MYP | ita school

International Baccalaureate

International Talent Academy is International Baccalaureate (IB) World School – authorized for the Middle Years Programme (MYP).

IB World Schools share a common philosophy — a commitment to improve the teaching and learning of a diverse and inclusive community of students by delivering challenging, high quality programmes of international education that share a powerful vision.**

For more information about IB and its programs visit the website www.ibo.org

IB Mission statement

The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.

To this end, the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.

These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

About IB MYP

The Middle Years Programme (MYP) is a curriculum framework designed by the International Baccalaureate (IB) for learners aged 11-16. The programme aims for students to make connections between what they are learning through their studies and the real world. MYP is an inclusive program that benefits students who come with a range of interests and abilities.

Teaching in MYP is based on 8 subject groups:

Language acquisition

Language and literature

Individuals and societies

Sciences

Mathematics

Art

Physical and health education

Design

IB Learner Profiles

Balanced

We understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives – intellectual, physical, and emotional – to achieve well-being for ourselves and others. We recognize our interdependence with other people and with the world in which we live.

Reflective

We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development.

Inquirers

We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning throughout life.

Knowledgeable

We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global significance.

Thinkers

We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyze and take responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions.

Caring

We show empathy, compassion and respect. We have a commitment to service, and we act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and in the world around us.

Open-minded

We critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, as well as the values and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the experience.

Risk taker

We approach uncertainty with forethought and determination; we work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and innovative strategies. We are resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change.

Communicators

We express ourselves condently and creatively in more than one language and in many ways. We collaborate effectively, listening carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and groups.

Principled

We act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.

The MYP: a unique approach, relevant for a global society

The MYP aims to help students develop their personal understanding, their emerging sense of self and responsibility in their community.

MYP teachers organize the curriculum with appropriate attention to:

Teaching and learning in context. Students learn best when their learning experiences have context and are connected to their lives and the world that they have experienced. Using global contexts, MYP students explore human identity, global challenges and what it means to be internationally minded.
Conceptual understanding. Concepts are big ideas that have relevance within specific disciplines and across subject areas. MYP students use concepts as a vehicle to inquire into issues and ideas of personal, local and global significance and examine knowledge holistically.
Approaches to learning (ATL). A unifying thread throughout all MYP subject groups, approaches to learning provide the foundation for independent learning and encourage the application of their knowledge and skills in unfamiliar contexts. Developing and applying these skills help students learn how to learn.

ATL

Approaches to learning

5 categories

10 clusters

Over 100 indications

Service as action (community service). Action (learning by doing and experiencing) and service have always been shared values of the IB community. Students take action when they apply what they are learning in the classroom and beyond. IB learners strive to be caring members of the community who demonstrate a commitment to service—making a positive difference to the lives of others and to the environment. Service as action is an integral part of the programme, especially in the MYP community project.
Language and identity – MYP students are required to learn at least two languages. Learning to communicate in a variety of ways is fundamental to their development of intercultural understanding and crucial to their identity affirmation.

Each year during the MYP students also study at least one interdisciplinary unit that Combines 2 or more subject areas.

MYP projects

MYP projects provide students the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned in the MYP. In schools that include MYP years 5, all students must complete the Personal project.

In programmes that include MYP years 4 or 5, schools may offer students the opportunity to do both the community project and the personal project. In schools that include MYP year 3 or 4, students must complete the community project.

The Community project encourages students to explore their right and responsibility to implement service as action in the community. Students may complete the community project individually or in small groups.
Each student develops a Personal project independently, producing a truly personal and creative piece of work that stands as a summative review of their ability to conduct independent work.

Assessment in the MYP: rigorous criteria, applied consistently worldwide.

MYP assessment standards are consistent around the world. In order to maintain the rigour for which the IB is renowned, the MYP assessment model is criterion-related. Teachers structure varied and valid assessment tasks so that students can demonstrate achievement according to objectives defined by the IB. Tasks are assessed against established criteria, not against the work of other students.

A good curriculum develops a range of student skills. The MYP encourages teachers to assess this acquired skill set, including how to succeed in written examinations. Typical MYP assessment tasks include open-ended, problem-solving activities and investigations, organized debates, tests and examinations, hands-on experimentation, analysis and reflection. MYP assessment is carried out by teachers, according to the criteria defined by the IB.

MYP assessment from 2016

Along with the introduction of mandatory moderation of the personal project, 2016 sees a change in the optional external assessment for the MYP. The new optional MYP eAssessment provides external evaluation for students in MYP year 5 (15–16 years old) that leads to the internationally recognized IB MYP certificate and IB MYP course results.

MYP eAssessment represents a balanced, appropriately-challenging model that comprises examinations and coursework.

Two-hour examinations in four subject groups (language and literature, sciences, mathematics, individuals and societies) and in interdisciplinary learning are individually marked by IB examiners.

Portfolios of student work for four subject groups (language acquisition, physical and health education, arts, and design) are moderated by IB examiners to international standards.

These innovative assessments focus on conceptual understanding and the ability to apply knowledge in complex, unfamiliar situations.

They offer robust and reliable assessment of student achievement in the MYP.