IB college -Benefits of IB Diploma Programme for University admission
Many parents want to know the meaning of International Baccalaureate. International Baccalaureate is more than just a curriculum. It is a methodology, a way of teaching and learning concepts way beyond only text books. As a parent I feel that International Baccalaureate or IB program makes you a better parent in understanding the true meaning of education.
What is curriculum and its importance?
Choosing the right curriculum and school is probably the most challenging task you face as parents. With all the schools showcasing their uniqueness in different areas, the choice becomes even more difficult. No doubt that parents look for pool of authentic information in making these choices, however, the biggest pain point according to me is that ‘the reflective parents of this informative age are in the hunt of a complete learning system’- the modern system which can help their child think critically, set challenging goals, and inculcate skill set what the 21st century demands.
Being triggered by the same pain point, I considered the need of sharing my experience with you. The anecdote, comprising of my live experience and actions are looked upon and gauged through my lenses of an experienced K-12 educator and a parent of a high schooler stepping to Grade 12.
Contents
International Baccalaureate. 1
What is curriculum and its importance?. 1
What is the purpose of International Baccalaureate?. 2
What is the purpose of International Baccalaureate?
Due to continuous global transition my daughter has been exposed to certain specific curricula till she came back to India and had to pick up one in grade 11. Many fellow parents in my group were suggesting to take up international curriculum, which was either IBDP or the A levels. Probably, their reason to suggest was the compatibility of the international curricula with the global teaching learning standards. True that the reason was cogent enough. However, the problem of trade-off was still there -International Baccalaureate or Cambridge Assessment International Education.
IB Diploma Programme or IBDP
After a comprehensive evaluation the fulcrum of our decision finally tilted towards precisely the IB Diploma Programme or IBDP. We got to understand the IB Diploma Programme not only as a curriculum but a holistic methodology all together with six subject groups. Studying at least 3 and at most 4 subjects as HL (higher level) with at least 2 or at most 3 as SL (standard level), the diversity of subject combinations and the compulsory intake of Mathematics, made a complete platter of essential subjects. Not only the Natural Sciences like IBDP Biology or IBDP Chemistry, she took up subjects more resonating with real-life like IBDP Economics and IBDP Business Management (BM). Learning a foreign language in Language Acquisition is gratifying experience for a global mind, where she has got an opportunity to know more about the IBDP French syllabus, culture and tradition of the French community. Moreover, the international-mindedness infused gives her a well-rounded knowledge foundation, making her ready for universities worldwide.
IB Programme
You must be wondering that what are the benefits of IB Programme. Though I am not biased towards any curriculum, as a parent I have strongly felt that a curriculum should be designed in such a way that it helps connect the theoretical concepts with real-life case studies. I am seeing my daughter maturing with her acumen of a critical thinker, inquirer, with open-minded attitude. It is gratifying to realise that International Baccalaureate as a curriculum has its profound in-depth and wide understanding of concepts not just for the heck of exam or assessment.
One of the most fantastic areas of the IB Diploma Programme which sets it apart from any other curricula for that matter, is the Core with CAS (creativity, activity, service), TOK (Theory of Knowledge), and EE (Extended Essay). CAS nurtures a holistic personality development with a fine tuning of gross and fine motor skills, emotional skills through a contribution towards the society. TOK teaches the art of constructing knowledge of ‘how to know what you know’. EE prepares a student to write 4000 words research with all the tips of formatting, citation, avoiding plagiarism, as well as maintaining academic honesty and integrity.
In fact, the IB Diploma Programme core components and each subject-specific internal assessments or IAs help a student learn time management and organizational skills. The IB Diploma is recognized by colleges and universities.
IB courses
IB courses are very adaptable and flexible to situations, thereby making the teaching learning process as effective and seamless as possible. Whether the support is offline or online, the sole aim and objective of International Baccalaureate is to create impactful learning and inculcate application skills. That’s where students are exposed to real life projects like internal assessments or TOK essay and exhibition or extended essay under guided supervision. If there is an online support needed for a student for specific subjects, the options are available. For instance, to beat the COVID-19 stress of interrupted teaching learning, the IB has Pamoja Education (www.pamojaeducation.com) as its online classroom support.
IB exam 2021
It is indeed introspective to look at how the International Baccalaureate has balanced the conduct of IB exam during the pandemic without creating stress factor to the parents and students. For a mom and a student, the attitude of IB towards the academic welfare of its students meant it all! Even with the pandemic stress we could see how the International Baccalaureate has been hand holding the schools of different regions with customized directives. After a critical analysis on the exam schedule during the pandemic 2020, the IBO executed a ‘Dual-route model’ with a twofold assessment process. The complete objective for either of the routes was to ensure a safe, fair, and equitable assessment path for the students.
We could come out of the apprehension after realizing that a uniform assessment outline is based out of the combined scores of IAs, teacher predicted grades, and moderation based on past IB performance.
IB’s mission
In a nutshell why we felt that IB is the right choice for us, can be best explained through IB’s mission. The mission says it all! 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.(www.ibo.org)
As a parent I felt that IB is not just a curriculum. It is way beyond that- may be a solid education foundation and knowledge framework.
