformation in the process of creating a text. Additionally, the act of reading is potentially transformative in itself, both for the text and the reader. Different readers may transform a text with their personal interpretation. The text can also have an impact on the reader which potentially might lead to action and to the transformation of reality.

Representation

The way in which language and literature relate to reality has been the subject of long running debate among linguists and literary theorists. Statements and manifestos by writers have made claims about this relationship which range from affirming that literature should represent reality as accurately as possible, to claiming art’s absolute detachment and freedom from reality and any duty to represent it in the work of art. Irrespective of such a discussion, the concept is a central one to the subject in connection with the way in which form and structure interact with, and relate to, meaning."

(p.28-31, 2021)

These are interesting ways of understanding what teachers are trying to potentially foster within the student learning experience. The guide continues on to introduce aspects of course design (I'll need to come back to this later in my studies).

 From that point onward to page 44, the guide discusses summative assessments, Internal vs. External Assessments and the weights/criterion available for observation by students and teachers (2021).

Come page 44, there begins another section I am sure I will need to revisit at some point, "Determing the Line of Inquiry" (2021).

Again, up to page 53, is another highlight on External Assessments (2021).

Page 54, "Internal Assessments" are introduced, with specific mention of criterion up to page 62 (2021).

Come page 63, a heading, "Approaches ro teaching and approaches to learning in studies in language and literature", preludes the teaching strategies, approaches to an IB classroom. Very indpeth and a responsible look on the layout of the classroom. Wherien the last several pages of the guide are a glossary (2021).

Well, hope this read-a-long was somewhat helpful (at least) for those who are trying to get a cole's notes sort of idea with key quotes/aspects of the text to some degree.

Be well, 

Bono