https://padlet.com/pmoody/qc0f8rl5rlum Tell me about, teaching spaces, work load, support issues and resources. Do you think the changes to the school have enhanced the DP experience of students? Anything you want to get off your chest? Help me to help you. Please be balanced in your comments focus on specific issues that could improve student learning. en-us 2016-09-13 02:43:35 UTC 2016-10-05 08:10:52 UTC hello@padlet.com ghorner https://padlet.com/pmoody/qc0f8rl5rlum/wish/123395589 With only my experience of the IGCSE to allow me to make comparisons of our Year 10 to students taking the IGCSE, my initial impressions is that our students are well behind when it comes to knowledge/ understanding and skills within the subject. Splitting the subjects over 2 years may be problematic. ]]> 2016-09-13 11:46:45 UTC https://padlet.com/pmoody/qc0f8rl5rlum/wish/123395589 ghorner https://padlet.com/pmoody/qc0f8rl5rlum/wish/123396244  A greater emphasis needs to be placed on investigations in the IB. This not only helps to formulate understanding, it is essential as there are required practicals and experimental concepts are included in examinations. ]]> 2016-09-13 11:49:24 UTC https://padlet.com/pmoody/qc0f8rl5rlum/wish/123396244 ghorner https://padlet.com/pmoody/qc0f8rl5rlum/wish/123396877 Students are on the whole working very productively and have a great attitude to learning. In fact they could even have been a little over worked in some aspects of the course. Having said that, I see that it is a massive jump in workloads and understanding for the new year 11 given their preparation for the IB. ]]> 2016-09-13 11:51:39 UTC https://padlet.com/pmoody/qc0f8rl5rlum/wish/123396877 https://padlet.com/pmoody/qc0f8rl5rlum/wish/124946323 My students have had to walk to their next class in the pouring rain twice this school year. Many of them do not bring proper rain gear with them to class (as it's math class and there's so many of them there isn't room for much else) so they have to sprint to the main building so their supplies do not get wet. And because the rain is so loud in the field house it becomes quite distracting for the students once it starts. ]]> 2016-09-20 02:56:52 UTC https://padlet.com/pmoody/qc0f8rl5rlum/wish/124946323 https://padlet.com/pmoody/qc0f8rl5rlum/wish/124946623 If we could coordinate that any outdoor maintenance work is done outside of school hours (or when I do not have class in the field house) that would be great! Someone was cutting hedges the other day with a gas powered cutter and it was incredibly loud in the classroom.]]> 2016-09-20 03:00:39 UTC https://padlet.com/pmoody/qc0f8rl5rlum/wish/124946623 https://padlet.com/pmoody/qc0f8rl5rlum/wish/125302592 The increase in students is affecting the experimental side of the DP.  The required practical work is becoming increasingly difficult due to space and equipment constraints. ]]> 2016-09-21 07:21:40 UTC https://padlet.com/pmoody/qc0f8rl5rlum/wish/125302592 https://padlet.com/pmoody/qc0f8rl5rlum/wish/125589863 With talk about a new building I think a design lab should be included in the architectural plans which would support the current MYP design classes and allow NIS to offer DP Design classes. I will be at the American School in Japan in November which has an entire Design building and can bring back photos of what their design labs look like.


]]> 2016-09-22 01:27:12 UTC https://padlet.com/pmoody/qc0f8rl5rlum/wish/125589863 https://padlet.com/pmoody/qc0f8rl5rlum/wish/125590083 There are free software resources for DP Math ( Geogebra, Desmos) but other useful software (Autograph, Fathom) for teaching statistics and calculus should be bought for any teachers of DP Math. (I have my own personal copy)]]> 2016-09-22 01:29:11 UTC https://padlet.com/pmoody/qc0f8rl5rlum/wish/125590083 https://padlet.com/pmoody/qc0f8rl5rlum/wish/125607110 With the added meeting time on Tuesday and In-service days, it is felt amongst many teachers that the PD is having diminishing returns. The more time we spend in meetings the less time we have to work on our lessons and marking. Many are also disappointed because there was no collaboration on adding "collaboration time" to the schedule. ]]> 2016-09-22 04:52:50 UTC https://padlet.com/pmoody/qc0f8rl5rlum/wish/125607110 https://padlet.com/pmoody/qc0f8rl5rlum/wish/125607446
Helping prepare students is a joy, but it is also an intense challenge that requires sufficient time for preparation, assessing and feedback. Having three meetings in a week might be detracting from the greater aim of inspiring and empowering our students to become lifelong learners

]]> 2016-09-22 04:59:25 UTC https://padlet.com/pmoody/qc0f8rl5rlum/wish/125607446 ghorner https://padlet.com/pmoody/qc0f8rl5rlum/wish/125681169 This model is in my experience far more effective, especially for the HL students as lessons can be geared for and delivered at a HL level through the topic rather than being mindful of the SL students and the fact that they don't need many of the HL concepts. ]]> 2016-09-22 12:30:23 UTC https://padlet.com/pmoody/qc0f8rl5rlum/wish/125681169 ghorner https://padlet.com/pmoody/qc0f8rl5rlum/wish/125681952 Students should be looking to make decisions on the DP subject choices well before Christmas to enable departments to plan and the school to have time to find new staff required for the increasing number. This looks to be the case for 2017. ]]> 2016-09-22 12:32:44 UTC https://padlet.com/pmoody/qc0f8rl5rlum/wish/125681952 https://padlet.com/pmoody/qc0f8rl5rlum/wish/125889583 Some students will struggle mightily with the DP, which in some cases can effect the entire class in spite of best attempts at inclusion. More support and/or candor about this is needed. ]]> 2016-09-23 00:07:48 UTC https://padlet.com/pmoody/qc0f8rl5rlum/wish/125889583 https://padlet.com/pmoody/qc0f8rl5rlum/wish/126243364 My classroom has many issues with bugs, this morning I walked into very many small ants crawling all over my desk and the walls. I make a point to not keep food in the classroom but the bugs seem to come in anyway. And with time being such a precious commodity here I feel the time I have to spend killing the ants takes away from time I could spend on preparing for class.]]> 2016-09-25 23:30:15 UTC https://padlet.com/pmoody/qc0f8rl5rlum/wish/126243364 https://padlet.com/pmoody/qc0f8rl5rlum/wish/126243502 I have had to tell students I could not assist them with the questions they had on homework after school because of the meetings I must attend multiple times a week.]]> 2016-09-25 23:33:57 UTC https://padlet.com/pmoody/qc0f8rl5rlum/wish/126243502 https://padlet.com/pmoody/qc0f8rl5rlum/wish/126265722 The IB assessments are going to take two weeks or more due to the large class size. This assessment time infringes on important learning time.]]> 2016-09-26 05:26:16 UTC https://padlet.com/pmoody/qc0f8rl5rlum/wish/126265722 https://padlet.com/pmoody/qc0f8rl5rlum/wish/126561839 ????]]> 2016-09-27 06:27:08 UTC https://padlet.com/pmoody/qc0f8rl5rlum/wish/126561839