ISHCMC INTERNATIONAL Secondary School

The MYP build upon the inquiry-based learning developed in the Primary Years Programme and prepares students for the academic rigour of the Diploma Programme.

As a broad curriculum framework, all MYP students take courses in eight subject areas: Individuals and Societies, Language and Literature (in English, Korean or Vietnamese), Language Acquisition (in French, Spanish or Mandarin), Mathematics, Design, Arts (Visual Art, Music, Drama or Media), Sciences, and Physical and Health Education.

Different options for the Language, Design and Arts courses enable students to shape their own learning pathways through the programme. ISHCMC also supports students that wish to learn Language and Literature in their own mother tongue language if it is different to the course options offered at ISHCMC.

A conceptual framework

Each subject area is framed by ‘key concepts’, big ideas that add depth to a student’s learning and as a way to make connections between subject areas. More subject-specific ‘related concepts’ are used to add breadth to their learning. Each unit uses inquiry approaches to teaching and learning to develop this conceptual understanding.

Interdisciplinary and service learning
Using six interdisciplinary ‘Global Contexts’ the MYP emphasizes the importance of learning in and about real life experiences and situations. The Global Contexts act as lenses to foster connections between subject areas to create a holistic approach to learning. Interdisciplinary learning is also developed via interdisciplinary units, integrating two or more subject areas together.

Service learning plays a significant role in the MYP through class inquiries and the Service as Action program. Students learn by doing and connecting to the wider world, developing an understanding of global challenges and learning to act as responsible global citizens.

Building a skill set for lifelong learning
Integral to all learning in the MYP are the ten clusters of ‘approaches to learning’ (ATL) skills – communication, collaboration, organization, reflection, information literacy, media literacy, critical thinking, creative thinking, transfer and affective skills. Students are encouraged to learn, practise and develop these ATL skills through the five years of the programme in order to thrive as independent learners in the IB Diploma and beyond.

The MYP culminates in the Personal Project, starting in Grade 9 and completed in Grade 10. Choosing a topic that they are passionate about and by setting a highly challenging goal, the Personal Project is an excellent opportunity for students to apply all the skills they have developed, particularly the skill of project management over an extended period of time. The Personal Project is externally moderated by the IB, for which MYP students receive a certificate at the end of the five years.

The rigorous pre-university International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP) is a two year course offered to motivated students in Grades 11 and 12. Internationally recognized external examinations are taken at the completion of Grade 12, providing students with qualifications that fulfil the requirements of national or state education systems. It is the premier tertiary entry qualification globally, with excellent recognition by universities in almost 200 countries. The IB Diploma incorporates the best elements of national systems without being based on any one.

Students study six courses. These include two languages (groups 1 and 2), one course from individuals and societies (group 3), one experimental science (group 4), one mathematics course (group 5), and one course chosen from the arts (group 6) or another subject from groups 1 to 5.

The IB DP is a challenging, broad and balanced two-year programme of international education for students aged 16 to 19. Students are required to study six subjects and a curriculum core concurrently. The program is designed to equip students with the basic academic skills needed for university study, further education and their chosen profession, as well as developing the values and life skills needed to live a fulfilled and purposeful life. The driving force behind the Diploma is a philosophy about the nature of education that is expressed in the IB's mission statement, learner profile and approaches to learning.

A distinguishing characteristic of the IB DP is a focus on the whole educational experience of each student. The curriculum framework and its supporting structures and principles are designed to ensure that each student is exposed to a broad and balanced curriculum.

The IB DP has become a leading, internationally recognised pre-university qualification. A student who satisfies the requirements for the diploma has demonstrated independent study skills, developed a broad range of academic skills, studied at least three disciplines in depth, engaged with interdisciplinary ideas, reflected on the nature of human knowledge in an international context and taken part in social, physical and creative pursuits beyond the classroom. The concept of educating the whole person distinguishes the IB DP from many other upper secondary programmes (16 - 18 year olds) and provides an excellent preparation for university study.