4 C O R D E C H O S P I R I T . M I N D . B O D Y . SHA AS AN IB WORLD SCHOOL: Opening NewDoors For All MRS. MARY MARCINIAK Courses taught: IB TOK (year 1), IB Literature and Language (year 2), Lit Survey II Honors, AP Literature At the core of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program is a course called Theory of Knowledge, or TOK; at the core of the TOK course is Mrs. Mary Marciniak. TOK encourages students to question and examine all types of knowledge by constantly asking “how do we know what we know?” This practice of questioning and examining allows students not only to evaluate their own worldview but also to recognize and appreciate different perspectives. For Mrs. Marciniak, this emphasis on questioning knowledge and giving room for different opinions doesn’t just stay in the IB classroom. “Based on how I’ve seen my IB students grow in their ability to assess knowledge and consider alternate perspectives because of TOK, I now try to embed TOK questions into my non-IB classes. I leave space when discussing a piece of literature for my students to bring up different perspectives and make connections to topics or views outside of Literature class.” As important as the questions of TOK are, it is how those questions lead to student ownership of learning that form the basis of the IB education. “When I attended trainings for TOK and IB Literature and Language, there was always an emphasis on this curriculum being designed to help every individual student succeed.” Now, in all of her courses, Mrs. Marciniak frames her lessons in ways that better accommodate the interests, opinions and directions put forth by the students. She has found she really enjoys this open discussion and the connections her students are able to make. This shift in putting the onus of learning and discussing on to the students has been really successful for Mrs. Marciniak. “This approach has made me a better teacher, and it has led to stronger relationships with the students and more lifelong learners leaving my classroom.” MRS. GRACE MODICA AMORE Courses taught: IB Biology (year 1 and year 2), AP Biology, Honors Biology Collaboration is the only way science works; some of the best and most important scientific discoveries in history came from scientists working together and sharing data. This is exactly what Grace ModicaAmore loves most about the IB curriculum. “In IB Bio, there is a strong emphasis on an international mindset where working together, instead of against each other, is emphasized.” This global perspective mirrors the history of the scientific community and is what Mrs. ModicaAmore hopes she can add to all of her non-IB classes. “The IB curriculum is outward focused, so the students are learning about projects and discoveries on a global scale and from global scholars and experts.” Using her IB training, Mrs. ModicaAmore has begun to implement more projects that showcase global cooperation and cross-cultural collaboration, like the Human Genome Project, into all levels of biology fromHonors and Regents Biology to AP Biology. IB also focuses on experiential learning, particularly in the sciences. Students don’t just learn science, but they learn how to do science. From learning how to ask a testable question to learning how to design an experiment that answers that question, IB science is focused on the process of doing science. Students learn to be risk-takers so that even failed experiments are their own discovery of knowledge. This inquiry based approach to labs is being applied in every science at every level at SHA. Students are no longer just getting a question and a step-by-step guide to answering the question; instead, the students are now creating the question and working to figure out the steps of how to come to an answer. Mrs. ModicaAmore sees this approach as a significant step in preparing students for the rigors of college level science. “We are graduating students who are ready to walk into a college lab; they understand what is required in higher level courses because they’ve done it already at SHA.” Mrs. ModicaAmore oversees IB students collecting data in the lab for their independent research projects. Mrs. Marciniak leads a discussion with the students in year 2 of IB Literature and Language course.
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