The International Baccalaureate Diploma at the Hermann-Böse-Gymnasium Bremen Brochure for students and parents As of July 2012
Content: 1. Mission statements of the HBG and the IB Organisation 3 2. The IB Learner Profile 4 3. Subjects available at the HBG for the IB track 5 4. Examinations in the IB 8 5. The interdisciplinary core of the IB 9 6. Costs 9 7. Prerequisites for entering the IB programme at the HBG 10 8. Prospects for IB graduates 11 9. Further information 11 2
Educational principles of the HBG and the IBO The Hermann-Böse-Gymnasium offers its students a challenging and multi-facetted education, which helps them to develop character, to take responsibility for themselves and others in a globalised world, and to continue learning in adult life. The values of a democratic and humane society are the basis of our education and teaching practices. These values incorporate consideration for others, tolerance, a level of orderliness that allows everybody to feel comfortable, and an understanding for the points of view of other people and cultures. In accordance with our mission statement and based on our experience as a bilingual school and a Europe school, we offer outstanding students the opportunity to complete the IB Diploma in the framework of the public school system. The Hermann-Böse Gymnasium is the only public school providing IB education in Bremen. For 35 years the IB Diploma has served as an entrance certificate for a growing number of universities, especially in Asia, North America and increasingly in Europe The diploma used to be offered primarily by private international schools, whereas nowadays, more and more German public schools provide their students with IB education in addition to the Abitur. All schools that are interested in becoming an IB World School have to be authorized and subsequently evaluated on a regular basis by the International Baccalaureate Organization. There are many similarities between the educational principles of the HBG and the IBO. The International Baccalaureate Organization aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end the IB works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment. 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. (IB mission statement) 3
The IB Learner Profile IB teachers who are qualified through professional development sessions by the IBO, emphasize the IB Learner Profile in their daily work. IB learners strive to be: Inquirers: They develop their natural curiosity. They acquire the skills necessary to conduct inquiry and research and show independence in learning. They actively enjoy learning and this love of learning will be sustained throughout their lives. Knowledgeable: They explore concepts, ideas and issues that have local and global significance. In so doing, they acquire in-depth knowledge and develop understanding across a broad and balanced range of disciplines. Thinkers: They exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to recognize and approach complex problems, and make reasoned, ethical decisions. Communicators: They understand and express ideas and information confidently and creatively in more than one language and in a variety of modes of communication. They work effectively and willingly in collaboration with others. Principled: They act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness, justice and respect for the dignity of the individual, groups and communities. They take responsibility for their own actions and the consequences that accompany them. Open-minded: They understand and appreciate their own cultures and personal histories, and are open to the perspectives, values and traditions of other individuals and communities. They are accustomed to seeking and evaluating a range of points of view, and are willing to grow from the experience. Caring: They show empathy, compassion and respect towards the needs and feelings of others. They have a personal commitment to service, and act to make a positive difference to the lives of others and to the environment. Risk-takers: They approach unfamiliar situations and uncertainty with courage and forethought, and have the independence of spirit to explore new roles, ideas and strategies. They are brave and articulate in defending their beliefs. Balanced: They understand the importance of intellectual, physical and emotional balance to achieve personal well-being for themselves and others. Reflective: They give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and experience. They are able to assess and understand their strengths and limitations in order to support their learning and personal development. 4
Available subjects for the IB track at the HBG The IBO demands that all students of Q1 and Q2 (former 11th and 12th grade) take six subjects for the entire duration of the Programme, three of which need to be Higher Level (HL) courses, which can be compared with the German Leistungskurs in the Abitur. In one of the six subjects students have to write an Extended Essay, which can be compared to the German Facharbeit, comprising maximum 4000 words. Additionally all students have to take part in the interdisciplinary course Theory of Knowledge, which deals with critical thinking and knowledge acquisition from a philosophical perspective. Furthermore, all IB students need to show commitment by serving 150 hours in creative, athletic and social field in order to complete the Creativity, Action, Service Programme. The IB track at the Hermann-Böse Gymnasium allows all successful graduates to leave school with the IB Diploma and the German Abitur certificate. All subjects, except for languages and Physical Education, are taught in English. Although the curricula of the IB and the HBG are to a large extent in concordance, they are not identical. In order to comply with the additional requirements of the IB, one or two lessons are added to each standard Abitur class. Due to the combination of the Abitur and the IB Diploma programme, students are limited in their choice of subjects and need to refer to the following list. 5
Subject Type of subject for the Abitur Type of subject for the IB English LK Language A: English Language and Literature HL German LK or GK Language A: German Literature HL or SL Regular lessons per week Additional IB lessons per week 5 1 LK 5, GK 3 1 History GK History HL or SL 3 HL 3, SL 2 Biology GK Biology HL or SL 3 HL 3, SL 2 Maths GK Maths SL 3 1 Theory of Knowledge GK (Philosophy) 0 2 Spanish or French for GK Spanish/French ab initio Spanish 3, Beginners 1, beginners or advanced students or Language B: French 4 Advanced HL 2 Instead of Spanish/French: Economics Physical Education (mandatory for Abitur) Theatre (mandatory for Abitur) is also an additional choice for IB instead of Spanish/ French/Economics LK or GK Spanish/French SL or HL Economics HL or SL. If chosen as LK it is a mandatory HL for the IB GK 2 Advanced SL 1 LK 5, GK 2 HL 1, SL 2 GK Theatre SL 2 1 (If chosen as SL) 35 37 lessons per week Only 2-4 lessons more than in the Abitur 6
Simplified the IB curriculum can be displayed divided into the different subject groups and interdisciplinary elements using a hexagon: 7
