Service as action, through community service
Service and action are shared values of the IB and students apply what they learn in the classroom through action based activities. Students strive to become caring and compassionate members of their community with the capacity to demonstrate a commitment to service and making a positive difference to others and the environment.
Particularly in the MYP, student choose and experience a significant piece of work over an extended period of time, these projects encourage students to be reflective of their learning and outcomes of their work, which are key skills in preparing them for future success in study, work and the community. Schools register their MYP students for external moderation of the personal project, ensuring the promotion of a global standard of quality. A community based project provides an authentic opportunity for students to collaborate and pursue service learning and practical exploration through a journey of inquiry, action and reflection.
Why this evidence was chosen and what I learnt from it.
Referring to the IB MYP projects section of the programmes section of the IB offered a introduction into the service-based teaching and learning approach and how it works in practice. The video within the section was a visual explanation of students working out in the community, in service, sharing knowledge and information in a real life setting. Service in action is the key theme of the video and mentions the importance of peer learning and the opportunity for teachers to observe the changes in the students as they journey through their experience. The students participate and collaborate and work through issues of language barriers, and take the opportunity in the video to express their personal views of their experiences and what they have learned through the process, for example, one student expresses how she enjoyed the experience of sharing herself with others and learning about other students and their lives, eventually saying that ‘education is the best form of charity’. A great video to show what teaching and learning in real life authentic contexts is really like.
International Baccalaureate Organization. (2005-2017). MYP Projects. Retrieved from: http://www.ibo.org/programmes/middle-years-programme/curriculum/myp-projects/
This news article follows on from the above authentic learning example and experiences of teachers and students who undertake a service-based project. A small service project for three IB students in Georgia, USA, where students had the idea to produce a butterfly/pollinator garden at a local park, working in collaboration between their high school, the city’s park and facilities division and the public that resulted in a wonderful outcome that resulted in an expansion of the city’s plans for the park and lovely area for visitors. Key to this project was the students and IB coordinators observance to the CAS, which stands for Creativity, Activity and Service.
IB Students Partner With City To Create Butterfly Garden
Why this evidence was chosen and what I learnt from it.
A fantastic article and representation of a service project in action and service in a local community, that was a complete success with a positive and actionable outcome.
It was interesting to learn about how the IB coordinator and students have to ‘sell’ their idea to the city, and the appreciation when they received a positive response and assistance with realising their vision and project, and the proof that these projects are real enough to be included in local Government and planning and the ongoing growth of a project like this into the future. Students feedback that they feel fortunate to be a part of ‘something that matters’ and how this learning experience fostered a desire for tertiary education in landscaping for one student. The local shire workers also enjoyed working with the students and gained something positive from the partnership, stating ‘partnerships like this is what makes us a better community’. Amazing how this benefits so many people, which I did not realise could be part of the outcome of a service-based project – the benefits to so many!
This was an exciting and interesting section to research and read about and discover all the different experiences that are out there at the moment of IB students working out in the community making a difference to their lives and the lives of others around them.
Karr, D. (2016, August 25). IB Students Partner With City to Create Butterfly Garden. The Carrollton Menu. Retrieved from: http://carrollton.thecitymenus.com/2017/08/28/ib-students-partner-city-create-butterfly-garden/
Yasmin in Education :) 