2009, Block 1: Friday 11:15-12:30

What do you do when you have two PYPs, one MYP, and two Diploma Programmes across a large geographic area and are exploring the addition of more IB programmes? You create a district level council!

We live in a fast-paced world, in which we are faced with students that have different kinds of knowledge, ways of learning, and environments. This situation compels us to understand education through the acknowledgment of complexity and diversity. Join Rebeca Anijovich as she explores how to consider diversity in schools, teach these “new students,” and train teachers for new challenges.

In this session, participants will understand teacher-leader development through established business protocol, professional learning communities, and collaborative planning.

This session will demonstrate how international education contributes not only to an evolving community in which thousands of students develop, but also, its surrounding environment.

Major developments in the Diploma Programme Online have resulted in new opportunities for students to enroll in online courses starting this September. Pamoja Education, working in cooperation with IB, will be developing more than 30 new DP Online courses over the next few years.

The IB has recently collaborated with the Educational Policy Improvement Centre (EPIC) to document the Diploma Programme standards and align them with the Knowledge and Skills for University Success, standards for what students need to know to be successful in their first year of university.

Tony Wagner, in The Global Achievement Gap (2008), outlines seven survival skills for today's students. This presentation will focus on how two comprehensive public high schools in Texas addressed Wagner’s survival skills through IB best practices.

New wars blur the distinctions between war, organized crime, and terrorism; between public and private actors; and between military and civilians. This session presents the Red Cross Exploring Humanitarian Law (EHL) program. EHL exposes students to 21st century skills such as global awareness, critical thinking, problem solving, and multiple perspectives.

A paradigm shift in the use of the key concepts at Mark Twain Elementary School enabled students to take ownership of the process of authentic inquiry and generate greater understanding of the central idea. Presenters will share the challenges and benefits from this change.

Old Mill Middle School North has embarked on "The MYP Challenge" as they strive to become a MYP school, not just a school with a MYP. This session will focus on the creation of small learning communities within the school. These learning communities reflect on the school’s mission and vision as they create their goals for the year.