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I am about to start my second year teaching at an international school in southern Japan. Prior to Japan, I also taught in China and Bahrain! I'm also working on my FINAL semester of grad school, so in December I will officially have my Master of Arts in Education with a literacy education emphasis.

All of my experience teaching in the IB up until now has been in the MYP. This will be the first year I teach DP, and I'm feeling excited as well as a bit daunted.

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I have several pressing questions!

1. How do DP educators balance the inquiry aspects of the IB while also properly preparing students for the DP exams? Is it easy to get sucked into a "teach to the test" mentality?
2. The MYP is very much based in units; however, the DP seems to have a lot more transfer between topics and units. How can I plan effectively to cover all of my required texts while still referring back and facilitating connections for students?

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One of the best ways, in my opinion, to facilitate positive professional relationships in this workshop (as well as in our own school settings) is to remain supportive of all participants. This could look like teachers with more DP experience sharing helpful resources to the newbies, such as myself. Support can also be helping to create an environment in which no one is afraid to ask questions - just like we try to facilitate in our own classrooms! Moving into the DP world can be incredibly nerve-racking, and I know that I personally have tons of questions. Responding to one another in detail and with respect will not only create a positive learning environment, but it will also help us feel much more prepared to jump into DP.

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By the end of this course, I would like to achieve the following:

1. Have a great understanding of the required assessments for English A. This means not only understanding what the assessments are, but also how to properly and accurately score student work.
2. Create a rough outline for the program I will teach, including incorporation of intertextual connections between different units.
3. Learn about the TOK connections to English A.

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1. Removing barriers to learning
2. Local/global contexts
3. Teamwork/collaboration
4. Conceptual understandings
5. Inquiry
6. Assessment

Ultimately, of course, all of the approaches to teaching are vital within our classrooms; however, I do believe that my pedagogy places certain approaches above others. I placed removing barriers to learning first because I believe if teachers do not remove these barriers for students, the other approaches are either unlikely or impossible to achieve. Students should have voice in the classroom and utilize materials that will help their language skills grow.

The next two approaches ranked second and third because I believe they hold a greater impact on how our students will enter their post-high school world. Students who have no concept of global issues and contexts will not be able to participate as global citizens. Equally as important is students' ability to work with others. Most jobs, and really just life in general, require individuals to be able to cooperate and collaborate with their peers.

When students do not have barriers to their learning and can work together, I believe it makes inquiry and proper assessment possible.

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1. Social skills
2. Communication
3. Self-management
4. Thinking
5. Research

I found that my ordering of the ATLs mirrored some of my philosophy in ordering the ATTs - no surprise there! Social and communication skills top my list, as I believe that these are the skills students need in order to thrive and impact the world once they have left our classrooms. Additionally, self-management is important because student autonomy is a must in order for students to really benefit from their studies.

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What ideological biases exist in the IB mission statement and how do you know this as a reader?

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What ideological biases exist in the IB mission statement and how do you know this as a reader?

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One ideological bias I noticed in the IB mission statement was in this phrase: "create a better and more peaceful world." Depending upon where the school is, they will have a different idea of what a better world means. This phrase seems highly subjective, and likely to align with mostly Western philosophies.

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What is the dominant reading of this text and what might be an oppositional reading of the IB learner profile?

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What is the dominant reading of this text and what might be an oppositional reading of the IB learner profile?

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A dominant reading of the learner profile attributes would likely acknowledge the well-rounded nature of the description.

An oppositional reading of the text might argue that to expect every student to display all of these traits is highly unrealistic. We also come back to the IB biases when discussing students with "integrity" or "a strong sense of fairness." This can mean many things to many different people around the globe.

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What is the tone created in the aims and assessment objectives, how does the author create it, and why?

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What is the tone created in the aims and assessment objectives, how does the author create it, and why?

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I believe the author creates a positive tone in this description. They use affirmative language, such as "will be able to.." to note all of the things students CAN do. Because the assessment objectives and aims are rigorous, it is likely they wanted to create a sense of motivation in the students. If they believe they can do it, they will work harder to achieve it.

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What words or phrases have a highly charged connotation and what is the effect on the reader?

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What words or phrases have a highly charged connotation and what is the effect on the reader?

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In my opinion, the term "democratic" has a strong connotation. To me, it implies a classroom in which students have autonomy and more freedom than in a non IB classroom; however, this interpretation exists only because of my own personal contexts. Depending upon where people come from, this word may take on other meanings. In some cultures, for example, it would be considered highly irregular for students to be taking control in the classroom, as teachers are seen as highly respected experts in their fields.

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What words or phrases demonstrate the ideological perspective of this text?

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What words or phrases demonstrate the ideological perspective of this text?

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I think the words that demonstrate the ideological perspective of the text are the strong action verbs used throughout. CAS is all about the students becoming involved in the world around them and taking action. Therefore, terms like create, plan, develop, participate, etc. all illustrate this sense of action.

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- Student has a clear global issue, which is stated at the start of her discussion.
- Points out paradox in lyrics versus the music video
- Some general language; "the male gaze is a big factor"; "makes he effects very.. continuous"
- Equal discussion of both texts
- Missed chance to give conclusion because she ran over time.