Material for Detailed Study – how much is enough?

April 30, 2015

As the IB draws ever nearer our students are full of questions about how to study and what to study. When they are preparing for Paper 2 one of the most common questions is how many case studies are needed for Topics 1 through 4.  Topic 5 is slightly different and...

‘Annie Proulx got ficced’

April 13, 2015

This is the first line of the New York magazine article.(March 9, 2015) Weary of repeated imitators and extenders, Annie Proulx sometimes wishes she’d never written Brokeback Mountain.  The fan fiction ‘boom’ which is really nothing new, is...

Collaborative ‘Rivalry’

April 8, 2015

One of the most effective ways to prepare for exams is for students to work with a fellow classmate who has the same commitment to do well as they have.  Effective collaboration is also a healthy friendly rivalry in order to do well. The two persons collaborating need...

ATL Skills and Technology

March 31, 2015

Approaches to Teaching and Learning in the Diploma Programme (pre-publication guide) and the associated website focus on 5 categories for developing ATL skills across IB programmes. What is the intent of the Guide? To focus on strategies, skills and attitudes that...

Referencing Posters and a Google+ Profile

March 9, 2015

On a recent  ECIS  Moodle Librarians forum (Resources -> Referencing and researching tools) uber- Librarian — Katie Day (at UWCSEA East, Singapore)  wrote: “Nadine Bailey and I have been creating three sets (MLA, APA, Chicago) of 6 referencing posters...

Paper 1: a little refreshment in teaching commentary

March 6, 2015

At this point in the year, everyone needs a little refreshment in their teaching.  What follows are some ideas for approaching the Paper 1 commentary.  Some will be familiar (but maybe forgotten?) and some may be new.  We all know we need differentiation in our...