Examinations in the IB Programme (in addition to the regular Abitur examinations): Subject / Group of subjects Internal Assessment External Assessment Theory of knowledge Extended Essay Oral presentation as an individual Essay of 1200 1600 words or in a group Research paper of 4000 words German and English (on nativespeaker level) and 2 nd continued foreign language Two oral presentations (30% of final grade) History Historical Investigation of 1500 2000 words (SL 20%, HL 25% of final grade) Economics Biology Mathematics Portfolio (20% of final grade) Interdisciplinary group project (comprising about 15 hours of time) plus biological investigations (labs/practicals) using minutes as documentation (24% of final grade) Application-oriented project or portfolio dealing with tasks of various mathematical areas (20% of final grade) In every subject 2-3 papers taking 45-150 minutes are written in between three weeks of May. For the foreign languages and theatre additional essays of 400-1900 words have to be written over a longer period of time. The theatre essays require further photographical documentation. Theatre Portfolio and development of a play (50% of final grade) 8
The interdisciplinary core of the IB By writing the Extended Essay IB students are given the opportunity to write a research paper of 4000 words in a manner that is very similar to what the students will later be doing in their university studies on their own. They are free to choose a subject and a topic they will write about and will receive extensive guidance by a teacher of the subject chosen. The Extended Essay not only help the students to further improve their skills in a prepatory way, It furthermore serves as a tool for the students to find out about their personal interests and to foster the students ability of self-organisation and independence when it comes to working on long-term projects. Theory of Knowledge (ToK) is a philosophical subject but goes a lot further than the Philosophy course in the Abitur in terms of epistemology. This course deals with various aspects of knowledge and how knowledge is obtained, often using the subject material learned in other IB courses. Theory of Knowledge brings forth critical thinking and thus widens the horizon of the students by encouraging them to question things taken for granted and to develop their own points of view. The Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) programme is a substantial part of the IB Diploma Programme. It comprises 150 hours that have to be split up between artistic, athletic and social activities. The entire process is supervised by a teacher of the school. A successful completion of the CAS programme is accompanied by a realistic yet ambitious agreement on objectives and thorough reflection and evaluation on the students part. The CAS programme enables the students to get to know and develop their personal interests, as well as becoming aware of their individual strengths and weaknesses. Hence, students gather supplementary important experience for university and their career. Costs for the IB The purchase of additional school material, school fees, professional development for the teachers, external evaluations and examination fees represent the additional costs of the IB track for the school and the federal state of Bremen. For example, the examination fees are around 680 per student, regardless of whether the student passes or not. Hence, it is necessary that IB students contribute 250 to the examination costs. Compared to the high expenses of private IB schools or the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English with a similar fee and a significantly lower counter value, one can consider this contribution very low. In case an applicant meets the prerequesits to enter the IB programme but is facing difficulties paying his/her share of the examination fees, the Hermann-Böse Gymnasium offers scholarships in cooperation with partners from local private businesses. 9
Prerequesits to enter the IB programme Interested students will be counseled by the IB Coordinator with regard to their prospects of success in the programme. Past school reports and additional assessments by former teachers will be taken into consideration for the evaluation. Due to the fact that the courses are almost exclusively taught in English, very good grades in English and already completed bilingual classes, longer stays in an English-speaking country or the acquisition of certificates for foreign languages (CAE, First Certificate) are highly recommended. Another fundamental factor for a successful completion of the IB programme is a very stable motivation to learning and well-developed self-management. Such qualities are especially valuable for the CAS programme and the Extended Essay. Compared to the regular Abitur students IB students take about three additional lessons per week and are often occupied with school work after school and in their holidays. Furthermore, participants of the IB programme will encounter a higher stress factor, particularly during the final examinations at the end of the second year. These examinations may even take place at the same time as the usual Abitur examinations. The final IB examinations consist of worldwide standardized tests that have to be written in every subject. The decision of a student s admission to the IB Profile is taken by the headmaster of the HBG in close co-ordination with the IB-Coordinator. 10
Prospects IB graduates benefit a lot from their high degree of international mobility. The global acceptance of the IB is remarkable and can be proven best with the following figures: 1700 schools in more than 100 countries offer the IB Diploma Programme, of which 700 are situated in Canada and the USA. About 2000 universities accept the IB Diploma as an entrance certificate, among which are many top-ranking universities which hold the IB Diploma in a high esteem. This can be demonstrated by the fact that often IB graduates are often exempted from costly introductory courses. Globally recruiting companies are also aware of the qualities of IB students. The value of the IB Diploma as a proof of a candidate s willingness to perform, critical and independent thinking and outstanding capabilities in the English language cannot be overestimated. Students who have participated in the IB Diploma Programme frequently mention that the advantages of the IB are not only mirrored in their enhanced chances on the job market but that its additional and challenging examinations and constant education towards an independent attitude to work makes them acquire core competences needed at university which their fellow students have to acquire during their first semesters. IB students are able to learn independently and develop skills that make their life in university much easier. On top of all this, IB graduates often say that there is a strong team spirit in an IB class, since all students take almost all their subjects together instead of being split up in different courses for each subject, as it is the case in the regular Abitur track. More information concerning the IB can be found at http://www.ibo.org For personal advice consult: Coordination of the IB Diploma Till Stollmann Tel.: 0421 / 361 79398 Appointments can also be made through the Secretariat of the Hermann-Böse Gymnasium Tel.: 0421 361 6727 email: 308@bildung.bremen.de 11