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
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