The International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP) at Discovery College

The International Baccalaureate

The commencement of the 2008/9 academic year at Discovery College marked the beginning of our secondary school and the college’s pursuit to become fully authorized by the International Baccalaureate Organisation to offer the MYP. This process usually takes about 3 years. Discovery College is a Candidate School for the MYP.

Students completing the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) and new students to the school are naturally curious about the MYP. The following are responses to some Year 6 students’ questions about the MYP.

Why do we use the MYP at Discovery College?

Simply put, the MYP is best practice. The MYP is designed in response to the unique needs of children aged 11-16. Students of this age are entering a critical phase of personal, psychological, social, physical and intellectual development. It is natural for students of this age to question, wrestle with uncertainty, and search for meaning and relevance in their schooling and wider lives.
Students in schools now are being prepared for life in a world where they will need to be resilient and comfortable with constant change. They will need the knowledge and understanding to live and work in a world, which is interrelated, and rapidly changing.
Because of this students in the MYP are encouraged to:

• Develop a spirit of discovery and enjoyment of the learning process, both collaboratively and individually;
  
• Recognise the manner in which knowledge is interrelated;
  
• Learn to communicate effectively across different mediums, in English and additional languages;
  
• Develop their own sense of cultural identity and respect for other cultural identities;
  
• Reflect upon their ideas, behaviours and attitudes;
  
• Acquire insights into concerns on local and global levels concerning the environment, communities and health, as well as developing a sense of responsibility; and
  
• Become independent learners who use their knowledge, skills and talents to participate actively and responsibly. 
  

What are the main subject groups of the MYP?

The MYP is the curriculum framework for students in Years 7-11 at Discovery College. The MYP offers a natural progression from the Primary Years Programme (PYP) and later into the Diploma Programme (DP), building upon the MYP’s fundamental concepts of:

• Intercultural understanding – deep appreciation of, and respect for, other cultures;
• Communication – expressing ideas in different languages and mediums; and
• Holistic learning – the natural links between different academic disciplines.

Students study subjects from eight subject areas:

• Language A: English and Mandarin in some cases
  
• Language B: Usually Mandarin and Spanish in some cases
  
• Science
  
• Mathematics
  
• Physical Education
  
• Humanities
  
• Technology
  
• The Arts: Music, Drama and Visual Arts

The MYP also continues to encourage the development of the traits described in the IB learner profile. The learner profile is introduced at Discovery College in the IB PYP programme. It describes the qualities IB students develop and display as they learn.

Want to find out more about the IB Learner profile?

Click http://www.ibo.org/programmes/profile/ for more on the IB learner profile and to view the learner profile video.

The MYP curriculum framework provides the flexibility to allow Discovery College teachers to continuously review and adapt the content of their teaching programmes to ensure that lessons remain relevant, engaging and academically rigorous. The eight subject areas are treated as discrete courses, preserving the depth of content in which they are explored. At the same time, the holistic approach of the MYP means that students are actively encouraged to explore meaningful interdisciplinary links between the traditional subject areas. This approach nurtures the student’s capacity to draw upon multiple disciplines to find solutions to ‘real-world’ problems, to consider issues from multiple perspectives and effectively communicate their thoughts.

 Click on the link to view the MYP curriculum model from the IB website:
http://www.ibo.org/myp/curriculum/index.cfm

What are the key features of the MYP?

The MYP is an excellent curriculum model for linking the knowledge in the different subject areas. This is achieved through the MYP’s Areas of Interaction. The Areas of Interaction provide students with the context through which they are provoked to consider how the subjects they study are linked. They are not separate subjects as such, but they serve as different perspectives through which all knowledge may be viewed and allow natural links across different curriculum areas to be formed.
The five Areas of Interaction are:
Approaches to learning: focuses on teaching students how to learn and how to develop new learning skills.
Environments: considers how humankind interacts with the world and our responsibilities in looking after our urban, natural and virtual environments.
Health and social education: considers the impact of our choices on our, and others, physical, social and emotional well being.
Community & service: encourages students to understand the issues facing their communities, to reflect their place in their communities and to be motivated to use their talents to improve where their communities.
Human ingenuity: explores the human capacity to innovate and considers the consequences of creativity.

What is the difference between the PYP and the MYP?

As a ‘through train’ school, students at Discovery College should find the transition between the PYP into the MYP relatively seamless. Many of the skills they have developed in the PYP will transfer quite well into the MYP, for instance:

• The research and thinking skills lead to an understanding of the MYP’s Approaches to Learning.
• The self-management and social skills are a foundation for the MYP’s Health and social education.
• The communication skills learnt in the PYP support the MYP’s fundamental concept of Communication.
• The PYP Exhibition, which is a large project leading to the culmination of the PYP, provides students with valuable skills and experiences that support the MYP’s Personal Project in Year 11.

Additional information for parents and guardians

For a PDF copy of the ‘Rules for IB World Schools: Middle Years Programme’ please click here
For a PDF copy of the ‘General Regulations: Middle Years Programme please click here
For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit: http://www.ibo.org
For a PDF copy of Discovery College’s MYP Pre-authorisation report please click here

Other references

• A basis for practice: Middle Years Programme, IBO (2002) Geneva
  
• http://www.ibo.org  – the IBO website
  
• http://www.ibo.org/myp/ - Middle Years Programme at a glance
  
• http://www.ibo.org/programmes/profile/ - IB learner profile

MYP FAQs

During and since the November 17, 2009 information session on the MYP a number of questions relating to assessment, the award of subject grades and the MYP certificate were asked. Questions and responses are listed on this page.

MYP Student-led conferences FAQs

Please visit this page for MYP Student-led conference FAQ page

For more information about the IB MYP, please contact:

Adrian Gan
IB MYP Coordinator
Discovery College
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