The IB provides consistency to transient students who move around a lot and attend multiple schools all around the world. I spoke to boy in grade 12, who, due to his father's job, had been to 9 schools in 8 countries. He told me that every school he had been to in the last 8 years was an IB school, providing him consistency during times of dramatic change. He told me especially leading up to his final 2 years of school, the DP, it would be impossible to succeed academically if he had not received a consistent education. 

The ways in which the local context and country context are incorporated into the school’s programs 
Although we were at a school in Thailand, I found it interesting that there were many students who didn't speak a word of Thai, even if they had lived there for a substantial amount of time. How, then, does an International School incorporate significant elements of Thai culture when majority of its students don't speak the language or usually take part in the culture?  I observed a range of ways that Thai culture is incorporated into the school's education program, including:
- Teachers are addressed by 'Ajarn'- which means 'teacher' in Thai
- Exploria programs such as 'Thai Cooking' are promoted, whereby students learn about Thai cooking and food
- Political images are seen in most classrooms and around the campus, such as framed pictures of the king (pictured below)
- The national anthem played at approximately 8.20 every morning, and every student and member of staff stand still to show respect 
- The History and Geography of Thailand is taught in  Humanities.

 The Inquiry Learning Cycle prompts that students should
- Find out       - Sort Out
- Go Further  - Make Conclusions
- Take Action  - Tune In
Middle Years Program
During out meeting with the head of the MYP of Prem, I became aware of the schools mission to think broadly and outside traditional discipline areas. The ATL (Approaches To Learning) are related to teaching skills and not content. For example, when teaching the topic of 'conflict' in Humanities, it doesn't matter if you teach World War 1, World War 2 or the Vietnam War, as long as the skills to analysing conflicts are taught. The content should therefore be used to understand the concept.
This learning and teaching principle was evident in a Grade 10 Humanities lesson I observed, which used a cross-disciplinary approach to learning and teaching, involving the integration of History and Psychology. Students were given an example of psychological theories, such as the ‘Standford Experiment’  that could be applied to particular historical events or groups, such as Nazi Germany, to explain human behaviour. Students were then required to research their own psychological theory and apply it to a historical event of their choice. This approach requires students to learn content, but also apply their newfound understanding to a completely new context. Therefore, this project encourages student-led inquiry, creativity and individualised learning, preventing the potential for students to copy or rope-learn work.
Grade 6 Humanities:
The inquiry-based learning framework of the MYP was also evident in a Grade 6 Humanities lesson focusing on 'True Direction.' The class began with a theoretical explanation of North, South, East, West, and the remainder of the lesson involved students completing inquiry-based questions where they had to apply this knowledge to find particular places on a map. The questions that students needed to complete required students to 'go further' and 'find out,' as some of the questions were related to content that had not yet been taught, including the use of two cardinal directions to find a particular place. Students therefore had to 'take action' and be responsible for their own learning.
Additionally, in the MYP, Each unit of work in every class is related to a 'key concept', a 'related concept' a 'global context' and a statement of inquiry. The global context for this particular grade 6 unit was 'orientation in space and time', and the statement of inquiry was 'geography shapes culture and identity.' Therefore, the strong emphasis on inquiry- based learning as part of the IB is reinforced in multiple ways in each class.  

Independent Learners and White-Board Desks·
Prem's emphasis on fostering independent learners is demonstrated in the desks that double as white-boards that used in almost every class room in the Middle and Senior school (pictured below). The desks allow for student-led learning, whereby students take control of writing on a white-board, something traditionally seen as being solely done by the teacher.
Culturally Aware Learners
All students at Prem learn at least 2 languages, and the languages on offer at the school include Thai, Chinese, French, and Spanish. During my time at Prem, I was astonished to learn that many students could speak 4-5 languages! It became apparent that when students learn in an environment whereby the learning of additional languages is encouraged and even seen as normal, cultural awareness is something that comes naturally to all students.
Engaging Learners - CAS
In order to assist in the formation of engaging students who are emphatic towards others,  CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) is a program that needs to be completed by all students undertaking the DP & CP. Students need to be involved in this for 18 months, measuring success across 7 learning outcomes, outside of academic time.  This program ensures that students engage with various people in a rapidly changing global climate. The aim of this program is to foster the development of empathetic, engaged individuals who will hopefully continue to help others beyond their time at Prem.