UAIS TEACHER TRAINING CREATIVITY, ACTION, SERVICE August 31, 2011

Presentation Objectives

• General overview of CAS • Minimum requirements for IB Diploma eligibility • The extended project • CAS Eight Learning Outcomes • Managebac and the CAS Interview • CAS reflections and ongoing advisor responsibilities

IB Hexagon

CAS At least 150 hours Community Service Less than 75 hours Goal-oriented Hour-oriented Ongoing evaluation by interviews Single evaluation by completion Issues of global importance Requires extended project Requires deep reflection Activities personally challenging Creativity and action required Typically local issues only Requires none Requires minimal or no reflection Activities sometimes menial Only service required

The three strands of CAS, which are often interwoven with particular activities, are characterized as follows: • Creativity: arts, and other experiences that involve creative thinking, planning, and construction.

• Action: physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle, complementing academic work elsewhere in the Diploma Programme.

• Service: an unpaid and voluntary exchange that has a learning benefit for the student. The rights, dignity and autonomy of all those involved are respected.

CAS activities and projects should involve:

• real, purposeful activities, with significant outcomes • personal challenge—tasks must extend you and be achievable in scope, not “more of the same” • thoughtful consideration, such as planning, reviewing progress, reporting • reflection on outcomes and personal learning.

All proposed CAS activities need to meet these four criteria in order for student activities and projects to be approved in interviews with the advisor.

IBO Mission Statement

“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…These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.”

Politics, Religion, and CAS

• Political work should never serve a personal cause but instead promote the democratic process • Religious promotion or expression is personal devotion, not CAS • Service from the house of worship outward to the community is CAS

Minimum Requirements

• 150 minimum hours • At least 50 hours in C, A, and S • 18 consecutive months of activities • Completion of one extended project • • • Evidence of 8 learning outcomes Reflections, documentation, and series of interviews

The CAS Extended Project

1. Collaborative in nature 2. Four months or thirty hours in length 3. Satisfy 2/3 CAS components 4. Personally challenging 5. Goal-oriented 6. Results in event, product, performance 7. Required for completion of CAS

Learning Outcomes

1. increased your awareness of your own strengths and areas for growth 2. undertaken new challenges 3. planned and initiated activities 4. worked collaboratively with others 5. shown perseverance and commitment in their activities 6. engaged with issues of global importance 7. considered the ethical implications of their actions 8. developed new skills

CAS Advisors (UAIS Teachers)

• Conducts interviews with students • Monitors range of activities and reflections • Helps students develop and alter goals • Reads and responds to journals in meetings • Verifies involvement of CAS supervisors • Discusses major concerns with coordinator • Helps troubleshoot potential issues • Makes final recommendations to coordinator

Student Responsibilities

1. Self-review 2. Set personal goals 3. Plan, do, and reflect 4. Meet/Communicate with advisor 5. Take part in range of activities 6. Keep records on managebac.com

7. Show evidence of eight learning outcomes 8. Provide necessary documentation for approval and completion of activities

CAS Supervisors

• Required for activities • Provides guidance/training for an activity • Monitors student’s attendance, if necessary • Alerts coordinator to any student issues • Reports on student’s performance at end of activity by completion of an online supervisor evaluation form Can be teachers, but no parents or connection to UAIS

Parents as Supervisors

• Creates a conflict of interest • Counter to spirit of CAS • Exceptions: – Another parent who is established supervisor for long period of time – Parent chaperoning an event when no one else is available – A club or organization a parent already runs; however, all efforts should be made to find another supervisor to do this

UAIS vs. Outside Supervisors

• All activities require a supervisor, unless otherwise determined by you and your advisor • Supervisors must be informed by supervisor agreement form, turned in to your advisor of the coordinator

Activities Without Supervisors

• Typically solitary action hours, including individual training (marathon running) • Sometimes creativity (painting, drawing, sketching, writing) • Must be agreed upon by advisor • Documentation is key: video, picture, log

Managebac

• Online server for UAIS funded by student dues • Documents are permanently stored • Easy communication between teachers and students • Can upload pictures, videos, files, homework, IB assessments, connect to turnitin.com

CAS Reflections

• Required for all activities and projects • Must demionstrate the eight learning outcomes • Informal but informative • Writing is frequent, but many different types • Read by advisor and used during interviews