Spring 2015
FOCUS ON THE LEARNER PROFILE
LEARNING TO BE OPEN-MINDED
CAS opens students eyes to other cultures The IB Leaner Profile defines being openminded as, “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.” It could be said that open-mindedness is a part of the cure for many conflicts; it can certainly aid in fostering more positive relationships between members of a community who may come from different backgrounds. An IB education encourages exposure to the views of others, as well as tolerance of different ideas and opinions and others, even when these differ from your own. The IB Diploma CAS programme encourages students to engage in activities with various members of the community, and therefore offers an opportunity for students to learn about others—people from different economic, social, and cultural backgrounds. This year, several Year 13 students were involved in
delivering learning programmes to asylum seekers in Hong Kong. “It was a brand new experience to teach people who come from different countries and have different cultures. Their refugee identity made the experience even more interesting to me,” said Tim Wong, Year 13 student. “After the first class, they totally changed my opinions on refugees. My assumptions on refugees made me nervous, however they all turned out to be wrong. Their stories and cultures deserve to be more well-known.” The students’ experiences provide a glimpse into how CAS develops open-mindedness. These students were working with adults mostly from African and Middle-Eastern countries, whose life circumstances are poles apart from their own. “During one of the class activities, I got the chance to have a chat with a participant, a
REFLECTION IN ACTION
Students reflect on activities in PE The IB Learner Profile attribute of reflection emphasises the need for students to give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and personal development. This year in Primary PE sessions this has been brought to life through the use of Apple TV. This new resource is being utilised in PE to support student reflection through real-time video feedback. Using this resource, students can reflect on their peers’ performances and give more meaningful feedback to improve their learning. One advantage to this style of reflection is enhanced student performance based on the reflections they receive and give. In addition, teachers are able to model and share the language of feedback when reviewing video evidence of proper form or skills. Using the Apple TVs to record and watch performances in class gives students the opportunity to instantly review their performances and make improvements. This reflection helps students to reflect on their own performance in class, enhancing their skills in both communication and PE along the way. Martin De Barr and Damian Trimingham Primary PE Teachers
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LEARNING TO BE OPEN-MINDED
refugee from central Africa. He told me how he really liked Hong Kong compared with his home country, where he literally had no freedom,” said Tomas Lau, Year 13 student. “His story has made me appreciate the life style that I am enjoying at the moment, and also made me think differently about the plight of refugees. It changed my thoughts, and made me be more open minded towards people form different backgrounds.” Engagement activities such as this one can change minds, develop tolerance and understanding. It is exposure such as this that helps IB students develop the attribute of being open-minded. Peter Muir CAS/Community Engagement Coordinator