IB Middle Years Programme
Where the big kids go…
A discussion about PYP and MYP
Similarities, Differences, Transitions & Possibilities
In an hour…
 MYP overview
 Disciplinary (trans, multi, inter, cross)
 Sample planners
 Resources for future reference
 http://exploringmyp.wikispaces.com/
 www.ibo.org
 http://professionaldevelopment.ibo.org
Middle Years Programme
General Overview:
 For students aged 11 to 16 years
 Encourages connections between studies in traditional
subjects to the real world
 Fosters development of communication skills,
intercultural understanding and global awareness
 850 schools in 79 countries, 400 000 students
The MYP requires
schools to teach a
broad and balanced
choice of subjects in
every year of the
programme, organized
into eight subject
groups:
• language A (ideally,
the student’s mother
tongue)
• language B (a second
modern language)
• humanities
• sciences
• mathematics
• arts
• physical education
• technology
The broad and balanced programme model:
 Broad base of disciplines to ensure knowledge and
skills
 Each subject includes skills, attitudes and knowledge +
understanding of concepts
 Ability to apply ideas into new contexts
 Concurrency of learning
 Different subjects are studied simultaneously, using
higher-order thinking skills to explore various disciplines
in depth, identifying how each are linked and establishing
their relevance to local and global issues
 Development of whole person
 Affective, cognitive, creative and physical
Areas of Interaction
A unique approach to development of skills and attitudes
relevant in today’s global society
Approaches to learning (ATL) represents learning skills
that the student will develop and apply during the
programme and beyond.
Community and service considers how students can
learn about their place within communities and be
motivated to act in a new context.
Health and social education is designed to help
students identify and develop skills that will enable
them to function as effective members of societies.
Areas of Interaction
 Environments considers how humans interact with the
world at large and the parts we play in our
environments.
 Human ingenuity deals with the way in which human
minds have influenced the world and considers the
consequences of human thought and action. Through
this area of interaction students can develop ways of
thinking that are a good preparation for the theory of
knowledge course in the Diploma Programme.
The Personal Project
The personal project is an important part of the MYP for
all students. The personal project is a reflection of a
student’s ability to manage and direct their own inquiry
and a reflection of the skills learned through the MYP
experience. The process of completing the personal
project is led by the student, with supervision by a
teacher. The assessment of the personal project is a
summative assessment of students’ ability to conduct
independent work using the areas of interaction as
contexts for their inquiries.
Standard Assessment Model
Criterion-based assessment
scale is standard worldwide.
 7 = Excellent
 6 = Very good
 5 = Good
 4 = Satisfactory
 3 = Mediocre
Assessment must be varied
and valid. IB encourages
assessment tasks that include:
• open-ended, problem-solving
activities and investigations
• organized debates
• tests and examinations
• hands-on experimentation
• analysis
• reflection
 2 = Poor
 1 = Very poor
All assessment is carried out
internally by teachers. Schools
can opt for MYP moderation.
Interdisciplinary Learning
An important feature of MYP curriculum and
pedagogy is its commitment to students’
interdisciplinary learning—that is, their ability to
make meaningful connections across subjects
in order to understand, and act in, the world. By
placing students at the centre of the learning
process and building on a holistic view of
students and knowledge, the MYP seeks to
cultivate students’ involvement in their own
learning.
Looking beyond a single discipline
Multidisciplinary
Relating to, or making use of several disciplines at
once
Cross-disciplinary
Coordinated effort involving two or more academic
disciplines
Transdisciplinary
Approaches that transcend boundaries of
conventional disciplines
Here is our PYP standpoint
Interdisciplinary
Process of combining two or more disciplines,
fields of study or professions
This is the MYP perspective
The MYP Planner
 Backward design based on Wiggins & McTighe’s work
 Similar to PYP Planner
 Noteworthy components:
 Area of Interaction
 Concepts
 Key Question (like an essential question)
Sample Planners
 http://exploringmyp.wikispaces.com/
 http://occ.ibo.org/ibis/occ/home/subjectHomeMYP.cfm?
subject=imple
MYP Planning in Action
Opening Classroom Doors
Discussion Threads
 How does this information
impact your work at MCS?
 How can your programmes flow
seamlessly into one another?
 How can you best set students
up for success?
 What questions do you have
about the MYP?
 Answer: Where is the warmest
place to attend a training
session?
The Wiki is yours…
http://exploringmyp.wikispaces.com/
IB in FSD: For 21st Century Learners