As educators we know that each student has a unique profile of strengths and needs and will approach learning in a diverse range of ways. In its broadest sense, inclusion is about improving the participation and outcomes for all students by looking at school based processes including pedagogy, assessment, curriculum alongside additional support and physical … Continue reading Three steps to an inclusive classroom in the IB Diploma
As a Head of Department, your days can be filled with unexpected tasks and last minute requests. Whilst the operational side of managing your subject can fill your days, you still need to have an eye on the quality of learning that is happening across your subject. The primary job of any Head of Department … Continue reading Looking for Learning as a Middle Leader
A new IB Economics curriculum for August 2020 has prompted a flurry of discussion in our office about the new changes; what are the implications of new topics, what do the changes to assessments mean but also more pragmatic questions about resources and textbooks. I will try write a bit more about the curriculum changes … Continue reading Textbooks and Kognity: resources for a new Economics Curriculum
This series of posts will breakdown the six different components of the Extended Essay in Economics. This first post provides a little guidance on finding a good question and helps you reflection on three key questions... is your topic viable, feasible and personally desirable? Find a topic that sparks a passion Choosing a topic that … Continue reading What makes a good Extended Essay question in Economics?
In the two subjects that I have always loved and taught, Geography and Economics illustrative examples and case studies are the tools that every teachers uses to bring the subject to life. Real world examples such as those connected to earthquakes, recessions or endemic unemployment help students grapple with and contextualise otherwise abstract concepts. My … Continue reading Why inquiry is central to concept based teaching and learning
For the final Monday of the school year, we ambitiously took our Grade 11 students off timetable to spend a day helping them looking more deeply at their Extended Essay. They have all begun defining research questions and conducting preliminary research in the last couple of months. Our Extended Essay coordinator Joe Jasina, outlined the aims of the … Continue reading Extended Essay Day
On several occasions over the last couple of years, I have been asked to present something technology related to our staff. Presenting at our school can be a bit of a daunting experience. An average High School meeting can be 200 people, and a campus meeting even bigger. As a newbie teacher five years ago, the concept … Continue reading (less) Stressing over presentations
Last week, this eye catching headline and article got plenty of press and created some interesting debate. At first look it made you think.... did the OECD really say that? Computers 'do not improve' pupil results, says OECD (BBC) The article was based on a just published OECD study looking at students, computers and their … Continue reading Reading between the lines – “Computers ‘do not improve’ pupil results, says OECD”
I teach an IB Diploma Economics class, which is always an interesting mixture of new and experienced Economics students. We offer a iGCSE course to our younger students which means that 80% of our students have studied economics before and have usually done very well. I therefore look for ways to recap on previous concepts … Continue reading Flipping formative assessment with Zaption
Statistics and infographics help bring some of the more complex concepts to life in Economics. For a long time tools such as GapMinder have helped students explore development and inequalities between countries. A new great tool developed by the Guardian website, (How China's economic slowdown could weigh on the rest of the world) looks at … Continue reading Exploring China’s economic slowdown with Infographics
Digging a Little Deeper 