Saturday, July 23, 2011

International Baccalaureate part I


Crista Wilee

June 2, 2011
ECE 19

Druker


International Baccalaureate- An Educational, Intercultural Approach for Teaching Young Children


“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. 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.—International Baccalaureate Mission Statement” ["IB Learner Profile". IB Learner Profile

Booklet. ibo.org. November2008.

http://ibo.org/programmes/profile/documents/Learnerprofileguide.pdf. Retrieved 22-July-2009.]

Founded in 1968 in Geneva, Switzerland, this certain European educational curriculum has it’s

own roots enter-twined with several pillars of modern day education. The United Nations Educational,

Scientific and Cultural Organization (or UNESCO) are perhaps the most famed organization. Highly

esteemed throughout the majority in Europe, UNESCO is well known for it’s teaching facilities that vary

in continental location just as they do subject matter. For example, UNESCO International Institute for

Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (IESALC) is located in Caracas, Venezuela. In

such a tumultuous time in the age of globalization and civil unrest, this educational institution aims to

provide reliable tertiary material for it’s South American populace.[1] Other subject matter for schools

schools include water education and theoretical physics. While the International Baccalaureate is not in

use in all of UNESCO’s schools, it is indeed being used in many institutions for different levels of

learning.

As a curriculum, the International Baccalaureate’s content could be seen in it’s content as

‘scattered’, but it’s goals are clearly outlined. It’s implications for education may vary due to the two

different variations of the IB curriculum. For the sake of simplicity, this research paper will focus on one

type of the curriculum; International Baccalaureate ‘Theory of Knowledge’ or ‘TOK’. The TOK

emphasises different areas of knowledge and ‘ways of knowing’.

Curriculum Outline:

Ways of Knowing:
  • Sense Perception
  • Reasoning
  • Language
  • Emotion

Areas of Knowledge:
  • Natural Sciences
  • Human Sciences
  • Arts
  • Mathematics
  • Ethics
  • History


These are the different areas of knowledge as listed by the International Baccalaureate’s curriculum. They serve as the implications for learning in an IB accredited school. This curriculum may

be used for any grade Pre-K through High School. While the Ways of Knowing may seem the most age

appropriate for young children in Preschool or Kinder-garden, the Areas of Knowledge may also be

just as age appropriate if presented in a manner simple enough for children to understand. The

IPC(International Preschool Curriculum) describes the IB’s curriculum as “Partnering to raise global

standards in education.”[2]

3 comments:

  1. Another great post mate, keep up the great blogging!

    ReplyDelete
  2. That blog Picture is the cutest thing ever.
    Thanks for the read!

    ReplyDelete