NUACHTÁN IB NEWS | May 2022

The Role of Parents in IB Projects

Culminating experiences in the IB Continuum of Programmes

Our school offers three of the four International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes, each programme culminating in an exhibition or project to celebrate students’ passage through PYP, MYP and CP.

The PYP Exhibition

The Primary Years Programme (PYP) Exhibition is a very important event in the life of the students and the school, as it synthesizes the essential elements of the programme and allows them to be shared with the school community as a whole. As a culminating experience, it provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate how they have developed the attributes of the IB learning community profile during their time on the programme.

All members of the school community play important roles in the exhibition.

What is the role of parents/guardians?

Parents/Guardians:

• Understand the objectives and requirements of the exhibition.

• Support and encourage students and teachers during the inquiry process.

• They will stay informed by reading newsletters, attending meetings, visiting the School’s websites, and talking to students.

• They will assist students in accessing useful resources: people, places, media, and information.

• They will provide expertise when needed.

• Act as mentors when necessary or appropriate.

• Encourage independent inquiry and respect the learner’s right to be responsible for the process.

• They will have the opportunity to reflect on the presentation and offer comments and suggestions on it.

• Attend the presentation of the exhibit to celebrate with the students.

©International Baccalaureate Organization, 2008. Primary School Programme Exhibition Guidelines Spanish version of the document published in July 2008 under the title Exhibition guidelines. Available at https://resources.ibo.org/data/p_0_pypxx_exg_0807_1_s.pdf

MYP Personal Project

The Personal Project provides students with the opportunity to conduct an independent, age-appropriate exploration of an area of personal interest. During the process of inquiry, action and reflection, students are encouraged to demonstrate and strengthen their skills in approaches to learning.

It is important that the project is personal, as it allows students to explore an area that motivates and interests them. Students choose what they want to focus on (which may be an existing interest or a new one) and how to achieve their goal; they also create their own achievement criteria for the product. The project provides students with an excellent opportunity to craft a truly personal and creative product, as well as to demonstrate a consolidation of their learning in the MYP.

The Personal Project provides students with a critical opportunity to demonstrate the skills of approaches to learning developed throughout the IB programmes, and fosters their development as independent learners who adopt an attitude of lifelong learning. The independent nature of the project prepares them to pursue meaningful goals in life, education and the world of work.

What is the role of parents or guardians?

• They accompany the students during the exploration for the presentation of their Personal Project.
• Get involved and get to know their child’s project.
• Support the coordinator and supervisors.
• Maintain contact with the project coordinator.
• They can support as supervisors in case they are experts in any subject and it is required by the student.

International Baccalaureate (2021) Spanish version of the document published in February 2021 with the title Personal Project guide. Available at https://resources.ibo.org/myp/subject-group/MYP-Projects/works/myp_11162-416717?lang=en&root=1.6.2.4.7&alang=es

CP Reflective Project

The Reflective Project is one of the four mandatory core components of the Career-related Programme.

Career-related Programme

The Reflective Project is a large-scale work carried out over an extended period of time and presented at the end of the CP. It is a product of the students’ initiative and should be a reflection of their personal experience in the CP. The Reflective Project aims to foster the development of high-level advanced research, writing and communication skills, as well as intellectual discovery and creativity, through a number of different approaches.

This Project focuses on an ethical dilemma, concerning a topic directly related to the student’s Career-related Studies.

In addition to producing an essay, students are required to keep a record of their reflections on the process of completing the Project, using the Planning and Progress Reflective Form. This record is part of the evaluation of the final version of the Reflective Project.

Objectives

The Reflective Project aims to provide students with the opportunity to:

• Create an extended paper.

• Conduct personal research, act and reflect on a specific ethical dilemma.

• Present a structured and coherent argument.

• Work with local or global communities.

• Develop research and communication skills.

• Develop critical and creative thinking skills.

What is the role or function of parents or guardians?

In this case, students carry out their Reflection Project in a personal and independent manner; however, the support of parents is always significant for the progress of the students and in the event that a teacher requires support with a specific topic or student, the help of parents or guardians will be requested.

© International Baccalaureate Organization, 2015. Career Guidance Programme Reflective Project Guide Spanish version of the document published in December 2015 with the title Reflective Project guide. Available at  https://resources.ibo.org/data/d_0_carec_gui-16_1512_2r_s.pdf