MYP

INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE MIDDLE YEARS PROGRAMME (IB MYP)

The International Community School is authorized to deliver the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IB MYP) and all students aged between 11 and 16 study this programme. The MYP is an academically challenging curricular framework that encourages students to embrace and understand connections between the subject content and the real world while developing critical and reflective thinking skills. The programme is designed to prepare students for pre-university programmes of study such as A’ levels and the International Baccalaureate Diploma programme (ICS currently offers a menu of international A’ levels (Cambridge board), but aspires to deliver the IB Diploma in September 2010 which will replace the A’ level programme of study).

The MYP consists of eight subject groups integrated through five Areas of Interaction (AOI’s). The Learner Profile (LP) is a central tenet of the programme and represents 10 qualities that all learners in the School are actively encouraged to develop throughout their studies and activities. Successful IB learners strive to be: inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled, open-minded, caring, risk-takers, balanced and reflective.
 
In the final year of the programme students undertake the Personal Project. The Personal Project is an independent piece of work that is intended to be the culmination of the student’s sustained involvement with the MYP. The personal project allows the student to complete a significant piece of work over an extended period of time, through a process led by the student with supervision by a teacher. The choice of type of project and its topic is made by the student in consultation with one or more of the MYP teachers responsible for supervising the project’s execution according to IBO-published guidelines. This significant piece of work is the precursor to the IB Diploma Extended Essay.

THE MYP FRAMEWORK
THE FIVE AREAS OF INTERACTION

Central to the MYP framework are the five AOI’s. AOI’s are perspectives rather than specific subjects and provide a framework of learning, allowing connections among the subjects themselves. They are:

Approaches to Learning (ATL) are concerned with “learning how to learn,” developing good study habits as well as critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Students learn how to identify and best use their own learning styles. ATL is designed to give students the tools and confidence they need to be life-long learners. Features of ATL include the use of a homework agenda, developing a learning disposition, reflecting and completing self-evaluations at the end of units of study.

All students participate in Community and Service, which helps students develop a sense of belonging, and responsibility to their community.

Through Human Ingenuity students explore in multiple ways the processes and products of human creativity, thus learning to appreciate and develop in themselves the human capacity to influence, transform, enjoy and improve the quality of life.

Environments aims to develop students' awareness of their interdependence with the environment so that they understand and accept their responsibilities.

Health and Social Education deals with physical, social and emotional health and intelligence—key aspects of development leading to complete and healthy lives (www.ibo.org).

Visit our page on the IBO Website for further information about the MYP.

Ean Orlando, MYP Coordinator